These baked tacos are crispy on the outside, filled with smoky homemade refried black beans and melted Mexican cheese, and they come together on a single sheet pan. The kind of dinner I reach for when I'm feeding hungry kids after wrestling practice and soccer and just want something warm and satisfying without a lot of fuss.
My kids declared Tuesdays to be Taco Tuesday a while back, and I've been looking for easy ways to make that happen on nights when we're juggling practices and homework. This version is my answer. You prep the tacos, slide the whole tray into the oven, and everything comes out together, golden and ready. No standing over a skillet flipping one taco at a time.
I've also been making any excuse I can to cook a batch of these chipotle refried beans. They're smoky, a little spicy, and they taste like something you'd order at a really good taqueria. The beans are built right into this recipe, and they're the reason these baked tacos have so much flavor with so few ingredients. If you're short on time, canned refried beans will work for the baking method, but if you have an extra ten minutes, the homemade version is worth it, especially since the rest of the assembly is so simple.
Ingredient Notes
Black beans. This recipe calls for one can of black beans, drained but not rinsed. Keeping that starchy liquid on the beans helps the refried beans come together with a smoother, creamier texture. If you rinse them, you lose some of that body and the beans can end up thin. You can also use black beans you've cooked from scratch, which is what I do when I have a batch going (here's my guide to How to Cook Dried Black Beans)
If you don't have black beans on hand, pinto beans work well here too.
Chipotle peppers in adobo. These are the star of the refried beans. One to two peppers (plus a little of the adobo sauce from the can) give the beans a deep, smoky heat that you can't get from ground spices alone. If your family is sensitive to spice, start with one pepper. You can add more next time. The rest of the can freezes well (I drop individual peppers onto a parchment-lined plate, freeze them, and toss them into a bag for next time).
Flour tortillas. Use small, 6-inch flour tortillas here. The smaller size means each taco gets the right ratio of crispy tortilla to filling, and they're easier to fold and flip on the sheet pan. Larger tortillas tend to get floppy in the middle before the edges crisp up.
Mexican cheese blend. A pre-shredded Mexican blend (usually a mix of cheddar, Monterey Jack, queso quesadilla, and asadero) melts well and gives you that stretchy, golden cheese pull when you bite in. Straight cheddar or Monterey Jack works too.
How to Make Baked Tacos
Start with the refried beans. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook half a diced yellow onion until it softens and turns a little golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1 to 2 minced garlic cloves and half a teaspoon of cumin, stirring until the garlic smells fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the drained black beans, a quarter cup of water, the chopped chipotle peppers, and the adobo sauce. Give everything a good stir and let it come to a gentle simmer. Grab a potato masher and mash the beans to your preferred consistency. You want them mostly smooth with just a little bit of texture left. Let the mixture simmer for another 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens up. Finish with a teaspoon of lime juice and salt to taste. The beans should be thick enough to spread on a tortilla without running.
While the beans simmer (or after, if you prefer), preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil onto the parchment.
Spread a thin, even layer of refried beans on one half of each tortilla, top with shredded Mexican cheese, and fold in half. You're making half-moon shapes. Don't overstuff them. A thin layer of beans and a modest amount of cheese means the tortillas get properly crispy and the cheese melts evenly.
Place the folded tacos on the oiled parchment and press them gently into the oil, rubbing the outside of each tortilla so it picks up a light coating. This is what gives them that golden, crispy exterior.
Bake for 7 minutes, then carefully flip each taco and bake for another 7 minutes. You're looking for both sides to be golden and a little crispy, with the cheese fully melted inside.
How to Serve
- With a squeeze of lime and a spoonful of sour cream on the side.
- Topped with pickled onions and chopped cilantro for brightness and crunch.
- With cilantro garlic sauce drizzled over the top or served as a dip.
- Alongside sliced avocado and your favorite salsa.
- Next to my [Cilantro Slaw - LINK pending publication] for a fresh, crunchy contrast.
Tips, Tricks, and Alterations
Canned refried bean shortcut. If you don't have time to make the chipotle refried beans from scratch, use a can of refried black beans and skip straight to assembly. You'll miss the smoky chipotle flavor, but the baking method works with any refried beans.
Spice level. One chipotle pepper gives a mild, smoky warmth. Two peppers bring more noticeable heat. Start with one if you're cooking for kids or spice-sensitive eaters.
Make-ahead. The refried beans can be made a day or two ahead and stored in the fridge. When you're ready, just spread them on the tortillas and bake. This makes Taco Tuesday even faster.
Storage. Leftover baked tacos keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven for about 5 minutes to re-crisp the tortillas. The microwave will soften them, so the oven is worth the extra few minutes.
Freezing the chipotle peppers. You'll only use 1 to 2 peppers from the can. Spread the remaining peppers on a parchment-lined plate, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They'll keep for months and you can pull out exactly what you need next time.
If you make these baked black bean tacos, I'd love to hear how they turned out. Leave a comment and let me know what toppings you went with. And if you're looking for another taco night option, my Green Tacos with Green Lentil Filling are a completely different flavor and well worth the effort. If you enjoyed this recipe, a 5-star rating really helps other busy cooks find it.
Recipe
Baked Black Bean Tacos
Ingredients
For the Chipotle Refried Black Beans:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo finely chopped, plus 1 to 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
- 1 can 15 ounce black beans (drained but not rinsed)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- Salt to taste
For the Tacos:
- 8 small 6-inch flour tortillas
- 1 ¼ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened and lightly golden, about 5 to 6 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ medium yellow onion
- Add the garlic and cumin. Stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.1 to 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Add the drained black beans, ¼ cup water, chopped chipotle peppers, and adobo sauce. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.1 can, ¼ cup water, 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- Using a potato masher, mash the beans to your desired consistency (mostly smooth with a little texture remaining). Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens enough to spread on a tortilla without running.
- Stir in 1 teaspoon lime juice. Taste and adjust salt. Remove from heat.1 teaspoon lime juice, Salt to taste
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil onto the parchment.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Spread a thin, even layer of refried beans on one half of each tortilla. Top with shredded Mexican cheese and fold the tortilla in half to form a half-moon shape.8 small, 1 ¼ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Place the folded tacos on the oiled parchment. Press each taco gently into the oil and rub the outside of the tortilla so it picks up a light coating.
- Bake for 7 minutes. Flip each taco carefully and bake for another 7 minutes, until both sides are golden and lightly crispy and the cheese is fully melted.
Notes
If sensitive to spice, start with 1 chipotle pepper.
In a pinch, substitute canned refried black beans and skip to step 6.
The refried beans can be made 1 to 2 days ahead and refrigerated.
Leftover baked tacos keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in a 375°F oven for about 5 minutes.
Freeze remaining chipotle peppers individually on a parchment-lined plate, then transfer to a freezer bag. Suggested Toppings
Pickled onions, cilantro garlic sauce, sour cream, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, lime wedges, salsa. Nutrition information: [To be calculated]
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredients and preparation.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!