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 loves these enchiladas! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Is this something you can make in advance and freeze? Of course leaving out the sauce until right before cooking. Thanks!
Hi! Yes, this one does make a good freezer option. I hope you enjoy it, Jacquie!
It’s a pretty good recipe, but I feel it’s been to watered down by trying to go fancy with all the different veggies. I don’t use all the other veggies, I just stick to using beans, red onions and bell peppers. The sauce was fine. I like to use fresh red tomatillo salsa instead of tomato paste for the sauce. I also use the Mexican style melting cheese to put on top of the enchiladas and Queso Fresco inside too. I recommend it, or using Oaxaca or Cotija. It gave more of an authentic taste.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it as is. I appreciate your feedback, Angela.
I’m so excited to make these for a gathering this week! My guest list has grown to 14 – so Looks like I will have to multiply the recipe by 4 or more!
Any tips for increasing this recipe(and sauce) or prepping ahead?
for example: should i Prep all the veggies and sauce the night before, assemble enchiladas the morning of, refrigerate, then cook the evening of the gathering?
i’m worried that if I cook them a day or so before they will get soggy. also nervous about multiplying the recipe.
ps-i’m planning on making cashew cheese for on top!
Hi! I would just increase it by serving size and then use more pans and a larger pot to make the sauce. I wouldn’t recommend assembling before at risk of not getting the best result from the tortillas. Let me know how it turns out!
Party Food!
I multiplied everything by four for 14 guests.
I made your recipe for enchilada sauce on Wednesday night. I used a medium sized le Creuset pot/pan and it worked well.
Thursday morning I made a cashew-based cheese sauce(from a vegan mac and cheese recipe)
I made filling for the enchiladas Thursday night. This is hard to multiply by four because I just did not have a large enough pan. I did the onions and peppers in one pan and i added most of the spices. Then I transferred that to a very large mixing bowl and sautéed the broccoli with the remainder of the spices. Next i mixed that all together with some of the enchilada sauce and a little of my cheese sauce.
Friday morning I assembled the enchiladas and cooked them.
The day got pretty crazy and i ended up leaving them inside my oven to cool but forgot to refrigerate them before the party! (I know this is not a good idea because of food safety issues, but since there was no meat and no cheese products I felt OK serving these to my guests )
At party time I just reheated and they were great!
they were not the total over the top hit I was hoping for – but everyone seemed to like them. I’m wondering if some of the deliciousness got lost in translation with multiplying the recipe by four.
i’ll definitely make again and this time I’ll double instead of quadruple the recipe.
I had a ton of leftover cheese sauce and enchilada sauce.
I follow the recipe exact and these are 10/10 delicious! Been making these for a while now (over 2 years?). My husband always requests this for his birthday dinner topped with guacamole. AMAZING! Great for leftovers too just pop back in the oven.
Thank you, Sammy! I’m glad you love them.
I just made this for my family and it’s delicious. Thank you so much :)
I found the filling to be rather muddled and bland – the veggies just blend together and lack any zing. I think simplifying it with one or two veg plus the beans would make it more balanced. The sauce was OK – next time I’d add some cayenne for spice.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it. Did you use fresh spices? If they are old, they tend to lack more flavor.
Hello Kate, Siobhan from Ireland again. I’m doing enchiladas for my friend and was wondering if I made them this evening won’t they be all soggy by tomorrow. I mean, aren’t enchiladas a meal that can’t really be made in advance lie that, unless freezing them of course. Would my only option be to make them on the day I am seeing her? What would you suggest please.
Hi, I would suggest making them and then reheating them. They do make pretty good leftovers!
Hi! I am a big meat eater and my husband is trying to eat more plant based- I was super skeptical and these are incredible. I miss meat in everything vegetarian and I did not miss it one bit with these. You referenced above this would be a good freezer meal. We just had a baby and need all the freezer meals we can get. Would you suggest making these fully assembled and freezing before cooking? I don’t want soggy enchilada :)
Hi! I would recommend baking them, cool completely, refrigerate for sometime to avoid freezer burn, then freeze. Congratulations!
I started eating vegetarian in college and didn’t know how to cook much at all when I first moved out on my own, let alone vegetarian main dishes. I’ve been making recipes from this blog for 2 years now with generally really good results, but I made these for my boyfriend who is a meat eater and he loved them so much he asked me to make them again before we even finished the tray. I don’t think he’s ever been EXCITED about vegetarian dinner before, but he absolutely loved these. I came back today to add the ingredients to my grocery list again but wanted to comment and just say thanks so much for all the wonderful recipes!
That’s great to hear, Anna! I’m happy to hear you are enjoying the recipes on the blog and that this one was a hit with your boyfriend. A good one for all types of eaters. Thanks for your review!
