Air Fryer Black Bean Taquitos with Dairy Free Queso
Air fryer black bean taquitos are a quick, flavorful dinner that’s ready in under 20 minutes. Filled with a smoky black bean mixture and served with a creamy dairy free queso for dipping, these crispy taquitos are naturally vegan and gluten free when made with your favorite gluten free tortillas. Whether you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner, a fun appetizer, or an after school snack everyone will love, these homemade taquitos are always a hit.
I first started making these taquitos back in 2021 when my air fryer was getting a workout almost every night. I wanted dinners that felt fun without requiring much effort after a long workday, and this recipe quickly became one of my favorites. The black bean filling comes together with chipotle, bell pepper, and red onion for plenty of flavor, while the creamy cashew queso tastes so much like classic nacho cheese that I find myself making it for all kinds of recipes, not just these taquitos.
If you enjoyed these air fryer black bean taquitos, try my Black Bean Rice Soup, Vegan Fajita Bowls, Black Bean Broccoli Tacos, or Sweet Potato Black Bean Bowls. They’re all easy, flavor packed meals that are perfect for busy weeknights.
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Ingredients
Black Bean Stuffing
- Red onion & red bell pepper – These add flavor, texture, and a serving of vegetables to the filling. Cooking them first softens the onion and brings out their natural sweetness.
- Black beans – Canned or homemade black beans both work well. You can also swap in kidney beans or cooked lentils if that’s what you have on hand.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo – These add smoky flavor with just the right amount of heat. Add more or less depending on how spicy you like your taquitos.
Dairy Free Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Raw cashews – Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 5 minutes (or microwave them in water for 2 minutes) before blending. This helps create the smoothest, creamiest queso.
- Nutritional yeast – This is what gives the queso its cheesy flavor. It’s a pantry staple for dairy free cooking and isn’t easily substituted.
Other ingredients
- Tortillas – Use small taco-sized tortillas (about 4 to 5 inches). I like almond flour tortillas, but corn, cassava, chickpea, or your favorite gluten-free tortillas all work well. Larger tortillas can also be used if you’d rather make flautas.
Step by step instructions
Start by soaking the raw cashews in boiling water at least 5 minutes. In a food processor add the red onion and bell pepper. Pulse until its finely chopped. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. and spray with olive oil or avocado oil. Add the veggies and cook 4-5 minutes, stir occasionally. 
Drain and rinse the black beans well. In the same food processor you used to chop the veggies, add the black beans (rinsed and drained) with chipotle pepper, salt, cumin and 2-3 tablespoons of the red onion/red bell pepper mixture from the stove. Blend until the black beans have turned into a thick paste. Turn the veggies off and add the rest of the veggies to the black bean mixture, stirring them in with a spoon (don’t blend them in). Drain off the hot water from the cashews and discard it. Add drained cashews, fresh water, nutritional yeast and paprika to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Place the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel or clean towel. Microwave for 20 seconds to help heat up the tortillas and make them ore pliable. Start assembling the taquitos. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the black bean mixture on the bottom of a tortilla. Add a drizzle of the dairy free nacho cheese, maybe 1-2 teaspoons (not too much or it will explode out of the tortilla as you are rolling them). Next roll the tortilla, simply roll from the bottom, covering the filling and continuing to roll up until you have a long log formed. Place the taquito seam side down in the air fryer basket. Continue this until you fill up the basket. My air fryer can handle between 5-6 taquitos at a time. Cook at 350F for 7 minutes (this helps the vegan taquitos get crispy without burning).
Tips for success
- Prep ahead. The black bean filling and dairy-free nacho cheese sauce can both be made ahead of time, making dinner come together even faster.
- Making a larger batch? Bake the taquitos in the oven instead of the air fryer so you can cook them all at once.
- Warm your tortillas if needed. If your tortillas crack when rolling, warm them for a few seconds in the microwave or a skillet to make them more pliable before filling.
