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    Home > Vegan Lunch/Dinner Recipes

    Cheezy Vegan Mexican Black Bean Casserole

    Posted: Feb 20, 2022 ยท Updated: Mar 25, 2022

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
    Casserole in steel skillet with text inlay that says "Mexican black bean casserole, vegan, gluten-free, one-pot"

    This hot and cheesy vegan Mexican Black Bean Casserole is mouthwateringly delicious and really easy to make.

    This Mexican Black Bean Casserole will become your new favorite for taco nights and for adding to Mexican-style bowls. It is packed with flavor from veggies and spices and it is also deliciously healthy. Black beans are stirred into a richly flavored tomato sauce and baked with shards of vegan cheese that melt and char and form a crispy layer on top. The recipe is soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free.

    Overhead partial photo of a vegan black bean casserole made in the Mexican style.

    If you're looking for a vegan dinner recipe with tons of flavor and nutrition, this vegan Mexican style black bean casserole is what you want.

    It is not just tasty as anything but it is also extremely healthy with black beans, of course, and lots of veggies. The crispy cheese on top makes this eminently kid-friendly--they'll find it just as hard as you to resist.

    I loosely adapted this from a black bean bake recipe I found in the New York Times, which didn't include veggies. Adding veggies, however, makes this dish even better, taste-wise, and, of course, better for you.

    This Mexican casserole is a great -- and more special -- replacement for refried beans on taco nights. Or make a delicious Mexican style bowl by serving these beans alongside Mexican rice, guacamole and/or salsa.

    Table of Contents
    • Why you'll love this vegan Mexican black bean casserole
    • Ingredients
    • How to make the vegan Mexican black bean casserole recipe
    • What to serve with the Mexican black bean casserole
    • Storage and freezing tips
    • Related recipes
    • Cheezy Vegan Mexican Black Bean Casserole

    Why you'll love this vegan Mexican black bean casserole

    • It's so, so tasty. You'll love the bold flavors in here, and the contrasting textures of the beans with the veggies and the crispy vegan cheese.
    • It's easy to make. There's not much to do here except chop up a few veggies and you can use canned beans (I did) to make things easier on yourself.
    • It's healthy. This casserole makes enough to serve six people and each serving has 14 grams of protein and 14 grams of dietary fiber for just 242 calories.
    • You can make it with pantry staples.
    • It's one-pot. Use an oven-proof skillet to minimize cleanup. If you don't have an oven-proof skillet you will need to transfer the beans to a casserole or baking dish before you put it in the oven.
    • It's everyone friendly. The recipe is soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and vegan, of course. It's also fairly low in carbohydrates for those who, like me, are eating lower on the carb scale. And it is very kid-friendly, especially when you stuff it into tacos or tortillas.
    Front partial shot of a vegan black bean casserole in a steel skillet with a spoon.

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or any vegetable oil
    • 1 medium onion
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • 1 stalk celery
    • 1 large green bell pepper/capsicum. You can use any color pepper.
    • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano. If you are not familiar with Mexican oregano, this is a plant more closely related to mint than to the Mediterranean oregano, which we add to pastas and other Italian dishes. It has citrusy and floral notes while regular oregano is sweet with peppery notes. A suitable replacement for Mexican oregano, if you don't have it in your pantry, is marjoram.
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ยฝ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ยฝ to 1 teaspoon cayenne. Or any red chili powder. Tweak to your spice tolerance.
    • 6 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 2 15-oz cans of black beans. Rinse and drain the beans before using.
    • ยฝ cup water or vegetable stock
    • Salt and ground black pepper to taste
    • ยฝ cup vegan cheddar cheese shreds
    • 2 tablespoon cilantro

    How to make the vegan Mexican black bean casserole recipe

    • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
    • Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably one that's oven-proof. Add the onions along with the garlic, celery and bell peppers. Saute until the onions are soft, about five minutes.
    Garlic stirred into celery and onions in skillet.
    Bell peppers, onions and celery in pan.
    • Add the Mexican oregano and stir it in.
    • Add the spices: ground cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne and mix.
    Mexican oregano added to skillet with veggies.
    Cumin, cayenne and paprika added to veggies.
    • Next add the tomato paste and mix it in.
    • Add the drained black beans along with ยฝ cup water or vegetable stock and mix well. Bring to a boil and mash some of the beans with a ladle.
    Black beans added to vegetables in skillet.
    Cooked black beans in skillet.
    • Turn off the heat and sprinkle on the vegan cheese. If you don't have an oven-proof skillet transfer the beans mixture to a baking dish and then sprinkle the cheese.
    • Place the skillet in the oven and bake 15 minutes. Then turn the broiler to high and broil 3-5 minutes, keeping a close eye, until the cheese has melted and has charred slightly in spots.
    • Sprinkle the bake with cilantro and serve hot.
    Overhead photo of a cheezy vegan Mexican black bean casserole with vegan cheddar cheese shreds and cilantro sprinkled on top.

    What to serve with the Mexican black bean casserole

    • Serve this as a delicious filling for tacos and top with corn or tomato salsa and/or guacamole.
    • The black beans are also delicious in a bowl with rice, like this Mexican green rice and Mexican red rice. Serve with salsa and/or guacamole for more deliciousness. If you have kids you might also want to top with some vegan sour cream.
    • You can also just serve this as a snack with tortilla chips.

    Storage and freezing tips

    • This black bean casserole can be refrigerated for up to four days. Reheat before serving in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, or microwave portions of it for 30 seconds to a minute.
    • You can also freeze the baked casserole for up to three months. Wrap tightly with freezer wrap or aluminum foil. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.

