Black Bean Burger Tacos

Black Bean Burger Tacos

We all LOVE a good taco, right?! But what about those who are vegetarians, gluten free, or just trying to make healthier choices? Tacos are tasty, but usually full of trans-fat, sodium, sugar, and extremely high in carbs. Not to mention (for those who are on restricted diets for health reasons) they're full of gluten, dairy, MSG, and preservatives. These tacos are super healthy, full of protein, good fats, low sodium, and great flavor! Our family loves "south of the border" food and we eat it regularly, but we also like to switch out some not-so-healthy ingredients for a better alternative! You'd be surprised how easy it is! In this recipe we'll show you a few things that you can add in place of your usual MSG, hormone, preservative filled, sodium overloaded taco ingredients! Not only are they great for you, they're also WAY easy to make! Literally 10 minutes and you're done! You can use this recipe to make tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesidillas, whatever! We hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

In a blender combine:

1 (15 oz) can of black beans (drained) *If you like to use cooked dried beans, you would use 1 1/2 - 2 cups.

1 egg

1 1/2 onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chili powder *We also like to use Trader Joe's taco seasoning in place of the garlic and chili powders.

Salt and pepper to taste

Blend for 2-3 minutes or until blended completely.

In a medium skillet (or on a griddle) heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil on MEDIUM LOW heat. *For THM's, this is technically considered an E meal so if you want to omit the olive oil or lessen it you may. 

When your skillet is ready, pour "batter" onto skillet in the form and size of pancakes.

Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. When fully cooked, chop it up with your spatula to resemble cooked ground beef. 

Add optional essential oils of Lime or Cilantro right before removing from heat. Give it one more good toss around the skillet to activate the aroma of the oils, and then immediately remove from heat. This ensures that the medicinal properties of these oils are still intact when you are enjoying your tacos!

Optional toppings:

Shredded cheddar cheese or a tasty vegan cheese sauce like this recipe here! *It's definitely NOT as hard as you might think! It's also a great alternative if you find that you are intolerant to dairy products. *Remember THM's, just a sprinkle unless you're using low fat cheese for this E meal! The vegan cheese sauce would be an S so skip that if you aren't to S Helpers yet.)

Shredded lettuce *Try using green leaf, red leaf, and arugula which are rich in vitamins and minerals instead of the typical iceberg lettuce that offers little nutrients other than fiber. 

Chopped onion (white, yellow, or green)

Cilantro (my FAVE!)

Diced tomatoes

MSG free enchilada sauce, hot sauce, or taco sauce.

We love to use this recipe for all sorts of Mexican dishes. Here are some healthy choices you can use to add your black bean "meat" and toppings to!

Make nachos with Trader Joe's Blue Corn Tortilla Chips or Black Bean Quinoa Chips.

Mission brand tortillas offer both corn and low carb tortilla options for those who are gluten free or THMers!

Whole Wheat Pitas or Joseph's Low Carb Pitas are great for Taco Pockets!

Long Grain Brown Rice or Trader Joe's TriColor Quinoa are easy on the insulin and quinoa is very high in protein! These make great taco bowls!

We would love to hear all the different ways you decide to use your Black Bean Burger filling! Shalom!