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These Vegetarian Enchiladas are a hearty vegetarian dish packs a flavor punch! From the perfectly-spiced filling to the rich enchilada sauce these Veggie Enchiladas win over the pickiest of eaters!
My husband is known as the pickiest of eaters at our house and often shies away from veggie heavy dishes. So it came as a surprise to me (and HIM!) that these Vegetarian Enchiladas are one of his new favorites!
In fact, when I served these veggie enchiladas the first time to my family, I paired them with a side of Instant Pot Spanish Rice and a Pina Colada Smoothie so I wouldn't hear my family complain too loudly if they didn't care for the vegetable filling of the enchiladas. Imagine my surprise, when they were devoured by my teens and my picky husband!
So whether you are looking for more family-friendly plant-based recipes, a way to incorporate veggies into your diet, or just a flavorful, easy family meal, these Vegetarian Enchiladas are for you!
Reasons to Love Vegetarian Enchiladas
- Incredibly flavorful. Filled with a combination of sauteed vegetables and seasoned beans, these veggie enchiladas are perfectly spiced, perfectly balanced, and not only have amazing flavor but incredible texture.
- Just spicy enough. Smothered in homemade enchilada sauce, the flavor is taken over the top. The enchilada sauce adds a subtle punch of spice, yet these enchiladas are mild enough for even the kids to enjoy.
- Bursting with nutrition. Veggie Enchiladas, like my recipe for Sweet Potato Burritos, are filled with fiber, vitamins, and plant-based protein thanks to the combination of vegetables and beans.
- Vegan-friendly. When made as written, this recipe for vegetable enchiladas is both a plant-based and vegan recipe. hen served with a dollop of homemade guacamole, these enchiladas have a rich, creamy finish--just as though they were baked smothered in cheese.
- Adaptable. Love cheese? Add it! Hate onions, omit them! Don't care for black beans? Use pinto beans! The base recipe is forgivable and adaptable, meaning you can use whatever beans and vegetables you like or have on hand and opt to add cheese or keep this meal dairy-free and vegan-friendly.
- Can be made in advance. I have provided directions to make these enchiladas up to 24 hours in advance, which is a great option when entertaining or when you know you will have a busy evening.
Notes on Ingredients
- Vegetables: Select vegetables that you and your family enjoy eating. I personally prefer these vegetable enchiladas made with a combination of bell peppers, zucchini, onions, garlic, and corn. The onions and garlic add a nice base of flavor. The bell pepper and zucchini both add contrasting texture to the vegetable filling. The corn adds a bit of sweetness to the filling that compliments the spice in the recipe.
- Kale: Kale is a powerhouse of nutrients and adds great flavor and texture to the enchilada filling. but feel free to use spinach in place of kale if desired or you can omit the greens completely. If using kale, use baby kale, or remove the thick stem and cut the leaves into bite-sized pieces before adding to the filling.
- Beans: Use either pinto beans or black beans, which complement the other flavors and help to make these Vegetarian Enchiladas hearty and filling.
- Jalapeno: The addition of jalapeno is optional, but does add a subtle heat to the filling. Feel free to omit it for a less spicy filling.
- Fajita Seasoning: The filling of these veggies enchiladas is seasoned with Homemade Fajita Seasoning, which is made with garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, and salt. It adds just the right combination of flavor without overwhelming the vegetables.
- Fresh Lime: Adding both lime zest and lime juice to the enchilada filling adds so much bright flavor and helps to make the filling pop with dimension and freshness.
- Enchilada Sauce: You can use store-bought red enchilada sauce but homemade enchilada sauce is so easy to make and so much better tasting (plus it can be made gluten-free if needed.) Feel free to swap out the red enchilada sauce for Salsa Verde instead.
- Tortillas: You can use any variety of soft-taco-sized (8-inch) tortillas you like. Gluten-free, flour, corn, or homemade tortillas all work.
- Cheese: The addition of cheese is completely optional. Without the cheese, these Vegetarian Enchiladas are vegan-friendly, but if you are not vegan or dairy-free, feel free to add shredded Mexican, Colby, or cheddar cheese to the enchiladas before baking. and lime juice to the enchilada filling adds so much dimension to the filling.
