Vegetarian Enchiladas

Flavorful and easy Vegetarian Enchiladas are brimming with black beans, corn, peppers, fresh lime, and cheese. We top the enchiladas with sauce, cheese, fresh avocado, and cilantro.

Pair these enchiladas with an easy Italian Salad, Cucumber Salad, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, or Roasted Brussels Sprouts!

Enchiladas are one of my go-to meals for an easy weeknight dinner and Vegetarian Enchiladas make for an even quicker meal. Without needing time to prepare meat, this meal comes together very quickly. There isn’t a whole lot of veggie chopping either because, again, we’re looking for QUICK prep time! Mission accomplished with this dynamite recipe.

But while this dinner is quick, we’re not sacrificing flavor in the slightest. We balance textures, spices, and add a hit of acidity from the fresh lime to create a memorable meal.

Today I’m sharing our favorite Vegetarian Enchiladas along with some quick tips, answering some enchilada questions, and giving plenty of variation ideas. Let’s get started!

Vegetarian Enchilada quick tips

• Use frozen corn or corn cut right off the cob for the best flavor and texture.
• Freshly grate the cheese. Store-bought cheese has a waxy coating to keep the cheese shreds from sticking together. This coating gives the cheese an “off” flavor and keeps it from melting as well.
• Toast the spices. Allow the spices to sufficiently toast in the skillet before adding the enchilada sauce. This gives the enchiladas a more robust flavor.
• Don’t forget the toppings. Some fresh avocado, fresh lime, and fresh cilantro liven up these enchiladas so much. We also love sour cream on the side!

Vegetarian Enchiladas FAQs

Vegetarian Enchilada variations

• Vegetarian Enchilada casserole: While this recipe can convert to a casserole, I have a similar popular casserole recipe that I recommend here: Quinoa Enchilada Bake.
• Add a grain: Add in some cooked and slightly cooled quinoa or rice to the enchiladas (2-3 tablespoons per enchilada); you’ll likely want to bump up seasonings a bit too.
• Vegetarian Enchiladas without beans: I’d recommend replacing the beans with other veggies such as chopped and sauteed mushrooms and/or zucchini.
• Get creative with the type of cheese you add: We use Monterey Jack, but sharp Cheddar cheese, Colby Jack, or even pepper Jack would all be delicious.
• Vegetarian Enchiladas with spinach: It’s easy to add spinach to this recipe! Coarsely chop up about 4-5 ounces fresh baby spinach and saute it with the veggies until wilted.
• Vegetarian Enchiladas with sweet potato: try this version here!
• Vegetarian Enchiladas with refried beans: Replace the black beans with pinto beans and mash them down a bit in the skillet.

More easy vegetarian meals

• Vegetarian Chili
• Healthy Tacos
• Black Bean Burger
• Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito Bowls
• Pesto Vegetable Bowls

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5 from 7 votes

Vegetarian Enchiladas

By Chelsea Lords

These easy Vegetarian Enchiladas are loaded with black beans, corn, peppers, and cheese, all topped with enchilada sauce, more cheese, avocado, and fresh cilantro. Bursting with flavor!

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings (2 enchiladas per person)

Equipment

• Large pan
• 9 x 13-inch baking dish 3-quart

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 small red onion diced, 1/2 cup
• ▢ 1 medium red bell pepper diced, 3/4 cup
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic finely minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sweet paprika or smoked paprika for a smokier flavor
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
• ▢ 1 cup frozen corn
• ▢ 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups red enchilada sauce divided, homemade or store-bought
• ▢ 1 lime
• ▢ 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas I like cooking up the TortillaLand tortillas for these enchiladas
• ▢ 2 cups freshly grated Monterrey Jack cheese or Cheddar cheese, divided
• ▢ Freshly diced cilantro for topping
• ▢ Avocado for topping

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large pan, heat olive oil, then add diced red onion and diced red pepper. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon each) and sauté 4–6 minutes, or until onion is translucent and tender. Add garlic and sauté 30 more seconds or until fragrant. Add in paprika, cumin, and chili powder. Stir until spices are fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. (Lower heat as needed to prevent burning.)
• Juice lime to get and 1 tablespoon juice. Add frozen corn (no need to thaw), black beans, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, and lime juice. Lower heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until corn is completely defrosted, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, cook tortillas according to package instructions (if using raw tortillas). Set aside to let cool.
• In a 3-quart baking dish (9x13-inch), spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce along the bottom.
• Add a slightly heaping 1/2 cup of the veggie filling and 2 tablespoons freshly grated cheese to a cooked tortilla and roll up tightly. Place the enchilada, seam side down, in the baking dish. Repeat until you’ve used all the veggie filling and 1 cup cheese (should evenly fill 8 tortillas).
• Evenly spread remaining 1/2 cup enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. Keep corners uncovered by enchilada sauce so they get a little crispy in the oven. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese on top of the sauce.
• Bake, uncovered for 15–18 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
• Remove and serve immediately with diced avocado, cilantro, sour cream and additional lime juice.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 4servings | Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 85.7g | Protein: 34.4g | Fat: 32.1g | Cholesterol: 60.7mg | Sodium: 2159.6mg | Fiber: 10.6g | Sugar: 9.4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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