Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas

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These enchiladas are packed with complex flavors, plenty of nutrition and antioxidants from the black beans, tomatoes, and garlic, et al. It’s a wonderful dish for Meatless Monday.

Black Bean Vegan EnchiladasNothing can be better than enjoying these toasty warm cheesy black bean vegan enchiladas on a snowy day. My son, Leo, has the best view out of our kitchen window. He was eating the enchilada, enjoying the quiet and gorgeous snowflakes, and happily kicking his little legs all at the same time.

The first time I had enchiladas was in an authentic Mexican restaurant. I remember it was unexpectedly delicious, cheesy and rich. But I was full after eating just 1/3 of that serving. I still think corn tortillas coated with dairy cheese and stuffed with beef are too heavy to digest. However, these enchiladas filled with black beans and vegan cheese are perfect.

Black bean Enchiladas-cheese

In this recipe I used the Mexican style GoVeggie cheese (I am not affiliated with this brand.). I like how nicely it melts in the oven unlike some other brands I used before. Most importantly, we all like the taste.

There are a lot of variations to making enchiladas. This recipe was inspired by a beef version. I replaced beef with black beans, canned pickled Jalapenos pepper with a fresh one, dairy cheese with vegan cheese, and tomato sauce with homemade tomato puree. I still had some enchilada filling left so I added some romaine lettuce or leaf lettuce to it and wrapped in warm tortillas. It easily converted the leftover filling into a simple quick lunch you can take to work.

Black bean Enchiladas-preparation

Don’t hesitate to use store-bought canned black beans. It will significantly reduce the preparation time for this dish.

These enchiladas are packed with complex flavors, plenty of nutrition and antioxidants from the black beans, tomatoes, and garlic, et al. It’s a wonderful dish for Meatless Monday.

Black bean Enchiladas-straight view

4.71 from 37 votes
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Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas
Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 
Tools: 10”saute pan and spatula, strainer, knife and cutting board, potato masher, medium sized mixing bowl, 9”×13” baking dish, pastry brush, aluminum foil.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: black bean enchiladas, gluten-free enchiladas, homemade enchiladas, vegan cheese, vegan enchiladas
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Author: Joyce @ Light Orange Bean
Ingredients
  • 1 tbs canola oil
  • 1 medium size yellow onion finely chopped, approximately 8 oz
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbs chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin powder
  • 2 cups cooked black beans
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups tomato puree or 1 can 15 oz tomato sauce + ½ cup water
  • ½ cup + 1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 medium size jalapeno pepper seeded, finely chopped, approximately 1 oz
  • 8 oz vegan cheese Mexican style GoVeggie preferred
  • 12-14 5.5-inch corn tortillas (gluten-free if desired)
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin powder, and salt. Cook another 2 minutes. Add the beans and tomato puree and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low. Mash the beans with a potato masher and simmer 5 minutes.
  2. Remove the bean mixture from the heat and strain, reserving the sauce. Transfer the strained bean mixture to a medium bowl and mix together with ½ cup cilantro, jalapenos, and 4 oz of cheese.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
  4. Spread ½ cup of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Microwave 5 tortillas at a time or follow the package instructions to soften. Scoop about ¼ cup bean mixture into each tortilla and roll it up tightly. Place the filled and rolled tortillas in the baking dish seam-side down. Finish all tortillas.
  5. Dip the pastry brush in the sauce and brush the ends of each tortilla. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas.
  6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the enchiladas, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, bake for additional 2-3 minutes until the cheese is slightly brown.
  7. Garnish with the remaining cilantro before serving.
Recipe Notes

1. If there is any remaining bean mixture, it can be used as a filling in tortilla shells without any further cooking. Add lettuce if desired.
2. Due to different recipes of making tomato puree, the liquid content may vary. Gradually add excess water when making the bean mixture if necessary.

3.I used GoVeggie brand Mexican style cheese.  It's vegan.  You may notice that most of the GoVeggie cheese are lactose free but not vegan.  However this Mexican style is labeled vegan.  It may not be commonly seen in some stores.

