Black Bean Taco Meat
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Black Bean Taco Meat is a spicy, flavorful plant-based taco meat! Pair with tortillas, chips, lettuce wraps and salads, taco shells, or as is. Garnish with your favorite toppings! The taste and texture are incredible on their own and store well for leftovers or meal prep! {Vegan + Gluten-Free}
Spiriteds, WHY DOES DINNER HAPPEN EVREY NIGHT? And why am I willing to eat the same breakfast every day but somehow, and in spite of dinner prep fatigue, the thought of eating the same thing every night for dinner is just NOPE NOPE NOPE? Like, the same breakfast every day is comforting but the same dinner every night is boring. If you find yourself in the same conundrum, then read on. Because this delicious plant-based Black Bean Taco Meat is ready in about 30-ish minutes and yields flavorful leftovers.
Furthermore, just one recipe can be adapted from day to day to create what feels like different dinner ideas. For example, serve your Black Bean Taco Meat with chips or tortillas, as a lettuce salad, or by itself. Top it with a savory sauce or fresh Pico de Gallo. Mix and match each time without having to dream up an entirely new dinner idea each time dinner rolls around.
This versatility also means you can adjust mix-ins for what is in season or to get a variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Our family has a blast making this recipe because everyone gets to personalize it to their own liking, too. And that’s just a straight-up dinner win in my book.
So, Spiriteds, are you ready to spice up your dinner game, literally and figuratively? If yes, then grab your potato masher (yes, I’m serous), and let’s do this!
Black Bean Taco Meat is
- Plant-based, vegan, and gluten-free
- Savory and spicy
- Slightly textured, a little bit creamy
- Delicious right out of the pan
- Amazing as leftovers
Side note: When we make Black Bean Taco Meat, we keep garnishes separate until just prior to serving and have each person garnish their own plates. This way, everyone gets what they like and garnishes with shorter shelf lives don’t shorten the shelf life of the leftover taco meat, too.
Black Bean Taco Meat ingredients
- Coconut oil. At least a few dollops to get started, and then more as needed.
- Onion. Dice a small-to-medium onion. I typically use a white onion when I make this recipe, but you can use red or yellow, too.
- Garlic cloves. Fresh is best, pressed or minced.
- Tomatoes. Sliced or diced. I love grape or cherry tomatoes for this recipe because they are juicy but not watery. Having said that, if you have a regular garden-variety tomato on hand, then definitely use it.
- Dried spices: Chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, onion powder, garlic salt, and sea salt.
- Black beans. A basic variety without added ingredients is best. Rinse and drain them before adding to the recipe.
- Garnishes: Black olives, lettuce, cilantro, salsa, Pico de Gallo, green onion, and other toppings as desired.
- Serve with: Taco shells, tortilla shells, tortilla chips, lettuce wraps, as is.
Side note: Whether you use garlic/onion salt/powder is really up to you. I typically use one in salted form and one in powdered-unsalted form for a flavor balance. But, honestly, use what you’ve got. If you have only garlic/onion powders then add a little extra sea salt, and if you have only garlic/onion salts, then back off the sea salt, only adding more if after taste-testing you think it’s needed.
How to make Black Bean Taco Meat
- To a medium-sized skillet add the coconut oil and melt it on a MEDIUM heat. Add the diced onion, diced/sliced tomatoes, and pressed garlic. Stir them together, cover with a lid, and let them cook on MEDIUM heat until they are softened and can be pressed with a potato masher or the flat side of a turner.
- Next add the spices, stirring them until they are evenly blended. Then stir in the black beans. Let them simmer, covered, on a MEDIUM heat for several minutes until they are easily pressed with a potato masher or flat side of a turner. If the black bean mixture starts to scorch, reduce heat and add extra coconut oil. If the mixture is still quite watery, then remove the lid and let the mixture simmer to reduce the liquid.
- Once the black beans are softened, press the mixture with a potato masher until desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat and serve with garnishes. Pair with tortillas, tortilla chips, taco shells, lettuce wraps, or as is.
- Refrigerate leftovers and reheat in a saucepan on a LOW to MEDIUM setting. Consume leftovers within about 3-4 days.
Side note: I find it helpful to mash the Black Bean Taco Meat with a potato masher or the flat side of a turner. You can also use the backside of a large fork or serving spoon.
