Vegetarian Enchiladas

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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!

Vegetarian enchiladas fresh out of the oven, in the pan, garnished with avocado and cilantro.

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!

QUICK TIP

If you’d like to serve more vegetarian dishes, this is a great one to start with! It has familiar flavors and textures, so hesitant family members will feel comfortable. Once your family is accustomed to vegetarian foods, you can expand the recipes you serve.

Cooking the vegetarian stuffing, including beans and vegetables, for the vegetarian enchilada recipe.

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!

Tortillas being stuffed, rolled, and arranged in the casserole dish.

Vegetarian Enchiladas FAQs

Prepared savory dish, ready to be enjoyed.

 

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.

Easy vegetarian enchiladas on a plate with one cut open to reveal the tasty ingredients.

More easy vegetarian meals

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Vegetarian Enchiladas

5 from 7 votes
Flavorful and simple to make Vegetarian Enchiladas are packed with black beans, corn, peppers, fresh lime, and cheese. The enchiladas are topped with sauce, cheese, fresh avocado, and cilantro.
Vegetarian enchiladas fresh out of the oven, in the pan, garnished with avocado and cilantro.
Print Recipe

Vegetarian Enchiladas

Vegetarian enchiladas fresh out of the oven, in the pan, garnished with avocado and cilantro.
5 from 7 votes
Flavorful and simple to make Vegetarian Enchiladas are packed with black beans, corn, peppers, fresh lime, and cheese. The enchiladas are topped with sauce, cheese, fresh avocado, and cilantro.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Vegetarian
Keyword vegetarian enchiladas
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings (2 enchiladas per person)
Chelsea Lords
Calories 236kcal
Cost $6.51

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 small red onion, diced (1/2 cup)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced (3/4 cup)
  • Fine sea salt and freshly cracked 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 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 and 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce, divided (homemade or storebought)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas (I like cooking up the TortillaLand tortillas for these enchiladas)
  • 2 cups freshly grated Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, separated
  • freshly diced cilantro and avocado, for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add the diced red onion and diced red pepper. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon of each) and saute for 4-6 minutes, or until onion is translucent and tender. Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds or until fragrant. Add in the paprika, cumin, and chili powder. Stir until spices are fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. (Lower the heat as needed to prevent burning.)
  • Add in the frozen corn (no need to thaw), black beans, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, and fresh lime juice. Lower the heat to medium low and cook, stirring frequently, until the corn is completely defrosted, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the tortillas according to package instructions (if using raw tortillas). Set aside to let cool.
  • In a 3-quart baking dish (9x13-inch pan), 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 up all the veggie filling and 1 cup of cheese (which should evenly fill 8 tortillas).
  • Evenly spread the last remaining 1/2 cup enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Keep the corners uncovered by enchilada sauce so they get a little crispy in the oven. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of 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 Facts

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

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

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Recipe Rating




27 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    You have combined all of my favorite foods in this recipe! Cannot wait to make this today. Thanks for the inspiration!!!

  2. These look wonderful! My hubby loves chicken enchiladas but I tend to eat more veggies so I love this vegetarian version. Pinning to try and thanks so much for sharing Chelsea and hope you have a great week 🙂

  3. Hi Chelsea!
    I love your recipes! I can’t wait to try this one! Do you have a store bought enchilada sauce that you recommend?

  4. I love veggie enchiladas, and it’s been way too long since I’ve made some! Making these soon! 😉

  5. 5 stars
    I’ve never left a food blog review before, but I made these 3 times in the 10 days after trying them (& several times since), so I couldn’t not comment! Such an easy, tasty, and healthy recipe. To make it even easier I started using jarred minced garlic and half a jar of roasted red peppers (drained & diced) so the only “real work” is dicing the onion (which I’ve also been using a whole yellow onion since that’s what I always have on hand, but I’ll definitely give it a try with red soon!). The filling is just so delicious that I’ve been making only that recently and using it for burritos throughout the week – makes for an easy lunch option!

    Thanks so much for the recipe – looking forward to trying some of your others!

  6. 5 stars
    I love this recipe and have made it several times. I’m looking to make and freeze it for a friend. Anyone tried this before?

  7. I haven’t made these before. I’m making these for a potluck tonight. Question on how to add the cheese. Is it 1 cup of each cheese to make the 2 cups? Can I mix the 2 cheeses together? Do I add 1 T of cheddar and 1 T of Jack to each tortilla? Not sure of the directions. Thanks

    1. Hope you love them! 🙂 You can use just one or the other or a combo of both (1 cup of each :))

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