Braised Black Beans Tacos with Tarragon Cream Slaw

Black beans have a thin skin and a creamy center, and the order in which you add salt and acid decides which one you taste. A published cooking guide for dried black beans salts the pot at the start, and holds tomatoes, citrus and vinegar until near the end, because acid keeps the skins firm. These braised black beans tacos with tarragon cream slaw follow that rule: beans braised in a spiced onion base until saucy, with the lime added last, then piled into charred tortillas under a cool, herby, creamy slaw.

What is documented and what is not: spiced black bean tacos with a creamy slaw are well documented, and the bean method, the saucy consistency test, the dried-bean cooking times and the slaw base here follow published recipes I found. The tarragon in the slaw, the short braise with added liquid, and the exact quantities are my own variation, which I have not tested in a test kitchen. I use canned beans for the weeknight route and explain the dried-bean route below.

Why the Lime Waits

Three controls matter. First, salt timing. The black bean guide I used adds salt at the start of cooking, with the beans and water. Here, canned beans come already salted, so I salt the onion lightly and adjust at the end.

Second, acid timing. That same guide says to add tomatoes, citrus juice or vinegar near the end of cooking because acid keeps the skins firm. The beans in this recipe braise for 15 to 20 minutes with no acid, and the lime goes in off the heat.

Third, consistency. A published black bean taco recipe cooks its beans until most of the liquid is absorbed but they still look saucy, and gives a test: drag a spoon through the pan, and the trail should close in about 2 seconds. Too wet and the taco falls apart. Too dry and the beans taste pasty.

Ingredients

Braised Black Beans

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil (15 ml)
• 1/2 large onion, diced (about 100 g or 3/4 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cans (400 g or 14 oz each) black beans, with their liquid
• 120 ml (1/2 cup) water or stock
• 1 tablespoon lime juice (15 ml), added at the end

Tarragon Cream Slaw

• 300 g (4 packed cups) finely shredded green cabbage
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 60 g (1/4 cup) mayonnaise
• 60 g (1/4 cup) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, about 6 g
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Tacos

• 8 corn tortillas, 15 cm (6 inches)
• 1 avocado, sliced, and lime wedges
• Hot sauce and radish slices, optional

The slaw dressing follows a published creamy version made from equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream with lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper. That version uses cumin and cilantro, and I replace the cilantro with tarragon.

Instructions

1. Make the slaw. Whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, tarragon, lime zest, lime juice, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cabbage and green onions and toss until coated. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. The cabbage will soften slightly and the tarragon will perfume the cream.
2. Soften the onion. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion with a small pinch of salt and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until mostly translucent and soft.
3. Add the garlic and spices. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, paprika and oregano and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown.
4. Start the braise. Add the beans with their liquid and the water. Bring to a gentle simmer, with small bubbles at the edges and no hard boil.
5. Braise. Simmer, partly covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the liquid has reduced and thickened into a glossy sauce. Mash a few beans against the side of the pan with a spoon if you want a thicker sauce.
6. Test the consistency. Drag a spoon across the pan. The trail should close in about 2 seconds, and the beans should look saucy, not dry.
7. Finish off the heat. Stir in the lime juice and taste. Add salt only if needed, as canned beans vary in saltiness.
8. Warm the tortillas. Char each tortilla directly over a gas flame, or in a dry skillet, for 20 to 30 seconds per side, until pliable with a few brown spots.
9. Assemble. Spoon the beans onto the tortillas, then add the slaw, avocado and any hot sauce. Serve at once.

Braised Black Beans Tacos with Tarragon Cream Slaw: Timing and Test

With canned beans, braise black beans for 15 to 20 minutes over a gentle simmer, until a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a trail that closes in about 2 seconds. With dried beans, soak them, then simmer 60 to 90 minutes before braising. Add the lime juice at the end.

The 2-second test and the saucy finish come from a published black bean taco recipe, which cooks canned beans for 5 to 8 minutes in a similar spiced base. I extend that to 15 to 20 minutes and add water, which is my own adaptation, to get a deeper, more braised result. Judge by the spoon test, not the clock.

Mastering the Braise

Keep the heat low enough that the surface barely trembles. I choose a gentle simmer over a hard boil because I expect rough bubbling to split the skins, though I have not tested that here. Stir gently with a wide spoon, and scrape the bottom so the spices do not stick.

If the sauce reduces too fast, add a splash of water and lower the heat. If it stays thin, uncover the pan and simmer until the trail test works. Mashing a handful of beans against the pan thickens the sauce, though I have not compared that against leaving them whole.

Handling Tarragon in the Slaw

Tarragon has an assertive, anise-like flavor, and in a creamy slaw it can dominate. Start with 2 tablespoons, taste after the slaw has rested, and add more only if you want it stronger. The lime and the creamy dressing balance it, and the cabbage gives crunch against the soft beans.

Use fresh tarragon if you can. I have not tested dried tarragon in this slaw, so I cannot recommend an amount.

Troubleshooting: Problem, Cause, Fix

• Problem: split, mushy beans. Cause: likely a hard boil or rough stirring. Fix: keep a gentle simmer and stir with a wide spoon.
• Problem: watery filling. Cause: not reduced enough. Fix: uncover and simmer until the spoon trail closes in about 2 seconds.
• Problem: firm beans from dried. Cause: acid added too early or old beans. Fix: add lime or tomatoes only near the end, and check the beans’ age.
• Problem: overpowering slaw. Cause: too much tarragon. Fix: start with 2 tablespoons and stir in more only after tasting.
• Problem: cracked tortillas. Cause: cold or dry tortillas. Fix: warm them just before filling.

Variations and Serving

Dried beans: a published guide soaks 1 cup of dried black beans in 8 cups of cold water with 1 1/2 tablespoons of kosher salt for 8 to 24 hours, then drains them. It then cooks them in 4 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of salt at a gentle simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, until tender and creamy but not mushy. You get about 3 cups cooked, so use 3 cups beans and 240 ml (1 cup) of their cooking liquid in the braise, and skip the added water.

• Smoky: Add 1 chopped chipotle in adobo to the onions. I have not tested the amount.
• Crunchy: Top with toasted pumpkin seeds.
• Vegan: Use a plant-based mayonnaise and yogurt in the slaw.

Storing and Reheating

Store the beans and slaw in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. The dried black bean guide says cooked beans keep up to 4 days in the fridge, and the creamy slaw recipe I used says its coleslaw keeps for 1 to 2 days. Those figures come from different recipes, so treat them as guides. Reheat the beans until they reach 74°C (165°F), the figure foodsafety.gov gives for leftovers, adding a splash of water if they have thickened. The slaw is best fresh.

Nutrition (Estimate)

These are rough estimates for one serving of 2 tacos, not lab-tested values. I did not calculate them from a nutrition database, and they vary with the brand of beans, the amount of dressing and the size of the tortillas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I drain the canned beans?

Keep the liquid for this recipe. The published taco recipe I followed also cooks the beans with their canning liquid, and it reduces into the sauce. If the beans taste too salty, rinse them and use stock instead.

Can I use flour tortillas?

Yes. The recipes I read allow corn, flour or whichever tortillas you prefer. Warm them first so they stay flexible.

Can I make the slaw ahead?

Yes, for a short time. One source refrigerates its creamy slaw until serving and keeps leftovers 1 to 2 days. The cabbage will soften as it sits, so I would dress it no more than a few hours before serving.

Braised black beans tacos with tarragon cream slaw reward patience with the order of operations: salt early, acid late, and a gentle simmer. Keep to that and the beans stay creamy, the sauce clings, and the cool slaw does its work on top.