Try this delicious recipe for roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas. It’s healthy, vegan-friendly, freezes well, and always a family favorite! Top with cilantro, diced avocado, diced tomatoes and our homemade lime crema!
My husband wouldn’t eat a lot of things for a long, long time. On that list was every variety of beans, sweet potatoes, and every type of casserole.
Which meant the odds of me ever making sweet potato black bean enchiladas were slim to none.
But then I made these black bean and corn tacos and he LOVED them.
So I figured why not see if I could revisit that enchilada dream and see what happened?
Turns out, he loved these too!
Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
Not only did my husband love these, but my kids did too! In fact, my kids have repeatedly asked me to make these for them.
And my bean-hating husband? He took these for lunch THREE DAYS in a row when I accidentally made too much. And there were ZERO complaints!
These Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas are:
- The perfect balance of heat and spice
- Freezer-friendly
- Can be made ahead of time
- Easy to double or triple
- A great way to use up leftovers in the fridge!
- Naturally vegan and vegetarian
- Easy to add ground beef to, if you’d like!
Plus, every component of the enchiladas can be made ahead of time too… let me explain.
Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas Ingredients
You need four components for these vegetarian sweet potato black bean enchiladas:
- Black Bean and Corn Taco Filling. This is the recipe we use.
- Sweet Potatoes.
- Flour Tortillas. Both store-bought and homemade flour tortillas work.
- Enchilada Sauce. Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce is super easy, and super fast to make!
Can I make black bean sweet potato enchiladas casserole?
Yes! That’s what you’ll want to do if you use corn tortillas. I’ve tried a few different kinds, and corn tortillas simply didn’t roll up well at all.
For the casserole, simply alternate layers of cooked tortillas + sauce + with filling in a 8×8 pan, cover with sauce once last time and bake for the same time.
How to Make Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
I usually make these enchiladas when I have leftover taco filling (which I’ve INTENTIONALLY made leftovers of), so here’s how it works in my house:
Step 1. Roast sweet potatoes in the oven.
Step 2. Meanwhile, thaw black bean and corn filling and red enchilada sauce (both can be prepared ahead of time and frozen).
Step 3. When the sweet potatoes are done, fill the tortillas, line the pan, top with sauce and bake!
If you DON’T have leftover taco filling, the steps are just as easy:
Step 1. Get the sweet potatoes roasting in the oven and prepare the black bean and taco filling.
Step 2. Meanwhile, make the red enchilada sauce.
Step 3. When these three things are ready, fill the tortillas, line the pan, top with sauce and bake!
Note: To make avocado lime crema, follow my recipe for lime crema here and add ½ avocado. Blend up in a blender, taste for salt and pepper and you’re done!
Tips for Making Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
- I’m all about spending less time in the kitchen, so these enchiladas ONLY make an appearance when I already have black bean and corn taco filling on my meal plan, or in the freezer. If you don’t have the filling ready to go, I suggest saving this meal for the weekend.
- When you do make the black bean and corn taco filling, double the recipe. This will give enough for dinner + leftovers for lunch PLUS another two quarts worth of filling for enchiladas.
- When you put black bean and corn tacos on the meal plan, put sweet potato and black bean enchiladas on the same plan, later in the week. The filling will already be done and ready for you!
- The sweet potatoes are diced small, so they cook quickly.
- The red enchilada sauce is freezer-friendly, so this is another recipe to double or triple!
If you play your cards right, dinner will be ready in under an hour.
But even if you have to make the black bean and corn filling that night, you’re only looking at an hour + 15 minutes or so!
To Serve Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
- Lime crema is SO GOOD, and is well worth the 5 minutes it takes to make. Avocado lime crema is another good option too.
- Cilantro lime rice is a favorite, but coconut lime rice works too if you don’t have cilantro.
- If you want to add ground beef to these enchiladas, brown it separately, drain the fat and add it to the very end with the sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potato & Black Bean Enchiladas FAQs
Can you freeze sweet potato black bean enchiladas?
Yes! Prepare the recipe as-written and freeze in a freezer-safe container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking!
Are Sweet Potatoes Healthy?
