Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe makes 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
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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 these Chicken Enchiladas and Three Cheese Beef Enchiladas.

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

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe in pan

Why You’ll Love This Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe

Here are more reasons it’s a must-try dish:

  • Easy Preparation: This dish is super simple to prepare and hands on prep time is only 15 minutes.
  • Versatile Recipe: This recipe is easily adapted to suit you and your families tastes. If there are ingredients you don’t like swap them out for those you do.
  • Feed a Crowd: This recipe is easy to double or triple, ideal if you are feeding a larger group of diners.
  • Meal Prep: Prepare and fill the tortillas ahead of time, then store in the refrigerator until you are ready to add the enchilada sauce and bake.

If you like Mexican recipes check out my other Mexican recipes here. 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 ingredients

Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Vegetables: These veggie enchiladas use bell pepper and sweet onion but you also can sub in any vegetables you have on hand like diced poblano, carrot or red onion.
  • Black Beans: Drained and rinsed black beans are the main protein in these enchiladas. You could also use chickpeas, red kidney beans or red beans.
  • Diced Tomatoes: I love using fire roasted diced tomatoes in this recipe but you can use regular diced tomatoes. The fire roasted tomatoes add a nice smoky flavor.
  • Diced Chiles: The diced green chiles are a nice addition to these enchiladas. You have to use these but they do add great flavor.
  • Enchilada Sauce: Use your favorite store bought enchilada sauce or you can make a homemade enchilada sauce.
  • Tortillas: If you can find burrito tortillas those work great for enchiladas. I like to use flour but if you want to try corn tortillas that would work too.
  • Cheese: You can use whatever shredded cheese is your favorite but I love using sharp cheddar or pepper jack.

For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below.

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe on plate

Recipe Variations

This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt if needed:

  • Dairy-Free: For dairy free or vegan diners, swap regular cheese for a plant based alternative.
  • 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, jalapeños, 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 sharp cheddar, but you could also use monterey jack cheese, 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 smoked paprika or chili powder if you want more chili heat.
  • 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.
Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe with sour cream

How to Make Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas

Step 1: Saute Vegetables: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 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.

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe vegetables in skillet

Step 2: 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.

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe ingredients in skillet

Step 3: Prepare Enchiladas: Using a spoon place 2-3 spoonful’s of the black bean mixture into the middle of each flour tortillas, 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.

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe in tortillas

Step 4: Add Cheese and Bake: 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.

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe with avocado and sour cream

Serving Tips

You have everything here for a great meal. I always add a selection of toppings, and usually like to add some extra veggie sides:

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe enchiladas in a pan

Storage Tips

Once cooked and cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Warm leftovers in a 275°F oven for about 15 minutes to prevent drying out.

Recipe FAQs

How to stop tortillas cracking?

If your tortillas are dry and starting to crack, pop them into the microwave for 15 seconds to soften. This will make the tortillas more pliable and you will be able to fill them without them cracking and breaking apart.

Should you cover enchiladas before baking?

No, I don’t like to cover enchiladas, I leave the dish uncovered so the cheese will become molten and start to bubble. Also, when left uncovered the edges of the tortillas will start to toast, adding extra texture and crunch.

Can I make these enchiladas ahead of time?

If you want to get ahead, you can fill the tortillas, roll them up and place them into an oven proof dish. Don’t add the enchiladas sauce until you are ready to bake the enchiladas in the oven, or the whole dish will become soggy.

Other Mexican Recipes to Try

4.58 from 47 votes

Easy Vegetarian Enchilada Recipe

By Julia
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
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.
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Ingredients 

For the enchiladas:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 sweet onion {about 1 cup}
  • 1 – 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 -14.5 ounce can fire roasted, diced tomatoes
  • 1 – 4 ounce can diced chiles
  • 12 ounce 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 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • 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 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 dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place tortillas on a large plate or cutting board.
  • 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.
  • 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.

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.
Tried this recipe?Mention @acedarspoon or tag #acedarspoon!

About Julia

I'm Julia. Wife, mom to three growing boys, lover of food. Here you will find quick & easy weeknight meal ideas, kid-friendly recipes and a few sweet treats. My roots are from the Mediterranean and many of my recipes incorporate those flavors!

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4.58 from 47 votes (47 ratings without comment)

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12 Comments

  1. Jan says:

    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?

    1. Julia says:

      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!

      1. Pamela D Conner says:

        Can u add spinach and corn to these.
        If so would fresh or frozen spinach be best.

        1. Julia says:

          Yes you can! For corn I would make sure to drain and rinse if you used canned. If you use frozen I would make sure to just drain any excess liquid after you defrost or cook it. As far as spinach you can use either frozen or fresh- for frozen you will want to make sure to get any excess water out of the spinach because it tends to have a lot of water. You can thaw it and then squeeze the water out. For fresh you would want to saute it in olive oil and add it into the filling! Hope you like it!

  2. Jennifer says:

    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!

    1. Julia says:

      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!

  3. Kaitlyn Miller says:

    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?

    1. Julia says:

      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.

  4. Kristin says:

    What kind of tortillas? I usually use corn but the pics in your recipe look like flour…

    1. Julia says:

      I did flour but you can do whole wheat or really any that you like. I just wouldn’t do corn as I don’t think they hold up well in enchiladas!

  5. Shawna says:

    These are a favorite in our home. First time I made them, I didn’t have bell pepper and left it out. I do mix about a cup of the enchilada sauce into the bean mixture and let it cook a few minutes. Saves the step of drizzling it in each one. Just made these WITH the bell pepper and even better! Thank you for an amazing and easy recipe!!

    1. Julia says:

      Thanks for the feedback! I am so glad you like them. I love the idea of adding the sauce in with the beans.