Black Bean Tacos With Avocado and Spicy Onions

By Melissa Clark

Black Bean Tacos With Avocado and Spicy Onions
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(2,288)
Comments
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Spicy pickled onions add brightness and tang to these hearty black bean tacos. The filling is a bit like chili but without the tomato, and perfect to wrap up in a tortilla. You can make the black beans up to 5 days ahead; they even freeze well. Then just warm them up, along with the tortillas, right before serving. The spicy onions will last for weeks in the fridge. Use them on everything: soups, salads, even grilled cheese sandwiches.

Featured in: The Meat-Lover’s Guide to Eating Less Meat

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Spicy Onions

    • 1lime
    • 1small red onion or large shallot, thinly sliced
    • 1jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
    • Large pinch of fine sea salt
    • Small pinch of granulated sugar

    For the Black Beans

    • 2tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
    • 1large onion, chopped
    • ½cup diced red or green bell pepper
    • 2garlic cloves, minced
    • 1jalapeño, seeded and minced
    • 1tablespoon tomato paste
    • ½tablespoon chili powder
    • ½teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½teaspoon ground cumin
    • 2(15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
    • Fine sea salt
    • Corn tortillas, warmed
    • 1avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
    • Fresh cilantro, salsa and sour cream, for garnish (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

377 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 21 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 878 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the spicy onions: Squeeze the lime into a bowl and add the onion or shallot, jalapeño, salt and sugar to the juice. Set aside while you make the black beans.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the beans: Heat a large skillet, then add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add the onion and bell pepper and sauté until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. If the pan looks dry, drizzle in a little more oil.

  3. Step 3

    Add the garlic and jalapeño and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste, chili powder, oregano and cumin, and sauté until fragrant. Add the beans and a few large pinches of salt and let simmer until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Taste and add more salt, chili powder and oregano to taste. Serve beans with tortillas and avocado and top with the pickled onions and jalapeño and some of their liquid, adding any of the garnishes you like.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,288 user ratings
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Comments

Kluski

Dried beans cook up to about three times their volume, so two cups of dried beans would cook up to six cups of cooked beans. One can of cooked beans is about one and a half cups.

Lili

Going to make a yogurt lime drizzle for these, maybe some super crispy roasted sweet potatoes to tuck in as well. Add water if beans get dry.

Crystal

This is one of my favs. I've made it three times. It can be very quick to make. I've used both dried beans, canned on stovetop and in slow cooker..toppings always included the pickled onion, but also can be cashew yogurt, soy sour cream, cilantro or parsley, diced tomatoes, or tomatillo salsa. Using slow cooker made everything layer well and also made for a great smelling home during COVID 19 stay at home. Hoping everyone stays well, and thanks NYT for another yummy vegan recipe.

Petra

I made this exactly as written. So delicious! As noted in another comment, it is critical that you pan fry the corn tortillas before filling. If you don’t do that, they won’t taste very good and they’ll seem dry and will crack. I always thought I didn’t like corn tortillas because until my niece educated me on proper preparation, I was eating them as is and they don’t taste good and they’re dry and they won’t hold together. Complete game changer when you heat them. I heated them in my cast iron pan with a tiny bit of veg oil and a sprinkling of salt. I can’t say enough good things about them. I served the tacos with sliced avocado and sour cream. I wanted to add salsa verde but I couldn’t get the jar open. Seriously 😂. I also made chicken from the recipe on here “easy chicken tacos” I cooked the chicken thighs but didn’t do the second step of returning the cooked chicken thighs chopped up and adding water. I simple chopped up the cooked chicken. That way they were crispy on the outside and very delicious. I will say though that the chicken isn’t needed; I added it because one of the people I was cooking for wanted there to be meat with it.

Emily

Fast, easy, delicious, and versatile. This one is a keeper. Like other commenters, I also added some charred corn. I tasted it where the recipe indicated and it just needed some salt and more chili powder. The onions are awesome and so easy- and taste so much better than any other recipe I’ve tried.

Monica S.

I added corn niblets. It’s a great addition because it adds a bit of sweetness.

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