Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas
Amazing vegetarian enchiladas stuffed with black beans, broccoli, bell pepper and spinach, topped with homemade red sauce. My favorite enchilada recipe!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
These vegetarian enchiladas are a hearty and satisfying dinner. Make them on a weeknight and you’ll enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day. Or make it on the weekend and invite friends over to make a party out of it! You could make a double batch and freeze the extras—you’ll find freezing instructions below.
You’ll love the fresh filling in these enchiladas, made of sautéed bell pepper, broccoli, onion, spinach, black beans and warming spices. These enchiladas are nicely cheesy, but not overwhelmingly cheesy like many restaurants make them.
This enchilada recipe has become quite popular since I published it nearly eight years ago. I used my spinach artichoke enchiladas as a blueprint and covered them with my go-to homemade enchilada sauce, of course. They’re just fantastic and I hope you’ll give them a try, if you haven’t already.
If you’ve never made enchiladas before, you can do it! You’ll find a detailed recipe, step-by-step photos, and an instructional video below.
How to Make Vegetable Enchiladas
This recipe isn’t the quickest dinner option (enchiladas never are), but it is totally worth the effort. Here’s a basic rundown with some notes and variations.
You’ll start by making my red enchilada sauce, a simple, pantry-friendly recipe using dried spices and vegetable broth. It has an amazing depth of flavor! If you want to change it up, you could use my green enchilada sauce instead, which is made from salsa verde (jarred is fine).
Then, you’ll sauté red onion, bell pepper, broccoli and spinach. Broccoli is an uncommon ingredient in enchiladas, but I love it here. If you’re hesitant and want a more neutral flavor, substitute cauliflower instead. Cumin and a small amount of cinnamon (yes, cinnamon!) ramp up the flavor.
Once the vegetables are done cooking, we’ll transfer them to a bowl and add drained black beans, plus a small amount of cheese and a splash of enchilada sauce for flavoring. Then we’ll assemble the enchiladas, drizzle the remaining sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until golden. If you want extra cheesy enchiladas, you could double the cheese (use a full 8 ounces).
This recipe calls for flour tortillas. I like to use whole wheat for some extra flavor and fiber. Corn tortillas are more traditional, but my mom always used flour tortillas in her enchiladas when we were growing up, so I used flour. If you’d like to use corn tortillas, you certainly can. You’ll need more than 8 of them, likely 12. Gently warm them in the microwave or one at a time on the stovetop before using (otherwise, they might break when rolling).
Watch How to Make Vegetarian Enchiladas
How to Freeze These Enchiladas
You can make these enchiladas as directed and freeze them instead of baking them. I also tried baking and then freezing them, but it was more work with no payoff. To help minimize freezer burn, refrigerate the dish until fully chilled (about four hours), then cover tightly and freeze fully.
Use a freezer-safe dish, like this Pyrex dish. I’ve successfully used Pyrex baking dishes straight from the freezer to the oven. Beware there’s always a slight risk that the dish could break.
Once frozen, they will keep for up to six months in the freezer. Frozen foods technically never go bad when the freezing environment is perfectly consistent, though they generally taste better when consumed sooner.
To bake the frozen enchiladas, first ensure that the exterior of the baking dish is dry by wiping it with a towel—this helps avoid shocking the glass. Bake as directed in the recipe below, then cover the dish snugly with parchment paper or aluminum foil and bake until it is fully cooked through and bubbling, probably about 45 minutes total or longer (covering the dish prevents it from becoming too browned). Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
These enchiladas are a well-rounded main dish offering vegetables, greens, whole grains and protein. If you’re hosting friends, perhaps start with guacamole or salsa with chips. For cocktails, try fresh-squeezed margaritas or ranch waters.
Here are some side dishes that would be lovely with these enchiladas:
- Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
- Fresh Herbed Avocado Salad
- Mexican Green Salad with Jalapeño-Cilantro Dressing (or a simplified version of it)
- Simple Healthy Slaw
More Veggie-Packed Main Dishes
Craving more hearty vegetarian meals with Mexican flavors? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Epic Vegetarian Tacos
- Fajita Veggie & Halloumi Bowls
- Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
- Sweet Potato, Poblano, and Black Bean Enchiladas in my cookbook, Love Real Food
Please let me know how these veggie enchiladas turn out for you in the comments! I’m always so eager to hear from you.
Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas
Amazing vegetarian enchiladas stuffed with black beans, broccoli, bell pepper and spinach, topped with homemade red sauce. My favorite enchilada recipe! Recipe yields 8 enchiladas, enough for about 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 2 cups homemade enchilada sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 small red onion)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 bunch of broccoli or 1 small head of cauliflower (about 1 pound), florets removed and sliced into small, bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach (about 5 cups, packed)
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- ½ teaspoon fine salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 whole wheat tortillas (about 8 inches in diameter)
- Handful of chopped cilantro, for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with one rack in the middle of the oven and one in the upper third. Lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil until simmering. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the broccoli and bell pepper, stir, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 9 minutes, or until the broccoli is brighter green and just starting to turn golden on the edges.
- Add the cumin and cinnamon to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach, a few handfuls at a time, stirring until it has reduced in size. Repeat with the remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted.
- Transfer the contents of the pan to a medium mixing bowl. Add the drained beans, ¼ cup cheese and a drizzle of enchilada sauce (about 2 tablespoons). Season with ½ teaspoon salt and some freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
- Assemble the enchiladas: Pour ¼ cup enchilada sauce into your prepared pan and tilt it from side to side until the bottom of the pan is evenly coated. To assemble your first enchilada, spread ½ cup filling mixture down the middle of a tortilla, then snugly wrap the left side over and then the right, to make a wrap. Place it seam-side down against the edge of your pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
- Drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas, leaving the tips of the enchiladas bare. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the enchiladas.
- Bake, uncovered, on the middle rack for 20 minutes. If the cheese on top isn’t golden enough for your liking, carefully transfer the enchiladas to the upper rack of the oven and bake for an additional 3 to 6 minutes, until sufficiently golden and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let the enchiladas rest for 10 minutes (they’re super hot!). Before serving, sprinkle chopped cilantro down the center of the enchiladas. Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, covered.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my spinach artichoke enchiladas.
Make it vegan: You could just skip the cheese altogether and still end up with awesome enchiladas. For some extra creaminess, you might top them with sliced avocado or a drizzle of vegan sour cream.
Make it gluten free: Substitute certified gluten-free “flour” tortillas, or use corn tortillas (they’re smaller than my 8-inch tortillas, so you might need more than 8 tortillas). If you use corn tortillas, gently warm them together in the microwave or individually on the stove before you try to roll them up, or they might break.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
My husband makes really good enchiladas, but always with meat. Since I have been pushing more for us to eat vegetarian, I made these and they came out better than anything either of us has had. He ate more than I’d ever seen him eat! Love your enchilada sauce recipe, its the best ever.
These enchiladas were so delicious! I was skeptical about the cinnamon but that is what made this dish so amazing! My boyfriend was in awe and can’t wait to eat all the leftovers. Thanks for sharing this creative and delicious recipe!
Thank you so much for the Enchilada recipe. Made it last night and it was a huge hit. So much more delicious than any restaurant has to offer. My family asked me to make it again for tonight’s dinner!
Hi Kate!!!
Omg my family and I love these!! I made them for the 1st time a couple weeks ago and they were a hit!! Making them again tonight!!! I used vegan cheese to keep the whole dish vegan and topped it with avocado like you suggested. So good!!! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes, you have been mine and my moms main source for recipes lately.
These are amazing! I love how user friendly they are! Sometimes I add sweet potato, jalapeno, corn or zucchini, if I am missing other veggies! They are incredibly filling and no one misses meat! They are requested often! Your enchilada sauce is the bomb! I use Penzey’s chili powder, cumin and cinnamon! These rock! Thanks for a great recipe!
Made these for a Mexican theme meal and they were a hit!! Recipe was easy to follow, thanks!
These were great! Thanks for the recipe!
Aloha Cookie & Kat,
A few months back my fiancee decided to try the pescatarian veggie lifestyle. I have to admit I was not looking forward to giving up meat. While trying to find great tasting veggie recipes I came across your website.
I wanted to thank you and cookie for such delicious and healthy recipes. I can honestly say thanks to you and Cookie I do not miss meat at all.
Mahalo.
Just made this and it was absolutely amazing!! So delicious! Will definitely be making this again!
Can you tell me the nutritional value for these?
I’m sorry, I don’t provide nutrition details, as they can vary significantly depending on actual ingredients used. Feel free to run this through a nutrition calculator like My Fitness Pal—that way you can adjust it to match your ingredients and serving sizes.
Tried this last night….and it was divine! I have been searching for a recipe with a more authentic taste to it….and this was perfect! I recommend trying this ASAP! It’s super easy and really fun to make with friends!!
