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.
Great recipe! I’m not a confident cook so I watched your video and studiously followed each step of the recipe. I surprised myself on how well they turned out. They were delicious. The next time I make them will be for my dinner guests. Thank you Kate for your wonderful recipes.
Can you assemble and refrigerate these b/4 baking?
Holy moly, this was DEFREAKIN’LICIOUS. My husband made this for us tonight. He spent a long time in the kitchen but it was a new recipe, that’s hope it goes the first time through.
I knew it was going to be heaven when I smelled him cooking the enchilada sauce in the very beginning. Our boys loved this as well, eight and twelve. Neither one raised a complaint about the spinach nor the black beans.
Thanks for a new recipe in our rotation.
Really good and easy. I used cauliflower rather than broccoli because that is what I had on hand. Substitutions are easy using your recipe as a guideline. I did not have Monterey Jack cheese so I used sharp cheddar and sprinkled some feta on the top along with the cheddar. If I had queso fresco I probably would have used that but I rarely buy it anymore because it spoils so quickly once opened.
Thank you for your review, Ken!
I absolutely love your recipes! I am not a vegan, just trying to get more veggies and less meat. Your recipes make me not even miss the meat at all!! i just made the veggie and blackbean enchilada’s and they are outstanding. I agree the broccoli was a strange addition but it totally works in it! thanks again
Sharon
I made these enchiladas (and their sauce) using half of the recipe, cauliflower instead of broccoli, and small corn tortillas. Reduced the ground chili pepper by about 25% since my husband is not a big fan of hot/spicy. So yummy and delicious! I am not vegetarian but my husband is, so it’s great to have something meatless that tastes great to both of us! The homemade sauce seems so much better than buying a bottled sauce. Thank you for a winner on both the sauce and the enchiladas!
You’re welcome, Anne! Thank you for your review.
these are AMAZING. The homemade sauce completely makes it – will happily never buy store sauce again. I added roasted corn and mushroom. Perfection.
Great to hear, Julie!
I was feeling ambitious and trippled the recipe, and made the homemade enchilada sauce. I try and batch cook big meals to freeze to get me through the busy workweeks. These came out fantastic!!! My toddler gobbled them up. Kate’s recipes are always so good, thank you for all you do!
Hi Lene, so glad this worked for you, and thrilled it got the toddler seal of approval. It is great as a meal prep option.
Made these the other night, absolutely fantastic, like all of the recipes I’ve made from you!! I even made the margarita!! I baked a few and froze the rest pre bake, as we are provisioning for a boat trip!! Can’t wait to get on anchor and bring these out to a potluck!! Thank you for great recipes, that aren’t too difficult, working in a boat galley can be challenging!
Disappointed in this recipe. Both the filling and the sauce had an off-putting somewhat sweet taste, probably from the cinnamon. We don’t care for really hot spices, but IF I make again, I would omit the cinnamon and use a red enchilada sauce that has chili and garlic powders.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love this recipe. I appreciate your feedback.
This is our family favorite. Such a flavourful recipe and enchiladas sauces is very tasty. My 6 years old love this. Highly recommend it. We make it once a week. Thank you si much
One of the best enchiladas I have ever had! And that enchilada sauce is something else! So deep and rich and simply delicious! This is a recipe that will definitely be made again and again!
This recipe looks amazing! I’d like to make it for a potluck, but it says to serve immediately. What can I do to make this possible if I have to bring it 20 minutes to the party?
Thanks,
Christie
You can try and keep it warm or finish baking it right before you have your party.
This recipe turned out so well. The enchilada sauce was so easy to make and it tasted great. I used pepperjack cheese instead of regular monterrey jack (I recommend Tillamook or Cabot since both companies’ cheese is free of animal rennet). The food was delicious!
Great to hear, Candace!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I LOVE dishes that I can freeze and use later. Thanks for all the yummmmm!
My husband said “it tastes green” I leave that as a comment bc it is indeed very green for an enchilada. The broccoli was overwhelming and though I did not dislike these, they weren’t my favorite.
I made this recipe with three changes: 1)substituted sweet potato for spinach b/c I didn’t have spinach and did a combo of cauliflower and broccoli 2) used canned Hatchs red enchilada sauce (forgive me, but I had it and was time crunched.) 3) used small corn tortillas b/c I had them. The mixture used 18 small tortillas in place of 8 large flour ones, fyi. I microwaved them for 30 secs, as Kate suggests to soften them, prior to filling. That’s important! I served with a side of Mexican rice and a peas/corn combo trying to evoke a calabicitas with what I had on hand.
