Spicy Black Bean Tacos with Corn and Pico de Gallo

A favorite meatless meal – black bean tacos kicked up with cayenne and chipotle chili powder, mingled with crunchy corn kernels and topped with fresh pico de gallo. Finish with guac and these amazing flour tortillas for a killer Mexican night!

Oh, friends, these tacos. I’m afraid my pictures can never do them justice – why are tacos so stinking hard for me to photograph!!? – but I’ll try to make up for anything the photos may lack with enthusiastic writing. If you’re looking for a meatless meal that’s healthy, filling, and insanely flavorful, these spicy black bean tacos are it.

The spice mixture is relatively simple, but something about the combination just works. Smoky chipotle chili pepper, cayenne, cumin, jalapeno, cilantro, lime juice … I’m practically salivating just typing out all those words in one sentence.

I like to add a cup of corn kernels to the filling, which is easy and means you get more tacos out of the batch, and more veggie in each taco. These, clearly, are all good things.

These might be a bit of a departure for some taco traditionalists, but go with it and you won’t be disappointed. I usually just serve these with guacamole or even plain sliced avocado if I’m in a big hurry. You can certainly add rice or cheese if you like, but I like them just fine without either. The spicy black bean mixture adds plenty of substance and flavor all by itself. A little fresh pico de gallo brightens everything up and gives it a little zing – here‘s my favorite simple recipe for making pico yourself!

These have become a favorite and one of my absolute most-reliable meatless meals, a recipe I turn to time and again when I need a vegetarian dinner or at least a hearty vegetarian option to offer.

The black bean mixture is also FAST to put together, making these tacos terrific for a weeknight. If you have time to spare, though, why not try them nestled into these insanely delicious flour tortillas from scratch? (They’re way easier than you think!) Or these supple corn tortillas, if that’s more your thing?

If anyone out there is taking orders, I’d love a dozen of each, please! 🙂

Whether you try these because you yourself, a family member, or guest are vegetarian, or because you’re just trying to incorporate more meatless meals into your regular dinner routine, I hope they become a quick classic for your family as they have for mine.

Enjoy!

p.s. I am on the prowl for additional quick vegetarian dinners, and planning to do a round-up post soon with some favorite ideas from other food bloggers. If you have any tried and true vegetarian recipes, please feel free to leave a link in the comments below – I would love some additional inspiration!

And one final note – for new recipe photos and the occasional behind-the-scenes pic, follow me on Instagram! Or give me a follow on Facebook or see what I’m pinning on Pinterest! ♥

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Spicy Black Bean Tacos with Corn and Pico de Gallo

Prep 15 mins

Cook 15 mins

Total 30 mins

Yield 4-6 servings

A favorite meatless meal - spicy black bean tacos kicked up with cayenne and chipotle chili powder, mingled with crunchy corn kernels and topped with fresh pico de gallo.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
• 2 15 ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed (approximately 3 cups)
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
• juice of 1 lime
• generous handful fresh cilantro, chopped

For serving:

• Flour or corn tortillas
• Fresh pico de gallo
• Guacamole or sliced avocado

Instructions

1. Warm the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and jalapeno to the warm oil and saute about 5 minutes, just until the often begins to soften. Stir in the garlic, salt, cumin, chipotle powder, and cayenne and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the beans, followed quickly by the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and add the corn. Simmer until the beans are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the lime juice and chopped cilantro, and adjust seasonings to taste.
3. Assemble tacos as desired and serve.

Notes

If you have any leftover bean mixture, it makes terrific quesadillas, and is also yummy mixed into scrambled eggs for a protein-rich breakfast or lunch!

Adapted from Annie’s Eats

Looking for more taco inspiration? JALAPENO LIME FISH TACOS are fresh and healthy! 

And I know I can’t stop talking about these from-scratch flour tortillas, but seriously, just look at them. Could you ever get enough??