Home > Dinner > Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas January 22, 2020 | 54 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Delicious, meatless Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas are chock full of delicious and good-for-you vegetables, brown rice, and salsa. This meal is a quick, family-friendly dinner! Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas These enchiladas are one of my all-time favorite recipes. I made them every few weeks throughout college and they were one of the first dinners I made for my husband as a newlywed. My husband was convinced a meal wasn’t a meal if it didn’t have meat– that is, until these vegetarian enchiladas came into his life. These were what convinced him that veggie meals can be equally as filling and flavorful as a meat-filled dish. In this post, I’ll walk through how to make Sweet Potato Enchiladas, how to top the enchiladas, some variation ideas (including a quick homemade taco seasoning blend), and how to make these enchiladas ahead and/or freeze. Let’s get started! How to make Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas Numbered photos throughout this post correlate to the descriptions below. Sauté: Start by adding the peeled, cubed sweet potato to a large skillet with olive oil. Sauté over medium-high heat until mostly tender and starting to brown on the outside, about 7 minutes. Add in the bell peppers and sauté for another 3-4 minutes. Add seasonings and garlic: Stir them around so they can get fragrant and more potently flavored. Reduce the heat: We don’t want the garlic or seasonings to burn, so reduce the heat as needed. Add in black beans: Warm the black beans and get them coated in the seasonings. Cilantro, salsa, and lime juice: Add them all in. Combine: Mix to combine. Rice: Stir in the cooked and slightly cooled brown rice (leftover rice is great here). Mix: Toss gently and the filling is finished! Make sure to give the filling a taste and adjust any seasonings. Fill tortilla: Spoon in 1/2 cup of the filling into a tortilla along with some freshly grated cheese. Roll up the tortilla and place it in the pan. Top: Add enchilada sauce and grated cheese on top and then bake! Once they’re baked, it’s all about the toppings (read more below). What to top your Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas with Whatever you like to top enchiladas with will likely work here. Below are some of our favorites: Fresh lime: The juice and individual wedges so people can add more to their sweet potato black bean enchiladas. Fresh cilantro: Sprinkle on finely diced or a big handful if you love cilantro. Pico de gallo or a fresh tomato: Add a scoop of pico or dice up some cherry tomatoes to add on top. Fresh avocado: Thinly sliced or chopped, avocado adds so much to this dish. (A scoop of guacamole also works great.) Sour cream: Fat-free or lite work great! You can also use plain Greek yogurt. Jalapeños: If you want some heat, add some thinly sliced jalapeños right on top. Variation ideas Add an onion: Add 1/2 cup diced yellow onion when sautéing the sweet potatoes. Sweet peppers: You can leave them out or substitute a green or poblano pepper. Roasted sweet potato enchiladas: If you’d rather have roasted sweet potatoes (instead of cooking in the skillet), check out this post for making roasted sweet potatoes; use those in this recipe instead. Make a black bean sweet potato enchilada casserole: Instead of enchiladas by following this recipe. Reduce calories: You can use reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (and less of it) and fat-free sour cream. Add heat: If you like things spicy, add in a can of fire-roasted diced green chiles. You could also add a diced jalapeño pepper to the enchiladas. Another way to add more heat would be to add an extra 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. QUICK TIP For these enchiladas, feel free to use a taco seasoning packet to make things easy. If you’d like to make your own taco seasoning, here’s my recipe for that: 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper Simply whisk together these seasonings in a small bowl and use them in place of the taco seasoning packet. To save time later, make up several batches of this seasoning mix and store in ready-to-use containers. How to make ahead of time (meal prep) When I was in college, I would prepare the “filling” for these sweet potato black bean enchiladas (usually doubling it to freeze half) on a lighter school day/meal prep day and then have it ready to go into tortillas come dinner-time. I guess you could say I did meal prep before meal prep was cool! So if you have a prep day, this is the perfect meal to do