Easy Black Bean Tacos with a Crispy Quesadilla Twist!
We’re pretty obsessed with plant-based tacos here at PWWB…and apparently so are you!
These Crispy Black Bean Tacos are part taco, part quesadilla, and 100% insanely good. I know you’ll love them just as much as we do!
This quick and easy vegetarian dinner starts by zhuzhing up humble canned black beans with simple taco spices and smoky chipotles to create a black bean taco filling that’s equally satisfying and flavorful.
The meatless taco filling is tucked into corn tortillas with a little cheese and the tacos are baked on a sheet pan, creating a golden and crisp exterior with a cheesy filling while baking in the oven.
A Meatless Monday AND Taco Tuesday win!

Taco Night Prep Tips
Before you get started, I highly recommend gathering and prepping all your ingredients. Once you begin cooking, these tacos come together super quickly—there won’t be too much time to multi-task. Chopping and measuring in advance will only take 5 minutes tops—totally worth it. Check out the Recipe Notes, below, for more meal prep tips!

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Buy Now → How to Make Crispy Black Bean Tacos
The secret to making simple meals taste great is to build tons of incredible flavor into every component of the dish. This is especially true for plant-based dishes, which don’t have the built-in rich, umami flavor of animal protein. Keep this in mind as you make these tacos—every step of seasoning makes a big difference!



Cook the aromatics. Sauté onions until soft and golden-brown, then stir in garlic, chipotle pepper, spices, and tomato paste and cook until the mixture is super fragrant. Why? ⇢ Canned black beans are packed with protein, but a little bland all on their own. Adding a few aromatics and spices is key!
Build the black bean filling. Add black beans to the skillet, then add the vegetable stock—the liquid helps create a soft taco filling consistency. Lightly mash the black beans with a wooden spoon to bind everything together, then let the mixture simmer and absorb all of the flavors. Taco Tip! ⇢ After a few minutes, squeeze fresh lime juice over the black bean mixture to brighten up all the flavors.
Steam the tortillas. Wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds. Why? ⇢ The wet paper towels create steam and add moisture back into the tortillas, which makes them more pliable and prevents cracking or breaking.
Assemble the tacos. Lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with oil. Place the warm tortillas on the sheet, flipping them a few times to coat in oil. From there, build the black bean tacos: spread the black bean mixture over half of each tortilla, sprinkle cheese on top (or vegan cheese if you prefer!), and fold the tortillas into a taco, with the filling and cheese nestled inside.
Bake! When you transfer the sheet pan to a hot oven, the oiled tortillas turn golden brown, puff up, and get nice and crispy. Halfway through baking, carefully flip the tacos so both sides toast evenly! Taco Tip! ⇢ Give the tacos a few minutes to cool once they come out of the oven—this helps the black bean mixture set and also adds a final bit of crispiness.


Serving Suggestions
Serve the crispy black bean tacos fresh from the oven. My favorite way to enjoy a taco dinner is to arrange a spread of taco toppings that everyone can mix and match and enjoy.
“More is more” is pretty much my motto when it comes to taco toppings! You really can’t go wrong, but some of my favorites are…
- Avocado – I love piling a thick layer of smashed avocado on any taco (made with mashed avocado, lemon juice, and salt). It’s super easy to throw together and the creaminess and brightness of the avocado balances the spiciness of the black beans perfectly. Mashed avocado is kind of like a cheater guacamole—bonus points if you actually whip up a batch of my favorite guacamole instead!
- Chopped cilantro – A small amount of fresh cilantro adds bright, fresh flavor and a picture perfect garnish.
- Salsa – Pick your fave jarred salsa, whip up a quick pico de gallo, or try this vegan creamy salsa verde!
- Homemade slaw – My everyday simple slaw adds a light and crunchy bite to the black bean tacos. Plus it’s super flexible, with tons of variations.
- Pickled red onions – A quick and easy way to add a tangy zip to your tacos. My quick AF pickled red onions are seriously quick—less than 5 minutes to prep!
Leftover Tip!
If you have any leftover black bean filling, feel free to use it in something else besides a taco! The black bean filling is super versatile. Use it in a burrito, make a rice bowl, or serve it on nachos. Same topping recommendations still apply!

