Crispy Refried Bean Tacos

I love, Love, LOVE Tacos! Any kind. Any time. Any where. Any place! Tacos are one of my favorite foods to eat!
I had seen these Crispy Cheese and Bean Smash Tacos on a blog called Crunch Time Kitchen. They looked so good, and used only three ingredients.
Crispy Refried Bean Tacos

Unfortunately they just did not work for me. Perhaps I wasn't able to get my skillet hot enough, but, what I ended up with was a soggy mess that in no way could be folded, let alone held in the hand to enjoy. A soggy icky mess. Sigh . . . And sadly lacking in flavor.
In the meantime I had an open can of refried beans, etc. that needed using. I had in my mind by that point that I was going to make refried bean tacos, come hell or high water!
Some recipes are diamonds and some are dust.
Crispy Refried Bean Tacos

By that time I decided to rethink the whole process. I added some flavor to the refried beans by adding some spices and some chopped canned green chilis, which also added a bit of heat.
I filled the tacos with the refried bean mixture which I topped with grated cheese. Folded in half and fried in a bit of oil, until crisp and golden brown on both sides.
Crispy Refried Bean Tacos

Simple and yet quick and easy to make. On their own delicious, but the flavors really take off when you add a variety of taco toppings to them!
I shredded some romaine lettuce and chopped some spring onions and cherry tomatoes. The tacos got pulled apart and these were added as a crisp fresh vegetable inner layer. You could add peppers as well if you wished.
Crispy Refried Bean Tacos

Finally I dabbed some sour cream on top of the salad and a drizzle of taco sauce. You could also use salsa. Then I added some meaty sliced pitted dark kalamata olives.
These flavors combined to make one very delicious taco! I did not miss any meat at all. They were rich, spicy, flavor filled, just cheesy enough. I thoroughly enjoyed these. I inhaled two of them and would have eaten more but simply did not want to be a glutton!
Crispy Refried Bean Tacos

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE REFRIED BEAN TACOS
It looks like a long list, but, for the most part, these are simple basic store cupboard ingredients.

1 can (15 ounces/420g) refried beans, stirred
1 can (4 ounces/115g) chopped green chilies, drained
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
the juice of 1/2 lime
2 cups (240g) grated medium cheddar cheese (or pepper jack)
16 small flour tortillas
oil for frying

To serve: (all optional)

sour cream
salsa
taco sauce
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
chopped spring onions
sliced ripe olives
lime wedges

You can use any kind of refried beans. I know that there are refried black beans and refried pinto beans. If you are lucky enough to have leftover homemade refried beans use those!
I know that canned green chilies are not available in the U.K. or at least they were not when I lived there. You can substitute with minced fresh jalapeno chilies (about 2 small ones for this recipe, trimmed and seeded, ribs removed.)
You can also roast your own. I used to pick up loads of fresh jalapenos when they were on offer and then I would roast them in a hot oven until blistered. Pop into a paper or plastic bag and leave for a few minutes. Once cooled, they are very easy to peel and seed. I used to chop them and freeze them in TBS sized dollops on a baking sheet.
Once frozen I popped the frozen dollops into a zip lock baggie and returned to the freezer, ready to take out and use as I desired.
Crispy Refried Bean Tacos

You can use corn or wheat flour tortillas for these. I prefer the soft flour tortillas. I find the corn ones a bit too hard for my aging knashers!
You can use any grated cheese. I used a medium orange cheddar. But a pepper jack would be lovely as well. Any good melting cheese. Its the glue that holds your taco together.
Wait til you see the cheese string when you pull them apart to fill with your favorite taco toppings! So yummy! I should have taken a photograph of that, but didn't! I couldn't wait to tuck in!

HOW TO MAKE CRISPY REFRIED BEAN TACOS
These are a real doddle to make. It takes longer to chop up and prepare the toppings than it does to cook these tasty tacos! You will probably need to work in batches, depending on how many you choose to make.

Preheat the oven to low, 300*F/150*C/ gas mark 2. Place a baking sheet into the oven to hold the tacos as you finish them. This is to keep them warm until all have been cooked.Stir the refried beans, green chilies, smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt and lime juice together well to combine.

Add a spoonful of the refried bean mixture to each tortilla, placing it on one half of the tortilla, spreading it out a bit. Divide the cheese up and sprinkle a portion on top of each layer of beans. Fold the other half of the taco over to cover and gently press shut.

Heat a tsp of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, and working in batches, cook the tacos until browned and crisp on each side (about a minute and a half per side.)Remove to the oven and keep warm while you cook all of the tacos. (you may need to add more oil from time to time.) Serve hot with your favorite taco additions! Delicious!

These delicious tacos were born from my determination to make lemonade from lemons. I loved them. Crisp on the outside, beautifully spiced and rich inside with plenty of beans and cheese.
I chose to enjoy several with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, black olives and chopped spring onions. I also added some taco sauce, sour cream and a splash of green tabasco.
Do note that you should only cook as many as you think you will eat as they do not stay crisp over time. Whilst still very tasty, the soft tortilla shell will soften from the moisture of the filling.

I am no stranger to Tacos. I love them. Here are some more of my favorite taco recipes. A bit unconventional, but very tasty!!
SMASH BURGER TACOS - Its like someone turned your favorite burger from the golden arches into a taco! With a tasty meat filling, cheese, and your favorite toppings, including that special sauce. I used ground turkey but you can use ground beef as well. Always delicious, simple to make. These are really good!
THAI CHICKEN TACOS - Chicken thighs marinated in a delicious Thai marinade, then grilled to perfection. Sliced and tucked into a soft tortilla along with a tasty Thai pickled vinaigrette salad, which provides plenty of crunch and additional flavors. These are really yummy! If you like Thai flavors you will fall in love with these!
Yield: 16 small tacosAuthor: Marie Rayner