How to Make Vegetarian Enchiladas
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Veggie Filling. For the vegetable filling, it is best to begin by sautéing the veggies to help them develop flavor and release their natural moisture. This will ensure that your enchiladas will not be soggy and that they will have an incredible depth of flavor.
- Toast Tortillas. It is best to warm or toast your tortillas in the microwave or dry skillet, before filling them with the bean and veggie mixture. This will help the tortillas to have more flavor and become more pliable and easy to roll into enchiladas. This is especially crucial when using corn tortillas as they tend to crack and break easily.
- Fill Enchiladas. To fill the enchiladas, place ⅓ to ½ cup vegetable mixture onto tortillas and roll them up as you would a burrito. You want enough filling to make these enchiladas hearty, yet not too much filling that they are difficult to roll.
- Assemble Enchiladas. Once rolled, place the veggie enchiladas into a greased baking dish. I don't spread the bottom of my baking dish with enchilada sauce, as I find that can make the enchiladas soggy. However, if you like enchiladas with a softer texture, feel free to spread ¼ cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baking dish before adding the enchiladas. Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the assembled enchiladas and top with shredded cheese if desired.
- Bake & Serve. Bake the enchiladas until warmed through. Once baked, serve these enchiladas as desired. They are delicious with sour cream, diced avocado, diced tomato, pickled jalapenos, and cilantro.
How to Prevent Soggy Enchiladas
I do not care for "wet" or soggy enchiladas that are swimming in so much enchilada sauce that the enchiladas fall apart after baking. To prevent this, I recommend doing two things.
- Instead of spreading enchilada sauce on the bottom of your baking dish, simply spray the pan with nonstick spray. That will prevent the enchiladas from sticking without getting soggy.
- Bake uncovered. If you cover your enchiladas with foil before baking the heat is trapped and moisture will circulate around the enchiladas, keeping them super moist, to the point of potentially becoming soggy.
If you like softer enchiladas, spread an additional ¼ cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of your baking dish and bake the enchiladas covered with foil.
Make-Ahead Directions
These Vegetarian Enchiladas can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance. To do so, prepare the enchilada filling as directed. Toast and fill the tortillas with the mixture. Place the rolled-up enchiladas into a greased baking dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Do NOT add the enchilada sauce (this will cause the tortillas to become soggy and disintegrate. When ready to bake the enchiladas, remove them from the refrigerator while the oven preheats. Once the oven has preheated, uncover, top with enchilada sauce (and cheese if using), and bake as directed.
More Vegetarian Mexican-Inspired Recipes
- Vegetarian Fajitas
- Roasted Cauliflower Tacos
- Refried Bean Burritos
- Black Bean Tacos
- Lentil Tacos
- Sweet Potato Burritos
If you tried this recipe for Vegetarian Enchiladas, I would love for you to leave a review and comment below.
Vegetarian Enchiladas
Made with zucchini, kale, corn, beans, peppers, and onions, these Vegetarian Enchiladas are bursting with flavor and nutrition.
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- ½ cup diced yellow and/or red bell pepper, about 1 small pepper
- ½ small jalapeno, seeded and minced, optional
- 1 clove garlic, minced, or 1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 medium zucchini, diced into half moons
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 2 cups chopped kale, stems removed
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans or black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons fajita seasoning
- 1 medium lime, zest and juice
- 8 ( 8-inch) flour or corn tortillas
- 1 cup homemade enchilada sauce, or canned red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, optional
- avocado, cilantro, sour cream, tomato, etc, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉/205℃ and grease a 7x11 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the 1 small yellow onion (minced), ½ cup diced yellow and/or red bell pepper, and ½ small jalapeno, seeded and minced and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until the onion just begins to soften. Add the 1 clove garlic, minced and 2 teaspoons fajita seasoning and saute for 1 minute, to lightly toast the garlic and spices.
