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    Home » Main Dishes » Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce

    Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce

    Published: Feb 28, 2017 · Updated: Apr 17, 2025 by Marlena Luna · This post may contain affiliate links. · 26 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Pin SaveSaved!

    Vegan tacos are gluten-free and oil-free. These healthy, 20-minute vegan tacos are so easy to make! They're filled with seasoned pinto beans then topped with a tangy cilantro-lime sauce, diced onion, and fresh cilantro.

    Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce are gluten-free and oil-free. These healthy 20 minute tacos are so easy to make and only take one pan! The filling is made with seasoned pinto beans and rice. Then the tacos are topped with a tangy cilantro lime sauce.

     

    Vegan tacos with Spanish rice are always a hit with the family.

    So on my recent trip to the supermarket, I grabbed a pack of organic tortilla sliders.  I envisioned the cute little tortillas filled with seasoned pinto beans and topped in a creamy sauce. 

     

    Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce are gluten-free and oil-free. These healthy 20 minute vegan tacos are so easy to make and only take one pan! The filling is made with seasoned pinto beans and rice. Then the tacos are topped with a tangy cilantro lime sauce.

     

    Well, last week, I was short and time and in need of a quick and easy lunch.

    Looking in the fridge I spotted the tortilla sliders and some leftover brown rice.  The vegan tacos I had envisioned instantly came to mind!

    So, I dug around the pantry and came out with 2 cans of pinto beans and some Mexican-inspired seasonings for the taco filling.  

    Next, I threw together the sauce by modifying my BBQ Ranch Dressing, and within 20 minutes my family was enjoying these time-saving Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce. 

     

    Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce are gluten-free and oil-free. These healthy 20 minute vegan tacos are so easy to make and only take one pan! The filling is made with seasoned pinto beans and rice. Then the tacos are topped with a tangy cilantro lime sauce.

     

    Vegan tacos are topped with a tangy cilantro lime sauce—made from soaked cashews.   

    How to soak cashews 

    To quick soak the cashews, start by boiling about a cup of water.  Then carefully add the cashews to the boiling water and turn off the heat.  It will only take about 10 minutes for the cashews to soften, which is enough time to prep the bean filling.

    Once the cashews have softened, drain & rinse them.  Then add them to a blender with the remaining sauce ingredients and blend away!

     

    Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce are gluten-free and oil-free. These healthy 20 minute vegan tacos are so easy to make and only take one pan! The filling is made with seasoned pinto beans and rice. Then the tacos are topped with a tangy cilantro lime sauce.

     

    Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce

    Let’s talk more about these amazingly quick, yet super delicious vegan tacos.

    The tacos are filled with pinto beans and brown rice simmered in veggie broth and seasonings.   The tacos are then slathered in a tangy cilantro-lime sauce and topped with diced onion and fresh cilantro.

    These 20-minute tacos will have the whole family coming back for more!

    Make these vegan tacos a filling meal and serve them alongside Spanish rice and chips and salsa!

    Or add vegan tofu crumbles for more protein and a meatier texture.

    Enjoy!

     

    We'd love to hear from you!

    If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card and share your thoughts in the comments below.  Also, if you snap a photo be sure to share it with us! We love to see your creations! You can find us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

     

    Recipe

    36 Vegan Mexican Recipes! Loaded breakfast tacos, Hearty mains, Spicy sides and more! Recipes include burritos, tacos, enchiladas, dips etc!

    Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce

    prep time: 10 minutes minutes
    cook time: 10 minutes minutes
    total time: 20 minutes minutes
    servings: 12 taco sliders
    Vegan Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce are healthy 20-minute tacos filled with seasoned pinto beans and rice. They're so easy to make and only take one pot!
    4.91 stars (21 reviews)
    Print Pin SaveSaved!

    Ingredients

    Tacos:

    • 12 corn tortillas, slider size
    • Fresh cilantro
    • Fresh onion, finely diced

    Pinto Bean Filling

    • 2 (15-ounce cans) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
    • ½ cup rice or grain of choice, precooked/leftover
    • 1 cup vegetable broth
    • 2 teaspoons onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin
    • ¾ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt, or to taste
    • ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
    • ½ teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon chili powder
    • optional: 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
    • optional: cayenne pepper for added heat

    Cilantro Lime Sauce

    • ½ cup raw cashews, soaked
    • ½ cup fresh cilantro, packed and divided
    • ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, about 3 limes
    • ¼ cup water, or non-dairy milk
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon maple syrup
    • ¼ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt, optional
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    Instructions

    Pinto Bean Filling:

    • Place the bean filling ingredients into a saucepan. Simmer the bean mix over medium heat for 8-10 min, stirring occasionally.
    • While the beans cook, prep the sauce and dice the onion.
    • Once most of the liquid in the beans has evaporated, mash a few of them to thicken the filling. Continue cooking over low heat until desired thickness. If they become too dry add a bit more veggie broth, or water.
    • Adjust seasonings to taste.

    Cilantro Lime Sauce:

    • Set aside half of the cilantro.
    • Drain and rinse the soaked cashews.
    • Place the cashews along with the remaining ingredients into a NutriBullet or equivalent. Blend until the sauce is creamy.
    • Add in the cilantro you set aside and pulse the sauce a few more times to break it up. Don’t over blend, you'll want to leave some flecks of cilantro. If needed, add more non-dairy milk to desired consistency. I usually add a bit more for a thinner sauce.

    To Assemble Tacos:

    • Place a scoop of bean mix on the tortilla. Top with cilantro lime sauce, diced onion and fresh cilantro. Serve alongside chips and salsa or Spanish rice.

