Black Bean Enchiladas
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 603kcal
Easy black bean enchiladas with homemade red sauce, and queso fresco—perfectly comforting, authentic, and ready in under an hour!
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Ingredients
Red enchilada sauce:
- 1 ancho chile dried, stem and seeds removed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano dried
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch substitute all purpose flour
- salt to taste
Enchilada filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
- 1 onion white or yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cans black beans drained and rinsed; see notes
- ½ cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried
- ½ teaspoon cumin ground
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt to taste
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1½ cups queso fresco crumbled, substitute cotija or feta
Garnish / toppings:
- queso fresco extra crumbled
- sour cream or Greek yogurt
- avocado sliced
- radishes thinly sliced
- cilantro chopped
Instructions
Prepare enchilada sauce
- Remove stem and seeds from ancho chile and toast in a dry skillet for 30 seconds per side until fragrant.
- Soak in hot water for 10 minutes.
- Blend soaked chile with ½ cup vegetable broth until smooth.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Sauté onions and garlic until soft (about 3-4 minutes).
- Stir in blended ancho chile, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute to toast the spices.
- Add tomato paste and stir for another minute.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable broth to the corn starch and mix until smooth. Slowly pour in the corn starch slurry and remaining vegetable broth, whisking to avoid lumps.
- Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened, then season with salt to taste. Set aside.
Prepare filling
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat.
- Sauté onions until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add black beans, vegetable broth, oregano, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt.
- Mash the beans lightly with a spoon, leaving some whole for texture. Cook for 5 minutes until slightly thickened but still moist.
Assemble enchiladas
- Warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave (wrapped in a damp towel) until pliable.
- Dip each tortilla lightly in the enchilada sauce to coat both sides.
- Fill each tortilla with a spoonful of bean mixture and crumbled queso fresco, then roll it up.
- Place rolled enchiladas in a baking dish.
Bake and serve
- Pour extra enchilada sauce over the rolled enchiladas.
- Sprinkle with a little extra crumbled queso fresco.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15 minutes, just until warmed through.
- Serve hot, garnished with sour cream, avocado slices, radishes, and fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Substitute 2 cups of storebought enchilada sauce
- Heat tortillas gently in a skillet or microwave wrapped in a damp towel until flexible before filling.
- Keep some whole beans for texture while mashing others for creamy consistency.
- Unbaked enchiladas freeze wonderfully; wrap tightly and bake from frozen, adding extra sauce if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 603kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 1130mg | Potassium: 1071mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5055IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 395mg | Iron: 6mg
