These are the best ever vegetarian enchiladas! Loaded with seasoned sweet potatoes, protein-packed black beans, satisfying brown rice, and slathered in a shortcut enchilada sauce, this vegetarian enchilada recipe will have everyone coming back for seconds and thirds!
*This recipe was originally shared on 6/9/16 but I updated it with better recipe instructions and process shots on 8/18/19.
Switch up Taco Tuesday dinner with these incredible sweet potato black bean enchiladas! These enchiladas are easy to make, they taste delicious, and they’re freezer-friendly. You’re going to love the seasoned sweet potatoes, protein-packed black beans, satisfying brown rice, and flavorful enchilada sauce!
This recipe is easily customizable based on your preferences. You can use your favorite beans, make the enchiladas as spicy (or not) as you like, and add all of your favorite toppings!
After you try this healthy vegetarian enchilada recipe, make sure you also try these plant-based Taco Tuesday recipes: Loaded Jackfruit Enchiladas, Creamy Mexican Taco Pasta, Salsa Stuffed Peppers, or Low-Carb Vegetable Tofu Tacos.
How To Make Vegetarian Enchiladas – Step by Step
Step #1 – Make the Rice: Get the brown rice started first because it takes the longest to cook. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Step #2 – Roast the Sweet Potatoes: While the rice is cooking, start prepping the sweet potatoes. Peel and chop two medium or one large sweet potato.
Arrange the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined tray and drizzle 1-2 tbsp of vegetable broth or olive oil over the potatoes. Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika over the sweet potatoes. Toss to coat each piece. Bake for 30 minutes.
Step #3 – Make the Black Bean Filling: While the sweet potatoes are roasting, saute 1 diced medium onion in 3 tbsp of low-sodium vegetable broth in a large pan over medium heat until soft, about 8-10 minutes (Photo 1).
Add the minced garlic, 1 tbsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of smoked paprika, tomato paste, and salt (Photo 2). Add more vegetable broth if it gets too dry. Saute for 2 minutes (Photo 3).
Remove the pan from the heat until the sweet potatoes and rice are done cooking (Photo 4). Once everything is ready, add the chopped roasted sweet potatoes, cooked brown rice, and black beans to the pan with the onions. Mix everything together (Photo 5 & 6). Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Step #4 – Assemble the Casserole: Pour 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into a large casserole dish and spread it around to cover the entire bottom (Photo 7). If you skip this step, the enchiladas will stick to the casserole dish.
Warm 8 flour or corn tortillas (so they will roll without cracking) and fill each one with a heaping 1/2 cup of the sweet potato black bean filling (Photo 8). Roll it tightly and place it seam side down into the casserole dish. Repeat until you fill all 8 enchiladas (photo 9).
Step #5 – Bake the Vegetarian Enchiladas: Once you’ve squeezed all 8 enchiladas into the dish, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top (Photo 10). If you want to add vegan cheese, do it now (Photo 11). Cover the dish with parchment paper and bake it for 25-30 minutes (Photo 12).
Step #6 – Garnish the Enchiladas: Use a thin spatula to get the veggie enchiladas out of the casserole dish. Top each one with thinly sliced romaine (or green leaf lettuce, spinach, or kale), diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, sliced green onions, vegan sour cream, and a drizzle of hot sauce.
Do You Have To Make Your Own Enchilada Sauce?
You can make your own enchilada sauce from scratch but I prefer to use this vegan organic enchilada sauce (healthy shortcut!) from Whole Foods because it’s oil-free, low-sodium, and low-sugar. It’s just as good as anything I could make myself, it tastes delicious, and it saves me time!
Here’s my Whole Foods vegan grocery list if you need shopping inspiration for new products to try!
Do You Cover Enchiladas With Foil When Baking?
You should definitely cover enchiladas while they’re baking so they don’t dry out but I wouldn’t use foil because it may leach into your food. You can read more information about aluminum foil health risks, here. I prefer to use parchment paper because it is non-toxic. This is my favorite brand that I always use.
Are Corn Tortillas Vegan?
Not all corn tortillas are vegan but these organic corn tortillas are vegan. If you’d like to make your own vegan corn tortillas, try this recipe. You can also use flour tortillas for this vegetarian enchiladas recipe if you prefer.
Is This Recipe Allergy-Friendly?
Yes, this vegetarian enchilada recipe is also vegan, soy-free, oil-free (if you omit the vegan shredded cheese), and they can be made gluten-free if you use gluten-free tortillas.
What Veggies Go With Enchiladas?
These vegetarian enchiladas are very filling because they’re stuffed with sweet potatoes, black beans, and brown rice. Since it’s not exactly a light meal, I would serve a lighter side dish like an avocado arugula tomato salad, roasted broccoli, grilled corn on the cob, or roasted zucchini.
Can You Freeze Enchiladas?