 

Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas

117 comments

  1. JazzyJ says:

    Awesome recipe!

    Just a note on the canned beans portion — If you have a large crockpot, I don’t think that you should ever have to buy canned black beans unless it is an emergency.

    Here’s why:

    A few weeks ago I made 2 lbs of beans overnight in a crockpot. It was so easy — the hardest part was chopping my aromatics (onion, peppers and garlic) and rinsing the beans! We ate beans and rice a couple of days and then I froze the leftovers (it’s just me and my husband) in 1 quart bags. Whenever I needed to make something using the beans, I took a bag out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator. The day I use the beans, I take them out of the refrigerator,drain and rinse off the pot liquor (most canned recipes ask you to drain and rinse).

    So far I’ve made these enchiladas, regular beans and rice, and black bean burgers out of my freezer stock. I’d estimate that we may have gone through about 5 or more cans worth of beans, and I have two bags left.

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Thanks for sharing your tips, Jazzy.

      The canned beans are just options. I usually buy raw beans, soak them, and then use my pressure cooker to cook them (pressure cooker is fantastic, super fast). I freeze my boiled/cooked plain black beans sometimes too. It is really handy when sometimes I forget to soak the raw beans.

      Reply
    • Geeta says:

      Great tip! I have a giant bag of organic dried black beans that I haven’t even opened because I’ve been unsure what to do haha… I do have a crockpot though! What amounts did you use for the seasonings and how long to cook? Thank you!

      Reply
  2. Ashley says:

    The only thing that I’ll put out there is GoVeggie cheese is NOT vegan – it contains a derivative of milk: casein.

    Recipe was very easy to make and all ingredients were cheap and easy to locate. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Hi Ashley, most of the GoVeggie Cheese contain milk, but not the Mexican style (a purple package). It’s dairy free.

      Reply
      • Ashley says:

        I wish they sold those at my grocery stores! We only have the non-vegan varieties. Thanks for the clarification!

        Reply
        • Joyce says:

          I used to find it at Meijer (I live in Michigan). However, a few months ago it was discontinued and I couldn’t find it in any other local stores. Probably it’s not popular enough. 🙁

          Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Although I haven’t tried pinto beans for this recipes, I think the flavor will change. I prefer black beans for this recipe.

      Reply
  4. Stan says:

    I’m good with Vegetarian….Never need to do the Vegan thing….The recipe looks fantastic.
    Can’t wait to try but I’ll add real cheese…
    Thanks.

    Reply
  5. oosha says:

    Excellent recipe; I needed to add more liquid to make a sauce though. Also- I like lots of flavour so I used more whole cumin seeds, and also added ½ of a 220ml can of Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce. This gave it a spicier kick, as well as a lovely smokey flavour.

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      I’m so sorry to hear that Annie. I noticed that Go Veggie has changed their packaging lately. I haven’t try out their new package yet. I’ll definitely give it a try and see if I’ll have the same issue. It’s not easy to find a vegan cheese that can melt very well, right!

      Reply
    • M Taylor says:

      Yep. Same problem here. Making the recipe for vegan friends. Used the cheese the recipe called for and is not melting at all. Guess they can scrape it off if they don’t like it. The filling tastes delicious though.

      Reply
  8. Christie says:

    Is the tomato puree used as a substitute for canned enchilada sauce? Would it be possible to use that instead of tomatoes? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Hey Christie, I never used canned enchilada sauce before. I suppose it has salt and other seasonings in it. If you are going to use it instead of tomato puree, you may want to reduce the salt and seasoning in the recipe list. You can always add more if there is not enough flavor. I hope you’ll like the recipe.

      Reply
      • Karen says:

        I would definitely use an enchilada sauce. Way more flavor than a tomato puree. I highly recommend Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce, in a glass container. I make enchiladas all the time using only this sauce. Can’t wait to try this black bean version! I’m not a vegetarian, but love to make veggie recipes.

        Reply
        • Joyce says:

          Thanks for letting me know the Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce. I would definitely give it a try. I hope you enjoy the recipe.

