Black bean and corn tacos
Charred corn and smoky black beans in warm corn tortillas with avocado and lime, a fresh, quick dinner for two that tastes like summer any time of year.
- 20 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $2.35 a serving
- 620 calories
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 cup frozen corn
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 lime, halved
- 6 corn tortillas
- 1 avocado, diced
- ¼ cup cotija cheese, crumbled (optional)
- ¼ cup sour cream (optional)
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp water
Each serving has about 620 calories, 22 g protein, 98 g carbs and 20 g fat, and costs about $2.35 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No frozen corn? Canned corn works.
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
- No black beans? Pinto beans or kidney beans work.
- No limes? Lemons work.
- No avocados? Guacamole works.
- No sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Heat the oil in a large over medium-high heat until it . Add the frozen corn in one layer and cook without stirring 3 to 4 minutes, until some kernels are .
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Shimmering oil. Oil shimmers when it’s hot enough to cook: its surface looks rippled and wavy, like heat over a road. That’s your cue to add the food, just before the oil would start to smoke.
How you’ll know: The oil looks wavy and runs thin like water when you tilt the pan, with no smoke yet.
Char. Charring means cooking over very high heat until some spots turn black. Those dark spots add a smoky, slightly bitter flavor that balances sweet or rich food.
How you’ll know: You see black spots and blisters in places, while most of the surface keeps its own color.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 3 min
Dolly’s tip: Leave it alone. Stirring is what stops the char.Add the onion and cook, stirring, 2 minutes, until it starts to .
Softened. For vegetables it means cooked until they bend and lose their crunch; for butter, left out until it dents easily. Soft onions taste sweet, and soft butter mixes in smoothly.
How you’ll know: Onions squash easily against the pan with your spoon, and butter dents under a finger without looking greasy.
Medium-high heatTimer: 2 min
Turn the heat to medium and add the beans, cumin, chili powder, salt and 2 tablespoons water. Cook 3 minutes, stirring, until hot, then squeeze in half the lime.
Medium heatTimer: 3 min
Warm the tortillas one at a time in a second dry over medium-high heat, about 30 seconds a side, until soft with a few spots. Stack them in a clean towel.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heat
Dolly’s tip: No second pan? Wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave 45 seconds.Fill the tortillas with the beans and corn and top with avocado, cotija, sour cream and cilantro. Serve with the rest of the lime.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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