Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas (with Easy Homemade Sauce)

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Vegetarian enchiladas have got to be one of my favourite meals of all time. You just can’t beat a hot, bubbly pan of spicy, cheesy enchiladas – and these spinach and black bean enchiladas are the best ever. Fresh vegetables and tasty black beans, wrapped up in soft tortillas, and coated in a simple homemade enchilada sauce – wonderful.

A portion of spinach and black bean enchiladas on a plate.

The enchilada sauce is really easy to make yourself – it literally takes about 5 minutes (the method is similar to making a simple white sauce), so if you have the right ingredients, I’d recommend giving it a try. I’ve been making my own enchilada sauce for years, and it never fails – see it used in my enchilada noodles, enchilada casserole, enchilada stuffed shells, enchilada lentils… Yeah, I’m kind of obsessed with the stuff.

However, if you’re pushed for time, or you just can’t be bothered to make your own sauce, shop-bought enchilada sauce works totally fine too!

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • The flavours and textures are the perfect combination – these vegetarian enchiladas are spicy, saucy, salty, soft, chewy, crispy, cheesy… and any number of other things.
  • The enchilada filling needs almost no pre-cooking (only the spinach needs wilting for literally 1 minute in the microwave), so this is a really quick and easy dinner to throw together.
  • You can easily simplify the recipe by using shop-bought enchilada sauce, if you prefer.
  • The recipe can either serve two people, if you’re serving it on its own – or, if you’re making some side dishes, you can stretch it to feed 4 (see below for some side dish ideas). It’s also really easy to double the batch if needed!
  • These black bean enchiladas are ideal for heaping up with your favourite Tex-Mex toppings – a dollop of sour cream, some sliced avocado or guacamole, fresh tomato salsa, etc.
Cheesy black bean enchiladas in a baking dish with a portion removed.

🥗 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe.

These ingredients assume you’ll be making your own enchilada sauce – if you’re choosing to use a shop-bought sauce, your ingredients list will look a little different.

You’ll also need a few store cupboard ingredients for the sauce, like flour and oil. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for spinach and black bean enchiladas with text overlay.
  • flour tortillas – nice big ones!
  • black beans
  • spinach
  • spring onions – these are great to use as they’re milder than regular onions, so they do really well with not being pre-cooked.
  • fresh cilantro
  • grated cheddar cheese

And, if you’re making your own sauce:

  • tomato paste
  • spices – garlic granules, cumin, smoked paprika, and hot chilli powder
  • vegetable stock cube (or liquid veggie stock)

Becca’s Top Tip

I used fresh spinach to make my enchiladas, but you could use frozen spinach instead, if you prefer. Frozen spinach does release a lot of liquid as it defrosts though, so make sure you squeeze out as much liquid as you can before adding it to the enchiladas.

🔄 Ingredient Swaps

Feel free to make this recipe your own! The easiest way to adapt the recipe is to add different ingredients to the filling of the enchiladas. To make sure the recipe is just as quick and easy to make as my version, try to stick with ingredients that don’t need to be pre-cooked (or use leftovers that have already been cooked).

As well as (or instead of) the black beans and spinach that I used, other great filling ideas could be:

📋 Instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for the printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Collage showing vegetarian enchilada filling in a mixing bowl.

Step 1: Wilt the spinach in the microwave, and combine it with the other ingredients for the enchilada filling. Nothing else needs pre-cooking!

Homemade red enchilada sauce in a small saucepan.

Step 2: If you’re making your own enchilada sauce, make it now – it only takes 5 minutes.

Vegetarian black bean enchiladas being filled on a chopping board.

Step 3: Add the enchilada filling to the large tortillas, roll them up, and place them in a baking dish.

Cheesy black bean enchiladas in a baking dish.

Step 4: Top with the remaining sauce and cheese, and bake!

A portion of black bean enchiladas on a plate with salad and sour cream.

Step 5: Serve the black bean enchiladas hot, either on their own (if only serving 2 people), or with some additional side dishes (if serving 4).