This was absolutely delicious. My husband loved it too. Perfect dish for a meatless Monday, and I wouldn’t hesitate to take it to a potluck. I look forward to making Kate’s enchilada sauce in the future. I really like her recipes.
Delish!!! Followed instructions and the Red sauce was awesome! In never buying store Red sauce again!
Love to hear that! Thank you for your review, Jonanni.
Just made these. Delicious. I didn’t make the sauce just added some taco spices to passata and it worked well. Thank you!
Great to hear, Daz!
I made these today and it’s delicious. Followed your recipe and added Taco seasoning to make it little bit more spicy . Your video was very helpful, short and sweet with no speech while demonstrating
Thanks
Can I make these, leave them in the fridge over night and then bake them the next day?
I have that same question. Do they get too soggy, sitting in the refrigerator overnight? I’m thinking of making them for Christmas, but I don’t have time before them for a test run, lol. Dee, have you ever tried just letting them sit overnight, per your question?
I know this response is too late for Christmas (I only just received a notification today), but yes I did do it and they were fine.
Did you?
I know this response is too late for Christmas (I only just received a notification today), but yes I did do it and they were fine.
We make this recipe amongst others all the time! Thanks for so many great vego recipes that taste great and are full of veg and things good for health!
How much saturated fat and trans fat are in these enchiladas? Send reply back please thank you
Hi Patty, the nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe.
Hi Kate (and Cookie),
Thank you for this recipe! This has become a comfortable meal in our household. I make a bunch of these in individual portion, freeze them, and bake them from frozen for a hassle-free dinner. Making some right now!
Loved it! Thank you so much. I did serve it with home made Pico degallo.
Loved this recipe! I’ve craving enchiladas and this recipe didn’t disappoint. I didn’t have the ambition or time to make the homemade enchilada sauce, and instead bought Trader Joe’s (new?) enchilada sauce which has a nice kick of heat. I wasn’t quite sure about the broccoli but sautéing it gave a nice smokey/roasted flavor. They were filling but didn’t leave me feeling overly stuffed. I used some plain yogurt as a sour cream substitute and am already looking forward to leftovers tomorrow night.
The broccoli doesn’t seem all that unusual to me. Here in Morelia, at my favorite cafe, they make shrimp tacos with shredded cabbage and shredded carrots. And the tacos are just excellent! So I’ll try the black bean enchiladas–with brócoli. ‘Sounds yummy.
This was a very good recipe! It is a lot of work, as stated, but it is worth it. I love the use of broccoli. I made the enchilada sauce from scratch and it was well worth it. My whole family enjoyed this meal!
Do you mean shimmering instead of simmering for the oil? I assume you’re referring to when the oil looks shimmery because it’s hot enough around 350F. Anyway we love this recipe and have made it a dozen times and now we double the sauce portion to make them extra saucy.
I saw some rave reviews of this recipe on Reddit (like weekly rotation level) and decided to try. I wasn’t expecting the filling to be so spectacular, but I’ve never been let down by Cookie and Kate so wanted to give it a go. I’m definitely keeping this dish in my back pocket from now on, thanks for another fab recipe!!
I did end up having some leftover canned tomatillos so I ended up doing a green enchilada sauce, but I’m sure the red would have been awesome too. If you’re on the fence, I hope you give it a try!
Delicious! Will definitely make again.
I love that! Thank you for your review, Maggie.
These are a favorite in our house! Usually I double the recipe to freeze one for busy weeknights. They heat up great!
Great to hear, Margo! I appreciate your review.
Thanks a lot flr this great recipe. I made it a few times and shared it with my mum :)..
I didn’t add broccoli, but added courgette and sweet corn.
I make a big batch and eat it every single day until I finish it.. it’s delicious even after 4 or 5 days…
LOVE nearly all of your recipes, the lentil soup, banana bread etc…. This one I was personally not crazy about the addition of the cinnamon. I always use cumin and oregano with black beans. Justy me I guess.
Thank you for your review, Amorah!
