Mexican Vegetarian Flautas with Black Beans

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

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

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