Bean and cheese tacos are a quick and delicious meal for a busy weeknight. These pan-fried tacos are filled with a spiced refried bean filling, a creamy Chipotle sauce, and melty cheese. It’s an easy 30-minute recipe packed with lots of flavors that the whole family will love!
These crispy tacos are an easy dinner sure to be the star of your next Taco Tuesday. They’re like if a cheese burrito and a taco had a baby! It’s one of my husband’s new favorite recipes because it’s got so much flavor, and it’s incredibly comforting.
First, we quickly make some homemade refried beans (they’re not traditional, but they are easy!). Those go into the taco, along with a bit of creamy chipotle sauce inspired by none other than Taco Bell. Crisp them in a skillet, and boom, you’ve got yourself a perfect weeknight meal.
👩🏽🍳 Recipe Lowdown
Honestly, this might be one of my favorite vegetarian taco recipes, because it’s hearty, filling, and packed with yummy ingredients.
key details before we dive into the cooking!
- Simple ingredients: The recipe requires a few simple ingredients to come together. As a bonus, so many of these are staples you likely have at home!
- Flavorful: Spiced beans and a creamy copycat Taco Bell chipotle sauce add a bit of tangy, spicy heat to make this meal especially memorable. It’s kind of like my smash burger sauce but with a smoky, spicy twist!
- Quick: The whole thing comes together in just about 30 minutes on the stove.
For more tasty bean recipes, try my butter bean hummus, white bean risotto or Mediterranean chickpea soup.
Ingredient Notes
Beans: I love using creamy beans like pinto beans that will mash up nicely when we fry them in the skillet. You can also use black beans, but they’ll taste slightly less creamy.
Tortillas: I opt for 6-inch flour tortillas, though you can also use street taco-sized flour tortillas for mini tacos! I recommend flour tortillas over corn here, as the corn variety is a bit more finicky and fragile, and they’ll easily fall apart.
Greek yogurt: For the chipotle sauce, I like using a combination of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt for a lighter option. However, you can easily substitute yogurt for sour cream or even use all mayonnaise.
For a full list of ingredients and quantities, please refer to the recipe card.
Serving Suggestions
Because these tacos are pretty hearty and filling, I recommend serving them with a bright and refreshing salad, like this watermelon jalapeño salad, shredded carrot salad, or cilantro lime cabbage slaw.
Here are some other pairing ideas:
- Pickled Vegetables: Enjoy with pickled radishes or pickled onions.
- Salsas: These tacos would be delicious, dipped in salsa verde, pico de gallo, or a mango salsa.
- Hot Sauces: Serve with your favorite hot sauce for even more heat.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1 – Make the chipotle sauce: In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, garlic powder, and lime juice. Add 1 chopped chipotle pepper, then season to taste. If desired, add more chipotle for a spicier sauce.
Step 2 – Make the “refried” beans: Set a large skillet over medium heat and add vegetable oil and garlic. Add the pinto beans, spices, and ¼ cup of water and simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Step 3 – Mash: Mash the beans with a wooden spoon or potato masher to your desired texture. I prefer them on the chunkier side, but you can add a bit more water and continue mashing them if you like a smoother consistency.
Step 4 – Fill the tacos: Arrange 4 tortillas on a large baking sheet. Smear a bit of chipotle sauce over the tortilla, leaving about ½-inch gap from the edge. Add ¼ of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla, and top with a sprinkling of onion, cilantro, and cheese.
TIP: If keeping the beans chunky, make sure they’ve been mashed enough that the beans are able to clump together (this will prevent the filling from falling out when cooking).
Step 5: Fold the unfilled side over and press down until the taco feels nicely sealed (it’s okay if a little bit of filling falls out). Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Step 6: Set a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. Once the oil is shimmering, reduce the heat to medium and carefully add two tortillas at a time. Sear until deeply golden brown on one side, then use a metal spatula to flip and sear the other side.
