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Black Bean Flautas with Avocado Crema

Courtney Crary

Black Bean Flautas with Avocado Crema

This easy, crowd-pleasing recipe features filling black beans, aromatic onions, and fragrant cilantro wrapped in a corn tortilla and air fried to crispy perfection, then served with a spicy, creamy avocado crema. Gluten-free, vegan, oil-free, and whole food, plant-based, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite that vegans, meat-lovers, and picky eaters will adore.

Yield: 4
Author:
Black Bean Flautas with Avocado Crema

Black Bean Flautas with Avocado Crema

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 30 Mtotal time: 40 M
This crowd-pleasing recipe features filling black beans, aromatic onions, and fragrant cilantro wrapped in a corn tortilla and air fried to perfection, then served with a bright and spicy avocado crema.

ingredients:

For the Flautas
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 2 15oz cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 red onion, divided in half and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 lime, juice of
  • salt, to taste
For the Avocado Crema
  • 1 avocado
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
  • 1 jalapeno, chopped
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp salt

instructions:

How to cook Black Bean Flautas with Avocado Crema

For the Flautas
  1. Heat a saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Add 1/2 of the diced onion and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about a minute).
  4. Deglaze the pan with a few Tbsp of water.
  5. Add the beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and water.  Stir to combine.
  6. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
  7. Simmer, uncovered, until the beans begin to break down and the mixture thickens into a lumpy, paste-like consistency (30 minutes or less).  
  8. Add salt to taste, then remove from heat and set aside.
  9. In a small mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 red onion, juice of 1 lime, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro.  Stir to combine.
  10. Add salt to taste and set aside.
  11. Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat.
  12. Cook the corn tortillas, one at a time, in the dry pan for roughly 2 minutes on each side (doing so will keep the tortillas intact when the fillings are added).
  13. Place a spoonful of the bean mixture in the center of each corn tortilla and spread into a log shape.  Sprinkle a spoonful of the onion mixture over the top.
  14. Roll up each tortilla and secure with a toothpick, seam-side down.
  15. Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees F.
  16. Without overlapping, fill the air fryer basket with as many corn tortillas as will fit in one layer (seam-side down).  Air fry for 4 minutes.
  17. Remove the toothpicks and carefully flip the flautas.  Air fry an additional 4 minutes.
  18. Carefully remove and serve immediately with the avocado crema and any other additional toppings you desire.
For the Avocado Crema
  1. In a high-speed blender, combine all of the ingredients.
  2. Blend until smooth, adding slightly more water if necessary.
  3. Taste and add more salt (if needed).
  4. Store in the fridge until the flautas are ready to serve.

Calories

545.56

Fat (grams)

11.02

Sat. Fat (grams)

1.74

Carbs (grams)

93.07

Fiber (grams)

27.38

Net carbs

65.70

Sugar (grams)

3.35

Protein (grams)

24.91

Sodium (milligrams)

612.01

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @notlikemama on instagram and hashtag it #notlikemama
Created using The Recipes Generator

About the recipe:

When Dan and I were first transitioning from our standard American diet to more of a  vegetarian diet, we became obsessed with black bean flautas.  As two white kids from Montana, they were completely novel to us (even when compared to the frozen beef tostadas our moms used to buy at Costco). AND they were absolutely delicious and super satisfying, a perfect meal to make for omnivorous guests, and fairly cheap.  However, they were also fried in oil.


A few years later, we cut out all animal products and stopped cooking with oil.  We tried to salvage our relationship with flautas by baking them in the oven, but were severely disappointed by the results. The oven managed to burn them while also leaving them soggy.  They weren’t even sturdy enough to pick up and eat- you had to use a fork. The texture was so bad, we never made them again. 

When we finally decided to buy an air fryer, attempting to make our old flatuas recipe didn’t even occur to me. Those days of enjoying perfectly crispy, bean-y corn-logs were loooooong gone. But Dan hadn’t given up on them yet, so he insisted we give them a try. Though I was dubious that the air fryer could deliver on texture, I had to eat my words (and the flautas) because they were AWESOME! So crunchy, so crispy, NOT burned and creamy on the inside! All of the things we loved about flautas with none of the grease!

I have to give my husband, Dan, credit for this recipe.  He was the one who made the fried flautas for guests many years ago, and he was the one to figure out how to make them in the air fryer.  I’m so glad he did. The end result are perfectly crispy flautas that taste just as sinful as the fried version, but won’t leave you feeling bloated and weighed down.  

RECIPE NOTES:


1. Cook the beans until they easily stick to a spoon without falling off.  This way, they will stay inside the flautaS without oozing out.

2. If you hate spicy food, it’s okay to leave the jalapeno out of the avocado crema completely. If you are sensitive to spice but still want some heat, just remove the jalapeno seeds.

3. Depending on the size of your avocado and lime, you may have to add more (or less) water to get the avocado crema to your desired consistency.  Add the water slowly until it becomes a good viscosity for dipping (think of a thin guacamole).  

4. If your tortilla keeps splitting while you are trying to roll the flautas, try using less filling or cooking the tortilla in the pan longer.  They split easily when overfilled and when they’re too cold.

5. It’s important to put the flautas seam-side down in the air fryer to use gravity to seal the seam.  When you flip the flautas halfway through the cooking process, it will stay rolled up.  Leave the toothpick in the flautas for the first four minutes, then remove them before flipping.

This recipe will make about 12 flautas (depending on how much you fill them), which should feed 4 people. If you want to freeze them, place the uncooked flautas on a baking sheet and freeze until solid (so they hold their shape). Transfer to a freezer safe container and store for up to 3 months. Air fry on the same temperature (you may need to lengthen the cooking time).

If you’re looking for an additional sauce to serve with these (and/or are wondering what that beautiful orange sauce is in the photos above), try my chipotle cashew mayo! It’s the perfect, creamy compliment to the bright avocado crema.

Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Tag me on Instagram @notlikemama. I love to see your versions of my recipes!


I hope you love this recipe as much as we have!


Happy Cooking,

✌️Courtney

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