Delicious, meatless Sweet Potato Enchiladas are chock full of delicious and good-for-you vegetables, brown rice, black beans and salsa. This meal is a quick, family-friendly dinner!
Sweet Potato Enchiladas
These Sweet Potato Enchiladas are a game changer! I whipped them up often during my college days, and they were one of the first dishes I introduced to my husband. He used to be all about meat in every meal, but these veggie-filled wonders made him rethink that. Trust me, they’re just as hearty and satisfying as any meat dish out there.
In this post, I’ll show you how to nail these enchiladas, top them off just right, throw in some cool variations (like a simple homemade taco seasoning), and prep them for later or freezing. Let’s get started!
Ingredients In Sweet Potato Enchiladas
These wholesome ingredients not only pack a nutritional punch but also elevate the enchiladas to the delicious dinner they are.
- Brown rice: Gives a filling base and helps hold everything together.
- Olive oil: Helps cook and sauté the veggies.
- Sweet potatoes & bell peppers: Add a sweet flavor and a nice texture to the mix.
- Taco seasoning: Gives a spicy kick to the filling.
- Minced garlic: Brings in depth and aroma.
- Black beans: Boosts the protein and adds some bite.
- Salsa: Lends tanginess and moisture to both the filling and baking dish.
- Lime juice & cilantro: Together, they offer a fresh, citrus-herby touch to the filling.
- Cheddar cheese: Melts for a creamy texture and savory taste.
- Red enchilada sauce: Moistens and flavors the enchiladas during baking.
- Tortillas: Wraps up the filling to make the enchiladas.
Quick Tip
For a quick enchilada seasoning, either grab a taco seasoning packet or make your own mix: combine 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon each of paprika and cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon each of oregano, roasted garlic powder, sea salt, and cracked pepper. Whisk them in a bowl, and it’s ready to use! To prep ahead, mix several batches and store for later.
How To Make Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Cook Veggies: In a big pan with some olive oil, cook the cut-up sweet potatoes until they’re a bit soft and have a light brown color, about 7 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add Flavor: Mix in your spices and garlic. Turn the heat down a bit so nothing burns.
- Mix in Beans: Add black beans to the pan and stir them around.
- Add Extras: Pour in salsa, cilantro, and lime juice.
- Add Rice: Mix in your cooked rice. Give it a taste and add more spices if you want.
- Fill & Roll: Put some filling and cheese on a tortilla, roll it up, and put it in a baking dish.
- Bake: Pour some enchilada sauce and cheese on top, then bake. When it’s done, add any toppings you like. Enjoy!
What to top your Sweet Potato Enchiladas with
Whatever you like to top enchiladas with will likely work here. Below are some of our favorites:
- Fresh lime: The juice and individual wedges so people can add more to their sweet potato black bean enchiladas.
- Fresh cilantro: Sprinkle on finely diced or a big handful if you love cilantro.
- Pico de gallo or a fresh tomato: Add a scoop of pico or dice up some cherry tomatoes to add on top.
- Fresh avocado: Thinly sliced or chopped, avocado adds so much to this dish. (A scoop of guacamole also works great.)
- Sour cream: Fat-free or lite work great! You can also use plain Greek yogurt.
- Jalapeños: If you want some heat, add some thinly sliced jalapeños right on top.
Variations
Switch It Up
- Add an onion: Add 1/2 cup diced yellow onion when sautéing the sweet potatoes.
- Sweet peppers: You can leave them out or substitute a green or poblano pepper.
- Roasted sweet potato enchiladas: If you’d rather have roasted sweet potatoes (instead of cooking in the skillet), check out this post for making roasted sweet potatoes; use those in this recipe instead.
- Make a black bean sweet potato enchilada casserole: Instead of enchiladas by following this recipe.
- Reduce calories: You can use reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (and less of it) and fat-free sour cream.
- Add heat: If you like things spicy, add in a can of fire-roasted diced green chiles. You could also add a diced jalapeño pepper to the enchiladas. Another way to add more heat would be to add an extra 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Storage
- Enchiladas are freezer-friendly! Assemble without baking, store in a freezer-safe pan, cover with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen for 50-60 minutes. The filling can also be frozen and thawed as needed. Remember to follow general freezing guidelines for best outcomes.
- For refrigerating enchiladas, place them in an airtight container or tightly wrap them, and store on the middle fridge shelf. They’re best consumed within 3-4 days. Keep wet toppings separate to retain tortilla quality, and always reheat thoroughly before serving.
