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.
I made this without the cheese. I also used green pepper instead of red pepper. I used spinach and herb tortilla. Then topped with a sliced avocado, lime spritz and cilantro. It was amazing! I loved the cinnamon.
Thank you for sharing your variation, Jeni!
I’m trying to incorporate more meatless meals into my diet this year. I wasn’t sure about this one, but even as I cooked the vegetables, the aroma was enticing. Matched with the homemade enchilada sauce, these were delicious. I will be keeping this in my menu rotation.
I’m glad you tried it even though you weren’t certain! Thanks so much for your review, Patricia.
Made this for my family tonight, some were vegan so I just sprinkled some nutritional yeast on top for them and left out the cheese, I also added another can of beans to make a more filling inside and also I doubled the sauce recipe as I was nervous it wouldn’t be enough, it was perfect!! Thankyou so much for this! I’ve never made them before and this was a win for my first time thanks to you! Already have requests to make it again!
Thanks for sharing how you made it vegan! I’m glad everyone loved it, Jessica.
Kate, I’ve used this recipe now for so many dinners and occasions and it is always a hit! Thank you so very much for putting all of these super healthy and delicious recipes together, I hope you know how appreciated they are. I’m eager to try and make your sweet potato enchiladas next!
-Alyssa (Texan living in Germany who makes recipes that make her think of home and to show off some amazing American recipes!)
You’re welcome, Alyssa! Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your German adventure! I’m happy C+K recipes can help remind you of home.
Really delicious and great easy to follow instructions. Look forward to making more of your recipes! Thanks!
Forgot to rate!
Thank you, Tom!
I’ve made this recipe lots of times, and everyone has loved it so far. I want to make it for a party, would it be okay to prepare the filling and fill them in the afternoon, and then refrigerate for a few hours, just putting sauce and cheese on right before it goes in the oven?
I cook for a husband that does not like cheese, my 89 yr old mother with no teeth, and a daughter with Crohns. Everybody loves this recipe. It is very difficult to find anything everyone agrees on, but this recipe could solve all the world’s problems. The homemade Enchilada sauce is important. Don’t skip that step.
I’m glad it could work for everyone! Thanks for your review, Diane.
I loved the recipe!! I followed it closely, except I did not use spinach. The enchiladas tasted yummy :-)
Next time, I will try to make enchilada sauce at home!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
You’re welcome, Gayatri!
Where’s the nutrition info? How many calories?
Hi Shelly! The nutrition information is below the notes section of the recipe. You just need to click to expand. I hope this helps!
I can’t expand the nutrition info on mine :( but I’m still making it tonight anyway because it looks too good
Can you use frozen broccoli Florets for this recipe?
Sure! They might not quite cook the same, but should still be delicious! Make sure you thaw first.
The cinnamon made the dish! As someone most comfortable and at home in Moroccan cuisine, the cumin and cinnamon combination evoked strong feelings of nostalgia and delight. Followed the recipe quite closely (added a lot more cumin though- I’m obsessed), and the result was fantastic. Served with a chipotle sour cream, cilantro, and a splash of lime. Can’t wait to make this for friends and family. Another GREAT cookieandkate recipe.
Thank you, Cody!
Just tried this recipe and loved it! I decided to finely chop the cauliflower, almost to a rice size, and it turned out really well! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Great, Emily! Thanks for your feedback.
This was great! A perfect way to use up random veggies lying around as well. We used diced zucchini instead of the broccoli/cauliflower. Will definitely make again.
Thanks for trying another recipe, Ash!
I just made this and forgot the spinach. This was UNREAL it was so delicious. I honestly didn’t have high hopes for it, I thought the enchilada sauce coming out of the pan was just ok. But WOW after 20 mins in the oven and then 5 mins under the broiler, this was fantastic!
Thanks Kate for the AWESOME recipe. I’d give it 10 out of 5 stars if I could. This will definitely be in our rotation at home.
Hooray! You’re welcome, Michael. I’m so glad you loved it.
Can I make this recipe the night before?
Can you make these and freeze half?
I recommend seeing what other readers recommend with freezing these. I haven’t tried freezing all my recipes. Sorry!
A little late to reply, but I have successfully frozen these. I’ve wrapped them individually and added sauce when reheated and I’ve also frozen half the casserole. Tasted great both ways! Love this recipe!
Love this recipe! Have you frozen these?
These should freeze ok. I believe other readers have tried it! I would recommend looking at the comments to see what other readers suggest.
Made this and the family loved it!! How would you freeze them –
Pre or post baking?
I have the same question as above. Would like to make them ahead for a party. What would you suggest?
I would recommend post baking, but see what others have tried and what has worked.