beforehand! Once the filling is done, you just stuff the tortillas, cover them with sauce + cheese, and bake. If you do make the filling beforehand though, warm it up in a skillet before filling up the tortillas (or the insides of your enchiladas will be cold). You don’t really want to cook these for longer than the time indicated with the cheese on them. (You can bake without the cheese for about 15-20 minutes covered and then uncover and add cheese and cook until melted). These enchiladas make a great freezer meal! The great thing about making enchiladas is that you can easily make a big batch of them and freeze some for later. Here’s how to do that: Prepare the enchiladas as you normally would, but don’t bake. (Make sure they’re in a freezer-safe pan.) Place a layer of plastic wrap on top of the pan to prevent freezer burn and then cover with a few layers of foil making sure the seal is tight. Freeze the enchiladas for up to 3 months. Bake frozen enchiladas (no need to thaw) by removing the plastic wrap and foil and baking them for 50-60 minutes or until fully heated through. The “filling” (everything inside the enchiladas) can also be frozen. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then prepare according to the recipe to make enchiladas. Here are some more tips for freezing meals. More sweet potato recipes: One skillet Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad with a lemon vinaigrette Crockpot Sweet Potato Stew Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Southwestern-inspired Baked Sweet Potatoes (with a hack to have these ready in HALF the time!) FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas 5 from 13 votes - Review this recipe Delicious meatless Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas are chock full of delicious and good-for-you vegetables, brown rice, and tomato salsa. This meal is a quick dinner and family friendly! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas 5 from 13 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Delicious meatless Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas are chock full of delicious and good-for-you vegetables, brown rice, and tomato salsa. This meal is a quick dinner and family friendly! Course Dinner, Vegetarian Cuisine Mexican, Vegetarian Keyword Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas, Sweet Potato Enchiladas Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Total Time 40 minutes Servings 12 enchiladas Calories 334kcal Author Chelsea Cost $11.20 Ingredients▢ 2 cups cooked brown rice (made from 1 cup uncooked rice)▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided▢ 2 cups diced sweet potatoes, in 1/2 inch cubes▢ 1 cup sweet bell peppers, very thinly sliced▢ 1 packet taco seasoning Note 1▢ 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic▢ 1 can (15.25 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed▢ 1 and 3/4 cup salsa, divided; I used mild▢ 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice▢ 1/4 cup chopped cilantro▢ 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided▢ 1 cup red enchilada sauce▢ 12 white or whole-wheat tortillas▢ Optional: sour cream, extra salsa, cilantro, green onions InstructionsSWEET POTATOES & PEPPERS: Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into small pieces. In a large skillet (12 inches), combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and the sweet potatoes over medium-high heat. Cook until the potatoes begin to get tender (about 8 minutes) and then add in the 1 cup of thinly sliced sweet peppers (remove stems and seeds and chop) with the last tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.SPICES: Add in the taco seasoning packet or homemade taco seasoning (see note 1) and 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add in the 1 can of drained and rinsed black beans. Stir for another 30 seconds to a minute. FINISH FILLING: Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in 1 cup salsa, 2 tablespoons lime juice, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Stir. Add in the cooked rice and stir again to combine. Taste the filling and adjust seasonings to preference (increase any spices; add salt and pepper).ENCHILADA PREP: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of salsa to the bottom of the pan and spread evenly with a wooden spoon.FORM ENCHILADAS: Scoop 1/2 cup of the mixture onto the left side of a tortilla. Sprinkle with a handful of Cheddar cheese -- about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons. Roll up tightly. Place the enchilada seam-side-down into the prepared pan. Repeat until the pan is filled with enchiladas. (I usually fit 8 in a 9x13 pan and save the remaining 4 to