I can’t wait for you to try these Crispy Black Bean Tacos! If you do, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations!
Print
Crispy Sheet Pan Black Bean Tacos (Vegetarian)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Tacos, Burritos & Enchiladas Recipes
- Method: Baked, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Mexican & Tex-Mex
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Tacos meet quesadillas in these Crispy Black Bean Tacos! Tuck a hearty and flavorful black bean taco filling in warm corn tortillas with a handful of pepper jack, then pop them on a sheet pan to bake until they’re crispy, golden-brown, and oozing with gooey melted cheese.
A weeknight-friendly dinner made with pantry staples, ready in 45 minutes max. Naturally vegetarian, easily vegan and dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
- optional: 1 chipotle pepper (from a can, packed in adobo sauce), finely chopped OR 1 tablespoon adobo sauce for less spice
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- two 14-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup vegetable broth or stock
- 1 lime, juiced
- 8–10 corn tortillas
- 6 ounces Pepper Jack or melty cheese of choice, freshly shredded
- kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Gather and prep all ingredients according to Ingredients List, above – once you begin cooking, these black bean tacos come together very quickly so it’s helpful to get any chopping and measuring done ahead of time.

- Sauté the onion: Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Once hot and shimmering, add the onion. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and fragrant, 3-4 minutes.

- Toast aromatics: Stir in the garlic and chipotle. Cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add in the chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and tomato paste. Stir, coating the onion. Cook 1-2 minutes longer, until very fragrant.

- Make the black bean taco filling: Add the black beans to the skillet, stirring to combine with the aromatics. Cook, stirring occasionally, until warm, 1-2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, increasing heat to bring the mixture to a simmer. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mash the black beans slightly, binding everything together. If needed, cook 1-2 minutes longer to thicken slightly. Squeeze the lime juice over the black bean mixture. Taste and season with additional kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Remove from the heat and set aside for taco assembly.

- Warm the tortillas: Meanwhile, as the black bean filling cooks, prep the tortillas. Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel. Microwave 30 seconds to steam the tortillas, making them pliable enough for taco assembly. Remove from the microwave and set aside.

- Assemble the black bean tacos: Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil across the surface of a large rimmed baking sheet. Place the warmed tortillas on the baking sheet, flipping them one or two times to get a nice light coating of oil on both sides. Spread the black been mixture over half of each tortilla, then sprinkle the cheese over top. Fold the tortillas, creating a taco around the black bean and cheese filling. I like to carefully flip the tacos at this point, so the cheese side is facing down.

- Bake the black bean tacos: Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake the tacos 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Working quickly and carefully, use a spatula to flip the tacos. Return to the oven and bake 8-10 minutes longer, until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool 2-3 minutes – the tacos will get even crispier as they cool.

- Serve: Serve the crispy black bean tacos warm, finishing with toppings of choice – cashew crema, guacamole, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salsa, or any other toppings your taco-lovin’ heart desires. Enjoy!

Notes
- Storage and reheating: These crispy black bean tacos are best served fresh out of the oven, though leftovers will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. For crispiest results, reheat for 5-10 minutes in a 250 degree F oven or on the stovetop (quesadilla-style) until warmed through.
- Corn tortillas: To help ensure your crispy chicken tacos do not crack as they bake, look for corn tortillas that are a little thinner and do not appear dry or crumbly. I’ve had good success using the Mission Corn Tortillas labeled “super soft” – yellow or white corn is fine, use whatever you love!
- 10-Minute Meal Prep: These black bean tacos come together really quickly once you get to cooking! To make this an even faster weeknight dinner, eliminate all active prep time by prepping a few ingredients in advance:
- Dice 1 small yellow onion. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (<5 minutes active prep).
- Grate 8 ounces cheese. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (<5 minutes active prep).
- Prep taco toppings. Prep a batch of cashew crema, a batch of quick pickled red onions, or whatever taco night fixings you love most! (Active prep time varies.)