More Sweet Potato Recipes:
- One skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl
- Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad with a lemon vinaigrette
- Crockpot Sweet Potato Stew
- Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Southwestern-inspired
- Baked Sweet Potatoes quick and easy
Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
These meatless Sweet Potato Enchiladas are loaded with veggies, brown rice, black beans, and salsa—perfect for a quick, family-friendly dinner!
Equipment
- Large pan 12 inches
- Baking pan 9 x 13-inch
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked brown rice made from 1 cup uncooked rice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 cups diced sweet potatoes in 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 cup sweet bell peppers very thinly sliced
- 1 packet taco seasoning see note 1 for homemade
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1-3/4 cup salsa divided; I used mild
- 1 lime
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Cooking spray
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese divided
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
- 12 white tortillas or whole-wheat tortillas
- Toppings as desired see note 2
Instructions
- Peel and chop sweet potatoes into small pieces. In a large pan (12 inches), combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and sweet potatoes over medium-high heat. Cook until potatoes begin to get tender (about 8 minutes), then add the 1 cup thinly sliced sweet peppers (remove stems and seeds and chop) with the last tablespoon olive oil. Cook an additional 3–4 minutes.
- Add taco seasoning packet or homemade taco seasoning (see note 1) and minced garlic. Sauté for 1–2 minutes or until fragrant. Add drained and rinsed black beans. Stir for another 30 seconds to a minute.
- Remove pan from heat and stir in 1 cup salsa, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and the chopped cilantro. Stir. Add in cooked rice and stir again to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings to preference (increase any spices; add salt and pepper).
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Add remaining 3/4 cup salsa to the bottom of the pan and spread evenly with a wooden spoon.
- Scoop 1/2 cup of the mixture onto the left side of a tortilla. Sprinkle with a handful of Cheddar cheese, about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons. Roll up tightly. Place the enchilada seam-side-down into the prepared pan. Repeat until the pan is filled with enchiladas. (I usually fit 8 in a 9x13 pan and save the remaining 4 to make in an 8x8 pan.)
- Pour 1 cup red enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Bake 15–20 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are warmed through.
- Remove and serve with sour cream, extra salsa or freshly chopped tomatoes, additional cilantro, additional limes/lime juice, and/or ripe avocado or guacamole.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: To make homemade taco seasoning, combine the following in a small bowl and whisk together: 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper. Make several batches of this and save for the next time you need more!
Note 2: Try some of these toppings: sour cream, extra salsa, cilantro, and/or green onions.
Storage: Enchiladas can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container (or tightly wrapped) for 3–4 days. Keep wet toppings separate. To freeze, assemble them without baking, store in a freezer-safe pan, cover with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 1158mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4507IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We love these enchiladas. My aunt made them about seven years ago and it’s a recipe I come back to every month or so. Delicious and adaptable.
Yay! I am so happy to hear this! Thanks Kat!
This was so DELICIOUS! My family and I
loved it. Another hit from Chelsea, we love your recipes!
Yay!! So happy to hear this! Thanks so much DD! 🙂
Wanted a vegan enchilada w/o tomatoes and wheat tortillas. The beans rice and sweet potatoes mixture was awesome. I had to get corn tortillas and made homemade green salsa but used the red enchilada sausage as it doesn’t have tomatoes in it! Delish! I wanted to introduce my husband to sweet potatoes that weren’t like the candied he’d had as a kid(&hated). He loved these enchiladas!❤👍 Thanks
This enchiladas recipe was the best online recipe I’v ever tried !!!! So amazing!!!
So thrilled to hear that! Thank you 🙂
I love your new recipe format! This combo has an amazingly good taste and is quite popular in Mexico. Enchiladas and tamales are like pizza. You can make them any way you want and they will taste great.
This was SO good!!! Super simple to make! Had to cook the sweet potatoes much longer since I didn’t dice them small enough. Family all thought there was meat in it. My 16 yr old is not a huge sweet potato fan but LOVED it! Thanks Chelsea!!
I’m sooo glad to hear you guys enjoyed this! Thanks so much Regina! 🙂
Quick question, does this actually produce enough filling for 12 regular sized tortillas, or 12 taco-sized tortillas?
Yes, regular sized tortillas! And you’ll probably even have some extra filling 🙂
Nutrition Facts (if anyone is interested)
Servings 12.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 323
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13 g 19 %
Saturated Fat 5 g 24 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 22 mg 7 %
Sodium 1001 mg 42 %
Potassium 335 mg 10 %
Total Carbohydrate 44 g 15 %
Dietary Fiber 9 g 35 %
Sugars 9 g
Protein 10 g 20 %
Vitamin A 79 %
Vitamin C 203 %
Calcium 18 %
Iron 22 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.