These vegan enchiladas are a hearty, flavorful plant-based dinner! They’re smothered with red enchilada sauce and filled with veggies and black beans.
These vegan enchiladas are seriously delicious. Whenever I make them, my husband Jack and I fight over the last one. For context, Jack might be the world’s biggest cheese lover. If he’s going after cheese-less enchiladas, you know they have to be good.
The filling here is a hearty mixture of mushrooms, peppers, and black beans. I roll it up in corn tortillas and then smother them with red enchilada sauce and homemade vegan nacho cheese. Before serving, I sprinkle garnishes like jalapeños, radishes, and avocado on top.
This vegan enchiladas recipe is comforting, but also fresh. The rich enchilada sauce and vegan cheese create an incredible contrast with the fresh veggies. Try it the next time you’re craving something healthy, filling, and flavorful—it won’t disappoint!
How to Make Vegan Enchiladas
Ready to make vegan enchiladas? You can find the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but for now, I’ll give you an overview of how it goes.
Ingredients
Get started with these simple ingredients:
- Corn tortillas – Use 100% corn tortillas if you need this recipe to be gluten-free. If not, I recommend using tortillas made from a mix of corn and wheat flour. They have the wonderful flavor of corn tortillas but the pliability of flour tortillas, which makes them great for rolling.
- Red enchilada sauce – I love my homemade enchilada sauce in this recipe! Get ahead by making it a day or two in advance. Alternatively, use store-bought vegan enchilada sauce to streamline this recipe.
- Vegan cheese – This creamy, tangy sauce tastes like cheddar cheese, but it’s made from whole foods, plant-based ingredients like cashews, sweet potatoes, and nutritional yeast.
- Onion and garlic – They add savory flavor to the enchilada filling.
- Mushrooms, poblano peppers, and black beans – They make the filling hearty and satisfying.
- Chili powder and cumin – They add warm, earthy flavor to the filling mixture.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – For sautéing the veggies.
- Fresh lime juice – Squeeze it over the enchiladas for a pop of bright flavor.
- Fresh garnishes – Think cilantro, jalapeños, radishes, avocado, and/or diced red onion. They offer a refreshing contrast to the comforting enchiladas!
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
First, make the vegan cheese.
The first step in this recipe is making the vegan cheese. If you like, get ahead by prepping it a day or two in advance. Note that it will thicken in the fridge. You’ll likely need to add water to thin it to a creamy, drizzleable texture before assembling the enchiladas.
If you’re making homemade enchilada sauce, prep it alongside the vegan nacho cheese. You can also make it ahead! It keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Next, make the mushroom filling.
Sauté the onions, peppers, and mushrooms until soft, seasoning them with the garlic and spices partway through the cooking time. Stir in the black beans.
Assemble the enchiladas.
Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce at the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Fill each tortilla with a little nacho cheese and some of the veggie filling. Roll tightly to close and place seam side down in the prepared pan. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce down the middle of the enchiladas, leaving the edges of the tortillas exposed.
Recipe Tip
Are your tortillas too stiff to roll? Wrap them in a kitchen towel or damp paper towels and microwave for 20 seconds. They’ll become much more pliable and easier to work with!
Cover the enchiladas and bake for 15 minutes at 400°F. Uncover and bake until the bare edges of the tortillas are lightly crisp, 10 to 20 more minutes.
Loosen the cheese sauce with water as needed to reach a creamy, drizzleable consistency. Pour 1/2 cup down the center of the enchiladas. Top with fresh garnishes and squeeze with lime juice before digging in!
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They reheat nicely in the microwave or oven!
I don’t recommend freezing these enchiladas, as the vegan cheese can separate when it thaws. If you’d still like to freeze them, adjust the recipe as follows:
- Don’t make the vegan cheese when you’re first prepping the enchiladas.
- Fill the tortillas with JUST the veggie and bean mixture.
- Assemble in the baking dish with the enchilada sauce.
- Cover and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Allow the frozen enchiladas to thaw overnight in the fridge, and then bake according to the recipe. Make the vegan cheese while the enchiladas bake, and serve with it on top.
What to Serve with Vegan Enchiladas
These vegan enchiladas are a satisfying meal on their own. But if you’re looking for a side dish to go with them, you can’t go wrong with any of these recipes:
Enjoy!
Want more vegan Mexican-inspired recipes? Try these vegan tacos, vegan burritos, or this burrito bowl next!
Vegan Enchiladas
Serves 4
These vegan enchiladas are a delicious, healthy plant-based meal! They have a flavorful veggie and black bean filling and are topped with red enchilada sauce and creamy vegan cheese. Get ahead by making the vegan cheese and enchilada sauce a day or two in advance. Store-bought sauce works too.
- 1 recipe Vegan Cheese, prepared with 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
- ½ medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1½ cups store-bought or homemade enchilada sauce
- 8 corn tortillas, warmed* (we like a corn/flour mix for easy assembly)
- Lime wedges, for serving
Topping Options
- Diced or sliced avocado
- Sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Diced red onion
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat the oven to 400°F and oil a 9×13-inch baking dish.
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Prepare the vegan cheese according to this recipe, adding 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños for heat. Add water as needed to reach a creamy, drizzleable consistency.
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In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano, and mushrooms. Stir, then add the chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. If the pan becomes dry, add water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the black beans and remove from the heat.
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Evenly spread a heaping ½ cup of the enchilada sauce in the prepared baking dish. Fill each tortilla with a heaping tablespoon of the vegan cheese and a heaping ¼ cup of the veggie filling. Roll the tortillas and place them seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining 1 cup enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, down the middle, leaving the edges of the tortillas dry. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the tortillas are lightly crisp.
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If the vegan cheese sauce has thickened, stir in a little water to loosen it. Pour ½ cup down the middle of the enchiladas. Garnish with desired toppings and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.
*Note: Warm the tortillas for 20 seconds in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towels, or heat for 10 minutes in the oven, wrapped in aluminum foil.