          Reply
  9. Sophie says:

    These were really good! I didn’t use any cheese because I don’t like the ingredients in any vegan cheeses, so mine were a lot more plain than yours, but the flavor was still great! The inside didn’t hold together too well, but that’s my own fault. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
  10. AutumnCM says:

    just had my first try, like it!!
    I’ve omitted onion & garlic, but replace with capsicum, still delicious though!just a bit too spicy (guess i put too much jalapenos,haha)
    Also, i wrapped 2 rolls in a “variety version” by adding vegan floss inside.taste not bad either. thanks for this recipe, cheers

    Reply
  11. Crissy says:

    Wow, so good! I am never buying store bought enchilada sauce again. These had so much flavor, I cooked the onions a little longer and used regular cheese. I bought the Go Veggie shreds but my husband said no, lol. I will find another use for it though. I will definitely make these again, thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  13. Argie says:

    I made them last night, they were soooo delicious! Packed with flavor. Never buying enchilada sauce again. Thank you for a this delicious recipe.

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Hi Christina, thanks for visiting. I’m sorry I don’t have nutritional facts for my recipes. I know there are many apps/websites that you can use do the calculation.

      Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Leftovers are great to enjoy too. I heat my leftovers in microwaves with a cover so it won’t get too dry. I hope you enjoy the recipe.

      Reply
  17. Jean M. says:

    My family devoured this! Thank you for the recipe. I tweaked it a little bit since I have a 2 and 7 year old. I barely added chili powder instead I added 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce and added TVP. Will make it again!

    Reply
  18. Chelsea says:

    While making this recipe, I had serious doubts about how good it would be. However, they are DELICIOUS. Instead of smashing the beans, I used half retried and half whole beans. I also ended up getting less tortillas in than the recipe called for.

    Reply
  19. Ana says:

    The recipe said 3 tbs chilli powder (which I took to mean 3 tablespoons). I only added 2 because it seemed like a lot. We had to open all the windows in the house when I was cooking it because everyone was coughing. I added lots more cheese as well as stock, extra tomatoes, and guacamole to cool it down. Ended up having to drink a big glass of soy milk just to get it down. Next time I’m using teaspoons!

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Wow, sorry about that. I did used 3 tablespoons of chilli powder. I guess yours is much much stronger than mine. If yours is so strong, I think using 1 teaspoon next time may be the best choice.

      Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Yes, most of Go Veggie cheese are just lactose free. The Mexican Style I used in this recipe is vegan. I recently bought the mozzarella style, it’s vegan too. It’s labeled on the package. They are not very easy to find in most grocery stores. I found them at the Whole Foods and Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market.

      Reply
  22. Joy says:

    I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. I have tried many from pinterest, but this is the best enchilada sauce ever! I won’t buy it out of a can again. The meal was fantastic! I use Daiya cheddar cheese, and I thought it worked great. Thank you so much 🙂

    Reply
  23. Bonnie says:

    These were absolutely delicious!! I used Daiya pepper jack shredded cheese, my own homemade black beans (made in my pressure cooker), and ground New Mexico chili powder. I love how the starch from the beans thickened the sauce making these like authentic Mexican enchiladas.

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Hi Gary, I don’t have nutritional information facts from most of my recipes because they may not be very accurate. Sorry about that. I think you can use a website or some apps to find it out by adding the ingredients to it.

      Reply
  27. Kim says:

    These turned out delicious! Will definitely be making these again. Made these with flour tortillas (instead of corn) for the picky eaters. I also roasted a can of corn and mixed it up in the mixture.

    My mother-in-law (non-vegan) and my 5 year old daughter (also non-vegan) loves it!

    Reply
  29. Julie says:

    Joyce – I haven’t made this yet but I just wanted to thank you for your kind, patient and gracious replies to everyone… ?

    My five stars is rating your wonderful character qualities but I bet the recipe will be five stars also!

