Vegetarian Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas — 😍🙌🎉 Warm sweet potatoes, slightly spicy corn, and beans, all smothered in cheese and red sauce. They’re satisfying, hearty, and you’ll never miss the meat!
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Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas Recipe
These black bean sweet potato enchiladas are pure comfort food. But on the healthier side. Warm sweet potatoes, slightly spicy corn, and beans, all smothered in cheese and red sauce.
They’re satisfying and hearty, and you’ll never miss the meat. My family didn’t even realize they were vegetarian until I told them. And to keep the enchiladas vegan, just swap the cheese for vegan cheese.
These vegetarian enchiladas are fast, easy, and ready in less than an hour. You can’t beat that.
To make the filling, simply combine a cooked and diced sweet potato with your favorite corn and bean salsa, and shredded cheese. Top with sauce, more cheese, and you’re ready to bake.
The sweet potatoes add bulk, body, and provide a meat-like heft to the enchiladas, minus the meat. The subtle sweetness is the perfect complement to the tangy sauce and spicier corn and beans.
There’s so much texture in every bite. Juicy corn, firm black beans, gooey cheese, drippy sauce, and chewy enchilada shells. It’s a comfort food party in your mouth with every bite.
The recipe is easily doubled for larger families, planned leftovers, or parties. It’s a great recipe for events where there’s a mixed crowd and at least one vegetarian or vegan in the group. Finally, a vegetarian dinner option that’s not an iceberg lettuce salad or fettuccine alfredo.
I put a leftover sweet potato black bean enchilada in my daughter’s lunch, and while she rarely comes home and exclaims how great her lunch was (what kid does?), she did after these.
She asked when I’m making them again.
What’s in Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas?
To make this veggie enchilada recipe, you’ll need:
- Sweet potato
- Corn and black bean salsa – I used Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar, but most any chunky, corn-heavy, or bean-heavy salsa will work. You can use corn and beans, but I prefer salsa because everything is already cooked and seasoned, and there are fewer steps
- Fresh cilantro
- Shredded cheese – I like cheddar cheese or a shredded Mexican cheese blend, but any flavor you prefer such as Monterey Jack cheese will taste great. For the best taste and texture, buy a block of cheese, and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded varieties contain anti-caking agents that impact their flavor and prevent them from melting
- Red enchilada sauce – Use homemade enchilada sauce or your favorite store-bought variety
- Corn tortillas – I love the flavor of corn tortillas and the fact that they’re gluten-free, making them great for crowds. However, you can use flour tortillas if preferred
- Red peppers and onions (for garnish)
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
These black bean sweet potato enchiladas might look like they came from a restaurant, but they’re easy to make and ready to eat with a total time of just an hour!
Here’s an overview of the cooking process.
- Place a scrubbed and fork-pierced sweet potato in the microwave. Cook on high power for about 10 minutes or until done and fork tender.
- Once cooked, skin, and dice the sweet potato. Add the diced potato, salsa, and shredded cheese to a bowl, and mix to combine.
- Add about 1 cup enchilada sauce to the bottom of an 8×10-inch baking pan. Then, assemble the veggie enchiladas and place them inside the dish.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, then sprinkle with more cheese.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly. I garnished mine with chopped peppers, onions, and cilantro.
Warm the Tortillas
If your corn tortillas are prone to breaking, try gently warming them in a large skillet to make them a little more flexible. Just be sure not to toast them by accident, they just need a few seconds over some heat to loosen up!
What to Serve with Vegetarian Enchiladas
Recipe FAQs
This sweet potato enchilada recipe will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes, you can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months! To keep them fresh, wrap the enchiladas tightly with plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. To serve, cover the dish with foil, and bake from frozen for 20-30 minutes. Then, remove the foil, and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbly and melted.
Yes, simply use a vegan cheese substitute.
I’m sure you could add extra veggies to these sweet potato and black bean enchiladas. Just note that the more filling you make, the more enchiladas you’ll need to roll.
Sure! Feel free to make chicken enchiladas by adding shredded chicken, or use cooked ground turkey or ground beef in the filling.
Feel free to include extra spices like salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and chile powder. Or, add a few cloves garlic, green chiles, lime juice, or a dash of tomato paste.
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Sweet Potato, Corn, and Black Bean Enchiladas
Equipment
- 1 (8×10 inch) Baking Dish
- 1 Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 large/extra large sweet potato, cooked, peeled, and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
- ½ cup corn and black bean salsa (I used Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar Salsa
- 2 to 2 ½ cups shredded cheese, divided (I used a Mexican blend; use vegan cheese to keep vegan)
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce, divided (I used Trader Joe’s; use storebought or homemade)
- 6 to 8 yellow or white corn tortilla shells
- finely diced red peppers or tomatoes, optional for garnishing
- cilantro, optional for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and spray an 8×10-inch baking dish or similar with cooking spray; set aside.
- Place a scrubbed and fork-pierced sweet potato in the microwave and cook on high power for about 10 minutes, or until done and fork tender. Potato can be cooked in the oven at 400F for about 45 to 60 minutes if preferred.
- Remove potato from microwave, slice lengthwise, and the skin should slip off easily; discard skin.
- Dice potato into 1/2-inch cubes and place cubes into a large bowl.
- To the bowl, add the salsa, about 1 1/2 cups cheese (measure it loosely packed in the cup), and gently stir to combine; set filling aside.
- Evenly add about 1 cup enchilada sauce to the bottom of the prepared baking dish; set aside.
- Place about 1/3 cup filling in a tortilla shell, roll up, and place seam side down in prepared dish; repeat with additional shells until all filling mixture is gone.
- Evenly pour remaining 1 cup enchilada sauce over the enchiladas.
- Evenly top with remaining 1 cup cheese.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Optionally garnish with red peppers, cilantro, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Enchiladas are best warm and fresh, but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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New cook here, went to store and noticed sweet potatoes went from small fist size to over one pound each! Can you estimate number of cups of cubed sweet potato?
I don’t know, 3 cups maybe? I would just go with one of the jumbo sweet potatoes you saw or 2 of the smaller ones and if you have a little bit extra sweet potato, it won’t adversely effect the recipe other than you’ll probably yield a couple extra enchiladas.
Delicious recipe!
Thanks for the five star review and Iโm glad they were delicious!
Delicious recipe!
I made these tonight – they were awesome! I added cilantro and yellow pepper to the mix, and used green enchilada sauce. They were amazing! Will definitely make again.
Thanks for the five star review and Iโm glad they turned out great and that you’ll make them again!
I made these tonight – they were awesome! I added cilantro and yellow pepper to the mix, and used green enchilada sauce. They were amazing! Will definitely make again.
I just made this and it was delish! I mushed the sweet potato and used Newmanโs Own black bean and corn salsa…very hearty! Thanks for the easy and tasty recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved the recipe! I have had that Newman’s Own salsa…tasty!
I just made this and it was delish! I mushed the sweet potato and used Newmanโs Own black bean and corn salsa…very hearty! Thanks for the easy and tasty recipe!
Yum! I made your black bean enchiladas tonight and they were delicious! I used the enchilada sauce from The Garden Grazer (this is not a grocery item where I live) and the Black Bean and Corn Salsa from Never Enough Thyme (no Trader Joe’s either). ย Way more than one hour, especially if you add in the trip to the grocery store to buy tortillas, but totally worth it! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
I made these for a family gathering tonight. They were a big hit with everyone… even the one who doesn’t like sweet potatoes. :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and Iโm glad it came out great for you! Even the non sweet potato person!