July 13, 2020

Plantain and Black Bean Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce

This post was originally published here May 5, 2016. I’ve since updated the text and photographs. I hope you try out these quick and easy vegetarian tacos!

I’m here to talk about tacos!

Sorry. I’m done now. Moving on.

Tacos are a major staple in my house. They are one of my favorite ways to use up all the odds and ends left in my kitchen at the end of the week. Vegetables, herbs, grains, cheeses, beans, whatever! I’ll fold just about anything and everything into a warm tortilla and call it dinner.

So with all these tacos happening on a regular basis, you’d think I would have managed to accrue more taco recipes here on Floating Kitchen. But sadly, that’s not the case. There are a few favorites lurking around in the archives. But I’m ready to get some fresh takes up in here!

Are you ready for that, too? Then let’s gooooo!

If you’re a long-time lover of plantains, or even if you’re just getting started experimenting with them in your kitchen, these Plantain and Black Bean Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce are a quick and easy way to enjoy them at home. I know the ingredient list looks long at first glance, but it’s mostly spices and some other pantry staples. So please don’t be intimated! These tacos take less than 30 minutes to prepare from start to finish. And you can even make the chimichurri sauce in advance, if you wish.

Probably the hardest part about this recipe is selecting which plantains to use. Plantains are sold and used for cooking at all stages of ripeness. However, plantains that have a green/light yellow peel will be very starchy, and so I wouldn’t recommend using them for this recipe. You’ll want to look for plantains that have a deeply yellow peel with lots of large black areas. Those will be sweeter and softer. And they will develop more caramelization during the cooking process.

If you can only find green/light yellow plantains in your grocery store, don’t fret. Because like a banana, they will continue to ripen when left to sit at room temperature.

Oh and if you haven’t peeled a plantain before, don’t attempt to tackle it like you would a banana. The peel is very firm/thick and can’t be easily removed by hand. Instead, use a small paring knife to slice off the ends of the plantain and score the peel lengthwise, creating several strips. Then slip the knife under the strips and pry them back.

Once you’ve tackled the plantains, the rest of this recipe is pretty straight forward. And I’m even going to be so bold as to predict that these Plantain and Black Bean Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce will become a regular part of your Taco Tuesday rotation!

Cheers,

Liz

Get the Recipe:

Plantain and Black Bean Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce

At a Glance:

Yield: Makes 6-8 tacos

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients

For the Chimichurri Sauce:

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• Zest from 1/2 lime
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• About 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the Filling:

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cumin, divided
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt, divided
• 3 large ripe plantains (look for deep yellow and black peel), peeled and sliced
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• Juice from 1/2 lime

For Serving:

• Corn or flour tortillas, warmed
• Greek yogurt
• Shredded red cabbage

Instructions

1. To make the chimichurri sauce, add all the ingredients except for the olive oil to the bowl of your food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until the ingredients are just combined. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl and add about 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Process to combine the ingredients, but be careful not to over process them. You want the sauce to still have some texture (i.e. you don’t want to create a purée or a paste). Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to thin the sauce, if necessary. Then transfer the sauce to a small container and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it.
2. In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, 1 tsp. of the cumin, the chili powder, cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. of the salt. Add the sliced plantains and use your hands to toss the plantains in the brown sugar/spice mixture to coat the slices on all sides. Set aside.
3. Warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add about half of the coated plantain slices, keeping them in a single layer. Cook the plantain slices until they are slightly softened and browned/caramelized on the first side, about 2 minutes. Then using a pair of tongs, flip the plantain slices over and cook them on the second side. Transfer the cooked plantain sliced to a clean plate and set aside.
4. Warm a second tablespoon of the olive oil and cook the remaining plantain slices in the same manner. When they are cooked on both sides, add them to the same plate and cover to keep warm. Set aside.
5. Warm the final tablespoon of olive oil in the same skillet. Add the black beans, lime juice and the remaining 1 tsp. of cumin and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of the chimichurri sauce and cook the beans, stirring frequently, for about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
6. To serve, spread a spoonful of Greek yogurt onto your tortillas. Top with the beans, plantain slices, shredded red cabbage and additional chimichurri sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe inspired by Minimalist Baker.