Wow these are awesome! The whole family love it :)
For the first time making enchiladas ever, these are a hit, easy to follow, and yield a delicious outcome. I used all of Kate’s recipes from prepping the dried black beans, to making the enchilada sauce, and adding the side of pickled onions. The assembly all came out great. I used cauliflower florets and added lots of spinach. I only had mazarella cheese, so it’s probably more tasteful with the Monterey Jack. Otherwise, when I do this again, I’ll add more spice and a dash more salt. This was so fresh, colorful, clean, and healthy. Thank you!
I love that, Rachel! Thank you for sharing.
Greetings from Ireland Kate!! I used your recipe and it is a real winner! Thank you for your replies by the way, Siobhan.
Love this recipe
Absolute favourite at our place!
These are fantastic. I’ve made them for guests a few times now and have been complimented on how authentic the sauce is! So easy to put together! I love your recipes – fail proof and so yum!
I’m happy to hear that, Uthra! Thank you for your review.
These are to die for! Hands down my family’s favourite recipe! I use the store bought Frontera enchilada sauce and sometimes throw in shredded chicken too. Absolutely delicious!
Thank you, Jaki! I’m happy you enjoyed them.
This recipe was super easy to make and so delicious! I really enjoyed the hint of cinnamon in the enchilada sauce. My husband, who swears he only eats meats, devoured these. Only complaint I have is, what monster eats an enchilada from the middle?!
Can you add chicken to this?
My family loved this! I subbed zucchini for bell pepper (which none of us are fans of) and it worked out great.
hank you for sharing, Lily!
Delicious and healthy!
Thank you, Margie!
This was fabulous. I used what I had around the kitchen that had to be used up. It’s a very forgiving recipe and the omnivores of the house approved!
Wonderful to hear, Gracie! I appreciate your review.
Love this recipe! I don’t use cheese or spinach, and it still comes out amazing. My favorite enchilada sauce!
I make this pretty often so I had to comment about it.
Oh my goodness, I can’t say enough good things. First of all, I made the sauce a day early to save some time, and had to stop myself from just eating it with a spoon. Then I cooked them up, and not only did my carnivorous family not mind the lack of meat, my husband said they’re t best enchiladas he’s ever eaten and told me to save the recipe!
Thank you, Requil! I’m happy you love it.
Wow! Made these for my little family and we all LOVED them! So much so that I’m making them again – they’re great as leftovers!!
These are delicious! The homemade enchilada sauce really makes the recipe. Will definitely make again
Making this recipe for a first date! Praying it turns out well!
Given that Im Mexican, I can’t use flour tortillas (my mother would roll over her grave and hunt me down), I will use corn tortillas and give them a quick pass over hot oil as she would so they soften and absorb the sauce and taste dilish…. I brought some mole from Mexico but next time I will make your sauce! Thanks for your great recipe
This recipe is brilliant! I made this last night with your enchilada sauce recipe too. It was easy to make and very tasty! I did add more peppers, broccoli and some mushrooms. And I did not add as much chili powder to my enchilada sauce (we like things mild but tasty!) I will certainly make this again- the tastiest enchiladas I have ever made. Also I never write reviews normally but felt like I had too because we enjoyed this so much :) Thank you so much!
Making this for the second time…made the homemade enchilada sauce this time! Also using Follow Your Heart cheddar shreds…wow!!!!
I have made this recipe like a million times by now! I used beyond meat instead of black beans on time and it was so yummy!
Thank you so much they turn out delicious every time!
You’re welcome! Thank you for your review, Haspreet.
I’ve made these a few times and even make your enchilada sauce whenever we’re having enchiladas with chicken. Half the family are meat eaters and half vegetarian. I made these in advance the last time we were all getting together in two 9×13-inch pans and froze them. So good and even the carnivores liked the veggie enchiladas. My daughter-in-law, on the veggie side of the family, gave me your recipe a few years ago and it’s a keeper.
That’s great! Thank you for your review, Kathy.
This is a wonderful template for an awesome meal! Thank you so much. I’m so grateful that I can always find great ideas for healthy, veggie meals on your site.
Make it vegan by using yummy vegan mozzarella! I use just beans, onions, garlic, and bell peppers to keep the mouth feel more consistent. We skip salt (beyond what’s in the cheese) but cumin & ancho chili powder are must-haves for my household.
A key tip from a Mexican-American friend is that enchiladas are apparently often made with slightly stale tortillas (one of the things that distinguishes them from burritos). Her mom dips the whole tortilla in the sauce before rolling them, then lets them sit for a while (even overnight) before adding the cheese topping & baking. I find that too messy, so instead I brush sauce on both sides of the tortilla before stacking. Makes a huge difference in flavor & texture.
Really tasty and easy to make!! I followed the recipe except in the enchilada sauce is it chili powder in half. I think we can’t tolerate spicy the older we get :) I had 2% Greek yogurt to use to dip yum! Thanks for your great Veg recipes!!!
Absolutely amazing!
Thank you, Sarah!
