Crispy Sheet Pan Black Bean Tacos

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 45 minutes

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

for serving, as desired: shredded lettuce, mashed avocado or guacamole, sour cream or cashew crema, pickled red onions, chopped cilantro, salsa of choice, lime wedges, etc.

Directions

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, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salsa, or any other toppings your taco-lovin’ heart desires. Enjoy!

Nutrition

• Calories: 481
• Total Fat: 12.7 g
• Saturated Fat: 1.9 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 37.5 mg
• Sodium: 913.5 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 44.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 10.9 g
• Total Sugars: 3.4 g
• Protein: 20 g