I made this recipe tonight! We tweaked it a little. Added corn and a few jalapenos. Some Sazon seasoning. Incredible. We plan to make these again.
I made these for dinner. Sooooo delicious.
Oh. My. Gosh!!! These were so delicious! My husband is very picky and he loved them. He told me that if there was anything in them “objectionable” to not tell him! So I kept the spinach a secret!
I’ve made this a couple of times now, with that delicious enchilada sauce. A real crowd-pleaser for a dinner party I held recently! (I don’t think the meat-eaters even realised it was veggie.) I couldn’t find Montery Jack cheese, so I grated in a couple of balls of mozzarella instead (one in the mix and one scattered on top). I also covered the top with loads of cheddar. So much cheese. So good.
Don’t forget to grease the pan though! I forgot both times and they got pretty stuck on the bottom…
Also, I’m wondering if there’s some kind of delicious soup that could be made with that enchilada sauce? I could eat it in spoonfuls!
My partner asked ‘what’s for tea?’
I replied..’a new recipe, vege enchiladas’
He looked skeptical and then asked
‘Cookie and Kate?’
‘Yes babe’ I replied.
‘sweet’ he said in relief, sitting down to await his yummy meal.
Another winner Kate, totally delicious, made the sauce too, it was scrumptious. Thank you
These were unreal! The enchilada sauce was beyond perfect!!! Adding this to my staple recipes :)
Made this tonight and my husband LOVED it. Says they are his new favorite enchiladas. One variance I committed – instead of putting small amount of cheese in filling when mixing together I sprinkled cheese on the filling of each enchilada as I asembled. So, maybe more cheese used overall. Also, Dora, our sheltie, loved licking the plates. Thanks for the recipe!
I have made three of your recipes this week – the quinoa coconut curry with roasted cauliflower, the tomato pesto zucchini pasta and now these enchiladas. All have been delicious thank you!
Wow! I stumbled across your website when searching for enchilada recipes. I hadn’t found an enchilada sauce base that I was satisfied with until I made yours last night! So yummy. And glad I added the pinch of cinnamon ;)
Just made this and substituted the peppers and spinach for zucchini and carrots and it was AMAZING!
Thanks so much for the delicious recipe. Made these vegan with vegan parmesan cheese sprinkled on top!
Do these freeze well?
I made this for dinner last night! So amazing! The sauce is perfect and the veggies are a refreshing mix. Even my picky two year old cleaned her plate! Thank you
That’s awesome! Thanks so much for letting me know, Riley.
Just made these! They turned out amazing! Great spicyness too with the homemade enchilada sauce! Definitely recommend :)
I have been craving black bean enchiladas for a while now, and found this recipe after a quick search. I cook a lot. A lot. So I get kind of picky with recipes. These enchiladas, combined with the homemade enchilada sauce recipe, were absolutely divine. I kept everything as is (which is really rare!) except that in the sauce I put half of the amount of ground chili peppers because I have young children. My six year old finished his first enchilada in five minutes and asked for another which he gobbled down just as quickly!! So nourishing, so satisfying. Rich taste, lovely ingredients.
Made these with some store-bought red enchilada sauce and added a little soyrizo and fresh jalapeno instead of broccoli. They were amazing! Also made some cilantro lime rice which was the perfect side to this delicious entree. Thanks for sharing!
Just finished making and eating this dish!! All I can say is WOW!! This is the best dish I’ve ever eaten hands-down and I can’t believe I’m saying that about enchiladas lol. I was NOT expecting it to taste anything like it does! It’s sweet, smoky, and rich. I’m in utter awe. I can’t wait to make this again and take it as a dish to a get-together. There’s absolutely no need for meat in this. These enchiladas take the cake! Thanks so much!! :D
Absolutely Delicious!!! I used your enchilada sauce recipe and also made homemade vege stock for the base. Definitely making these again, my family loved them. Thank you!
Thank you, Cat! I’m so glad.
OH MY GOODNESS. I stumbled upon your page on Pinterest and am so happy I did! I made these tonight and my husband and I devoured them! It was nearly impossible to stop at 2 each.. I resisted but he had 3! The enchilada sauce makes all the difference in the world. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe with us! xo
And the enchiladas! Yay, I’m glad you found my blog. :)
Great recipe! Simmering the filling with the sauce then separating the them to assemble is genius. Maybe that’s how it’s meant to be done but it’s revolutionary to me. I added peppers, mushrooms, and green chili to the filling. I topped them with pepper jack and chèvre. Big hit at our house!