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Made these today and they’re going into the rotation. I added the avocado inside with the beans. Rave reviews and so easy!!
Adding the avocado with the filling sounds delicious, Mel!
I need to try these tacos! Perfect for a healthy weeknight dinner 🙂
My shells split at the fold. Ate more like a tostada. Flavor was really good
Hi Jackie, that can definitely happen with the corn tortillas! Hope they were still delicious! 🙂
Looks just like the photo and tastes as good as described!
Crispy and cheesy. Added Santa Fe chili powder for more smoke flavor. I made tortillas, which cracked in the oven, but they still hold together. Will make again.
So happy to hear you loved these tacos as much as we do, Alan! And we totally agree – even when they crack, they are still DELICIOUS! 🙂
Excellent recipe. Followed it all with a couple of changes: I wanted more protein in this so I added some cubed chicken after the beans were cooking. Everything else was simple to prepare and delicious! This would be fantastic for an appetizer or dish for a party.
Adding chicken sounds delicious!! Thanks so much for the review, Mark! 🙂
These are delicious. Very rich flavors and the crispy tacos are perfect. Going to be making this often!!
These tacos are one of our favorites, too! So glad you enjoyed them, Sandra, and thank you for your review!
This looks great! I’m making this tomorrow! Question…is there a way to make the tortillas more pliable without a microwave? I no longer own a microwave because I stopped using microwaves.
Hi Dana, you can steam a stack of tortillas in a 300 degree oven wrapped in some tinfoil, or try simply wrapping them in a warm, damp towel! Hope that helps! And don’t worry – even if your tortillas end up breaking, these tacos are still DELICIOUS!
How many tacos are a serving?
Hi Frank, it really depends on how much filling you stuff into each tortilla! But this recipe serves 4 🙂
Delicious! But I’m always confused on the amount of veggie broth. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 teaspoon cups. What does that mean?! Is it just supposed to be 1 1/2 teaspoons? Please clarify.
Hi Kmo, We’re glad you enjoyed the tacos!! The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of vegetable stock/broth. Hope that’s helpful!
Next time I want to try them without the lime, or only half a lime, they were a little to acidic. Also, a bit too salty, plan to skip the second pinch next time as well. Tasty overall.
We definitely recommend adjusting lime and salt amounts according to your preferences! Glad you enjoyed, SharLee!
These were delicious! So flavorful and crispy. I used 1tsp cayenne instead of chili powder which gave it a nice kick. New go-to recipe for sure!
So glad to hear you loved the tacos, Meghan! They’re a go-to for us, too! 🙂
How do you keep the tortillas from cracking. I microwaved them. But they still crack.
Hi Susie, we’ve found that with this recipe, it’s hard to avoid some cracking of the tortillas! Steaming just a couple tortillas at a time can be helpful, as well as using the Mission “super soft” corn tortillas. Hope that’s helpful, and hope the tacos were delicious despite the cracking!
Thanks so much. I will try that next time. We love these.
I really like these! Simple to make but definitely need to have all ingredients ready. My tortillas started to crack on the prepared enchiladas while I was still assembling so next time I will heat 4 tortillas at a time or use a tortilla warmer. I used an ice cream scoop to put mixture on the tortillas and this made 14 quesadillas
Hi MJ, glad to hear you enjoyed these tacos as much as we do, and we definitely agree having ingredients ready is key! No need to worry too much about tortillas cracking, it definitely happens to us sometimes too and the tacos are always still delicious 🙂
So unbelievably delicious. I used dried beans and cooked them in the instant pot, then added the aromatics and the beans came out so yummy. Thank you!!
Hi Jessalyn, glad to hear that this recipe was easily adapted to the Instant Pot! Thanks for taking the time to leave us a review! 🙂
Drop everything and make this recipe. It is UNREAL. So so delicious. My husband said it’s better than any meat based taco he’s ever had. Thank you for sharing!
That’s the highest compliment for plant-based tacos! So glad you and your husband enjoyed these, Bianca! 🙂
Exceeded my expectations. Absolutely delicious. I did these with vegan cheese and worked perfectly. I didn’t put the chipotle pepper because I made a chipotle sauce to dip these in.
So glad to hear that, Stef! And would LOVE to try that chipotle sauce! 🙂
These are now a staple in our dinner rotations. So delicious!
They’re a staple for us, too!! So glad you enjoy them, Franchesca!
I am a cook so I tweaked mine just a bit but it’s overall a tasty recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Alexis! 🙂
I’ve made black bean tacos that were so-so (dry, not that flavourful), but really loved this one. Perfectly spiced and easily adaptable. I added red peppers and used hot sauce in lieu of chipotles. Adding this to my recipe rotation!
So glad to hear you loved these tacos as much as we do, Taylor! Adding red peppers is a great call 🙂