Wow, this veggie enchilada recipe looks absolutely delicious and packed with flavor! I love the idea of adding broccoli and the touch of cinnamon—so creative! Can’t wait to try this with your homemade red enchilada sauce. Thanks for sharing such a detailed and versatile recipe
All right – which enchilada recipe is the favorite? My son is coming in for Christmas – he’s vegetarian and I want to make these for a dinner party. So far, I’ve loved all of your recipes! I already have the healthy muffins and the lentil soup in the freezer. Thanks!
These were so good! Made the accompanying homemade sauce, which was well worth the small amount of extra time. Substituted filling based on what was on hand: two peppers instead of one, omit broccoli, and bean trio of kidney, black, and pinto beans instead of all black beans. Added more filling to each enchilada, so only needed 5 tortillas. Will make again.
This was delicious! Thanks so much for sharing! I did everything as is (used broccoli) other than I bought enchilada sauce. Looking forward to leftovers!
All honesty, I thought the broccoli would be an odd addition to this, but I’ll be darned if it didn’t turn out fantastic! The textural variation it adds is wonderful. The cinnamon in both the sauce and filling is surprising, as well. It really rounds out the flavors and makes the dish come together on its own. I was short on the cheese and only used about half what the recipe calls for, but barely missed it – I imagine even with no cheese, this dish would hold together. A fantastic enchilada option. This is going into my regular recipe cycle for sure!
I’ve been making your recipes for years and enjoying them. I had to come on comment on this recipe. It is deeply satisfying and sooooo delicious. My impossible-to-please-teens agree. LOVED IT!
These are a favorite in my house! One of the first vegetarian dishes I made my omnivorous now-husband that he really enjoyed. We make them all the time now.
So delicious! I followed the recipe exactly (including sauce) except for one mistake. I don’t cook much since my husband usually makes dinner, but I want to begin. This recipe gave me so much confidence! My mistake was that I used the entire can of tomato paste in the sauce recipe instead of two tablespoons. It was still quite flavorful and the meal was delicious. I don’t think it was too ‘tomatoey’, but I am excited to make this again correctly and compare. Thank you for the video and comprehensive recipe. Next up your Best Vegetable Lasagna!
CAN I USE PINTO BEANS INSTEAD OF BLACK BEANS?
Love this recipe, one of our family staples
Has become a staple in our house; love the versatility! Thank you so much!!
Made as instructed w Kate’s enchilada sauce recipe. Freaking fantastic!
Hi! This is one of my family’s favorite recipes! I’m going to try freezing for the first time, and I just want to make sure that they are frozen as made *except* for the enchilada sauce, correct?
And if baking from frozen, when do you add the sauce and cheese topping? For the second part – the 45 mins covered w/ parchment? Or the last 20-25 mins?
Thank you!
I prepped this on the weekend and had for dinner today. A great recipe- I added mushrooms to the veggie mix but other wise- made as is. I had made. I would highly recommend. Thank you for a great recipe
Laughing, I just asked a similar question. I want to prep it a day before. Any tips?
How long did you cook cold?
I pulled out of refrigerator and cooked 25 minutes- I also used Ezekiel Tortillas which were very good
Hello! I plan to make this dish for a friend. I need to make it ahead. Can it sit in refrigerator over night and then bake it the next day? How long would you bake cold? Thank you for any tips!!!!
Hi Jessica, I’m sorry for the delayed response—yes, you can do that! It might need a few extra minutes in the oven since it’s starting cold. I’m not exactly sure how long, but follow the visual cues provided within the recipe for guidance.
One of the best vegetarian recipes I’ve ever tried. Well worth making!!
My meat-loving husband was very skeptical about this recipe. He especially wanted me to take out the broccoli. I ignored him and followed the recipe and we both LOVED it! Healthy and delicious. Fabulous. I’m so glad I trusted Cookie & Kate again!! I am never disappointed.
I made these tonight and they were a hit! I used a bag of frozen cauliflower rice instead of broccoli, and added a little bit of cacao powder when cooking the veggies. I also added a little bit of frozen corn.
So yummy!! This will be a regular dish for us. Thank you, Kate!
This enchilada recipe is the best I have ever tasted! Complete crowd pleaser.
Made it along with the Mexican green salad with jalapeño cilantro dressing. Yummy! However I’m a little disappointed to see that the calories fat content carbs so high.
Just made this for the first time – great filling for the enchilladas thanks. And the enchillada sauce was perfect – except I only used 1 1/2 tsps of chilli powder instead of 1 tbsp. That was warm enough for me!