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.
Delish! Thank you!
Perfect! You’re welcome, Julie!
These enchiladas were so delicious!!! I was looking for some vegetarian dinners to have a few times a week and I came across these, I was skeptical of the broccoli and spinach but decided to make the recipe exactly as is and I’m so glad I did! Definitely adding this to the rotation, and I will never buy canned enchilada sauce again! Thanks so much :)
Hooray! I’m glad this exceeded expectations, Megan. No need for store-bought enchilada sauce!
This recipe was ok. I used kale instead of spinach. Broccoli was weird for an enchilada ingredient. Don’t think I’ll make these again.
I’m sorry you didn’t love these, Rachel. To each her own!
Should these be put in a baking dish or baking pan? The pictures look like it’s in a dish, but the instructions say pan (maybe it doesn’t matter? I’m newer to cooking so I’m trying to follow instructions exactly)
Should these be put in a baking dish or a baking pan?
AMAZING!!! My whole family loves these and I’m planning to make them again (less than a week later). We just picked a ton of hot peppers from our garden so I’m thinking I’ll throw those in with the next batch. I think the only complaint was that there weren’t any leftovers for lunch the next day. Thank you, I was struggling with so many vegetarian recipes that are long and complicated but yours are so easy and I feel confident that I can make them.
Outstanding. Used corn tortillas (bc I like em!) but othwise stuck with the recipe as-is. The cinnamon adds a nice touch. Srved with a small dollop of sour cream bc well, why not?
I made this last night and it was delicious Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I did substitute the cheese with daiya non dairy Mexican shreds. I used a bottled enchilada sauce because I ran out of time, but I know your sauce would have put this dish over the top. As it was it was terrific and my husband said “definitely a keeper”. I can’t wait to make it again with your sauce recipe.
These enchiladas were soooooo delicious! Even my 18 month old son was making all kinds of mmmmmmmmm noises! Will definitely be making these again! Thank you!!!
Hi,
Just made this recipe for the first time along with your homemade enchilada sauce. And I have to tell you it was outstanding!! I did omit the broccoli only because hubby doesn’t care for it, but the flavors otherwise were amazing!! Will definitely make this one again and again!! Thanks!!
Awesome! I’m so glad you loved it, Eleanor!
Such a delicious and easy to follow recipe!! And, for anyone with picky eaters, I have a two year old who is a very picky eater, and wasn’t a fan of the enchilada sauce (my assumption based on what I know he DOES eat), so next time I make this I’m going to fill up a tortilla with the cooked veggies and a little cheese and put it aside for him. There’s also room for flexibility with this recipe which I love. We added some summer squash from our garden!
Yes! This is great for whatever produce you have on hand.
I made this tonight for some vegatarin friends. My husband, who is not a fan of Mexican or vegatarin food LOVED it, and my guests had three helpings! I served it with home made salsa, sour cream, and a simple green salad. Will definitely be making this again!
Hooray! I’m so happy to hear this, Kate.
Oh my goodness, this was amazing! So full of flavour, simple to make and yummy. I’ll be gladly serving this up to meat-eating friends in the future and I reckon they’ll love it.
Yes, this one is usually a hit with meat-eaters! Let me know how it goes, Dani. :)
Awesome recipe…with correct portions and delicious Mexican sauce.
Thanks, Rashmi!
LOVED! Found this recipe in this post, and can’t wait to try the others! https://asset-boost.pro/2016/24-meatless-recipes-that-carnivores-love/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Pretty easy to follow and make, even with the homemade sauce, though for other slow cooks like me, it might have been even better on a weekend, instead of a weeknight. My husband and I both loved this, and will definitely make it again. It was delicious with Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream).
Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Kate!
First time commenter; long time follower. I just made these for a third time and OMG they’re just SO good. The touch of cinnamon in the sauce… I can never go back to store-bought enchilada sauce again. So much so, I started making the enchilada sauce in batches and freezing to make this an easy weeknight meal!
I’ve shared so many of your recipes with friends they’ve jokingly said I’m on the Cookie and Kate diet! Thanks for all you do with this blog. You’ve forever changed my way of cooking!
-Matt
These are So. Good.
We made a batch last night using diced zucchini and fresh corn instead of the broccoli and spinach. We ran out of chili powder so used chipotle chile powder instead to make the enchilada sauce. So delicious, and the leftovers were even better the next day!
