Chipotle Black Bean Taquitos

Name: Chipotle Black Bean Taquitos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 (15oz) Amy’s Refried Black Beans; 1 small onion diced; 1 tsp taco seasoning; 1 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp oregano; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp chipotle adobe sauce; 1 tbsp cream cheese; 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese; 12 corn or flour tortillas; 1 avocado; half of onion diced; 1 jalapeno – diced; 2 garlic cloves; juice of half lemon; salt + pepper; 1/4 cup cilantro chopped; 1/3 cup water; Thinly sliced iceberg lettuce; Diced tomatoes; Finely chopped scallions; Sour cream

Sweta Patel

February 6, 2023

Jump To Recipe

30 Minutes

Try these delicious Black Bean Taquitos for a vegetarian, protein-packed dish that will leave you drooling for more! Bursting with black beans, cheddar cheese, and aromatic spices, these crispy taquitos make a great and simple lunch or appetizer recipe.

If you’ve been around a while, you know how much I adore San Diego, California. Of course, if you’ve been there yourself, you also already know that the Mexican food scene there is on a whole different level.

What I love about San Diego is that you can find some of the best foods of your life in the most unexpected places. I had these Black Bean Taquitos at a small shop near the beach – basically, a hole in the wall – and they were delicious!

Now, I don’t know that I can ever recreate the recipe exactly like that little shop, but I think I got pretty damn close with this one.

The key to the whole recipe is the avocado sauce. Avocado sauce is a creamy condiment made from mashed avocados, lemon or lime juice, garlic, and other seasonings. It is pretty much a staple in Mexican cuisine and a lot of the time, you’ll see it blended with ingredients like yogurt, sour cream, or cilantro to create different textures and flavor variations.

I use cilantro in my recipe (see below) and some added jalapenos to bring some heat to the mix. It’s life-changing, I swear!

In general, these Black Bean Taquitos are super simple. The challenging part is really just the assembly! In the past, I’ve made them and gone a little overboard with filling the tortillas and it never ends well when you do that.

The key is always to have a simple filling not, only with ingredients and seasoning, but also in quantity. Keep it light, because you’ll want to roll these nice and tightly to get the best fry on them.

Of course, I always prefer the healthier route if possible, so instead of deep frying, I used the air fryer. You can go for whichever option you prefer, but either way, you’ll get a beautiful crunch on these!

Taquitos are often served as a snack or appetizer and can be garnished with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream. If you need a good salsa recipe, try my Game Day Salsa.

The black beans really are so good in this recipe because it brings a rich chipotle flavor to the entire dish. Alongside the sharp cheddar cheese, you are going to absolutely fall in love. It’s a great vegetarian recipe as well because it’s packed with protein from these black beans.

I took a shortcut with this recipe by using my favorite canned refried beans. You can use any brand you like, but I live and die by Amy’s canned beans. They have great options across all their products, including plant-based, gluten-free, corn-free, vegan, dairy-free, and soy-free. So, you can easily choose a canned bean option that fits your dietary needs!

What’s great about these black beans is they are already lightly seasoned with onion, garlic, spices, cilantro, and chiles so you don’t even need to doctor it up at all. I always keep these in stock in my pantry, because sometimes we just need instant food, and this is the healthiest brand I’ve encountered. Plus, it tastes so authentic!

Tips and Tricks for Your Black Bean Taquitos

With a recipe like this, you want to make your life easier, not harder. Here are some tips and tricks I use all the time when making this recipe:

You can use corn or flour tortilla; either works great. You can also use any healthy alternative tortilla that you are using for any of your dietary restrictions. I personally have used whole wheat and I loved it!
If you are making this for a big crowd, you can make these in advance. Simply have them rolled up and ready to go beforehand. Then, on the day of, you can pop them in the air fryer or oven and serve them.
- I usually make the bean filling the day before and the day of. I just roll the taquitos up and have them ready to be put in the air fryer as guests arrive.
Since you are adding water, salt, and lemon to the avocado sauce, it will not brown. You can make the sauce the night before and store it in an airtight container in the fridge to make your life easier!

Whether you’re making these Black Bean Taquitos for a crowd or for yourself at home, they make for a delicious meal or appetizer. Try pairing them with my Taco Bell Fiesta Potatoes or something lighter, like my Mexican Chopped Salad with Spicy Chipotle Garlic Dressing or Chorizo and Potato Tacos with Avocado Chutney.