Grilled Mexican Panini (Black Bean, Corn & Avocado Filling)
Panini bread filled with mashed black bean, corn, onion, and jalapeño cooked in taco seasoning with folded avocado, layered with chipotle sauce, pickled onion, and four-cheese blend, grilled until crisp and melted. Served with pico de gallo and tortilla chips.
Equipment
- Medium skillet for filling
- Panini press or large skillet or griddle with a press (foil-wrapped brick or second pan)
- Potato masher or fork
- Small jar for quick pickles
Ingredients
Quick pickled red onions
- ½ small red onion shaved thin
- ¼ cup warm water
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp fine salt
Chipotle sauce
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise Greek yogurt, or a mix
- 1–2 tsp adobo sauce from chipotle in adobo
- 1 small garlic clove grated
- Pinch salt, squeeze of lime
Mashed filling
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- ½ medium onion diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded or not, minced
- 1 cup corn kernels thawed if frozen
- 1 can black beans 15 oz; drained and rinsed
- 2–3 tbsp taco seasoning
- ¼ –⅓ cup water or vegetable stock
- ½ ripe avocado diced
- Salt and lime to taste
Pico de gallo
- 2 medium tomatoes diced
- ¼ red onion finely diced
- 1 small jalapeño optional, minced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- Salt to taste
Per 2 panini
- 2 panini rolls or 4 slices panini bread; split
- Butter or oil for grilling
- About 1½ cups shredded four-cheese Mexican blend
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
Quick pickled red onions
- Dissolve sugar and salt in warm water, add vinegar or lime, pour over onions in a jar. Rest at least 15 minutes.
Chipotle sauce
- Whisk ingredients until smooth; thin with water or lime if you want a looser sauce for chips.
Mashed filling
- Sauté onion in oil until soft. Add jalapeño; cook 1 minute.
- Add corn, beans, taco seasoning, and water. Simmer 5–7 minutes. Off heat, mash coarsely; fold in avocado; mash lightly again. Season; cool to warm before assembling.
Pico de gallo
- Combine ingredients; rest 10 minutes; adjust salt. Drain excess liquid before serving if needed.
Assembly and grill
- Spread chipotle sauce on cut sides of bread. Layer half the cheese, the mashed filling, pickled onion, then remaining cheese. Close; butter or oil the outsides.
- Grill both sides until crisp and cheese melts. Rest briefly, slice if desired.
- Serve with pico de gallo and tortilla chips.
Notes
Thick, warm (not steaming) filling grills without blowing out the sides.
If taco seasoning is salty, start with 2 tbsp and adjust with cumin and smoked paprika instead of more salt.
Double the filling for tacos or nachos later in the week.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!