    Reply
  30. Sandra says:

    I kid you not; this recipe CHANGED MY LIFE. It is so, so amazing – tasty, warming, oozy, and comforting. I hate cumin so swapped it for smoked paprika, but followed everything else. We’ve been eating it for about a year and it’s a solid family favorite – we have it at least once a fortnight, and everyone gets so exited it’s coming. Before eating it, I despised black beans, but now know they can be delicious and therefore have a wonderful new protein source in my cooking kit. THANK YOU!!!!!

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Thanks, Sandra! You are absolutely right! I never thought this recipe would have so many positive feedbacks. I grew up in China and legumes are definitely not the main protein source. Just like you, I wasn’t a fun of black beans but now I know you really can add fantastic flavors to them and make absolutely amazing dishes. I’m so glad your family enjoyed this recipe. 🙂

      Reply
  31. Sydney says:

    I am definitely going to try this but I was wondering if homemade eggplant cheese would work. You know, the pourable “cheese”? Let me know if you think this would be a good substutute.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Hi Sydney, that sounds interesting. I have never tried the eggplant cheese. I’d say give it a try because most vegan cheese from stores are not very easy to melt in the oven. If you are using the eggplant pourable cheese, just make sure it’s not too wet or too much liquid when you bake it. Please let me know because I’m very curious how that will turn out. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

      Reply
      • Sydney T Arterbery says:

        I tried the eggplant cheese and you were right. Too wet. But the actual enchilada bean mix with the cheese sauce was delicious. So, I used carrot and potato cheese on the second batch. I skipped pouring sauce on the bottom of baking dish. That was an accident but it came out really good. Like just right! Im making them again today with spanish rice. Thank you Joyce!

        Reply
        • Joyce says:

          Thanks for letting me know. Again, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe and have so many different creative ideas to try. 🙂

          Reply
  33. Jan says:

    This came out really good. I do have a question. When I strained the bean mixture in step two, the mixture was pretty dry. I had to press the mixture with a spoon to squeeze out any liquid. I ended up with maybe a tablespoon on sauce. I ended up using canned enchilada sauce as a supplement. What did I do wrong?

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Hi Jan, I guess your tomato puree is much concentrated than what I was using in this recipe. I used my homemade puree so that really depends on how juicy the tomatoes are. If you can add a little bit more water to your puree, it may help. Anyway, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply
    • Joyce says:

      Go veggie has many varieties. The one I used in this recipe is vegan and doesn’t contain milk ingredients. It’s not very often to find in many stores.

      Reply
    • Joyce says:

      I found it at my local Meijer a few years ago. But they discontinued for a while. Lately, I saw the vegan version of Go Veggie cheese at Fresh Thyme Farmer’s Market. I hope you find it’s helpful.

      Reply
  37. Faerie says:

    I messed up on these a little (I forgot to get an onion and spaced out my tortillas too sparsely in the pan), but even with my errors I was very happy with how this recipe turned out. I added a dash of cayenne pepper to the othe seasonings and used two jalapenos instead of one, but those were too my liking. The only thing that was rough was straining the sauce. I used canned tomato puree, and it was thick after simmering. I had to push the sauce through the strainer with a rubber spatula, but it yielded the right amount of sauce after five-10 minutes. If I make this again, I might try and add sweet potato to the filling for it’s flavor.

    Reply
  38. Andrew says:

    I have made these almost 10 times now and my wife and I love them. Thank you so much for putting recipes like this out there for those of us who are not skilled in the culinary arts.

    Reply
  39. Kayla says:

    I made these last night while my goveggie cheese didn’t melt (as other commenters stated) they where still great.
    I did make a few changes due to what I had on hand. I dialed down chille powder to 1 1/2 tbsp, skipped the jalepeno and cilantro and used flour tortillas. Will definitely be making these again.

    Reply
    • Priscilla says:

      Dailya brand is vegan and the recipie is awesome. I added bell peppers red, yellow and orange along with the jalapeño, I also added a splash of white wine to elevate the flavors.