Yes! Not only do they taste rich and delicious, but the Harvard School of Health says that u003ca href=u0022https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/sweet-potatoes/u0022u003esweet potatoes are filled with phytonutrients and they are a great source of fiberu003c/au003e!
More Casserole Recipes
- Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Verde Sauce
- 13 Easy Real Food Casseroles
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake
- Mac and Cheese
- Enchilada Casserole
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Try this delicious recipe for roasted Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas. It’s healthy, vegan-friendly, freezes well and always a family favorite!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 mins
- Yield: 12 enchiladas 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
For the Enchiladas
- 1 lb sweet potatoes, diced into ½” cubes
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 12 flour tortillas
Black Bean and Corn Taco Filling
- 3 cups black beans
- 1 (14.5oz) can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cups corn
- 1 sweet pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- 1 cup salsa
- 4 oz can diced green chiles
- 2 chipotle peppers (from a can), diced
- 2 Tbsp chipotle pepper sauce (from a can)
- 1 hatch chile pepper, diced (optional, when in season)
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1–3 cups water, as needed
Red Enchilada Sauce
- 2 Tbsp healthy fat (butter, avocado oil or palm oil)
- 2 Tbsp flour (I used all-purpose, but any flour will work)
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2–3 Tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 – 3/4 tsp salt, to taste
- 2 cups water OR chicken stock
- 1 tsp white distilled or apple cider vinegar
Toppings (optional):
- Lime crema, chopped cilantro, diced avocado, diced tomato, sliced red onion, sour cream, and/or shredded cheese
Instructions
Prepare the Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Combine the diced sweet potatoes and olive oil in a large bowl and toss to coat the sweet potatoes evenly.
- Lay in single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 400F for about 20 min, or until the sweet potatoes start to turn crispy.
Prepare the Black Bean and Corn Taco Filling
- Meanwhile, Prepare the Black Bean and Corn Taco Filling (limit extra water so it’s not soupy).
- Add all the ingredients, except the water, to a medium pot. (If you’re doubling the recipe, use a large 5-6 quart Dutch oven).
- Add enough water JUST to be able to see a water line, but not above the vegetables.(The water assists in cooking down the vegetables, but you don’t want this to be soupy).
- Bring to a simmer and let it cook for 20-30 minutes, adding water as necessary.
- Serve warm with desired toppings and enjoy!
Prepare the Red Enchilada Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add flour and stirring occasionally, cook for one minute.
- Add the tomato paste, 2 Tbsp chili powder and the remaining spices. Stir well.
- Very slowly add the water or stock, stirring constantly.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer and the sauce will thicken slightly.
- Taste and add additional chili powder, if more heat is desired.
- Add the vinegar and serve warm!
Assemble the Enchiladas
- When the sweet potatoes are cooked and the black bean and corn taco filling is ready, you can assemble the tacos.
- Take about ¼ cup of red enchilada sauce and smear it on the bottom of a 9”x13” glass baking dish.
- Drain the excess liquid from the taco filling. In a large bowl, combine the filling with the sweet potatoes and stir gently to combine.
- Measure about 1/3 to 1/2 cup filling into a tortilla, wrap snugly and place at one end of the baking dish. Repeat this process with the remaining filling and tortillas so that you’ve made 12 enchiladas. You may have to use another pan, or you can gently press the enchiladas together to get them all to fit.
- Top the enchiladas with the remaining red enchilada sauce and bake in the oven at 400F for about 15 minutes, or until everything is warmed through.
- Top with optional toppings and serve warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 352
Can the flour tortillas be substituted out for corn tortillas? Thank you!
You can try Mary, but I personally find corn tortillas hard to roll. If you can do it, then go for it! Another option would be to layer the filling with corn tortillas and make a casserole-type of enchiladas.
I’d like to try this, but we’re not accustomed to spicy food, nor do I even know what a poblano pepper is (sad I know). We do like some heat or food can be bland, but not overpowering. So that being said are all these peppers hot ones…?
4 oz can diced green chiles
2 chipotle peppers (from a can), diced
2 Tbsp chipotle pepper sauce (from a can)
1 hatch chile pepper, diced (optional, when in season)
Thx for the lesson!