Vegetarian Taco Bowls

 

These Vegetarian Taco Bowls are filled with black beans, veggies, and taco seasoning. Super easy to make, these are a favorite dinner of busy moms!

There is no shortage of Mexican flavors and Mexican-inspired recipes on this site.  It’s because I just love the flavors, textures, and common produce used in Mexican dishes. Make it something easy, healthy, and quick? Oh, yes. I’m in.

I absolutely love these Vegetarian Taco Bowls.  I found the idea to make a taco bowl using an upside down muffin tin on this blog.  Making my own homemade taco bowls was super easy–your kids could even do it!

This whole dinner was actually really quick and easy.  The filling is a fabulous mixture of beans, onions, red bell peppers with just the right amount of spice.  The simple filling can be made while the tortilla bowls are being baked!

The whole thing is then topped with some cheese and guacamole. DUH! It’s a must. Although I made these with cheese, you could easily turn this into a vegan meal by leaving off the cheese or using a cheese substitute.

Either way, you have a fun-to-make and fun-to-eat meal that your whole family will enjoy.  I suggest serving these with a big salad and/or some Mexican rice. Let’s do this!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

1. Corn or Flour Tortillas – Using corn tortillas makes them nice and crispy. Plus, they have a delicious corn flavor. You could use flour tortillas if you could find them small enough or cut them with a round biscuit cutter. 
2. Avocado Oil – You can swap the avocado oil for any oil you like. It can handle high heat so it’s fantastic for baking.
3. Onion – The onion adds flavor and nutrition. Dice it extra small if you have onion-adverse people in your family. Mine didn’t even realize it was there! 
4. Bell Pepper – Eat those bell peppers! They are a fantastic source of vitamin A, folate, iron, potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. 
5. Black Beans – Canned black beans work great. You can also make your own from dried beans if you have the time and energy. Check out my recipe for black beans made in the Instant Pot in my cookbook! 
6. Garlic – Oh how I love the flavor of garlic! I find that 2 cloves is the perfect amount for our tastes, but you could add in more if you wanted. It’s a great source of potassium, iron, and other vitamins as well. (not pictured…oops!)
7. Taco Seasoning – Keep my homemade taco seasoning on hand for this recipe!  
8. Lime Juice – Use fresh lime juice to get the best result. Lime juice not only makes the vegetarian taco bowls taste great, it’s also nutritious too. Filled with vitamin C, iron, fiber, and more!
9. Cilantro – This healthy little herb is actually a great source of potassium, folate, manganese, vitamin C, and vitamin K.
10. Cheese – We always use a Mexican cheese blend, but you could also stick with cheddar, Pepper Jack, or Colby Jack. 
11. Guacamole -Top it with my perfect guacamole or this simple guacamole. You can’t go wrong! (guac is not pictured above, either) 

HOW TO MAKE VEGETARIAN MINI TACO BOWLS

1. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Then warm the tortillas according to the packaging. Coat each tortilla with a little bit of oil or cooking spray.
2. Then turn a muffin tin upside down and tuck a tortilla in between 4 of the muffin cups, so it creates a bowl. I used two muffin tins to bake all 8 in one back.
3. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until they have turned light brown and have hardened. 
4. Prepare the filling by melting the coconut oil in a skillet. Cook the bell pepper until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add the black beans, seasonings, and garlic to the skillet. Turn down the hat and keep cooking until the beans are warm, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the mixture to the cooked taco bowls and then top with cheese, guacamole, and any other toppings you prefer.

MINI TACO BOWLS VARIATIONS

You can seriously go crazy with toppings with these mini taco bowls! There aren’t any wrong answers here. Take a look at these ideas to try out.

• Jalapenos – In the mood for some extra spice? Add in some fresh chopped jalapenos or pickled jalapenos. YUM!
• Pico de Gallo – Add some extra flavor by topping with some pico de gallo right before serving. 
• Rice – Whether you want regular rice or cauliflower rice it’s a great way to add more texture and flavor to the taco bowls. 
• Tomatoes – Chop some cherry tomatoes or roma and add to the filling. It tastes great and adds more nutrients too. 

VEGETARIAN MINI TACO BOWLS FAQS

CAN I MAKE THE MINI TACO BOWLS SPICY?

Sure! The taco seasoning has a little bit of spice to it, but if you want more you can always add more heat. You could mix in some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the filling mixture. Or drizzle the taco bowls with hot salsa. 

IS IT OKAY TO ADD MEAT?

Yes, absolutely! We like to eat a lot of vegetarian meals at our house, so we don’t always want to include meat. However, you could add ground beef, ground turkey, or shredded chicken to add a boost of protein. 

Craving more Mexican inspired dishes? Here are some of our family favorites: Cauliflower Tacos, Smoky Black Bean Tacos, and Summer Vegetable Tacos. 

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating below! It’s so helpful for other readers to see which recipes are tried and true! I’d also love to see it–share your photo of this dish and tag me on Instagram, and I’ll feature you!

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This post was originally published in May 2014. Photos, text, and recipe updated in April 2021.