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Vegetarian tacos are one of the most delicious ways to eat vegetables! Here’s how to make tacos and our 10 best tacos recipes.

Loaded Quinoa Tacos | Best vegetarian tacos recipes
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Whether you’re looking to eat more vegetables or eat plant based on the regular, vegan and vegetarian tacos are one of the most delicious ways to do it! The tortilla is the perfect canvas for vegetable deliciousness. You can go straight up authentic with Mexican flavors, or branch into a fusion taco with flavors taking cues from Thai or Korean elements.

All of our 10 best vegetarian tacos below are not considered “authentic” or traditional tacos: they’re plays on the concept of delicious flavors and textures inside a tortilla. Keep reading for how to make tacos, and our 10 best vegetarian tacos recipes!

And now, our top vegetarian tacos recipes!

Make it vegan! All taco recipes below are vegan or can be customized to be vegan with the substitutes listed in the recipe, except for the Egg Tacos..

How to make vegetarian tacos taste amazing

Everyone makes tacos differently, but there are a few elements that are key to how to make a delicious taco:

  • Use a well-seasoned “main” element: Tacos aren’t just about meat. For vegetarian tacos, there are lots of proteins to feature: beans, lentils, cauliflower or mushrooms, tofu, etc. It’s key that the main element is seasoned to perfection.
  • Accessorize with contrasting colors, flavors and textures: Tacos are all about contrast. Use other elements to contrast the main element: crunchy vegetables like a cabbage and pepper slaw, and a salsa or a creamy sauce like a chipotle drizzle.
  • Don’t fill too full: One taco faux pas is that they’re filled too much. Use just enough of the ingredients so that you can taste each of them, and also it doesn’t overflow.
  • Char your tortillas! Charring your tortillas warms them and adds a delicious charred flavor. You can do this if you have a gas range. Place a tortilla on the grates above an open gas flame on medium heat for a few seconds per side, flipping with tongs, until they are slightly blackened and warm. (If you don’t have a gas stove, here are a few other ways to warm your tortillas.)
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Vegetarian Black Bean Tacos (& More Recipes!)

Black bean tacos
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This black bean tacos recipe takes just 15 minutes! It’s a fast and easy dinner idea that’s easy to customize and pleases everyone.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8 tacos 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

For the black beans*

  • 2 15-ounce can black beans
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil 
  • 1 tablespoon butter (or substitute more olive oil for vegan)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 scant teaspoon kosher salt

For the tacos

Instructions

  1. Make the black beans: Drain the beans, but don’t rinse them. Mince the garlic. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant but not yet browned. Add the beans (drained but not rinsed), cumin, kosher salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until warmed through and the liquid cooks down and thickens. Taste and add additional salt if desired. 
  2. Assemble the toppings: Review the toppings above and prep them as desired.
  3. Warm the tortillas: Warm and char the tortillas by placing them on an open gas flame on medium for a few seconds per side, flipping with tongs, until they are slightly blackened and warm. (See How to Warm Tortillas.)
  4. Serve: Place the black beans in the tortillas, then top with toppings and enjoy. 

Notes

*Variation: Add Roasted sweet potatoes to make Sweet potato black bean tacos.

**If you have 5 minutes, it’s well worth it to make the Cilantro Lime Sauce! Or make the vegan Creamy Cilantro Sauce in advance.

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Looking for more vegetarian tacos?

If none of the tacos above strike your fancy, here are a few more vegan and vegetarian tacos we love:

Last updated: January 2021

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Hi! We’re Sonja and Alex Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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2 Comments

  1. Mary Wegner says:

    Any recipes for sweet potato tacos?

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Not yet, but it’s on our list!