Crispy Zucchini Black Bean Tacos
Total Time
45 mins
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(1)
Ingredients
12 tacos
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 1 medium (12-ounce) zucchini, diced into 1-cm pieces
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon each: fine sea salt, ground cumin
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup beer or vegetable broth
- 12 small flour or corn tortillas
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon each: fine sea salt, ground cumin
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Preparation
Step 1
Combine the avocado, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, honey, salt, cumin and ⅔ cup water in a blender. Pulse until smooth. If you prefer a thinner sauce, just blend in a few extra splashes of water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Step 2
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick sauté pan. Add the onion and zucchini and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until cooked through. Add the garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.
Step 3
Scoot the veggie mixture to the edges of the pan and add the black beans and beer (or vegetable broth) to the empty space in the middle. Use a potato masher to gently mash most of the beans. Fold the veggie mixture into the black beans until evenly combined. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. If the mixture seems too dry, you can also add in an extra splash of beer.
Step 4
Add about ⅓ cup of the black bean filling and a sprinkling of shredded cheese to each tortilla and gently fold in half to close. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and cheese until all of the black bean filling has been used.
Step 5
Clean the sauté pan and return it to the stove over medium heat. Mist the pan with olive oil spray, or drizzle a very thin layer of olive oil evenly around the pan. Add 3 tacos (or however many will fit in a single layer) and cook for 1 minute per side or until the bottom of the tortilla is lightly golden and crispy. Carefully flip the tacos and cook for 1 minute on the second side, then transfer the tacos to a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining tacos, adding more oil to grease the pan each time and adjusting the heat if needed so that the pan does not overheat.
Step 6
Serve the tacos immediately with the avocado sauce for dipping and enjoy!
Step 7
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Chef's notes
If you choose to use corn tortillas, it’s best to give them a quick steam to soften them before assembling the tacos so that they don’t accidentally tear.
Be sure to sample a small spoonful of the filling before assembling the tacos to be sure that it is seasoned to your liking, since it’s difficult to add extra seasoning once the tacos have been cooked.
The black bean zucchini filling has a tendency to expand slightly when cooked, so just add a moderate amount of filling to the tacos so that it doesn’t completely ooze out into the pan.
A nonstick pan is very helpful and forgiving when making tacos, since the tortillas and cheesy filling can have a tendency to stick to the pan if it’s not properly oiled.
The crispy tortilla shells will begin to soften the longer they sit out, so it’s best to enjoy these tacos immediately while they’re still nice and hot.
