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Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe make the perfect busy weeknight meal that can be prepped ahead and baked when ready. A black bean and vegetable mixture is topped with your favorite enchilada sauce and cheese and baked into a warm, gooey Mexican favorite. 

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe on plate.

EASY VEGETARIAN ENCHILADAS RECIPE

I had a craving a few weeks ago and I knew I had to do something about it.  

When it comes to Mexican food, enchiladas are high up on my list. My whole family loves them too! 

We rotate between today’s Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe and these other enchilada recipes like Chicken Enchiladas and Three Cheese Beef Enchiladas.

I can’t decide if it is the sauce, the filling or the cheese.

Or maybe the combination of them all together, baked into a warm, gooey, flavorful bite of deliciousness?

If you like to have meatless Monday in your house, or are trying to eat more vegetarian meals today’s Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe are for you. In my opinion they are the best vegetarian enchiladas. 

I also like using this Homemade Enchilada Sauce in other dishes like these Chicken Enchilada Sliders, Chicken Enchilada Soup, Beef Enchilada Casserole and this One Pot Chicken Enchilada Pasta.

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe with fresh herbs.

HOW CAN I MEAL-PREP ENCHILADAS?

You can assemble these enchiladas ahead of time to save myself time. They are an easy recipe that you can make quickly and with very little clean-up required. 

You can assemble them up until the step where you add the enchilada sauce and cheese to the top of the enchiladas.

Place the enchiladas in the refrigerator covered until you are ready to cook them.

Then you can add the enchilada sauce and cheese when you are ready to cook.

It is a total lifesaver if you have a busy day and need something easy to throw in the oven after work.

These enchiladas also work great if you want to give a meal to a friend.  

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe with spoon.

INGREDIENTS YOU NEED FOR VEGETARIAN ENCHILADAS

BELL PEPPER

SWEET ONION

BLEACK BEANS

FIRE ROASTED TOMATOES

DICED CHILES

ENCHILADA SAUCE

TORTILLAS

CHEESE

Easy Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas in dish

HOW TO MAKE BLACK BEAN ENCHILADAS 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

SAUTE THE VEGETABLES: In a large skillet heat the 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and sauté until the onion is soft.

ADD BEANS AND TOMATOES: Add the black beans, fire roasted tomatoes and diced chiles and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place tortillas on a large plate or cutting board.

PREPARE THE ENCHILADAS: Using a spoon place 2-3 spoonfuls of the black bean mixture into the middle of each tortilla, a sprinkle of cheese and a drizzle of enchilada sauce and roll it until closed. Place seem side down in the dish.

Continue to do all of the tortillas laying them side by side.

DRIZZLE THE SAUCE: Drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the enchiladas followed by the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are heated through.

Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream and avocado.

Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe with fork.

WAYS TO MODIFY ENCHILADAS: 

VEGETABLES: I love adding chopped up veggies to the mixture that goes in the enchiladas. Try any bell pepper, poblano, zucchini, sweet bell peppers, red onion, green onions, poblano peppers, sweet potatoes, diced green chiles or carrots. 

BEANS: I used black beans but you can also kidney beans, red beans or pinto beans. Sometimes I will also do a layer of refried beans. 

CHEESE: I used monterey jack cheese but there are lots of options when it comes to the cheese, try sharp cheddar, pepper jack, cojita or colby.

SPICE: If you like heat and spice in your food try chopping up jalapeños or adding some hot sauce. You also can use more chili powder to add more rich, spice. 

CITRUS: Lime juice would be a nice addition to stir into the black beans. 

TOPPINGS: Load on toppings if you would like. Bake the enchiladas and add avocado, cilantro, tomatoes or salsa. I love adding salsa like pico de gallo, guacamole, salsa verde, pickled red onions or cowboy caviar.

SAUCE: You can use a red enchilada sauce or a green enchilada sauce.

PROTEIN: If you want to add protein you can add shredded chicken, sausage, ground chicken, ground turkey or ground beef.

TORTILLAS: For a healthier enchilada use whole wheat tortillas or gluten-free tortillas. You also can try corn tortillas.

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe with garnishes.

OTHER MEXICAN RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

MEXICAN CHICKEN CASSEROLE

MEXICAN STYLE ACORN SQUASH

MEXICAN STYLE ZUCCHINI

SLOW COOKER MEXICAN CHICKEN LIME SOUP

CHILAQUILES ROJOS

CHICKEN TINGA

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe on plate.