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Crispy Air Fryer Black Bean Taquitos
Filled with seasoned black beans and a creamy dairy-free nacho cheese sauce, these crispy air fryer taquitos are a fun, flavor packed dinner that's ready in under 20 minutes. Oven instructions are included if you're making a larger batch.
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Vegan Nacho Cheese
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
- ⅓ cup fresh water, plus more for soaking cashews
- 1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Black Bean Filling
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- avocado oil or olive oil spray
- 1.5 cups black beans (1 can, rinsed and drained)
- 2-3 medium chipotle in adobo
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
Other ingredients
- 12 small tortillas (almond flour, chickpea flour, cassava or corn)
Instructions
- Start by soaking the cashews in hot water (see tips in post).⅓ cup raw cashews
- Using a small food processor, process the red onion and red bell pepper until finely chopped.1 medium red onion, 1 medium red bell pepper
- Preheat a skillet, add the avocado oil or olive oil spray and add the veggies. Cook 4-5 minutes.avocado oil or olive oil spray
- While veggies are cooking, rinse and drain the black beans.1.5 cups black beans (1 can, rinsed and drained)
- Add the black beans, chipotle pepper, salt, ground cumin and 2-3 tablespoons of the red bell pepper and red onion mixture to the food processor. Process until mostly smooth.1.5 cups black beans (1 can, rinsed and drained), 2-3 medium chipotle in adobo, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Once veggies are done cooking, add the rest of the veggies to the black bean mixture and stir them in (no blending.
- Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Add the cashews, 1/3 cup water, nutritional yeast, salt and smoked paprika to a high speed blender. Blend on high at least 1 minute until smooth.⅓ cup raw cashews, ⅓ cup fresh water, plus more for soaking cashews, 1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Take 5-6 of the tortillas and add them to a plate. Cover the plate with a damp paper towel or dish towel. Microwave for 20 seconds to make the tortillas more pliable.12 small tortillas (almond flour, chickpea flour, cassava or corn)
- Take one tortilla, add 2-3 tablespoons of the black bean mixture and 1-2 teaspoons of the dairy free nacho cheese to the bottom of the tortilla.
- Carefully roll the tortilla, pushing the filling out to the sides to make a tightly formed rolled taco.
- Place the tortilla seam side down in the air fryer, repeat with the rest until you fill up the air fryer basket.
- Cook at 350F for 7 minutes in the air fryer.
- Repeat this process again (microwave tortillas, fill and roll) for the rest of the tortillas. Don't make these ahead as they tend to dry out.
- Enjoy with guacamole, salsa, or chipotle mayo for dipping.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
This recipe nutritional facts is for 3 tortillas, using almond flour tortillas from Trader Joe’s.
Top tips
- Finely dice the vegetables. Small pieces make the filling easier to roll inside the tortillas. I like to use a small food processor to speed this up.
- Place the taquitos seam-side down. Arrange them close together in the air fryer basket so they stay rolled while cooking.
- Don’t assemble more than one batch at a time. The tortillas can start to dry out and crack while they wait. If you do need to assemble them ahead of time, cover them with a damp paper towel or kitchen towel to keep them soft.
- Air Fryer: Reheat at 350°F for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Oven: Reheat at 375°F for 5 to 8 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Calories
441
Fat
22
g
Carbohydrates
49
g
Fiber
11
g
Sugar
5
g
Protein
16
g
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
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How to serve air fryer taquitos
These black bean taquitos are delicious on their own, but they’re even better with your favorite toppings and dips.
- Keep it simple: Top with guacamole, diced tomatoes, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
- Make extra queso: Double the dairy free nacho cheese sauce recipe and serve it on the side for dipping.
- Add a spicy dip: Use any extra chipotle peppers to make my vegan chipotle mayo for a creamy, smoky dipping sauce.
- Round out the meal: Serve the taquitos with Mexican Cauliflower Rice or a simple Cilantro Lime Coleslaw for an easy dinner with extra vegetables.
