Mexican Vegetarian Flautas with Black Beans

These Mexican vegetarian flautas are so crispy and satisfying, you will not even notice the absence of meat. I use black beans, sweetcorn, and warm cumin, and have this meal ready in just 40 minutes. Instead of frying, I bake the rolled tortillas until golden and crunchy on the outside, with a hearty plant-based savory filling inside. This recipe brings all the flavor of classic flautas in a lighter, healthier way.

Crispy rolled tortillas filled with savory mixtures are a staple in Mexican households, and this specific Mexican vegetarian flautas recipe is a staple in mine. If I want a lighter, crunchier alternative to my vegan enchilada casserole, this is the recipe I go for. I recommend trying either one of these the next time you have tortillas in your pantry. 

Some weeks, we have tortilla or taco Tuesday in my home, usually featuring my jackfruit tacos. But for the past year, we have enjoyed a good few flautas on Fridays. Since this recipe comes together so quickly, it leaves a lot of free time for winding down from a busy week, which gives me more precious time with my family. Who are usually in a bit of a flautas Friday food coma, as they call it. Ha!

🥘 Ingredients

I use fresh aromatics and typical ingredients to make these Mexican vegetarian flautas taste as authentic as possible. 

Black beans: I use rinsed, drained, canned black beans to create my thick base. Sometimes I use my homemade vegan refried beans instead of whole beans, and skip the simmering and mashing stage. 

Corn: I use either fresh or frozen corn for this recipe, as it adds sweetness and texture.

Olive oil: This is used for sauteing my aromatics.

Aromatics: I use red onion for a milder, sweeter flavor, and minced garlic for depth.

Salsa: I mix this into my filling for flavor and brightness. Sometimes I use store-bought, but I prefer my easy fresh Mexican salsa.

Corn tortillas: I use yellow or white corn tortillas for structure and crisp edges, but my almond flour tortillas work just as well. 

Seasoning: For the seasoning, I use chili powder, taco seasoning, cumin, salt, and pepper. I make sure to season generously to create a bold flavor, without overpowering heat. 

🔪 How To Make

These Mexican vegetarian flautas are made using a few straightforward steps to achieve that perfect crisp. This is how I do it:

Heat oil: I heat my oil in a large skillet over a medium high heat. Then I cook my diced onion for 3-5 minutes until translucent. I reduce the heat to medium and add the minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Stir in beans: Next, I add my beans, seasoning, and 1 cup of water and stir to combine.

Simmer: I reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Mash beans: Then, I mash a portion of my beans in the pans until the mixture is thick but still chunky.

Add corn and salsa: I stir in my salsa, corn, and season with salt and pepper, then allow it to cool.

Fill tortillas: Next, I spoon 1/3 cup of black bean mixture down the center of each tortilla.

Roll tortilla: I roll the tortilla around the filling and secure it with a toothpick, and place them on a lined, lightly oiled baking sheet seam side down. Then repeat with the remaining mixture and tortillas.

Bake: I bake the rolled tortillas in a preheated oven at 350F for 6-8 minutes or until they are brown and crisp.

📖 Variations

The great thing about this Mexican vegetarian flautas recipe is that it is delicious as is, but can also be upgraded without losing flavor or authenticity. These are some I have tried:

Extra veggie boost: For extra veggies, I like using 1 cup of finely chopped bell peppers, which I add in with my onion. And I cup chopped spinach at the end of simmering to increase the iron content. Sometimes, I make the filling entirely out of veggies if I have extra veggies around. This is slightly less filling but is perfect as a light snack. 

Cheesy add-in: For a cheesy and creamy finish, I stir in 1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack before rolling. You can also use a vegan variety of this cheese. My kids love this gooey center, and it was one of the ways I got them to enjoy beans when they were younger.

