Healthy Black Bean Skillet Dinner Recipe
This vegetarian, but hearty black bean skillet dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes and satisfying enough for meat-eaters to enjoy! My southwestern casserole combines black beans, corn, veggies, and a dose of cheese for a scoop-able one-skillet meal that’s cheesy and loaded with flavor. And if you’d like a meat version, try my turkey taco skillet that’s very similar.
Serve this black bean southwestern casserole skillet with tortilla chips and mini bell peppers for scooping, along with fresh toppings like cilantro, onions, sliced jalapenos, sour cream, and hot sauce.
Wondering what to make with black beans? Look no further, this is one of my favorite black bean dinner ideas.
How to Make Healthy Black Bean Skillet Dinner:
This spicy black bean casserole is an easy vegetarian meal! Here’s how to make it:
- Prep ingredients. Dice onion and bell pepper and mince garlic.
- Cook onion and peppers. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook onion and peppers for 3-4 minutes, until soft.
- Add remaining ingredients to skillet. Add garlic, beans, corn, and enchilada sauce to skillet and bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium.
- Cook black bean skillet dinner. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until mixture has thickened.
- Prep toppings and scoopers! While black bean casserole is thickening up, prep any toppings and mini bell peppers for scooping.
Can You Make These with Dried Black Beans?
Yes, cook your black beans as you normally do, and save some of the cooking liquid, as it’s used to thicken this bean and cheese bake.
Canned black beans make this black bean skillet dinner come together super fast and one of my top kitchen shortcuts to use!
Can You Make Black Bean Southwestern Casserole Vegan?
Yes, you can make this black bean bake recipe vegan by omitting the cheese (or using your favorite vegan alternative) and skipping the sour cream topping.
How to Store Leftover Black Bean Skillet Dinner:
Store this southwestern casserole recipe in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheat in the microwave or a hot skillet until heated through.
Black Bean Skillet Dinner Substitutions + Serving Suggestions:
As I mentioned above, you can easily make black bean dinner recipes like this one vegan, but here are a few other substitution ideas:
- Serve over cauliflower rice. Stir fry cauliflower rice or try my Mexican style cauliflower rice skillet to bulk up this meal.
- Serve over rice instead of serving as a dip.
- Add more veggies. Add shredded lettuce and freshly diced tomatoes as fresh toppings.
More Vegetarian Recipes made with Beans:
If you like black bean entree recipes like this one, try some of my other vegetarian recipes made with plenty of beans:
- Trader Joe’s Tikka Masala Lentils – This filling meal is made with just 3 ingredients and in 10 minutes!
- Greek Skillet Chickpea Dinner – Another satisfying, bean-based dinner that even the meat-eaters will approve of.
- Quinoa Grain Bowl – This vegan meal prep is the perfect make-ahead lunch or dinner.
- Vegetarian Tostadas – Made with beans, corn, and zucchini, this simple meal is one that the whole family will love.
- Black Bean Quinoa Salad – This one has been pinned almost 3,000 times for a reason! It’s full of plant-based protein.
Helpful Tools to Make Vegetarian Southwest Casserole:
- Cast Iron Skillet – Meals that can be made in one pan are the best, right? Take black bean meals like this one from stove top to oven with this cast iron skillet.
Healthy Black Bean Skillet Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinnner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
EASY cheesy black bean skillet dinner is ready in less than 30 min! This black bean southwestern casserole is hearty enough for meat eaters.
Ingredients
- 1/2 white onion
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 14.5-oz. cans black beans (DON’T RINSE!)
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1/2 cup enchilada sauce
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For Serving:
- cilantro
- 4 green onions
- sliced jalapenos (fresh or pickled)
- salsa or hot sauce
- sour cream
- tortilla chips
- mini bell peppers
Instructions
1. Prepare ingredients:
Dice onion.
Dice bell pepper.
Mince garlic.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add garlic, both canned beans (DON’T RINSE!), corn, and enchilada sauce to skillet. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium.
4. Stirring frequently, let bean mixture thicken, and cook for about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prep any toppings and/or bell peppers for scooping.
6. Stir cheese into bean mixture and serve with tortilla chips, bell peppers, and desired toppings.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include toppings, as they will vary.
Why can’t the beans be rained and rinsed? I am in the habit of doing it to make them less gassy , if that even helps! So, also how would you make this with home cooked black beans?
Hi Kathleen,
You could drain the beans first, but the bean liquid helps to make a thick and flavorful sauce! Once I started saving and using the liquid, I haven’t stopped as it’s so delicious!