Thanks, Anastasia! I’m glad you enjoyed them. Your enchiladas sound delicious!
Sooo delicious! My first time making enchiladas and won’t be my last. It did take me longer than the recipes states, but that tends to happen, especially when it’s the first time cooking a recipe. Not difficult but it took a bit of energy! The sauce was also devine. My husband devoured his! Thank you!
Thank you, Louise! Sounds like it was worth the effort, and I’m glad. Bet you’ll be faster next time, although enchiladas are always somewhat time consuming.
I made this today for dinner for myself and my parents. They can be pretty sceptical about meatless dishes and this was a hit with them. Especially with my dad who couldn’t stop talking about how tasty the sauce was.
I was hoping for leftovers but no luck there, lol.
That’s great! Thanks, Emma!
What are the nutrition facts to this recipe?
I’m sorry, I don’t offer nutrition facts yet.
These enchiladas are delicious! The cinnamon was such a great touch. I stumbled upon this recipe and can’t wait to try more of yours. I’m a fan of this blog already!!
Thank you so much for saying hi, Dehlia! It’s great to hear that you enjoyed your first recipe. Hope you love the others just as much!
OMG! I have all the ingredients at hand, DEFINITELY making these for dinner! They look incredible, thank you so much for sharing
Perfect! Hope they turned out great!
Loved this recipe! Made them and the the enchilada sauce, OMG, the best. My husband and I loved it! Thank you! Looking through some of your other recipes to try!
Awesome! Thank you, Marian!!
I love your recipes! These enchiladas were amazing. I used corn tortillas too which were so good. I love your granola recipes- so good! Keep doing your thing, girl!
Thank you so much, Katie! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. :)
Wow! I had my sister in law over tonight for dinner (she has MS) and had to scramble last minute to find a recipe she could have. I am so glad i found yours! Delicious! :D
I’m glad you found my enchiladas, too! Thanks, Bee!
Just returned home with a cooler full of roasted Hatch chiles from a New Mexico trip. I found a really good green chile enchilada sauce recipe online — http://www.melskitchencafe.com/homemade-green-enchilada-sauce/
After getting the sauce started, I then began looking for a vegetarian enchilada recipe and found this. Wow! This recipe ROCKS! I used Penzeys Vietnamese cinnamon. It really creates a wonderful dimension to the overall flavor. Excellent recipe. Sharing it with all my veggie friends. Thank you, Kate.
Thank you, CM! Delighted that you enjoyed the recipe. I wish I had roasted Hatch chiles so I could make that sauce! Thank you for sharing my blog with your friends. :)
Fantastic! Family and I loved them! Only change I made was to sprinkle some additional grated cheese inside each enchilada when assembling. Posted photo on Instagram with your hashtag, Kate.
Erik
Made these for dinner tonight and they’re super yummy. Easy to make too which is very important as I have a newborn. Great recipe.
Thank you, Jennifer! I’m glad you enjoyed the enchiladas. Congrats on your new baby, too. :)
So I made these last night and they were amazing !! I will definitely be making these again … sooo goood
Thank you
These are the best enchiladas I have made so far! The hint of cinnamon is such a nice touch! These were a big hit for the whole family! Thank you!
About how long would these keep in the fridge?
Made these tonight with homemade corn tortillas. They were delicious!
I made these and they turned out really well! I followed the recipe pretty closely based on what I had on hand — used a can of corn instead of spinach, used cauliflower instead of broccoli, and added about a 1/3 of a brick of cream cheese into the veggie mixture (it needed to get used up! really!). Also added a bit of chipotle chili powder into the enchilada sauce. Thanks for the great recipe!
Made the vegan black bean enchiladas along with the enchilada sauce for supper last night. I used cauliflower in lieu of broccoli, and yellow pepper as it was in the fridge. FANTASTIC! I shy away from enchilada sauce due to major heartburn, but never again. Didn’t happen and even better the whole family loved them. They were unaware of the absence of meat. Thanks for a great receipe!
Yikes, this was not good. I followed the recipe exactly and I don’t have a problem with that so I’m good there. There just was not enough flavor in the vegetables and the use of wheat tortillas wasn’t good either. Im a big fan of the kale lentil soup but this needs work.
Thank you Kate! I recently moved to England with my husband and after living most of my life in TX and CO, I’ve been sorely missing yummy Tex Mex. These and the homemade sauce were easy to make and delicious, and I didn’t have to hunt down any ingredients that were difficult to find. Never made enchiladas before but I will be making these much more often. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!