Sweet potato mix: I replace 1 cup of the beans with 1 cup roasted, mashed sweet potato. This makes a sweeter, creamier filling. When I do this, I make sure to leave the rest of the beans whole to keep some texture.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Traditionally, this dish is served with fresh salsa and guacamole, but I like dressing up my Mexican vegetarian flautas with interesting, but still traditional, toppings. When you make this recipe, I recommend layering a good blob of my healthy guacamole, followed by my vegan queso fresco, and then topping it with a refreshing burst of my pineapple pico de gallo. 

Last week, I made these flautas with the sole intention of using my jar of homemade vegan taco sauce as a topping. My kids are quite used to me serving at least 3 different toppings with this meal, but that night I decided to keep it simple. I could see they felt that something was missing, and they asked if there were any other toppings. Little did they know I had a bargaining chip up my sleeve. I told them that instead of filling up on additional toppings, they need to leave room for my vegan churros. They were sold! I am not surprised. Ha! 

🧊 Storing And ♨️ Reheating

Refrigeration: I allow the flautas to cool completely, remove the toothpicks, and store them in an airtight container for up to five days.

Freezing: I placed cooled flautas in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between each layer. These keep for up to 2 months.

Reheating: If frozen, I thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, to reheat, I place them in a 350F oven for 10 minutes until warmed through. 

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5 from 15 votes

Mexican Vegetarian Flautas with Black Beans

These Mexican vegetarian flautas are so crispy and satisfying, you will not even notice the absence of meat. I use black beans, sweetcorn, and warm cumin, and have this meal ready in just 40 minutes. Instead of frying, I bake the rolled tortillas until golden and crunchy on the outside, with a hearty plant-based savory filling inside. This recipe brings all the flavor of classic flautas in a lighter, healthier way.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: 6

Calories: 315kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tsp olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium red onion chopped (about 1 cup)
• ▢ 5 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 30 oz canned black beans rinsed and drained
• ▢ 2 tsp chili powder
• ▢ 2 tsp taco seasoning more to taste
• ▢ 1 tsp ground cumin
• ▢ salt to taste
• ▢ 16 oz prepared salsa divided
• ▢ 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• ▢ 12 6 inch corn tortillas
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

• ▢
  Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook onion 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic, and cook 1 minute, or until translucent and fragrant.
• ▢
  Stir in beans, all of the spices, and 1 cup water.
• ▢
  Reduce heat to medium low, and simmer 10 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.
• ▢
  Remove from heat. Mash beans until mixture is thickened but still chunky, and some beans remain whole.
• ▢
  Stir in 1 cup salsa and corn, and season with salt and pepper. Cool.
• ▢
  Preheat oven to 425F. Coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray. Spoon 1/3 cup black bean mixture down center of tortilla.
• ▢
  Roll tortilla around filling, and secure closed with toothpick. Set on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and black bean mixture.
• ▢
  Bake 6 to 10 minutes, or until tortillas are browned and crisp. Note: If you want to add more crispiness, you can put the flautas under the broiler for a few min and top each one with 1Tbsp of cheese to get a nice crust on top. Meanwhile, combine cilantro and remaining salsa in small bowl. Place 2 flautas on each plate, and top with remaining salsa.

Notes

• My #1 Secret Tip for this Mexican vegetarian flautas recipe is to let the filling cool before rolling. The first few times I made this, I used warm filling, which created steam inside the tortilla, which can cause cracking and soggy spots during baking. It also leads to a chewier finish rather than a crisp one.
• Extra crisp: For even more crunch, I place my baked flautas under the broiler and top with vegan cheese. You can also crisp them further in the airfryer.  
• Warm tortillas: I make sure my tortillas are warmed slightly so they are more pliable and easier to roll without cracking.
• Light spray: Before baking, I sometimes mist my rolled tortillas with a bit of light cooking spray to encourage browning and prevent drying out.
• Soak toothpicks: Before using the toothpicks, I soak them in water so that they do not darken or burn during baking. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2flautas | Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 1175mg | Potassium: 846mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 5g