Black Bean Walnut Tacos
Crispy black bean walnut tacos come together in 30 minutes, and are an easy and nourishing weeknight dinner. They’re loaded with fiber, plant-based protein and tons of flavor. The beans and walnuts are cooked with sauteed onion, jalapeno and tomato in a homemade spice blend, then spooned into soft-shell tacos with shredded cheese and crisped on a pan.
You can prep the filling ahead of time for a weekday meal prep, and make them gluten and dairy-free as needed.
Since starting to eat meat again almost a year ago, I’ve still made an effort to include vegetarian or plant-forward recipes in my weekly rotation. First off, they’re an easy way to up your fiber during the week.
Secondly, I always have a can of beans and nuts in my pantry and love finding new ways to use them.
If you’re trying to eat more plant-forward recipes, here are a few recipes to try-
- Falafel Veggie Burgers
- White Bean Sweet Potato Tacos
- Black Bean and Veggie Burritos
- White Bean Beet Salad
What you’ll need for these black bean walnut tacos
Simple ingredients with maximum flavor. Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- 8-10 soft shell tacos- you can use corn, flour or a gluten-free variety
- Black beans- 1 can drained and rinsed
- Walnuts- 1 cup finely chopped
- Shredded cheese- I love to use mozzarella or gruyere
- Diced jalapeno, onion and tomatoes
- Homemade spice blend: paprika, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Prepare the taco filling
- Start by sauteeing the jalapeno, tomato and onion in olive oil for about 7-8 minutes minutes to soften
- Add in the black beans, chopped walnuts and spice blend and cook together for another 5-7 minutes. Adjust salt if needed
- Next, fill your taco shells with some of the filling and a layer of shredded cheese. Press them down to form your taco
- Crisp them on the same pan in a little olive oil for about 2 minutes per side to brown
I love to serve these with a drizzle of hot sauce and a side of greek yogurt to dip. They’re cheesy, crispy and pack in so much good flavor.
Make them ahead of time
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that is can be made in advance and assembled throughout the week, or even frozen.
Meal prep for the week
The filling can be made up to 5 days in advance and kept in an airtight container in the fridge. When ready to serve, fill your tacos with some filling and cheese and heat them on a skillet or air-fryer.
Alternatively, you can assemble the tacos with the filling and cheese and refrigerate them as is, then heat them on a pan before serving.
Prep and freeze
To freeze the tacos, prepare the filling then fill your taco shells with the filling and cheese. Without cooking them, layer them between parchment paper in a freezer-safe container or bag and keep them frozen for up to 3 months until ready to eat.
You can heat them from frozen or let them thaw in the fridge from the morning, then heat them on the stovetop, oven or air-fryer.
These tacos are easy to make, packed with flavor, and come together all in one pan. Truly an ideal dinner recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes!
Be sure to tag me on Instagram if you try them 🙂
Other vegetarian dinner ideas:
Black Pepper Tofu Bowls
Chipotle Pasta Salad
Spinach & White Bean Burgers
Black Bean and Walnut Tacos
Ingredients
- 8 soft taco shells, I used flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cheese of choice I used mozzarella
- 1 can of black beans drained and rinsed (15 oz)
- 1 cup walnuts finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 1 tomato diced
- 1/2 red onion finely diced
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Olive oil
Serve with
- Avocado
- Hot sauce or salsa
- Fresh cilantro
- Sour cream or greek yogurt
Directions
- Heat a skillet on medium heat and drizzle in about 2 tbsp of olive oil.
- Add in the diced onion, jalapeno and tomato and saute together for about 7-8 minutes.
- Once the veggies have softened, add in the black beans, chopped walnuts and spices. Cook the mixture together on a medium flame for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Fill about 8 soft-shell tacos with the filling on one side, top with a layer of shredded cheese and fold the tacos down.
- Heat your pan on medium/high heat with a little cooking spray or olive oil. Place the tacos in small batches into the pan to crisp. Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip for another 2 minutes until browned.
- Serve with diced avocado, sour cream/yogurt, salsa or hot sauce.
Not only were these easy to put together, they taste great too! I meal prepped the filling and then warmed up in a tortilla as needed throughout the week. I served mine with avocado and sour cream. Will make again!