The best Gluten Free option for this use on the market are the La Tortilla Factory ivory teff ones. They are not corn free however as their baking powder contains corn starch. http://www.latortillafactory.com/view/products/gluten-free-wheat-free-wraps/
They have small taco-sized 8/pack tortillas as well as larger wrap sized 6/packs. I use the 8pack. You do need to heat them before use.
I prefer mission or home made corn for fresh eating, but the ivory teff tortillas eclipse those for texture in this recipe.
Really loved this recipe, thanks for sharing!! I substituted the spinach out and added tiny chopped zucchini and cauliflower instead of broccoli. So amazing!!
Unbelievable!! This is so good, especially with the homemade sauce (yum, yum) that it can actually help stave off my cravings for meat burgers!! Highly recommend. Even gave 1 away (had to pry it from my daughter’s grasp) so a friend could try!!We used some daiya vegan cheese mixed with mozarella; might try only vegan next time.
Made these last night for dinner and they were delicious!!!
Great!
Just made these tonight, for me my husband and meat eating son. He came down and said that’s the best thing he has ever tasted. Followed the recipe but couldn’t find Monterey Jack cheese so used cheddar. Only used 3 wraps and split the filling, also made the homemade enchilada sauce. Will definitely make againsue
Fantastic! It is great to win over meat eaters :) Thank you, Susan for your comment. If you would want to provide a star rating, I would appreciate it!
These were delicious and a big hit when I brought them to a dinner party! A common phrase everyone hears around my house now is, “Another great Cookie & Kate recipe!”
Spread the love! Thanks, Linda!
These are by far our favorite enchiladas! I finally made a double batch of sauce, froze half, and defrosted it to make more last weekend. It had been frozen for maybe 2 months? It didn’t have any freezer burn, and I let it defrost in the fridge over about 24 hours. The sauce ended up with a super weird texture, and never loosened up, even when I warmed it on the stove. It was super thick, and almost like it had tiny chunks in it. It tasted fine, but the enchiladas were definitely not the same! Any idea where I went wrong?
Hi Amanda, hmmm, I’m sorry that happened and I wish I knew why! I know it’s worked out well for others. I’ve been meaning to experiment with freezing the sauce so I will add more notes if I find a solution.
This happened to my 2-week frozen sauce, too, but I just made them anyway. Then I actually put it all back in the freezer since I made these enchiladas over last weekend. Defrosted them in the fridge and cooked them up – still amazing! Definitely will make them again soon!
Found the cinnamon over powering and I used less than called for
I am sorry you are disappointed with the recipe, Geo. You can choose to omit if you don’t like the cinnamon flavor with the other flavors and possibly double another seasoning in the ingredient list that you like. Hope this helps!
Delicious, this is what I eat today!
Thank you so much for your recipes!!
My husband and I made these while in England visiting our friends, and their whole family LOVED them. We also did a side of your green rice and the five of us ate all the enchiladas and a double batch of the green rice. Such a big hit! I can’t say enough how good these bad boys are – one of my favorite of your recipes for sure and I think they’re fun to make :)
Fantastic! Thanks so much for your comment and review.
These were delicious, just made them for dinner tonight, everyone loved them, including my picky eater (even though she’s 18).
That’s a win, Susan! Happy to hear you won over your picky eater. These are good for sure. Thanks so much for your review!
I’d like to make this for a dinner party but i’m not sure what to make on the side. Any idea?
A salad from the website, Mexican inspired would pair well or my Mexican brown rice would go well! https://asset-boost.pro/2016/mexican-brown-rice-recipe%3C/a%3E. Enjoy :)
I just finished eating this! I followed your recipe exactly and it was wonderful! Truly a delicious recipe. I put a dollop of non fat Greek yogurt on top which was lovely. I would definitely make it again. Thank you!
Sounds wonderful, Mike! Thank you for your comment. If you would want to leave a star review since you liked it so much, I would appreciate it!
Oh My Gosh! These enchiladas are the Best Ever! I have been using your website recipes for the past four weeks for my husband and myself. Each recipe is on point… I just got your book in the mail today and am looking forward to cooking!
Thank you for sharing your gift. Eating healthy is important to me and my family, along with good flavors and ingredients that help you feel balanced afterwards.
Great! Happy to hear you love them and that you got my cookbook. It won’t disappoint. Thank you for your kind words and support!