      Reply
  40. Giovanna says:

    I made this tonight and it was delicious. I Was craving enchiladas and this really hit the spot. I love how the sauce was made fresh and Did not call for pre made canned. Much healthier. This will definitely be my go to recipe.

    Reply
  41. Lindsay says:

    These are soo good, I’ve made them several times and like to add sweet potato and sometimes sautéed zucchini and red peppers too ! I tip them with a little vegan sour cream and an avocado cilantro sauce that I make. Thanks for the delish recipe !!

    Reply
  42. Hallie says:

    Mine definitely didn’t look as pretty as yours, but MAN are they DELICIOUS!!! I added some nutritional yeast and they are to die for. Thank you so much for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      I’m not so sure. Baking will evaporate some liquid of the sauce so the tortilla won’t to soggy. However, crock pot has cover and can keep moisture in quite well. I’m afraid the tortilla will be too soft to scoop.

      Reply
  44. Honey says:

    Since my husbands 2 Nd heart attack, we are checking sodium in the foods we eat.. amazingly high in canned foods.
    I use my instant pot and in less than a hour, one bag of dry black beans produces over 4 cups of perfectly cooked beans. Be sure to season with dry herbs and garlic,onion powders.

    Reply
  45. Laura Newton says:

    I totally cheated by using pre made sauce, but other than that I followed this recipe and they were so good. Parmela sharp is my favorite vegan cheese, and it paired perfectly wish these.

    Reply
  46. robin Ficklin says:

    I added some white corn and some roasted sweet potato chunks to it after I added the filling. AMAZING and so easy. I am a vegetarian so anything new and yummy I am happy to make! This is fantastic.

    Reply
  47. Kristen says:

    Omg, these are amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve tried out a few different vegan recipes over the last few weeks and none of them turned out as well as I was hoping; so I was getting a little discouraged, but my goodness – these are amazing and they taste better than I could have imagined! This recipe will definitely be a new staple in my house. Thanks again! 🙂

    Reply
  49. Diane Shropshire says:

    This recipe is amazing!!! I used the Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce and I made the black beans in the instapot. This is one of my favorite vegan recipes!!!!

    Reply
  50. Cheryl says:

    Thank you for sharing your beautiful recipe! It’s a crowd pleaser! *The only thing I added to the mix, was finely chopped red bell pepper. (capsicum) XO?

    Reply
    • Joyce says:

      I prepare it in a baking dish and cover it with aluminum foil and then the lid. You can bake them frozen at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes.

      Reply
  52. Randall says:

    First off…this recipe is simple AWESOME! I’ve occasionally modified it by adding sweet yellow corn and wild rice – my personal favorite modification. I’ve left out the vegan cheese on occasion – still superb. I sometimes top them with avocado when serving – my teenagers’ favorite twist. I’ve always used canned black beans and tomato sauce and it works perfectly. I’ve made it as specified in the recipe with no changes whatsoever and it’s Absolutely Delicious! It always turns out FANTASTIC! Thank You for sharing this recipe. It is a hit in my house every time I make it.

    Reply
  54. Mandy Screven says:

    I eliminated the oil and the cheese from this recipe to make it Whole Foods plant based compliant and I added lots of veggies to this recipe, 2 medium zucchini, 1 8oz fresh mushrooms, 1/2 bag fresh spinach, 1 can corn, chopped red pepper, two jalapeño, 7 cloves garlic, 2 onions, 2 cans black beans, 6 tsp chili powder, 4 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp coriander, 1 cup fresh cilantro, one can of roasted tomatoes, two cans of red enchilada sauce this made 27 enchiladas so I layered them into deep casserole dish and added sauce to each layer, added more sauce and cilantro to the top and cooked for 25 minutes and topped with vegan parm (made from cashews and nutritional yeast and garlic) and served with fresh avocados and sliced Limes it was amazing! Will make again!

    Reply
  56. Sharan says:

    These were very good. I used pressure cooked black beans. My only issue is 1 tsp salt made them quite salty fir me. Next time I will use less. I loved using 3 tablespoon of chili powder. It was perfect. Thank you!

    Reply

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