Oh my goodness… I live in Mexico now and can’t find the Americanized enchiladas I used to eat in California, so decided to make them myself (the ones available at most restaurants are small corn tortillas filled with crumbled queso fresco topped with salsa and cream…) This recipe went beyond my expectations! I left out red bell pepper, used store bought enchilada sauce, added some habanero salsa and red chili powder and used mozzarella and cheddar instead of Monterey Jack. Still turned out AMAZING. Definitely making these again!!! Maybe with more cheese on the inside, looking for that stringy cheese texture, and less red chili powder haha. Had it with some sour cream-like yogurt to help with the heat. So good!
These came out FANTASTIC!! Even my four year old daughter liked them, and she is picky! You are like a celebrity in our house, seriously – we use your recipes all the time and not one has been a disappointment. You are so thorough in your instructions, use healthy ingredients and make everything taste GREAT. You are clearly so talented in the kitchen. Thank you for saving us so many nights, when we needed a delicious meal!!!
You’re so sweet, Megan! Thanks so much for your comment. I’m glad your family is loving my recipes!
Was DELICIUOS! Wasn’t sure about adding the cinnamon, but glad I did:) I was lazy and used store bought enchilada sauce, next time try your homeade sauce:) thank you
I’m sure it was still delicious, Melissa! Thanks for the review.
I made these enchiladas, as well as your enchilada sauce, for a Mexican themed potluck with friends tonight. I was craving a meatless dish and I found your site via google. It was my first time making both recipes and I figured if they didn’t turn out there would be other food for people to eat. They were a HIT, and I am so excited to make them again! My sister commented on how much she liked that the enchiladas weren’t dripping in cheese. I might even try making them vegan next time and using a little nutritional yeast instead of cheese. Thank you so much! I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Thanks for sharing, Sarah! I’m glad you loved this and the enchilada sauce too. :)
I made this with the sauce recipe linked to this one. It turned out good but I thought could use a little extra flavor or seasoning.
Thank you for sharing, Kristi!
I made this last night and it was delicious! My 2 vegetarian children and my meat-living husband all commented on how good it was. It is, by far, the tastiest black bean enchilada dinner I’ve had. I served with Mexican slaw, avocado slices, and pineapple chunks. Thank-you! Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture.
Hooray!! I’m happy it was a hit with everyone! Thanks for the review, Jeanne.
This is in my regular dinner rotation along with several of your other recipes. My carnivore husband loves this one.
I’m wondering if this could be made ahead and frozen. It’s labor intensive and I’d like to make it on the weekend for later in the week.
Thanks for all the great recipes!
I’m glad he liked them! I believe others have had good luck with this one frozen. Check the comments to see what people recommend!
This recipe has become a staple in our household and we love the home-made enchilada sauce. And… my kids love to help! Thanks!
I love that! You’re welcome, Carol.
Tried your recipe today – the filling was great though I substituted spinach with kale. Made the tortillas from scratch too. And the sauce of course, using your recipe. Dropped the cinnamon this time. The only issue I found is that my tortillas stuck to each other. What can I do to avoid this? I am an Indian just learning to cook some Mexican, as my family loves the cuisine.
I love that you made your own tortillas! By stuck together, what do you mean? As they baked?
Forgot to say that my family enjoyed the meal, even though it wasn’t a perfect job! And my husband and I made the tortillas together so that was awesome. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Thank you for sharing, Vidya!
Excellent recipe!! I am vegetarian and this is absolutely the best… Thank you
You’re welcome!
Yes, they stuck to each other as I baked them. Since it was my first time making my own tortillas, I wasn’t sure what I did wrong. May be I should stick to the store bought ones next time!
Made this tonight and it was really good. I am always looking for new and tasty vegetarian recipes, which can be challenging. I really liked all the veggies along with the black beans. I didn’t have time to make th enchilada sauce, so I used Herdez Guacamole Salsa, which worked really well. I also added in some corn and zucchini, along with the beans, broccoli, onions, spinach, and red pepper. I will definitely make this again and will try the homemade enchilada sauce nex time! Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome, Susan! I’m so happy you liked it.
Yum and yum. Love the cinnamon. Added a touch of cumin, too. To make this an easier weeknight meal, but to still use broccoli, I added a bag of shredded broccoli slaw to half an onion–these were my only veggies, it was delish, and my 7-year-old loved it, too!
Thanks for sharing, Siera!
I added a mashed sweet potato to the mixture for the filling and it works really well. We loved the enchilada sauce!
Great to hear, Jennie!
This was AMAZING! Everyone enjoyed them, even those “must have meat with every meal” people! Thank you so much, what a wonderful recipe – and I had no idea homemade enchilada sauce could be so easy :) Thank you!