Easy Vegetarian Enchilada Recipe

Yield: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

This Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe make the perfect busy weeknight meal that can be prepped ahead and baked when ready. A black bean and vegetable mixture is topped with your favorite enchilada sauce and cheese and baked into a warm, gooey Mexican favorite.

Ingredients

For the enchiladas:

  • 2 tbsps. olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 sweet onion {about 1 cup}
  • 1 - 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 -14.5 oz. can fire roasted, diced tomatoes
  • 1 - 4 oz. can diced chiles
  • 12 oz. enchilada sauce {homemade or store bought}
  • 10 tortillas
  • 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, divided {or cheese of your choice}

Garnishes:

  • Cilantro
  • Avocado
  • Sour Cream
  • Salsa

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large skillet heat the 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and sauté until the onion is soft.
  3. Add the black beans, fire roasted tomatoes and diced chiles and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  4. Spray a 9 x 13 inch dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place tortillas on a large plate or cutting board.
  5. Using a spoon place 2-3 spoonfuls of the black bean mixture into the center of the tortilla, a sprinkle of cheese and a drizzle of enchilada sauce and roll it until closed. Place seem side down in the dish. Continue to do all of the tortillas laying them side by side.
  6. Drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the enchiladas followed by the cheese.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are heated through.
  8. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh cilantro, sour cream and avocado.

Notes

Feel free to add whatever vegetables you would like. Any color bell pepper works great, red onion and zucchini are good options.

Use your favorite cheese! I use sharp cheddar because I like the flavor but pepper jack, queso fresco or colby are great options.

MEAL-PREP: I like to assemble these enchiladas ahead of time to save myself time. You can assemble them up until the step where you add the enchilada sauce and cheese to the top of the enchiladas. Place the enchiladas in the refrigerator covered until you are ready to cook them. Then you can add the enchilada sauce and cheese when you are ready to cook. This also works great if you want to give this meal to a friend. Just deliver the pan of assembled enchiladas with the enchilada sauce and cheese on the side so they can add that before cooking.

CommentLuv badge

Chicken Enchiladas - A Cedar Spoon

Monday 29th of November 2021

[…] VEGETARIAN ENCHILADAS […]

Jan

Friday 29th of October 2021

This looks delicious I can’t wait to make it. I have a bag of frozen peppers and onions I’d like to use in this. Any suggestions on how to prepare them for these?

Julia

Friday 29th of October 2021

I would suggest quickly heating them in a skillet or if they are microwavable that works too. I think adding them straight in frozen wouldn't work great because they wouldn't cook as fast as the other ingredients and also would retain moisture which could make the enchiladas soggy. If there is excess liquid after cooking them I would drain that off. You can just mix the vegetables in with the bean mixture before preparing the enchiladas. Hope you enjoy!

Jennifer

Tuesday 21st of September 2021

These are good! I often make them into a layered enchilada “pie” which my family prefers. This was one of the first recipes that I tried when our family made the decision to try a vegetarian diet two years ago - and it is still in our rotation! Thanks for a great recipe!

Julia

Wednesday 22nd of September 2021

I am so glad you liked then! And that is a great idea to make it into an enchilada "pie". I need to try that!

Beef Taco Dip Recipe - A Cedar Spoon

Wednesday 29th of April 2020

[…] think the leftovers are great too, and I often will use them as a quesadilla or enchilada filling. The options are endless with this easy taco […]

Kaitlyn Miller

Monday 30th of December 2019

Could you freeze these and reheat them at a later date? If yes... Would you freeze it without the cheese and enchilada sauce and add that when you reheat it?

Julia

Monday 30th of December 2019

Yes- to freeze - you can freeze the enchiladas for up to 3 months, tightly wrap the entire pan with foil, crimping to seal around the edges to prevent freezer burn. Or to freeze smaller portions separately, scoop the enchiladas into individual lidded freezer-safe containers before storing. Heat the enchiladas: The enchiladas can be reheated directly from the refrigerator or freezer in the casserole dish they were baked in. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Keep the foil on the dish and reheat for 20-30 minutes (refrigerated) or 45 minutes (frozen), until the enchiladas are warmed through. If you'd rather reheat individual servings, enchiladas in small microwave-safe containers can be zapped in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or reheated in a toaster oven for 10-15 minutes.

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