Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

You won’t even miss the meat in these Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas! They’re a delicious vegetarian twist on a classic Mexican recipe. Cubed sweet potatoes, whole black beans, kale, and cheese are mixed together, loaded into corn tortillas, covered with a salsa verde, and then baked in the oven. With a few simple substitutions, this easy enchiladas dish can also be made vegan and dairy-free!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas Recipe

Enchiladas are one of the BEST dishes you can get when eating at a Mexican restaurant.

Whether a classic Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce or a Salsa Verde Enchiladas recipe – they’re always SO full of flavor.

But one night recently I was craving the taste and flavor of an enchilada, but without the meat.

Could it be done?  Can you actually make an enchilada recipe with just VEGETABLES that tastes as good as a meat-loaded one?

Well I think you already know the answer to that – because here, right in front of you are these drool-worthy Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas.

They’re actually a spin off from these Sweet Potato Black Bean Tacos and taste just as good – if not better!

You can also easily prep them ahead of time and have them ready to pull out and bake in the oven when you’re ready to eat.

Ingredients

The ingredients for these enchiladas are pretty simple to find.  I’ll go over the main ones as well as a few ingredient substitutions you can make if you are vegan or dairy-free.

Sweet Potatoes – Either jewel or garnet sweet potatoes work well in this recipe.  If you can, buy organic since potatoes are grown underground and soak up a lot of the chemicals used when fertilizing.

Black Beans – Simple canned black beans will do, but you can also cook your own black beans if you’d prefer.  Just make sure you thoroughly rinse and dry the canned kind before mixing them in.

Kale – Yes!  We’re sneaking in some greens here.  If you want to leave this out, you can, but it adds a good amount of nutrition without too strong of flavor.

Seasonings – Ahhh.  The secret to the flavor in these bad boys!  A combination of cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and just a touch of cinnamon give these enchiladas a really hearty and savory flavor.  If you don’t have time to mix all of these up, feel free to substitute with a store bought or Homemade Taco Seasoning instead.

Salsa – Now this one is totally up to you!  Either a mild or medium heat salsa can be used.  Salsa verde, or green sauce, paired wonderfully with the other flavors, but you can also use a homemade red enchilada sauce if you’d prefer.

Cheese – Shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jack both work great.  If you’re vegan or dairy-free you can either leave the cheese out completely or substitute it with a dairy-free cheese alternative.

Tortillas – Corn tortillas are absolutely essential when making enchiladas – especially if you want to keep them gluten-free.  You can use white or yellow corn, it doesn’t really matter.  Avoid using flour tortillas as they tend to get gummy after baking.

Prepping the Sweet Potatoes

A key part of making the filling for these enchiladas is making sure you prep the sweet potatoes correctly.

If you haven’t already, first rinse and scrub the potatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt and debris.

Next, peel the potatoes using a potato peeler.  This is optional, and you can keep it on if you’d prefer.

Cut the sweet potatoes into ½” cubes.  If you cut the potatoes too large they will take a lot longer to cook.

How to Make

There are three parts to making these sweet potato black bean enchiladas.  First, you’ll make the filling.  Next you’ll prep the corn tortillas and roll them into enchiladas.  And lastly, you’ll place them all in a baking dish and cook them in the oven.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Filling

1. Add oil and onions to a large skillet over medium heat.  Sauté for 2-3 minutes.  Add crushed garlic and continue sautéing for an additional minute. (step 1 above)

2. Add peeled and cubed sweet potatoes and cook for 2 minutes.  Cover the skillet with a lid and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. (step 2 above)

3. Whisk together salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

4. Once the potatoes are soft, turn off the heat and stir in the seasoning mix, drained black beans, and chopped kale.   (step 3 & 4 above)

Soften the Tortillas

There’s a little trick I learned from my mother-in-love when I first made her Chicken Enchiladas Verdes…

You pan-fry the tortillas in a bit of coconut oil before making them into enchiladas.

WHAT?!  Yes!  The coconut oil not only makes the tortillas soft and pliable, but it also gives them an incredible flavor!

Also, if you’ve ever ended up with soggy enchiladas then this is where the error occurred.

Pan-frying the tortillas in hot oil creates a barrier between it and the sauce so it does not soak up too much when baking.

Enchilada Assembly

Once you’ve got your filling made and the tortillas softened, it’s time to fill them up.