Made these twice now and my vegetarian 17 year old and the non – vegetarian friends/family absolutely adore these ! Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome, Amy! Thank you for your review.
Still loving this recipe and make it regularly!
Great to hear, Amy!
Made these twice now and my vegetarian 17 year old and the non – vegetarian friends/family absolutely adore these ! Thank you for sharing!
Ive made these so many times and just love them! I separately sauté crumbled tofu with cumin, turmeric, salt, and nutritional yeast and add that in for some added protein! These NEVER get old with all these yummy veggies! I also add corn, cause why not! Thanks for a favorite staple recipe of mine!
You’re welcome, Ashely! Thank you for your review.
Do these freeze well after being prepped but not cooked? I was thinking of doing two 8×8 dishes instead of a 9×13, and freezing one. Thanks!
Hi N, I recommend this being cooked then frozen.
I have NEVER been let down by a C&K recipe – ever since being gifted the cookbook by my daughter! I adapted this recipe a bit by adding a few re-fried beans to the filling, and also using fresh-off-the-cob corn kernels in place of red peppers. I like the sweetness and the crunch. I also used vegan cheese on top and overall: scrumptious!
That’s great to hear, Nancy! I’m delighted you trust and enjoy my recipes.
We made these and they were delicious, we swapped the cheese for Edam as its all I had at home but they were still super tasty and we loved all the Veggies in it, not watery at all.
Thanks for sharing a nice easy recipe.
You’re welcome, Liz! Thank you for your review.
Wow! This was awesome! And the enchilada sauce is amazing. I will NEVER buy enchilada sauce again! Thank you for an awesome recipe! PS this is not my first try at a Cookie and Kate recipe. You all are fantastic!
You’re welcome, Beth! Thank you for your review.
This was outstanding! And the enchilada sauce was over the top. I will never buy enchilada sauce again! Highly recommend!
Thank you, Beth!
These veggie enchiladas are fantastic!! Just made them tonight and my son ate two!! I added 1/2 cup more black beans (he likes them) so my enchiladas were a bit bigger.
I made your sauce — all the spices were spot on for our taste. Just perfect. Thank you , Kate!
You’re welcome, Valerie! I appreciate you making these and taking the time to review.
LOVE this recipe. I make it a LOT. Sometimes I’ll sub zucchini for the broccoli for something different. I use store bought sauce to make it even easier- My fave enchilada sauce is Trader Joe’s. So delicious, packed with veggies, AND my kids will eat it!!
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Emily. I appreciate your review.
This recipe is a staple in our house. So good. I use extra cheese and use a food processor to chop all the vegetables. Thanks for this.
That’s great to hear, Courtney! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Made them tonight. Was delicious and easy. Added a little sweet potato to enhance flavor.
These were awesome. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Santina! Thank you for your review.
I wasn’t sure if broccoli would work well in an enchilada recipe, but I was so glad I tried these! Such a refreshing change from sweet potato or squash. The sauce was absolutely delicious too. I topped with a generous amount of vegan mozza and served with avocado and vegan yogurt – yum! The best part was that it made enough to pop some leftovers in the freezer for a busy weeknight.
I’m glad you tried them! Thank you for your review.
This is a go to recipe in my household! I love the addition of the broccoli and will sometimes add zucchini or other vegetables if they’re in the fridge.
I make mine vegan by using a vegan cheese and sour cream. Perfection!
I thought this recipe was delicious!! I’ll never buy store bought Mexican spice mix or sauce again. We also made this vegan and everyone loved it including the kids
That’s great, Annie! Thank you for your review.
Thank you for this delicious recipe. Here in Australia we don’t have as strong a Mexican culture as you do in the US, and I wanted to surprise my manager with lunch as she is American and misses great Mexican-style food. I made them with corn tortillas, served with sour cream, coriander, and lime-spiked smashed avocado on the side and she loved it. My first time making enchiladas, and I’ll definitely be making them again.
That’s a great idea! I’m glad she loved it. I appreciate your review, Viv.
Hands down my favorite enchilada recipe! I follow this method every time I make enchiladas (I never realized how easy it was to make enchilada sauce from scratch!) and just mix up the veggies I use. Occasionally I do salsa verde instead of the red sauce.
I made both the enchiladas and the sauce recipe. I followed the recipe exactly, using an extra 1 1/2 tblsp of chili powder and 1/2 tblsp of hot chili powder in the the enchiladas sauce, and an extra tsp. of Cumin in the enchiladas veggie mix. Oh EM Geee these are delicious! I used all cauliflower instead of broccoli. My whole family loved these!!! Thank you for the healthy, delicious recipe!
These were awesome! I wasn’t sure about the broccoli, but everything was so good. It only took me 3 days to make. Day one, the homemade whole wheat tortillas, second the sauce and then the enchiladas. They are so worth it! Thank you.
Homemade tortillas sound delicious! Thank you for sharing, Alice.