These vegetarian enchiladas are filled with black beans and flavorful veggies like green onions and butternut squash. A 5-minute enchilada sauce takes them over the top!
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This vegetarian enchiladas recipe has been a favorite in our house for years. Filled with black beans, cheese, and vegetables like roasted butternut squash and green onions, these enchiladas are fresh, satisfying, and absolutely packed with flavor. I round them out with a 5-minute homemade enchilada sauce, more melty cheese, and spicy jalapeños on top.
I first shared these vegetarian black bean enchiladas in the “Winter Squash” section of our first cookbook, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made them since. To me, the spicy, gooey tortillas and hearty veggie filling are the ultimate form of comfort food. I hope you love them as much as I do!
Vegetarian Enchiladas Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this vegetarian enchiladas recipe:
- Tortillas – You can use corn tortillas or flour tortillas in these black bean enchiladas. I love the rich flavor of corn tortillas, but flour tortillas are easier to roll and less likely to crack, so they can make this recipe easier to assemble. For the best of both worlds, look for tortillas made with a mix of corn and wheat flour. They’re my go-to for enchiladas when I can find them!
- Butternut squash and scallions – They create the flavorful veggie filling. Sweet potatoes are also delicious in place of the butternut squash.
- Black beans – They add creamy texture and plant-based protein to the filling.
- Canned tomato sauce, adobo sauce, and garlic – Instead of making a classic red enchilada sauce in this recipe, I make a shortcut sauce with these ingredients. The tomato sauce creates the base, while the garlic and adobo sauce make it savory and smoky. It’s super flavorful and comes together in minutes on the stovetop!
- Cheddar cheese – You’ll use some in the enchiladas and bake them with more on top. A shredded Mexican cheese blend or Monterey Jack cheese is also great.
- Jalapeño pepper – It adds a hit of heat and a pop of green to the top of the enchiladas. Feel free to skip it if you’re sensitive to spice!
- Extra-virgin olive oil – You’ll use it for roasting the butternut and simmering the sauce.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
I also love serving these enchiladas with chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, and a squeeze of lime juice on top. They offer a delicious fresh contrast to the rich, gooey enchiladas.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Vegetarian Enchiladas
This easy vegetarian enchiladas recipe comes together in 4 simple steps:
1. Prep the filling. Roast the butternut squash until tender and browned, then mix it with the chopped scallions and black beans.
2. Make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the canned tomato sauce, garlic, and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes for the sauce to thicken slightly and the flavors to meld.
- Recipe tip: Short on time? Feel free to streamline by using your favorite store-bought enchilada sauce!
3. Assemble the enchiladas. Spread 2 tablespoons of the sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Fill each tortilla with some of the black bean mixture, a tablespoon of the sauce, and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll to close and place seam side down in the baking dish.
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce down the center of the enchiladas, leaving the edges of the tortillas bare. This is my biggest tip for this recipe. Don’t fully smother the tortillas in the sauce. I love leaving the edges bare so that they crisp up in the oven. You’ll end up with an amazing combination of crisp edges and soft, gooey middles.
Top with the remaining cheese and jalapeños.
4. Bake the enchiladas. Cover them and bake for 20 minutes at 400°F, then uncover and bake for 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling.
Top with cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime, and serve!
How to Store and Freeze
To store: Store leftover enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They reheat nicely in the microwave or a 325°F oven or toaster oven.
To freeze: You can freeze these black bean enchiladas before or after baking. If you’re freezing them un-baked, fully assemble them, top them with the sauce, cheese, and jalapeños, and cover and freeze in the baking dish for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the fridge before baking according to the recipe. Note: For this option, I recommend using flour tortillas or tortillas made with a corn/flour mix. 100% corn tortillas are more likely to crack when they’re frozen and thawed.
To freeze them after baking, let them cool to room temp and then cover or seal in an airtight container. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in the microwave or a 325°F oven.
What to Serve with Vegetarian Enchiladas
Sometimes, we enjoy these veggie enchiladas on their own—they’re filling and delicious enough to be a satisfying meal without any sides! But if you’re feeling fancy or serving a crowd, they pair well with any of these recipes:
Tortilla chips with salsa and/or guacamole would be great too!