My “where’s the meat” husband really liked this so Iam going to try the sweet potato-black bean enchiladas next in “Love Real Food”.
Question?
Can this casserole be assembled, refrigerated and baked the next day? I am looking for a make ahead casserole.
It would be good left over and reheated. I’m not sure how it would hold-up without baking right away.
If using cauliflower instead of broccoli in the filling, do you think it needs longer to cook than the broccoli or should about 9-10 minutes be okay? What should I look for with that :)
Using the same time will be ok. Just make sure you cut into bite size pieces.
Super delicious! Will make again.
Wonderful, Leslie!
I’ve been plant based for a year and this is one of my favorite recipes. So flavorful.
I love that! Way to go.
Big hit in our house! Just added small cubes of roasted sweet potatoes to the vegetables mixture. Will definitely be making this again! Thank you.
You’re welcome, Gayla!
Wow, these were amazing. LOVED the enchilada sauce recipe. I made slight variations based on what vegetables I had available and made the beans from dried, which made a huge difference. Will definitely be putting this into my rotation.
Love to hear that, Candice! Thanks for your review.
This is the first recipe I have tried from your site, and I will try many more! These were absolutely delicious!
I’m glad you loved them, Paula!
Holy crap are these the best enchiladas like ever ever! The sauce is perfection. I just decided that I’m making them for dinner again tonight. :)
Glad you loved them, Marie!
Kate- Thought you should know, I make these literally twice a month THAT’s how much we love them! I refuse to tweak the recipe- it’s a home run in this house hold. Even beloved by my meat eating family members! More mexican recipes please- we love em!! <3
Thank you for sharing! I love that, Adrianna. Thanks for your review.
This is my favourite ever enchilada recipe. Amazing.
Wonderful to hear, Christina! Thanks for your review.
This is my second time making this – and wow. I was going to buy enchilada sauce at the store hut then I remembered how easy and delicious your recipe is. So glad I made it all from scratch. And I didn’t skimp on the cheese, because it’s mother’s day and I wanted it cheesy . Love it. Great recipe. Thank you for it!
I made this for girls night last night and it was a huge success. So delicious and easy. Especially good served with margaritas :) thanks for sharing this recipe.
Cara (in Edinburgh, Scotland)
Thanks for sharing, Cara!
I love this recipe, but the prep is more like 30 minutes with all the chopping, cooking veg before going in the oven, etc. My start to finish time is more like 90 minutes than an hour. That being said, these are AMAZING and my go-to enchilada recipe. And your enchilada sauce is perfection!
Thanks for sharing! I’m sorry this one took you longer, Hope. I appreciate your review.
Used canned green enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese. It was very good. It takes much longer than the recipe states.
Thank you for the recipe. My enchiladas came out great.
You’re welcome, Ani!
Made this for dinner tonight and love it! We are transitioning into becoming vegetarian so it’s nice to have a good dish that the whole family loves. It’s so filling too! Will definitely be putting this into the regular rotation. Thanks for a great recipe!
You’re welcome, Kristin!
OMG this recipe is amazing! Absolutely loved it. We live in Adelaide, Australia so had to convert ounces to grams and use our own equivalent ingredients but not a problem. It still came out tasting great. I halved the amount of spinach too which reduced quantity to 6 enciladas but for us was better as there is only the 2 of us and the packets of tortillas only come in a quantity of 6 in our supermarkets. Definitely will be sharing your recipe around.
I’m glad you loved it, Helen! Thanks for sharing what you did.
Hi,
Do you have a whole wheat tortilla brand recommendation? Also, I’m making an extra batch for a friend to freeze before her baby comes. Do you have any freezer tips for the enchiladas? Thanks!
Hi Jesse! I really like Stacey’s Organic that I find at Natural Grocers. These freeze well! I would bake them in a pan that you can seal and then freeze well. Or, bake then wait for them to cool and transfer portions to freezer safe storage. Hope this helps!
These enchiladas are truly delicious. I made them for my grown-up kids and twenty-something grandchildren last week. I made four with vegan cheese (which does not brown as nicely as real cheese). All of them were scoffed down. The sauce was delicious too. I keep forgetting to put on the cilantro but nobody notices this.
I’m glad you loved them, Valery!
I made this yesterday. I’m trying to reduce the amount of mock meats we eat and this turned out great even though I altered it to be vegan. My boyfriend approves and he’s the biggest picky eater I know!
I love to hear that! Thank you, Tysiana!
My wife and I have made this so many times and we are constantly surprised by how great the flavors and textures of this dish are! Thanks for posting all these amazing vegetarian and vegan recipes!
You’re welcome, Ethan!