Black Bean Burrito Bake

Meet the Black Bean Burrito Bake - a quick and easy riff on black bean burritos, with no rolling required! This is a healthy vegetarian meal the whole family will love.

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Who loves burritos? I do! I do!

But who feels like rolling burritos can be a complete pain in the B-U-T-T?

Ok, I'll be honest; burrito rolling is kinda one of my things, so I never let it intimidate me out of making a burrito recipe like these Black Bean and Quinoa Freezer Burritos or these Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos. From time to time, though, I just want to slap everything together and call it a day.

Of course you could make yourself a batch of One-Pan Vegetarian Burrito Bowls if you're not in a rolling mood, or, you could get on board with the quick and easy Black Bean Tortilla Stack.

Instead of fiddling around with burrito rolling you simply spread the filling onto a tortilla, top with another tortilla, and repeat until you run out of filling. Sprinkle a little cheese between the layers if you please (I definitely do), and then it all gets baked up.

Are you ready for this?!

What's in this recipe:

This is a fairly standard black bean burrito filling (super similar to my favourite Freezer Burritos) so nothing really out of the ordinary here. You're going to need some:

• Black Beans --> Canned is totes fine, or learn How to Cook Black Beans from Scratch. You can also make Instant Pot Black Beans.
• Onion --> A big yellow guy.
• Garlic --> As one does. 
• Jalapenos --> To bring the heat.
• Corn --> I use frozen.
• Zucchini --> A nice medium one.
• Tomato --> All diced up.
• Red pepper --> Or green if you prefer.
• Spices --> We're going with cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder.
• Cilantro --> For that bright fresh taste.
• Salsa --> A jar of your favourite.
• Cheese --> Optional, but delicious.
• Tortillas --> The big ones!

Equipment: 

I use a 9-Inch Springform Pan to build my tortilla stack in as it does a great job of keeping everything contained, and then you can simply release the sides and serve directly.

If you don't have a springform pan there's no need to run out and buy one just for this recipe. Just line a sheet-pan with parchment and build your tortilla stack freestyle right on there!

How to make this recipe:

You will find detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, but for now let's talk through it step by step!

Step 1: (above) Heat a large heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, and sauté the onions until translucent. 

Step 2: (above) Add the garlic and jalapeno to the onions, and sauté for a couple of minutes more. 

Step 3: (above) Add the diced zucchini and red pepper, and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften - about 5-8 minutes. 

Step 4: (above) Add the frozen corn and diced tomatoes, and sauté until heated through. 

Step 5: (above) Add the black beans, cilantro, and spices.

Step 6: Stir everything up, give it a taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary. 

Step 7: (above) Brush or spray a springform pan with oil, and place it on a cookie sheet to catch any drips.

Step 8: (above) Place a large tortilla in the bottom of the pan, and spread with a thin layer of salsa. 

Step 9: (above) Add a scoop of the black bean filling and spread into an even layer.

Step 10: (above) Top the black bean filling with shredded cheese. 

Step 11: Repeat the layers until you have run out of filling. Finish with a tortilla on top, a bit of salsa, and the remaining cheese. 

Step 12: Place into a pre-heated oven and bake until the filling is bubbling and the cheese is melted and slightly golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Pro tips / recipe notes:

• Get all of your chopping out of the way before you start cooking the filling and it'll go super fast. You can even chop the day before if you want!
• You don't need to let the filling cool before you start stacking since it's going to get all baked and melty in the oven anyways.
• Want to make a vegan tortilla stack? Just leave out the cheese or replace it with a non-dairy cheese of your liking.
• Want to make a gluten-free tortilla stack? All you need is gluten-free tortillas, my friend.
• Can I make my tortilla stack in advance? Yes! You can assemble it, bake it, and then slices will last for several days in the fridge.
• Is this recipe freezer friendly? Yes! Just wrap wedges in foil or plastic wrap and they'll be good in the freezer for a few months.

Hey Nutrition Lady, what's the deal with black beans?

Black beans are a good source of folate, dietary fiber, protein, phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium and vitamin K. The protein-plus-fiber combination in black beans is one of the things that makes them special.