More Enchilada Recipes to Try
If you love these vegetarian enchiladas, try one of these delicious enchilada recipes next:
Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients
filling:
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- ⅓ cup chopped scallions
- 1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
sauce:
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 tablespoons adobo sauce, from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
for the enchilada assembly:
- 6 to 8 corn tortillas, or flour tortillas
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
- 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
serve with:
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Avocado slices
- Lime slices, on the side
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the filling: Spread the butternut squash cubes on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Roast until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Transfer the roasted squash to a bowl and stir in the scallions and black beans.
- Make the sauce: In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the tomato sauce, garlic, and adobo sauce. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the filling, a tablespoon of the sauce, and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll each tortilla and place seam side down into the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and the jalapeño slices. Bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling.
- Serve with fresh cilantro, avocado slices, and lime slices.
Notes
Love this recipe, always a crowd pleaser and comes together quickly. I’ve made it with sweet potatoes when butternut squash is not available and it turns out great!
Hi Kendra, I’m so glad you’ve loved it so much!
Wow!!! This recipe is amazing. Instead of corn tortillas we used flour, and instead of squash we used sweet potatoe and added green pepper. For the sauce I had fresh tomatoes that were getting very dark so I went ahead and made my own (very chunky and spicy) sauce out of those and used it instead. This is definitely a recipe we’re going to make over and over again. So so so delicious! (Currently eating the leftovers, STILL AMAZING A DAY LATER).
If I freeze this would I do before or after sauce? Or if I made before work do you think it would be ok sitting all day, then saucing and baking? Thank you!
Is there a secret to getting the corn tortillas to roll? Since they’re small and fairly brittle they cracked and made for more of a delicious enchilada casserole, but would love to figure it out for future recipes!
I made this recipe last night. Quick, easy and absolutely delicious!
This is one of my favorite recipes from your cookbook and I make it often! I’m doing a lot of freezer prepping before I have my second baby in July, and I want to make a couple batches of this and freeze it. What do you think about freezing and thawing/would cooking temp and times remain the same?
Tried this meal for the first time last night & it was absolutely delicious. A hit for my husband & I plus our guests loved it!
This looks so yummy I am excited to try this love enchiladas and love butternut squash so it got to be good. I was wondering if I could use Chipotle seasoning instead of the adobo sauce.
Hi Kellie – you can, especially if you have a seasoning that you really love. I’ve always found chipotle powders to be more spicy and not as smoky and flavorful as the can of chipotles in adobo. But in a pinch, it will work. I’d just add it to taste. Hope that helps!
Great Winter Recipe. I will definitely be giving this a try. I love butternut squash and using it in different recipes is something I’m always trying to do.
I decided to make this as more of a casserole dish and it was fantastic! All the flavors and textures melded perfectly. Thanks for the recipe!
A good amount of snow and (even) chillier weather is headed my way this weekend — I’m excited to be snowed in with a good book, a few movies, and this recipe!! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Just made this for dinner and it’s super tasty, not heavy or greasy like traditional enchiladas! Thanks!!
Hi Lynn – I’m so glad you enjoyed these!
Love your blog and am loving your cookbook this winter too! I’m wondering – what is the bright yellow contraption that you’re using to hold your book open in the second picture from the top of this post? Would love something to hold my cookbooks open while using them!
Ha, it’s just one of those lemon squeezers – it was laying around, it was heavy and I was trying to take the photo by myself :).
So glad you’re enjoying the book!
So excited to try this! It looks amazing. Thanks for the recipe!
Excited to try this! Just curious about whether you’d say this is spicy or not. We like spice but our 5-year old does not… 🙂
Hi Kristin, I wouldn’t say this is overly spicy. The adobo sauce in the sauce is the only thing that’s spicy – instead of 3 tablespoons you can use 1 (or add it to taste). And just skip the jalapeños!
It looks delicious, I have no idea how I overlooked it in your book.
Thank you for pointing that out!! So glad you like the recipe 🙂 xo
I LOVE this recipe. Definitely one of my faves in your cookbook!
(I also wanted to let you know that you have a typo… In the second sentence, it should be “too cold.” I know it was just a quick mistake, but I just wanted to let you know!)
This is one of the recipes I’ve bookmarked in your cookbook (which is quickly becoming a regular in my kitchen!!) Sending hugs from CT <3
I never know whether it’s a “Big Night” (the movie) thing or what, but to me, the tortillas for enchiladas must be well-dipped in the sauce. That’s how it was in the Mexican restaurant where I worked at age 15, and so it must be forever.
Squash plus black beans plus corn tortillas smuggled to France from a real tortilleria: YES.