    Enjoy!

      Notes

      • Leftovers make a super quick lunch. Simply reheat the leftover beans in a small pan with about a teaspoon of water to keep them from sticking.
      • The filling is also a delicious replacement for the refried beans in my potato tacos.

      Nutrition

      Serving: 2tacos | Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 162mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g

      **Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**

      course: Main Dishes
      cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
      author: Marlena Luna
      Did you make this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!

      Note: This recipe makes 8-10 tacos or about 16 sliders.  I’ve found that leftovers make an even quicker lunch.  Just reheat the leftover beans in a small pan with about a teaspoon of water to keep them from sticking.  The filling is also a delicious replacement for the refried beans in my potato tacos.


       

      vegan tacos with cilantro lime sauce

       

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      Comments

        4.91 from 21 votes (21 ratings without comment)

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      1. Luke

        June 01, 2025 at 8:05 pm

        this turned out great for me! quick and easy and very healthy, thanks : )

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          June 05, 2025 at 9:57 am

          So glad to hear that! Quick, easy, and healthy is always a win—thanks for the kind words!

          Reply
      2. Alicia

        January 04, 2020 at 7:30 pm

        I Made these for dinner today and they were amazing! I’m so glad I came across this recipe , I’ll definitely be making them again. Thanks!

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          January 05, 2020 at 3:22 pm

          Yay! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Alicia!

          Reply
        • Kathy

          May 28, 2020 at 6:16 pm

          These were so amazing!!!!! Thank you for recipe. I added yeast, skipped cayenne pepper and they were devoured my family.

          Reply
      3. Lynn

        September 29, 2019 at 10:31 pm

        I made this sauce earlier tonight so it could sit in the fridge for a bit before using it. It's definitely lime and cilantro flavored, lol. I followed the recipe (not quite sure what the point of 1/4 tsp of maple syrup is) except I used fresh garlic. It's way too runny. Like water almost. I'll see if it's thickened up tomorrow. If it hasn't, I'll have to add more cashews.

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          October 01, 2019 at 6:03 pm

          The maple syrup is added to the blender in the beginning, with everything else. Too thin of a sauce typically indicates there was too much liquid. Usually, I have the opposite results and need to add more non-dairy milk. Next time, I suggest adding only half of the non-dairy milk to begin with, then add more as needed.

          Reply
      4. Wendy

        March 05, 2019 at 12:59 pm

        Just have to say these were AWESOME!! Thanks for the recipe. :)

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          March 06, 2019 at 8:53 am

          Yay, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe Wendy!!

          Reply
      5. Molly

        October 09, 2017 at 2:58 pm

        Will these work with any white bean do you think?

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          October 09, 2017 at 5:51 pm

          Pinto beans are best for these tacos, but if you want to use white beans I think any kind will work. Just taste and adjust seasonings to your liking! Enjoy, Molly!

          Reply
      6. Juanita

        September 30, 2017 at 10:52 pm

        I am always looking for new recipes for my vegan bff I am super excited to try this recipe tomorrow tacos are always a hit thank you for sharing

        Reply
      7. Al Davis

        September 11, 2017 at 9:52 am

        Just made them for lunch, and this recipe knocks the ball out of the park! I did find, though, there was too much liquid in the bean, even after mashing them, so I added more rice, and that solved the problem.

        Ditto the cilentro lime sauce--too watery. Adding rice solved the problem. I did use a food processor, though, so maybe the Vitamix wold have prevented the problem. But the difficulty with the Vitamix is that you can't get all the food you made out of the bottom of the damn thing!

        Including slicing and dicing, it did take longer than 30 minutes--and I'm fast at it.

        Thanks!

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          September 12, 2017 at 6:08 pm

          That's great to hear, Al! I'm so glad you enjoyed the tacos and the rice thickened things up for you! :)

          Reply
      8. Randi

        August 09, 2017 at 7:14 pm

        Diced the onion, says dice the pinon :) fyi

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          August 09, 2017 at 8:53 pm

          Just fixed it, thanks! :)

          Reply
      9. Amy

        July 24, 2017 at 9:43 am

        I love this recipe! The tacos are so delicious, especially with that sauce!

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          July 26, 2017 at 7:40 pm

          I’m so glad you love the recipe! It's definitely a family favorite for us.

          Reply
      10. Rebecca

        July 24, 2017 at 3:37 am

        Love that cilantro lime sauce! Taco tuesday has a new super star ;)

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          July 26, 2017 at 7:41 pm

          Thanks Rebecca!! The sauce is BOSS!! :)

          Reply
      11. Brandie

        July 21, 2017 at 11:18 am

        You had me at tacos :D I'm saving this link so I can make it later. Yummy!

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          July 21, 2017 at 2:23 pm

          I can eat tacos daily! Enjoy, Brandie! :)

          Reply
      12. Sarah

        July 21, 2017 at 7:35 am

        These look so good and perfect for summer!

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          July 21, 2017 at 2:13 pm

          Thanks Sarah!

          Reply
      13. Sophia

        July 20, 2017 at 11:43 pm

        I pretty much can drink cilantro lime sauce like soup so count me in!

        Reply
        • Marlena Luna

          July 21, 2017 at 2:10 pm

          I'm with you Sophia! This sauce is so drinkable!!

          Reply

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      Marlena Luna in a pink sweater holding a coffee mug.

      Hi, I’m Marlena the recipe creator behind Where You Get Your Protein! I love spending time in the kitchen cookin’ up delicious vegan comfort foods! Most of the ingredients I use are easy-to-find or pantry staples. Stick around and enjoy some amazing vegan food!

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