A one-cup serving contains 15g of fiber (over half of the daily recommended intake), and 15g of protein. Much of the fiber is indigestible, which supports digestive health, particularly in the lower part of our digestive tract.

The protein-fiber combination is also key in stabilizing blood sugar levels, as both protein and fiber move through our digestive systems at a moderate pace. Black beans are also rich in soluble fiber, which is helpful for lowering blood cholesterol levels and supporting cardiovascular health.

Other recipes you might enjoy:

One-Pan Vegetarian Burrito Bowls
Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos
Vegan Sheet Pan Fajita Bowls
Black Bean and Quinoa Freezer Burritos
Vegetarian Freezer Meals

Print Pin

5 from 5 votes

Black Bean Tortilla Stack

Meet the Black Bean Tortilla Stack - a quick and easy riff on black bean burritos, with no rolling required! This is a healthy vegetarian meal the whole family will love.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Tortilla Stack, Vegetarian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 6

Calories 310kcal

Author Katie Trant

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon canola or olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• ½ - 1 jalapeño seeded and finely minced
• 1 large red bell pepper diced
• 1 medium zucchini diced
• 1 cup corn kernels fresh, frozen, or canned are all fine
• 1 large tomato diced
• 2 14-ounce cans black beans Or 3 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed well.
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ bunch cilantro chopped
• 1 12-ounce jar of salsa your favourite!
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese optional
• 6 large whole wheat tortillas

US Customary - Metric

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Turn your oven on to 200°C / 400° F to preheat while you get the chopping done.
• Chop the onion, crush the garlic, mince the jalapeño, dice the zucchini and red pepper, and set everything into little bowls or on plates. Now you're ready to go!
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add one diced yellow onion and sauté for about 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and beginning to take on a bit of colour.
• Add 4 cloves crushed garlic and ½ - 1 finely diced jalapeños, and sauté for about 2 minutes more.
• Now add one diced zucchini and one diced red pepper and sauté for 8-10 minutes. The vegetables should be softened but not mushy, and just starting to brown.
• At this point add 1 cup frozen corn, and 1 large diced tomato and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is well heated.
• Add 2 cans drained and rinsed black beans, 2 teaspoons cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon chilli powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine well.
• Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in the cilantro, and remove from the heat.
• Brush or spray a 9-inch springform pan with oil and place on a cookie sheet. Alternatively, line a baking sheet with parchment paper if you're going to freestyle your tortilla stack.
• Place one tortilla into the bottom of the springform pan, and spread with a thin layer of salsa.
• Spoon about ¼ - ⅕ of the black bean filling onto it, spreading it right to the edges. Sprinkle with cheese if using, the top with another tortilla.

  Press down in the center of the next tortilla a bit to prevent a dome shape from forming, and then spoon some more filling on.
• Repeat layers of tortilla, salsa, filling, and cheese until you've run out of filling.
• Finish with a tortilla on top, spread with salsa and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Place into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the cheese on top is brown and bubbly. You may want to cover with foil if the cheese is browning too much ahead of time.
• Remove from the oven and let stand for about 10 minutes before slicing into wedges to serve.

Notes

• Nutrition values are an estimate only.
• Get all of your chopping out of the way before you start cooking the filling and it’ll go super fast. You can even chop the day before if you want!
• You don’t need to let the filling cool before you start stacking since it’s going to get all baked and melty in the oven anyways.
• Want to make a vegan tortilla stack? Just leave out the cheese or replace it with a non-dairy cheese of your liking.
• Want to make a gluten-free tortilla stack? All you need is gluten-free tortillas, my friend.
• Can I make my tortilla stack in advance? Yes! You can assemble it, bake it, and then slices will last for several days in the fridge.
• Is this recipe freezer friendly? Yes! Just wrap wedges in foil or plastic wrap and they’ll be good in the freezer for a few months.

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 858mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1726IU | Vitamin C: 53mg | Calcium: 248mg | Iron: 2mg

This post was first published July 4, 2017. It was re-tested, edited, and updated with new photos on September 8, 2021.