Gluten-Free Mango and Black Bean Tacos

4.17 from 6 votes

Gluten-free, vegetarian tacos that are bursting with fresh flavor!

These mango and black bean tacos may be free of gluten, but they're certainly not lacking in flavor!

I’m a big fan of Taco Tuesday. It makes it so nice and easy to meal plan when I know that one day out of the week will always be tacos. That certainly doesn’t mean it has to be boring, though. It’s fun to switch it up every week with different colors, flavors, and proteins. These gluten-free, vegetarian mango and black bean tacos certainly didn’t disappoint.

The idea of making vegetarian tacos would have blown my mind a few months ago. The tacos of my childhood were ground beef stuffed inside a crispy taco shell, topped with the obligatory shredded cheese and lettuce, of course. They were basically a trip to Taco Bell, just made from-scratch at home! Okay, okay, they usually involved a yellow box of Old El Paso, if I’m really being honest.

When I grew up a little bit, I realized there was more to tacos than the contents of that box kit. I started expanding from the crispy shell to a soft, corn tortilla. Then I honed in on the toppings – ground beef became shredded chicken or slow cooker pork. The shredded cheese turned into crumbly cotija cheese, and the lettuce became slaw or any number of vegetables.

Finally, I realized that the meat itself was totally unnecessary. I started playing around with tofu and tempeh before I moved on to butternut squash and a variety of beans. By the time I made these mango and black bean tacos, I was fully sold that tacos definitely don’t need meat!

Eat the Rainbow

The thing I love most about using mangos in this recipe is how colorful the ingredients become. You have the deep orange from the mango contrasted by the dark, almost blue color of the black beans. Then in comes the reddish-orange bell peppers, the purple-colored red onions, and the green from the cilantro and the avocado. Before you know it, you’ve eaten every color or the rainbow with these brilliant mango and black bean tacos.

Health advocates will often instruct people to “eat the rainbow” when it comes to the daily meal. It’s a good way to remind you to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Each piece of produce has its own combination of vitamins and minerals. For example, orange-colored vegetables often contain carotenoids and lots of vitamin C. Purple and blue vegetables have been known to reduce damage to the liver and fight inflammation. Every color brings its own unique nutrients, so combining them means you get it all.

Putting all of the colors together into one meal makes it easy to consume a bunch of nutrient-dense foods. It also makes it one less thing you have to think about in a day! It doesn’t hurt that this combination also happens to be super tasty, too.

Gluten Free Corn Tortillas

You could totally eat these mango and black bean tacos in a flour tortilla, but then it wouldn’t be gluten-free. Many flour tortillas are also made with lard, which is an animal product. That means they’re not vegetarian, either!

You can make your own corn tortillas at home if you have the time. All you need is a bag of masa harina (found in the ethnic aisle at most grocery stores) and some water. That’s it! Or, if you’re like me and you can’t find the time to make them yourself, there are many really good brands available at the store. Just make sure you take a peak at the ingredients list to make sure they haven’t snuck in any extra ingredients in there.

All this talk of why we should eat these mango and black bean tortillas is making me hungry! I’m going to sign off to eat these delicious tacos, and I think you should, too. We’d love to hear from you in the comments, so don’t forget to drop us a line.

4.17 from 6 votes

Gluten-Free Mango and Black Bean Tacos

With a rainbow of colors and flavors, these gluten-free tacos are a party all on their own.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Yield 3 people
Serving Size 2 tacos
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex

Ingredients

  • 2 roma tomatoes diced small
  • 2 tablespoons red onion diced small
  • 1/4 cup orange bell pepper diced small
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro fresh, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 15 ounces black beans can, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth
  • 6 corn tortillas gluten-free
  • 1 mango ripe, sliced into strips
  • 1 avocado pit and peel removed, cut into small chunks

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Mix to combine. Cover and set aside to rest.
  • Meanwhile, in a small bot, heat the black beans and vegetable broth, bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and lightly mash making sure to leave some beans whole and the mixture very chunky.
  • Heat a large skillet on high heat, an iron fry pan works great! When the pan is very hot, add one corn tortilla. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until browned and turn over to cook the second side for about 30 seconds. Place the browned tortilla on a warm plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  • Place the tortillas on a flat surface and spread with the black beans. Top the beans with mango and avocado. Spoon the tomato mixture on top. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 2tacos | Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 543mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 18g |
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 14
Keywords Budget-Friendly, dairy-free, Gluten-Free, Kid-Friendly, Plant-Based, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Chef Nichole

Nichole has a culinary degree from Great Lakes Culinary Institute and has worked in the culinary industry for 10 years. She also has the knowledge to write recipes using the most nutritious, fresh, and balanced ingredients. Nichole enjoys creating healthy and tasty recipes anyone can prepare, no matter their cooking skill level.

More by Chef Nichole

4 Comments

    1. Julie, We used purchased corn tortillas for this recipe, “Mi Rancho Organic Corn Tortillas” was the brand. 🙂

  1. First plant based meal I made and actually had all the ingredients. This was so yummy, even my meat eating husband enjoyed it.5 stars

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