Step 7: Cook the remaining tacos, then serve immediately with any leftover chipotle sauce. Enjoy!
For a full set of detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card.
Recipe FAQs
I recommend flour tortillas because they’re much less likely to break when folding. If you do use corn tortillas, make sure to warm them up in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel for about 15 seconds. This makes them more pliable to work with.
These tacos are easy enough to adapt for the whole family to enjoy! Sub out the pepper jack for Monterey jack and use just a little bit of chipotle pepper for the chipotle sauce. For the filling, you can skip the diced onions.
Use a can of refried beans instead of mashing your own for an even faster dinner. If you like the super smooth texture of traditional refried beans, you can also make your own!
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days. I recommend wrapping them in foil and reheating them at 350°F / 177°C for 5 – 10 minutes until warmed through.
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Bean and Cheese Tacos (Stovetop)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the creamy chipotle sauce:
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons plain full-fat Greek yogurt, or sour cream
- 1 tablespoon minced cilantro, for brightness
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon lime juice
- 1 large chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, plus more if needed
- Salt and pepper
For the bean and cheese tacos:
- Neutral oil, such as canola oil, peanut oil, or vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ cup water
- 4 6-inch flour tortillas
- ¼ cup finely diced white onion, from about ¼ of an onion
- 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
- 2 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
- Creamy chipotle sauce
For serving:
- Pico de gallo, salsa verde, or pickled onions
Instructions
- Make the chipotle sauce: In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons plain full-fat Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon minced cilantro, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 ½ teaspoon lime juice. Add 1 large chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, then season to taste with salt. If desired, add more chipotle pepper for a spicier sauce. Set aside. Note: The sauce should taste creamy, tangy, well-salted, with a bit of heat. I typically add 2 chopped peppers for moderate heat, but you can add as much or as little as you like!
- Make the "refried" beans: Set a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of neutral oil and 2 cloves garlic. Add 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, and ¼ cup water. Simmer for 2 – 3 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mash the beans: Using a wooden spoon or potato masher, mash the beans until creamy, but still somewhat chunky. They should clump together easily (meaning they won't fall apart when cooking the tacos). Transfer to a bowl to cool until warm, but not hot, and wipe the skillet clean.Note: If you like a classic, smoother re-fried bean texture, add a bit more water and continue mashing them to your desired consistency.
- Fill the tacos: Evenly space 4 6-inch flour tortillas on a large baking sheet. For each tortilla: Smear 2 teaspoons creamy chipotle sauce with the back of a spoon, leaving about ½-inch gap from the edge. Add ¼ cup of bean filling to one half of the tortilla, and spread it out in an even layer. Top with a sprinkling of onion, minced cilantro, and ¼ of the pepper jack cheese. Repeat filling the remaining tacos.Note: I like to serve any remaining chipotle sauce in a small bowl for dipping!
- Fold: Carefully fold the unfilled side over the filled side of the taco, and press down until the taco feels nicely sealed. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.Note: Don't worry if a little filling escapes!
- Sear: Set the skillet over medium-high heat with 1 teaspoon oil. Once the oil is shimmering, reduce the heat to medium.Carefully add 2 tortillas at a time, and sear for 2 – 3 minutes, or until deeply golden brown on one side. Use a metal spatula to flip and sear the other side, about 1 – 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining two tacos, then serve immediately with any remaining chipotle sauce and your desired accompaniments. Enjoy!
Notes
- Leave a gap. When building your tacos, make sure to leave a ½-inch gap around the edges so that when you fold it in half, the filling has a bit of extra space to spread out.
- For a crispier taco, use a cast-iron press or firmly press down on the tortilla with a metal spatula.
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
These have become a weeknight staple for us! So easy and quick to put together with whatever beans we have in the pantry. The chipotle sauce is SO good.
Hi Alison, thanks so much for your feedback! So happy to hear you enjoyed 🙂
AMAZING!!! WILL MAKE AGAIN
So happy you enjoyed!!