make in an 8x8 pan.)BAKE: Pour 1 cup red enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are warmed through.GARNISH: Remove and serve with sour cream, extra salsa or freshly chopped tomatoes, additional cilantro, additional limes/lime juice, and/or ripe avocado or guacamole. Recipe NotesNote 1:Taco seasoning: To make homemade taco seasoning, combine the following in a small bowl and whisk together: 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper. Make up several batches of this and save for the next time you need more! Nutrition FactsServing: 12servings | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 1158mg | Potassium: 434mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4507IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 3mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
How you know your a talented photographer? Being able to make a full fledged meat eater pass up a steak for that. Pinning. Reply
I’ve never tried sweet potato in an enchilada but I’m sure it’s delish! Bet the kids would love them too! 🙂 Happy Wednesday Chelsea! Reply
Mmm! This looks amazing. My husband is totally a carnivore, too, but he’ll eat things like this. Gotta try it! Reply
These photos are amazing! I love meatless dishes that are hearty enough to pass off as “meat full!” Love this! Reply
HOLD UP. Your hubs didn’t not the general meat-less qualities? Okay, I need to make this for my man…I can’t get that guy to eat something meatless if my life depending on it. And, if for some reason he doesn’t go for it… Well, more for me 😀 Pinned! Reply
Love meals where you don’t realize how healthy they are. And if you’d made this recipe over a dozen times, then I KNOW I’ve got to try it! Reply
Healthy and meatless definitely sounds like a great meal, Chelsea! I love the look of these sweet potato enchiladas! What a fabulous idea to use sweet potatoes as a Mexican dish! And I think my husband would totally go for this too, even though it’s meatless! 🙂 Pinned! Reply
NOW you’re talking!! I could eat enchiladas any day of the week! I love that these are stuffed with sweet potatoes!! YUM!! These pics are just gorgeous!! 🙂 Reply
This dish looks so good I don’t think i would even miss the meat. I love the idea of using sweet potatoes they are my new favorite! Reply
Chelsea, I love this enchilada recipe! Between the sneaky “meatlessness” and the gorgeous photos, you have me sold! I can’t wait to make this! Reply
I LOVE these enchiladas! They look delicious filled with that amazing sweet potato! So good, definitely bookmarking the recipe to try! Your photography is stunning! Reply
Oh my gosh, how perfect are these enchiladas! Enchiladas are one of my favorite things ever, and this reminded me that I haven’t made them at home in awhile. So genius to use sweet potatoes in these! 🙂 Reply
I love pretty much any and all enchiladas – these look amazing! Especially with the sweet potato – my favorite! Reply
Awesome looking enchiladas Chelsea! I love that they are meat free, I’ll have to test them out on my major carnivore husband and see if he approves! Reply
Chelsea these enchiladas are absolutely gorgeous! Can you come over and pipe all my drizzles on ALL my food?! heehee jk but seriously I just pinned this because it’s going into my meal rotation ASAP. 😀 Reply
I for one am totally ok with you following up those amazing cookies with something insanely delicious as these enchiladas! These look incredible, girl! Pinned! Reply
Hahaha, I’ll have to try these – I have a carnivore for a husband too, who is definitely not impressed when I try to have a meatless meal. It’s just not a meal without meat according to him! If this was given a thumbs up by a meat loving guy, I will definitely have to try it on mine! 🙂 Reply
I LOVE this, Chelsea, and the filling alone is enough to make me very happy! These are so gonna happen. Pinning! Reply
Definitely a delicious weeknight recipe Chelsea! I can definitely see myself making it for the family during the week – and of course piling on a whole lotta cheese. Reply
Anything sweet potato and I’m totally in, but in an enchilada with all kinds of cheesy goodness?! I’m ready to faceplant into the entire pan. These look seriously amazing, Chelsea! And your photos are gorgeous. 🙂 pinned! Reply
These look amazing Chelsea! Not only are they so pretty in the dish, they look like they taste great too! I saw your My Husband is a Carnivore board just the other day – it made me LOL! Pinned so I can make these later! Reply
I love a secretly healthy meal – those are the best! These enchiladas look so flavorful and delicious. I definitely don’t miss the meat! Reply
Looks and sounds delicious! May be perfect for using up my overflowing basket of sweet potatoes 🙂 Beautiful photos, too! Reply
