Mexican Black Beans for Tacos
Making Mexican black beans for tacos is so quick and easy! Just 6 ingredients and less than 10 minutes for dinner on a busy night! This healthy recipe for seasoned black beans is also budget friendly, plant based, vegan and gluten free! These Mexican black beans will quickly become a go-to for meatless meals.
Servings 4
Calories 171kcal
Cost $2.09 Recipe/$0.52 Serving
Ingredients
- 2 cans black beans (15 oz cans) $1.92
- 1 tbsp tomato paste $0.08
- 1/2 cup water (up to 3/4 cup) $0.00
- 1/2 tsp sea salt $0.02
- 1 tsp chili powder $0.10
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin $0.05
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the black beans using a mesh strainer until they run clean.
- Add beans, tomato paste, water, salt, chili powder and ground cumin to a large skillet.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly to ensure all the tomato paste is dissolved into the water.
- Continue to stir occasionally. Cook beans to desired consistency (8-10 minutes). If you find the beans get too dry, add 2-4 tablespoons of water (up to 1/2 cup).
- Use immediately or store for later in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
Top tips
- Use a large skillet to make cooking time faster. The water will start to evaporate faster with more surface area. If you try to make these beans in a pot, they will take longer since it will take longer for the water to start to evaporate.
- Be sure to drain and rinse the canning liquid from the beans. The canning liquid can sometimes be very salty and very starchy, changing the consistency of the beans.
- These vegan Mexican black beans are meant to be put on tacos and are not very saucy (no one loves sauce dripping down your arm as you try to eat tacos). These seasoned black beans will have a similar consistency as ground turkey or beef after cooking.
- Want to brighten the flavor? Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end!
- These are great for meal prep! Double or triple the recipe and store leftovers in the fridge or freezer for tacos anytime!
- Onions and garlic - If you have more time, you can sauté onions and garlic in the pan before adding the beans and other ingredients. This will help to develop even more flavor, but I wanted to keep this recipe as simple as possible. If you want that onion flavor but don’t have time to sauté onions, add fresh chopped green onions at the end.
- Spice – add fresh or pickled jalapeno, chipotle in adobo, crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the recipe to give it a touch of spice. I wrote this recipe to be mild and kid friendly, so I did not include any spice.
- Fridge – store leftover seasoned black beans in a air-tight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Reheat from the fridge
- Stove top: reheat in a small skillet with 2-4 tablespoons of water over medium low heat until heated through, 3-5 minutes.
- Microwave: add about 1 tablespoon of water and microwave on high for 1-1:30 minutes.
- Freezer – you can also store leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to freeze them in individual servings using Soupercubes. Once frozen, pop them out of the silicone molds and store them in an airtight container in the freezer. Be sure to label the container with the name, date and use by date.
- Reheat from frozen – Note: you can reheat the beans from frozen using the steps below or allow them to defrost on the counter for 30-60 minutes or all day in the fridge, then follow the steps above on reheating from the fridge.
- Stovetop: From frozen, add 2-4 tablespoons of water to a saucepan with a cover. Cook over medium low heat covered for 5-10 minutes, breaking down the beans with a spoon as they cook.
- Microwave: Add 1 tablespoon of water and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes until defrosted and hot.
- Reheat from frozen – Note: you can reheat the beans from frozen using the steps below or allow them to defrost on the counter for 30-60 minutes or all day in the fridge, then follow the steps above on reheating from the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 1g | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 1g