If you’d like to make this vegetarian enchilada casserole in advance, follow the recipe up to filling the enchiladas. Put the filled enchiladas into a large 9×13 freezer and oven safe dish (I love this stainless steel pan because it can go into the freezer and oven without having to worry about glass cracking!), pour the enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, cover it (make sure it’s sealed very well), and freeze it for 3-4 months.
When you’re ready to reheat the veggie enchiladas, put the tray in the fridge overnight to defrost and then bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until it’s hot all the way through.
Notes & Substitutions
- You can use corn or flour tortillas for this enchilada recipe, just make sure to check the label for honey or lard as some tortillas contain those ingredients.
- You can substitute butternut squash, russet, or gold potatoes for the sweet potatoes if you prefer.
- You can use pinto beans, great northern beans, chickpeas, or kidney beans instead of the black beans if you’d like. You could also make these vegetarian black bean enchiladas without beans if necessary.
- You can use white, brown, basmati, or jasmine rice in this recipe. My personal preference is brown rice but any will work. If you want a low-carb option, use cauliflower rice instead.
- I use this store-bought vegan enchilada sauce to save time but you can make your own enchilada sauce if you prefer. Try this recipe.
- Make sure you spread a layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan before you add the filled enchiladas. The sauce acts as a barrier between the veggie enchiladas and the pan, otherwise, the tortillas will bake onto the pan and they will rip when you try to take them out.
- Cover the enchiladas with parchment paper while they bake to stop them from drying out.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze it for a future meal.
More Sweet Potato Recipes You’ll Love!
Vegan Cheesy Broccoli Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
30-MinutesSweet Potato Black Bean Burritos
Spicy Thai Sweet Potato Noodles
Twice Baked Savory Balsamic Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
Equipment
- Large Baking Tray
- Large Saute Pan
- Large 9x13 Casserole Dish
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1-2 tbsp low-sodium vegetable broth (or olive oil)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Black Beans
- 3 tbsp low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- (1) 14 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
Enchiladas
- 2 cups enchilada sauce
- 8 medium corn or flour tortillas
- 1/4 cup vegan shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 small head romaine lettuce thinly sliced
- 1 large tomato diced
- 1 avocado
- 1/4 cup green onions sliced
- vegan sour cream
- hot sauce
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Get the brown rice started first because it takes the longest to cook.
- While the rice is cooking, start prepping the sweet potatoes. Peel and chop two medium or one large sweet potato.
- Arrange the sweet potatoes on a parchment-lined tray and drizzle 1-2 tbsp of vegetable broth (or olive oil) over the potatoes. Sprinkle the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika over the sweet potatoes. Toss to coat each piece. Bake for 20 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes are roasting, saute 1 diced medium onion in 3 tbsp of low-sodium vegetable broth in a large pan over medium heat until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, 1 tbsp of chili powder, 1 tsp of smoked paprika, 2 tbsp of tomato paste, and 1/4 tsp of salt. Add more vegetable broth if it gets too dry. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat until the sweet potatoes and rice are done cooking. Once everything is ready, add the roasted sweet potatoes, cooked brown rice, and black beans to the pan with the onions. Mix everything together. Add a little more vegetable broth if it's too dry. You want the filling to be a little wet but not liquidy. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- Pour 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into a large casserole dish and spread it around to cover the entire bottom of the casserole dish. (If you skip this step, the enchiladas will stick to the casserole dish.)
- Warm 8 flour or corn tortillas (so they will roll without cracking) and fill each one with a heaping 1/2 cup of the sweet potato black bean filling. Roll the tortilla snugly and place it seam side down into the casserole dish. Repeat until you fill all 8 enchiladas.
- Once you’ve squeezed all 8 enchiladas into the dish (it might be a tight squeeze), pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top. If you want to add vegan cheese, do it now. Cover the dish with parchment paper and bake it for 25-30 minutes.
- Use a thin spatula to get the enchiladas out of the casserole dish. Top each enchilada with thinly sliced romaine or green leaf lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado, sliced green onions, vegan sour cream, and a drizzle of hot sauce.
Notes
- You can use corn or flour tortillas for this enchilada recipe, just make sure to check the label for honey or lard as some tortillas contain those ingredients.
- You can substitute butternut squash, russet, or gold potatoes for the sweet potatoes if you prefer.
- You can use pinto beans, great northern beans, chickpeas, or kidney beans instead of the black beans if you'd like.
- You can use white, brown, basmati, or jasmine rice in this recipe. My personal preference is brown rice but any will work. If you want a lower-carb option, use cauliflower rice instead.
- I use this store-bought vegan enchilada sauce to save time but you can make your own enchilada sauce if you prefer. Try this recipe.
- Make sure you spread a layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan before you add the filled enchiladas. The sauce acts as a barrier between the enchiladas and the pan, otherwise, the tortillas will bake onto the pan and they will rip when you try to take them out.
- Cover the enchiladas with parchment paper while they bake to stop them from drying out.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze it for a future meal.