- Add the 2 medium zucchini (diced into half moons), 1 cup frozen corn kernels, and 2 cups chopped kale and cook until zucchini is softened and kale is wilted, about 5-7 minutes, being sure to stir frequently. Add 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans or black beans (rinsed and drained) to the vegetable mixture and cook for about 1 minute, just to warm through. Turn off the heat and add in the zest and juice of 1 medium lime.
- Warm the 8 ( 8-inch) flour or corn tortillas for 30 seconds per side in a dry nonstick skillet over high heat until soft and pliable.
- Place ⅓ to ½ cup of the vegetable mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and roll up the tortilla lengthwise. Place the prepared enchilada into the prepared pan.
- Pour the 1 cup homemade enchilada sauce over the top of the tortillas, spreading if needed. Top with 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese if desired. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the enchiladas are warmed through and the cheese is melted.
- Remove the vegetarian enchiladas from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve with minced cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, etc.
Equipment
Notes
Fajita Seasoning: In place of homemade fajita seasoning, use ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon chili powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Zucchini: I prefer to use small zucchini, as the seeds are tiny and do not need to be removed. If you use larger zucchini, you will want to remove the seeds as they will add too much moisture and an unpleasant texture to the filling. Yellow summer squash can be used in place of zucchini as well.
Kale: Baby spinach or chopped stemmed spinach can replace the kale if desired.
Storage: Store leftover enchiladas in an airtight container for up to 4 days and reheat as desired.
If you like softer enchiladas spread an additional ¼ cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of your baking dish and bake the enchiladas covered with foil for 25 minutes, or until heated through.
Make-Ahead Directions: These Vegetarian Enchiladas can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance. To do so, prepare the enchilada filling as directed. Toast and fill the tortillas with the mixture. Place the rolled-up enchiladas into a greased baking dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake the enchiladas, remove them from the refrigerator while the oven preheats. Once the oven has preheated, uncover, top with enchilada sauce (and cheese if using), and bake as directed.
Nutrition is based on 2 enchiladas each (calculated using flour tortillas and enchilada sauce).
Nutrition
Calories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 16gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 456mgPotassium: 868mgFiber: 12gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 4117IUVitamin C: 60mgCalcium: 180mgIron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @amindfullmom or tag #amindfullmom!
This post was originally posted in 2020 and updated in 2022 and 2024.
This dish is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. My vegetarian daughter (who also has celiac) and granddaughter loved it! I was SO happy to be able to serve a dish they thoroughly enjoyed. The only change I needed to make was to exchange the flour in the homemade enchilada sauce to gluten-free flour. The homemade enchilada sauce was well worth the few minutes it took to make it - also delicious!
I had plenty of veggie filling left after preparing the enchiladas, so I warmed it just a little more and served it at the table. Everyone chose to add it on top of the prepared enchilada as the filling is a "feast for the mouth!" I also served sour cream, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro on the side. I used dinosaur kale as my kale variety. Thank you, Kristen - great recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Tricia! I am thrilled to hear you and your family enjoyed (and you were able to make something safe for them to eat!)
This is indeed bursting with flavors! It's incredibly delicious and satisfying, even my picky kids liked it!
These were so easy to make and a huge hit with my family! I love that they are a healthier version of enchiladas. I was even able to throw in some extra veggies from my fridge that had seen better days! 🙂
I love when we can prevent food waste by turning it into something new and delicious! So happy to hear you enjoyed.
This is so much fun to make. It turned out so pleasing and delectable. We'll surely make this on repeat!
Made the enchiladas the other night and my wife just raved about how delicious they were. They were , taste wise, simply outstanding. Cosmetically, they looked pretty bad as I used a high fiber tortilla and probably too much enchilada sauce. One does not eat looks. Thanks for this outstanding meatless , southwestern meal, fit for a foodie
LOVe this healthier version of enchiladas. We eat so much meat at my house I'm always looking for ways to sneak in more veggies. Thank you for this delicious meal.
I am so glad you enjoyed Lisalia! It is a great substitute to heavy meat dishes.
These veggie enchiladas were just right. Even the carnivores enjoyed them.
WAHOO!!! I love hearing that Robin! Thanks for sharing!