    Related recipes

    • Vegan Refried Beans
    • Mexican Potato and Bean Cakes with Tomato Sauce
    • Mexican Green Rice
    • Mexican Sweet Potato Hash with Black Beans and Tofu
    • Vegan Indian-Spiced Tofu Casserole
    Front closeup of a skillet with black beans and vegan cheddar cheese shreds.
    Mexican vegan black bean casserole in a steel skillet with cheese and cilantro.

    Cheezy Vegan Mexican Black Bean Casserole

    This Mexican Black Bean Casserole will become your new favorite for taco nights and for adding to Mexican-style bowls. It is packed with flavor from veggies and spices and it is also deliciously healthy. Black beans are stirred into a richly flavored tomato sauce and baked with shards of vegan cheese that melt and char and form a crispy layer on top. The recipe is soy-free, nut-free and gluten-free.
    5 from 15 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Lunch/Dinner
    Cuisine: Mexican inspired
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Black Bean Casserole, Mexican Casserole
    Prep Time: 15 mins
    Cook Time: 30 mins
    Total Time: 45 mins
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 242kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Equipment

    • 1 oven-proof skillet

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
    • 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
    • 1 stalk celery (finely chopped)
    • 4 cloves garlic (minced or crushed)
    • 1 large bell pepper (I used a green bell pepper. Any color is fine)
    • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (replace with marjoram if you don't have this. See notes above to learn how this is different from Mediterranean oregano)
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ยฝ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ยฝ to 1 teaspoon cayenne (tweak to your spice tolerance)
    • 6 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 30 oz black beans (two cans. Rinse and drain the beans)
    • ยฝ cup water (or vegetable stock)
    • Salt and ground black pepper
    • ยฝ cup vegan cheddar cheese shreds
    • 2 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped, for garnish)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius.
    • Heat the oil in a skillet, preferably one that's oven-proof. Add the onions along with the garlic, celery and bell peppers. Stir in salt and ground black pepper to taste. Saute over medium heat or medium high heat until the onions are soft, about five minutes.
    • Add the Mexican oregano and stir it in.Add the spices: ground cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne and mix.
    • Next add the tomato paste and mix it in.
    • Add the drained black beans along with ยฝ cup water or vegetable stock and mix well. Bring to a boil and mash some of the beans with a ladle. Check if you need more salt.
    • Turn off the heat and sprinkle on the vegan cheese. If you don't have an oven-proof skillet transfer the beans to a baking dish and then sprinkle the cheese.
    • Place the skillet in the oven and bake 15 minutes. Then turn the broiler to high and broil 3-5 minutes, keeping a close eye, until the cheese has melted and has charred slightly in spots.
    • Sprinkle the bake with cilantro and serve hot.

    Recipe notes

    • Black beans are delicious in this casserole because they are meaty and full of flavor. But you can substitute pinto beans for an equally delicious result.
    • You can use beans cooked from scratch in this recipe. Make sure they are very tender and drain any cooking liquid.
    • Serve this as a delicious filling for tacos and top with salsa and/or guacamole.
    • The black beans are also delicious in a bowl with Mexican style rice. Serve with salsa and/or guacamole for more deliciousness.
    • This black bean casserole can be refrigerated for up to four days. Reheat before serving in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, or microwave portions of it for 30 seconds to a minute.
    • You can also freeze the baked casserole for up to three months. Wrap tightly with freezer wrap and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 132mg | Potassium: 772mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1275IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    Hi! I am so happy you're here. I'm Vaishali, and I've been sharing recipes for delicious vegan food at Holy Cow Vegan since 2007. Every one of the more than 1,000 recipes on this blog has been tried and tested -- and loved -- by my family and I. I hope you will find something here to share with your loved ones. Thanks for stopping by!
    Read more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Terry

      May 03, 2022 at 9:33 pm

      5 stars
      This was fantastic! I will probably cut back a little more on the cayenne next time, (I used 1/2 tsp.) as I mixed in a little salsa at the end, and it was spicy, but sooo good! I added some sour cream on top and it cut the spiciness just right (not vegan, I also used real cheese.) I am planning on making burritos for lunch with the leftovers, and if there is any left, I will put it in the freezer for a future pig-out! Thank you so much for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        May 05, 2022 at 10:33 pm

        So happy you loved it, Terry!

        Reply
    2. Anne

      April 12, 2022 at 9:18 pm

      5 stars
      This is really good and easy. Will be making again.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        April 25, 2022 at 1:34 pm

        So thrilled you tried it!

        Reply
    3. Valerie Dolan

      March 06, 2022 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      This is a keeper. I substituted fava beans for the black beans because it is what I had on hand. It was delicious; thank you for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        April 25, 2022 at 1:34 pm

        Awesome, so happy you made it!

        Reply
    4. Simone

      February 25, 2022 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      This was really delicious!
      Next time I'll have to make a triple batch.
      For us two it wasn't very much, though we only had it with tortilla chips and no additional salsa or guacamole. Which we didn't miss, btw.
      With 1/2 tsp cayenne it was quite spicy for us. We love spicy but our kids not so much, so we aren't used to it anymore, so it was perfect for us.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        April 25, 2022 at 1:34 pm

        So happy you loved it!

        Reply
    5. Steve

      February 21, 2022 at 11:52 am

      5 stars
      This is definitely a winner.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        February 22, 2022 at 11:47 am

        Steve, so happy to hear!

        Reply
    6. Carol Bradstreet

      February 20, 2022 at 9:20 pm

      5 stars
      I made the black bean casserole tonight. It's SO delicious! I'll be trying more of your recipes.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        February 21, 2022 at 9:38 am

        Awesome, so happy you made the casserole!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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    Vaishali Honawar, Holy Cow Vegan author, profile photo

    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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