Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw (So Easy!)

This Crispy Black Bean Tacos recipe features spiced black beans with a crunchy cilantro lime slaw, crumbled cheese, and creamy chipotle lime taco sauce. Enjoy it all stuffed inside a crispy corn tortilla. The best thing about these black bean tacos is that the recipe is so simple to prepare! Black Bean Tacos make great addition to your healthy eating meal plan if you’re trying to eat more meatless recipes

Making this Black Bean Tacos Recipe

Sometimes you are hungry for dinner and you want it fast. Or maybe you don’t want a big mess to clean up, lots of pots and pans to wash, lots of ingredients to buy.

Whatever the case may be, these tacos are great. It’s been a while since I’ve made tacos for dinner. Having a bit of a craving for Mexican food, but something different, I thought I’d give these a try.

I picked up a purple cabbage instead of prepackaged coleslaw mix. I thought it would be prettier, more colorful, and apparently very nutritious.

And, cabbage is so cheap. Packaged salad mixes are not so cheap in comparison. I added a bit of grated carrot, and in just a few minutes I had my own “coleslaw mix.”

I thought the coleslaw part of the tacos could make an excellent salad as well. Just toss the veggies with the beans, the lime juice and olive oil, and serve the dressing on the side.

It is fabulously crunchy and fresh tasting and would be great to go with something off the grill in the summertime.

Why I Loved these Easy Black Bean Tacos

I enjoyed this meal so much, and not just because it was fast and easy. The textures and flavors were unique, it turned out so pretty with all the brightly colored vegetables.

These crispy black bean tacos were different and interesting, but in the best way possible. Sometimes simple ingredients can be combined in a way that wows, and that’s always a nice surprise.

Hubby’s first question after taking a a bite was: what is this dressing? Apparently, he liked it too!

And you know what? The variations of these are limitless. A few days later we still had most of the ingredients for the slaw, but I had used the last can of black beans.

So, I threw the slaw together, added sliced yellow and orange bell pepper (carrot was gone) and made the tacos for lunch using shredded chicken mixed with salsa I had in the freezer leftover from enchiladas.

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Ingredients these Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

Here’s a quick ingredient checklist of what’s required to make the different elements for this easy recipe for black bean tacos:

For the Black Bean Filling

• Black Beans
• Ground Cumin

For the Cilantro Lime Slaw

• Olive Oil
• Lime Juice
• Purple Cabbage
• Carrot
• Green Onion
• Fresh Cilantro

For the Creamy Chipotle Lime Taco Sauce

• Sour Cream
• Lime Zest
• Chipotle Hot Sauce

For Taco Assembly

• Corn Tortillas
• Crumbled Feta Cheese, Queso Fresco, or Cotija

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

How to Make these Healthy Black Bean Tacos

First, place beans and cumin in small bowl; partially mash. Then, mix 2 teaspoons olive oil and lime juice in medium bowl. After that, add cabbage, carrot, green onions, and cilantro and toss to coat.

Next, season slaw to taste with salt and pepper. Then, for the dressing, mix sour cream, lime zest and chipotle hot sauce in a small bowl, set aside.

After that, heat 3 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. (I found that using a griddle like pan was best because I could fit several at once) Then, add tortillas in single layer.

Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture onto half of each tortilla; cook 1 minute. Then, fold tacos in half. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side.

Lastly, fill tacos with feta and slaw. Serve, passing the creamy chipotle lime sauce alongside.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Time Saving Tips for Making Simple Black Bean Tacos

Here are a few of my time saving tips that make preparing this easy meatless taco recipe even easier:

• Try store bought crunchy taco shells if you don’t have time to cook the corn tortillas
• Look for already seasoned refried beans (they even make refried black beans) if you don’t have time to prepare the black bean mixture
• Steam flour tortillas in a microwave tortilla seamer instead of frying the tortillas
• The slaw can be made a day ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

What to Serve with these Vegetarian Bean Tacos

Here are some great recipe ideas to serve alongside these yummy black bean tacos:

• Serve with lime wedges for garnish and squeeze the fresh lime juice over the tacos
• Sliced Avocado or Guacamole goes great stuffed inside the taco shells
• Deconstructed Guacamole would make a great side salad.
• Roasted Poblano Cilantro Quinoa is a delicious side dish.
• Zucchini Corn Salsa goes great in tacos as well, if you want to sere 2 types of vegetarian tacos
• Pico de Gallo is always a nice topping for tacos
• For a tasty drink, try these Pineapple Coolers!

Recipe Substitutes

If you prefer your black bean tacos to have meat, then add the black bean taco filling to some Crock-Pot Mexican Shredded Chicken or Ground Beef cooked and seasoned with Spicy Taco Seasoning.

You could also substitute the cans of black beans for another bean, like pinto beans, if you like if you don’t have black beans on hand.

For a vegan tacos, just use your favorite vegan cheese and vegan sour cream in place of conventional dairy products when making this black bean taco recipe.

How to Store Leftover Black Bean Tacos

Leftovers are best stored as individual components in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

Then, reheat the black beans and assemble fresh tacos using the leftover black beans, cilantro lime slaw, and chipotle lime sauce.

Leftovers will stay fresh for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

More Easy Recipes for Taco Tuesday

Looking for more simple recipes to cook up for your Taco Tuesday meals? Here are a few of our favorite easy ideas:

This Chorizo and Eggs Scramble is a fun way to mix things up for breakfast. Traditional scrambled eggs are combined with fresh spinach, cilantro, and spicy chorizo sausage. It also tastes great inside a tortilla!

You won’t miss the meat in these Vegetarian Fajitas. They’re made with bell peppers and mushrooms, and flavored with a homemade fajita marinade!

Next time you’re craving Pork Carnitas, try this Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas Lettuce Wrap version. Top it off with some fruity Mango Salsa for a fresh burst of flavor.

This Layered Chicken Taco Salad in a Jar is a great way to experiment with this trend. I love layered salads for their ease of use as well as customization.

Homemade Spanish Rice loaded with all your favorite taco toppings for a tasty Spanish Rice Taco Salad Bowl

This Restaurant Style Salsa Recipe is a mix of tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, onion, fresh garlic, cilantro, lime, and a few other seasonings. This recipe for salsa is so easy to make, you can prepare it in a matter of minutes!

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.

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