Recipe tips and tricks
- The type of tomato you use will impact the recipe, but just about any tomato variety will do. If using a juicy, watery garden tomato, then expect to simmer the mixture longer to reduce the liquid.
- To prevent scorching, start with a lower temperature and gradually increase as needed. I also like to cover the recipe while it simmers. But if I see it’s too watery, then I’ll remove the lid to let some of the liquid evaporate.
- When making Black Bean Taco Meat, I typically add more sea salt than I do to other dishes. But, having said that, I like to taste-test first so I don’t over-salt the recipe.
- Do not over-mash the Black Bean Taco Meat. Mash it a handful of times during the cooking process while still leaving some portions intact. This provides texture and prevents the “meat” from becoming mushy. This is also helpful if you are serving it to multiple people who each have their own preferences. Once served, people can further mash their own portions, if they’d like.
- Once cooked, the mixture will thicken as it sits, and the black beans may look dried out. This is normal. Stir the mixture so the juices that settled at the bottom of the pan are recombined with the beans.
- Because of food allergies, we do not add nuts or seeds to this dish. But many similar recipes do call for walnuts, cashews, or other similar types of ingredients. If you’d like to add those to your recipe, then go for it! You may need to add more coconut oil, keep an eye on cooking times, and adjust the seasonings to account for the added ingredient(s).
Salsas and dressings to use with this recipe
In addition to the usual taco toppings, you can also add these to enhance your Black Bean Taco Meat’s flavor!
- Gluten-Free Enchilada Sauce
- Roasted Salsa Verde
- Gluten-Free Catalina Dressing
- Cucumber Pico de Gallo
- Hot ’n Spicy Pico de Gallo
- Homemade Pico de Gallo
Side note: Because the shelf life of these suggested recipes vary, add them to your Black Bean Taco Meat just prior to serving.
More plant-based meals!
If you want more delicious excuses to add vegetables to your repertoire, then look no further than these tasty treats!
Spiriteds, stay well and stay wild. Jump into the fun when you can, and always know I’m glad you’re here! ❤️
Black Bean Taco Meat
Black Bean Taco Meat is a spicy, flavorful plant-based taco meat! Pair with tortillas, chips, lettuce wraps and salads, taco shells, or as is. Garnish with your favorite toppings! The taste and texture are incredible on their own and store well for leftovers or meal prep! {Vegan + Gluten-Free}
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Helpful equipment:
- Potato masher or a turner
- If neither of the above, then a large fork or serving spoon
Base ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, more as needed
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 3–4 large garlic cloves, pressed
- 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced or diced
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
For the spice mix:
- 1 tablespoon dried cumin
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1–2 teaspoons sea salt (Add according to taste)
Instructions
- To a medium-sized skillet add the coconut oil and melt it on a MEDIUM heat. Add the diced onion, diced/sliced tomatoes, and pressed garlic. Stir them together, cover with a lid, and let them cook on MEDIUM heat until they are softened and can be pressed with a potato masher or the flat side of a turner.
- Next add the spices, stirring them until they are evenly blended. Then stir in the black beans. Let them simmer, covered, on a MEDIUM heat for several minutes until they are easily pressed with a potato masher or flat side of a turner. If the black bean mixture starts to scorch, reduce heat and add extra coconut oil. If the mixture is still quite watery, then remove the lid and let the mixture simmer to reduce the liquid.
- Once the black beans are softened, press the mixture with a potato masher until desired consistency is reached. Remove from heat and serve with garnishes. Pair with tortillas, tortilla chips, taco shells, lettuce wraps, or as is.
- Refrigerate leftovers and reheat in a saucepan on a LOW to MEDIUM setting. Consume leftovers within about 3-4 days.
Notes
- If using a juicy, watery garden tomato, then expect to simmer the mixture longer to reduce the liquid.
- Do not over-mash the Black Bean Taco Meat. This provides texture and prevents the “meat” from becoming mushy. Once served, people can further mash their own portions, if they’d like.
- I find it helpful to mash the Black Bean Taco Meat with a potato masher or the flat side of a turner. You can also use the backside of a large fork or serving spoon.
- Once cooked, the mixture will thicken as it sits, and the black beans may look dried out. This is normal. Stir the mixture so the juices that settled at the bottom of the pan are recombined with the beans.
- If you’d like to add nuts or seeds to your recipe, then go for it! You may need to add more coconut oil, keep an eye on cooking times, and adjust the seasonings to account for the added ingredient(s).
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