One of the best things I have ever eaten. Seriously. I’ve been vegan for 34 years and have had a lot of tacos but these are incredible and work well with vegan cheese. (But also tasty without the cheese). The only other things I did differently were to omit the lime just due to personal preference and I added frozen corn to the mix. I will perfect my technique in the future, but even with the filling spilling out and the tortillas not cooperating, they were amazing. Thank you, this recipe will become a staple in our vegan home.
Hi Stephanie, this is one of our staples as well, and we’re so happy to hear that you and your family love it too! Adding frozen corn is an excellent idea, too! 🙂 Thanks so much for the review!
Hi, if I made extra of the black bean filling, would it freeze well? Trying to have some prepped meals on hand
Hi Chelsea, the bean mixture would freeze well & keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You could definitely prep the filling beforehand then thaw & assemble the tacos for baking when ready to eat. 🙂
I followed the recipe (with a somewhat heavy hand with the chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce) and the filling is delicious. This is a terrific meatless option and I will be making this recipe again. I prefer using Mission Foods taco-size whole wheat tortillas rather than corn tortillas for their fiber content (5 grams per tortilla). 3 minutes per side at 450 degrees is all they needed in the oven to be slightly crisp, yet pliable enough to let me open them up and add shredded romaine, diced tomato, salsa, and sour cream. Yummy!
We definitely approve of being a little heavy-handed with the peppers! 🙂 Glad to hear you enjoyed these tacos as much as we do, Cliff!
Omg, I recently fell in love with beans again and found this recipe on YouTube. My whole family gobbled them up and asked me to make them again this week. I cant wait to try some of your other recipes as well. 10/10 would recommend, as its tasty, easy to make and clean up was a breeze too.
Hi Madi, we’re so glad to hear you loved these tacos! This is one of our FAVORITE weeknight recipes! Thanks for stopping by PWWB, we hope you’ll stick around! 🙂
Very tasty
The whole family enjoyed these
We are so glad to hear that, Kay! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
My husband and I are trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our diet and this one is a winner! We used flour tortillas instead of corn because we already had them in the pantry but we have to try corn tortillas next. The black bean filling is so flavorful and the texture was lovely. This is a recipe that will be on repeat in our house!
We’re so glad to hear that, Robyn! We’re always looking for veggie-based options as well. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
These were really good with great flavor. Very easy to make and husband approved. Definitely adding to the list of good meals for our taco tuesdays.
How long will the filling by itself keep in the fridge? We had a good bit left over.
Hi Natasha, so glad you and your husband loved the tacos! You can definitely keep the filling in your fridge for a few days 🙂
These are not dairy-free as stated. Last time i check cheese is still dairy. I know you can eliminate the cheese but you should not be calling this dairy-free and then list cheese in the ingredients
Hi Andrea, we apologize if this caused any confusion! We include the “easily vegan & dairy-free” note for people who want to adapt a recipe to be dairy-free. To find recipes that are completely dairy-free, you can filter recipes by diet on our All Recipes page. Hope that’s helpful! 🙂
Spectacular! You really do not miss the meat and I am a meat lover. I use vegan cheese in these and it’s a perfect blend of crunch, flavor and ooze!
So happy to hear you loved them! Thank you for the review!
Hi Natasha! We’re so glad you loved these tacos as much as we do – the leftovers will keep, stored in an airtight container in the fridge, for up to 3 days!
HI! These look delicious! Do you know if they can be made with pinto beans? I cannot tolerate black beans very well.
Hi Sarah, we haven’t made these tacos with pinto beans, but you can definitely swap them out with the black beans! Make sure to let us know how it turns out for you!
Halved the recipe to make 4, added some vegan cheese instead. My god. This is the best thing I’ve ever made with my own two hands (and a recipe). I would eat 10 of these.
Hi Alicia, we’re SO glad the tacos turned out great for you – this is one of our favorite recipes, too! Thanks so much for the kind review!
I made this recipe with the following alterations:
1. Flour tortillas (it’s what I prefer)
2. Crumbled tofu to increase protein
3. No cheese (to reduce saturated fat)
4. Broiled in toasted at 450 (careful not to burn)
Loved the recipe and my alterations. I saw the photo on your recipe and that is what sold me. I will 100% be making these over and over again.
Hi Taji, thanks so much for your review, and your adaptations sound delicious!! So happy to hear you enjoyed the tacos as much as we do 🙂
Fantastic flavor! Groceries are expensive these days, so trying to experiment with more vegetarian/bean options to help with costs. We will be making these again for sure!
Thanks, Steph! These tacos are a GREAT budget-friendly dinner!! It’s one of our faves, too 🙂