Sweet potato enchiladas?! Why have I never thought of that… this is amazing! Definitely a meal I want to eat tonight… and I just so happen to have some sweet potatoes on the counter #forthewin. Pinning! Reply
legit just wrote about this in my last post, getting Dave to consider meals dinner that don’t involve meat!! these look seriously bomb and the pictures are GORGEOUS! loves Reply
So glad to hear!! Thanks so much for trying these and leaving a comment Donna! 🙂 Have a wonderful day! Reply
Made these last night! So good and taste very fresh. I also made these for my bf who didn’t even notice that there was no meat in these!!! Reply
Hi Chelsea! I’ve never taken the time to write a comment for a recipe, but I had to this time! I LOVE how healthy you made this. I usually have to change recipes to “fix” them (sometimes with a lot of trial and error…haha!), but you’ve done all the work for me! Thank you!!! I made these enchiladas and they were WONDERFUL! Everybody loved them! Super easy and quick to make, yet full of flavor! I’ve checked out several other recipes you’ve made and I have them in my “queue”. Thanks again for all your work! Melody Reply
I just made these, and they were soooo good! I forgot to buy the lime and cilantro, and I used colby jack cheese that I had left over, and they were still super yummy. Now, I only ended up making six in a 9×13 pan, so I don’t know how I was supposed to possibly fit twelve in there, but this worked out great. I had a little bit of filling left over, and it tastes wonderful by itself. Reply
I made these last night for cinco de mayo and they were SO delicious and flavorful! We had a mixed crowd of vegetarians and meat eaters and everyone found them to be filling. I wish I had made a double batch! Reply
I am so glad to hear you all liked these 🙂 This is one of my families favorite recipes! Thank you for your comment! Reply
I am really liking your recipes! You go into great detail on what needs to be done and how to do it. Thank you. Reply
Do none of your husbands know how much meat costs???? I’m making my menu for the week and my hubby is ASKING for me to find meatless ideas. This looks delish and going on this weeks menu! Reply
I’m having a hard time deciding which one of your recipes to try first! Have you ever tried roasting the sweet potatoes, or does sauteing give the same flavor? Reply
Haha! Thank you Pamela! 🙂 I have tried roasting them before and while I do think the flavor is slightly better with roasting than sautéing, I don’t find the work to be worth it for the final taste. But if you want to, definitely roast them!! 🙂 Reply
I am not sure why people rate these recipes when they haven’t even made them. (Makes me crazy) Well, I have made these enchiladas and I LOVE THEM. I am one of those people that think dinner is not a meal without meat. But, like your husband, this is one meal I do not feel like I am missing meat. I made it exactly as recipe calls and I will now say that it is one of my all time favorite meals. Very filling, healthy and delicious. I have pinned several of your recipes, but this is the first that I have actually made. Now I know I must try your other recipes. Reply
Nutrition Facts (if anyone is interested) Servings 12.0 Amount Per Serving calories 323 % Daily Value * Total Fat 13 g 19 % Saturated Fat 5 g 24 % Monounsaturated Fat 4 g Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g Trans Fat 0 g Cholesterol 22 mg 7 % Sodium 1001 mg 42 % Potassium 335 mg 10 % Total Carbohydrate 44 g 15 % Dietary Fiber 9 g 35 % Sugars 9 g Protein 10 g 20 % Vitamin A 79 % Vitamin C 203 % Calcium 18 % Iron 22 % * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. Reply
Quick question, does this actually produce enough filling for 12 regular sized tortillas, or 12 taco-sized tortillas? Reply
This was SO good!!! Super simple to make! Had to cook the sweet potatoes much longer since I didn’t dice them small enough. Family all thought there was meat in it. My 16 yr old is not a huge sweet potato fan but LOVED it! Thanks Chelsea!! Reply
I love your new recipe format! This combo has an amazingly good taste and is quite popular in Mexico. Enchiladas and tamales are like pizza. You can make them any way you want and they will taste great. Reply
Wanted a vegan enchilada w/o tomatoes and wheat tortillas. The beans rice and sweet potatoes mixture was awesome. I had to get corn tortillas and made homemade green salsa but used the red enchilada sausage as it doesn’t have tomatoes in it! Delish! I wanted to introduce my husband to sweet potatoes that weren’t like the candied he’d had as a kid(&hated). He loved these enchiladas!❤👍 Thanks Reply