Becca’s Top Tip

Don’t forget the toppings! At the very least, a dollop of sour cream is a great contrast to the rich, spicy enchilada sauce. If you want to, go further with guacamole, sliced avocado, or fresh tomato salsa.

🥗 What to Serve with Black Bean Enchiladas

Sometimes I don’t bother making any side dishes to serve with enchiladas. After all, the black bean enchiladas themselves already contain protein, carbs, and a few different veggies – you don’t really need much else to go with them.

But if I’m making enchiladas for guests, or I just want the meal to feel a bit more special, a good side dish or two can go a long way.

My favourite side dishes to serve with enchiladas are:

  • a simple green salad (the freshness is a great contrast to the rich sauce!)
  • rice – either plain, or tomato baked rice
  • plenty of dips to dollop on top, e.g. sour cream, salsa or guacamole
  • fresh sliced avocado
  • a few tortilla chips, to add a nice crunch
  • extra roasted vegetables

If you really want to go all out, make a full-on feast with all your favourite Tex-Mex dishes! It’s a great way to feed a crowd.

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare enchiladas in advance?

Absolutely – just assemble the dish and store it with a lid in the fridge for up to a day or two, until you’re ready to bake them.

How should I store leftovers?

Leftover enchiladas should be stored in an airtight tub in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Can leftover enchiladas be frozen?

Yes – enchiladas are also a great option for batch cooking, as they can be frozen in an airtight tub.

How can I reheat leftover enchiladas?

The easiest option is to microwave individual portions until piping hot. You can also reheat the whole pan of enchiladas in the oven, but they may dry out a little as they’re essentially being cooked for a second time.

A fork cutting into black bean enchiladas with sour cream.
Vegetarian enchiladas on a plate with black beans and sour cream.

Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas

These tasty spinach and black bean enchiladas are the perfect vegetarian Tex-Mex dish – they're spicy, cheesy, and super comforting.

If you’ve cooked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating!

5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Comment
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 851kcal
Author: Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 100 g (~ 3 1/2 oz) fresh spinach
  • 400 g tin black beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 3 spring onions, sliced
  • Few sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
  • 100 g cheddar cheese, grated (~ 1 cup when grated)
  • 1 cup red enchilada sauce (I used homemade)
  • 4 large flour tortillas

Instructions

  • Cook the spinach in a large bowl in the microwave for around 1 minute, until it has wilted. Set aside to cool for a minute or two.
  • While the spinach is cooling, add the black beans, spring onions, cilantro, and half of the grated cheese to a mixing bowl. When the spinach is cool enough to handle, give it a quick chop, and add that to the mixture too (discarding any excess liquid from the spinach). Mix well to combine.
  • If you’re making your own sauce, make it now. You can see detailed instructions and process photos on the blog post about my homemade enchilada sauce – it only takes about 5 minutes.
  • Heat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
  • Spread a tablespoon or two of the enchilada sauce around the bottom of a baking dish (mine measured approximately 10 x 6 inches) – this helps to stop the enchiladas from sticking. Add about half of the remaining sauce to the black bean mixture, and mix.
  • Lay a large tortilla on a board, and spoon a quarter of the filling mixture in a line across the centre. Roll the tortilla around the filling, and place it in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.
  • Spread the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the rolled tortillas in the dish, and top with the remaining grated cheese.
  • Bake for around 30-40 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has crisped up to your liking.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas
Amount Per Serving (2 enchiladas)
Calories 851 Calories from Fat 355
% Daily Value*
Fat 39.4g61%
Saturated Fat 15g75%
Cholesterol 53mg18%
Sodium 1648mg69%
Potassium 810mg23%
Carbohydrates 93g31%
Fiber 14.3g57%
Sugar 7.3g8%
Protein 33g66%
Calcium 462mg46%
Iron 5mg28%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.

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12 Comments

  1. These look so good! We eat a lot of mexican inspired dishes in our house, it’ll be nice to have this healthier version!

  2. Gorgeous food photography. living in the SW I am always looking for new enchilada recipes! would you come link it up at my recipe link up? I’d be honored! (link up two recipes if you like!)~~Katie