Chilli black beans with jalapeno salsa

Name: Chilli black beans with jalapeno salsa
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: ½ tbsp olive oil; 1 brown onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 150g speck or pancetta, finely diced, optional; 3 long red chillies, finely chopped; 1 tsp sweet paprika; large pinch cayenne pepper; 400g can chopped tomatoes; 2 tsp brown sugar; ¼ cup coriander root, finely chopped; 400g can black beans, rinsed and drained; soft tortillas, to serve

Neil Perry

March 18, 2025

Chilli black beans with jalapeno salsa is an easy win for taco Tuesday.William Meppem

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

Serve these chilli black beans (which can be made vegan by simply leaving out the speck or pancetta) with soft, warm tortillas – corn or flour, whichever you prefer – and a tangy jalapeno salsa, and you’ll have dinner sorted in 30 minutes.

But with more time, you can turn this dish into a feast by adding my Mexican-style braised beef short ribs and some simple sides, such as guacamole, a shredded cabbage salad, and a platter of barbecued corn cobs, with chilli-spiked mayonnaise and lime wedges.

Ingredients

½ tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
150g speck or pancetta, finely diced, optional
3 long red chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp sweet paprika
large pinch cayenne pepper
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tsp brown sugar
¼ cup coriander root, finely chopped
400g can black beans, rinsed and drained
soft tortillas, to serve

JALAPENO SALSA

¼ cup sliced pickled jalapeños
3 tbsp pickled jalapeno brine
¼ cup coriander leaves
2 spring onions, roughly chopped

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional).
Step 2
For the chilli black beans, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the onion, garlic and speck or pancetta, if using, and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened. Add the chilli, paprika and cayenne pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Step 3
Add the tomato, brown sugar, coriander root and black beans, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside and keep warm.
Step 4
To warm the soft tortillas, remove packaging and wrap in aluminium foil. Place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they have heated through.
Step 5
For the salsa, place the jalapeno, brine, coriander leaves and spring onion in a food processor and process until roughly chopped.
Step 6
Serve the warm chilli black beans with jalapeno salsa and soft, warm tortillas.