To do this fill one tortilla with about ¼ cup of the sweet potato and black bean mixture along with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

1. Place the filled tortillas seam-side down in a large baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. (step 1 above)
2. Pour the entire jar of salsa over the enchiladas, making sure to spread it over the edges of the tortillas. (step 2 above)
3. Top the enchiladas with the remaining cup of shredded cheese. (step 3 above)
4. Cover the dish with a piece of aluminum foil and baked, covered, in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Serving

These vegetarian enchiladas are already bursting with flavor, but there’s a few simple toppings you can add on to really freshen them up:

• Homemade Guacamole
• Fresh Salsa
• Diced tomatoes
• Finely chopped cilantro
• Sliced or diced avocado
• Sour cream

FAQs

Do you have to fry tortillas before making enchiladas?

Corn tortillas are used to make enchiladas and are normally pretty friable and break easily if rolled.

In order to prevent cracking, quickly pan-frying in a bit of oil will make the tortillas much easier to roll into enchiladas.

Why are my enchiladas soggy?

Pan-frying tortillas in hot oil before rolling creates a slight barrier between the tortilla and the sauce so they do not soak up too much of it while baking.

But there’s a delicate balance here.  Fry the tortillas too much and they’ll be too stiff to roll.  Use too much oil and they’ll end up soggy.

So remember, use JUST enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan and cook the tortillas until they start to brown slightly and bubble up.

How can I make this recipe vegan?

These sweet potato black bean enchiladas are already naturally vegetarian, but can easily be made vegan.  To make vegan enchiladas, simply substitute the cheese for dairy-free cheese or leave it off completely.

Are these enchiladas gluten-free?

If you made sure to select a gluten-free corn tortilla then yes, this recipe is completely gluten-free and safe for Celiacs.

4 from 3 votes

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

You won't even miss the meat in these Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas! They're a delicious vegetarian twist on a classic Mexican recipe. Cubed sweet potatoes, whole black beans, kale, and cheese are mixed together, loaded into corn tortillas, covered with a salsa verde, and then baked in the oven. With a few simple substitutions, this easy enchiladas dish can also be made vegan and dairy-free!

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Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword easy, gluten free, vegetarian

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 5 servings

Calories 592 kcal

London Brazil

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 2 Tbsp. oil avocado or olive
• 1 small sweet onion finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tsp. salt to taste
• ¼ tsp black pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
• ⅛ tsp. cinnamon
• 15 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained
• 2 cups kale finely chopped
• 8-10 corn tortillas
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 2 cups shredded cheese cheddar or Monterrey Jack
• 16 oz. jar salsa verde mild or medium

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F

Sweet Potato Black Bean Filling:

1. Add oil and onions to a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add crushed garlic and continue sautéing for an additional minute.

2. Add peeled and cubed sweet potatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Cover the skillet with a lid and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.

3. Whisk together salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
4. Once the potatoes are soft, turn off the heat and stir in the seasoning mix, drained black beans, and chopped kale.
5. In a separate large skillet over medium-low heat add a few teaspoons of coconut oil. Place 2-3 tortillas in a single layer and cook for about 1 minute per side, or until they are soft and pliable. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to let any excess oil drain off.

Enchilada Assembly:

1. Fill each tortilla with equal amounts of the sweet potato and black bean mixture along with 2 tablespoons of shredded cheese.
2. Place the filled tortillas seam-side down in a large baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Pour the entire jar of salsa over the enchiladas, making sure to spread it over the edges of the tortillas.
4. Top the enchiladas with the remaining cup of shredded cheese.
5. Cover the dish with a piece of aluminum foil and baked, covered, in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
6. Serve enchiladas with cilantro, tomatoes, and diced avocados. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• Vegan or dairy-free?  Leave the cheese out completely or substitute it with a dairy-free cheese alternative.
• Use 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning mix instead of the cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon if you'd prefer.  Adjust the amount of salt you add accordingly.

Nutrition Facts

Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

Amount Per Serving

Calories 592 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 35mg12%

Sodium 1751mg76%

Potassium 1215mg35%

Carbohydrates 73g24%

Fiber 13g54%

Sugar 13g14%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 23150IU463%

Vitamin C 43mg52%

Calcium 388mg39%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.