I tried to rate the recipe, but for some reason it failed to let me
Made it last night and eating the leftovers now.. it is extremely delicious thank you for this awesome recipe! strongly recommend to include the cinnamon even if it sounds scary/unusual to some people
Made it without the bell pepper because I am allergic. The enchilada sauce was extremely quick and easy to make.
Used traditional corn tortillas and served it with avocado … yummy! Can’t wait to browse your blog for more awesome ideas!
You are very welcome, Julia! Thank you so much for your feedback and review.
Amazing!! everyone is still talking about this dinner.. your instructions were spot on… if only it wasn’t so time consuming
Great! I am happy you thought so Alyssa. I appreciate the review!
Made this for vegetarian friends, we all loved it. Preparing to make it again!!
That’s great!
I am just venturing into the world of vegetarian main dishes and honestly, up until now, I haven’t been too impressed with what I have found. However, your enchilada recipe (and enchilada sauce recipe) was amazing. I did just what I was told, I changed nothing from the recipe and it turned out fantastic. I have leftovers and I am looking forward to eating them again tomorrow.
I’m glad you liked it! I appreciate the review Grant.
We love this recipe and make it at least one a month. It’s east to sub out veggies to what we have on hand. And just so you know: your blog and cookbook has me (carnivore) and my vegetarian husband (25 years and counting) happy as …well…two peas in a pod!
Love that! Thank you :)
A deservedly 5-star recipe, just followed this to get some really tasty, beautiful looking enchiladas. Thank you!
Thanks so much!
Can I substitute corn tortillas?
Yes, you can. Just note that they can be harder to handle and break apart at times. Try warming them slightly before filling them. Thanks, Cancion!
Another excellent recipe! I used your enchilada sauce recipe; my husband added sweet corn to his; and we cut the cheese in half and it was all very tasty.
Thank you! I’m glad you were able to add some variety that fit your tastes. I appreciate the star review.
This is one of my favorite recipes now. Thanks :)
Great! Thanks, Jay for sharing. If you would want to leave a star review since you liked it so much, that would be great!
Love this recipe! Sauce is amazing:) Highly recommend!! I did add some shredded chicken, but I’m sure it would be just as yummy without any. I tried this a few weeks ago & am currently craving it.
All about the sauce! :)
Made these enchiladas over this past Superbowl weekend and these enchiladas were just a winner. The sauce was my favorite part. I served them with guacamole on the side. Thank you for such a great recipe!
I’m a big fan of the sauce myself. I’m glad they went over so well! Thank you, Andrea for sharing.
My husband and I love this recipe! It is so delicious! I made more of the sauce and sour cream also added yumminess to it. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Miriam!
This is one of my go-to recipes. I’ve made it at least a half dozen times and it always comes out great. I use corn tortillas for my gluten-free friends (warning – they are tough to roll!). I make it up ahead of time so I can pop it in the oven while we are having our pre-dinner cocktails.
I love to hear that! Thanks for sharing, Jason.
This looks delicious! Do you list calories / nutritional values anywhere on your recipes?
I’m making these for dinner tonight and I have favorited your blog! I’m so in love with all of your recipes I have stumbled upon.
Delicious recipe Kate. Thanks for posting.
I made these tonight, they turned pretty awesome. Me and husband loved them. Might make them again soon. Thanks for such a healthy recipe. They go well with brown rice on the side. A great end for a great day.
Hi, Jennifer! I’m glad to hear you and your husband loved them! Thanks for commenting.
My husband and I loved this recipe. It has so much flavor and was filling without making you feel sick as the meat-filled or store-bought enchiladas do. We are new to cooking and eating more vegetarian meals so this is a real winner!
Just one thing I’d like to point out. The instruction to remove the florets on the brocolli. I think you meant to remove the stems in your ingredients list. As your photos show.
Thanks, Carmen
Our 14yr old son was tired of everything I was cooking so I knew I had to step it up. I found this recipe and was really hoping he’d like it and he did! I did and my husband did too! It’s really delicous. The only thing I did differently is they don’t have Montgomery Jack in England so I had to use gouda and also I put a tsp of chilli powder in instead of a tbsp because we aren’t too keen on spicy food.
Really delicous dish and easy to make.
Win! Thanks for your comment, Samantha and review.
I also think US chilli powder is different to what we get here in Europe. Ours is straight chilli – nothing else added so a tbsp would take anybody’s head off I think! :)