This easy Vegetarian Enchiladas recipe has the best flavorful veggie filling from sweet potatoes, black beans, bell pepper and brown rice. It’s a hearty, healthy dinner your whole family will love!

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m CRAZY about Mexican food! Don’t miss my Pork Carnitas, Street Corn Dip, Horchata, or Tacos Al Pastor!

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas on a plate topped with fresh avocado, ready to enjoy.

Even my meat loving family would agree that these Vegetarian Enchiladas hit the spot every. single. time. They’re so flavorful and filling and I always make them using my favorite homemade red enchilada sauce.

How to Make Vegetarian Enchiladas:

Sauté Veggies: Sauté sweet potato in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until they begin to get tender. Add garlic, bell pepper, onion, and black beans and toss to combine. Cook until sweet potatoes are completely tender.

Two images showing sweet potato, red bell pepper, and onion on a cutting board, and then those veggies and black beans being sautéed in a stainless steel pan.

Add Rice: Add cooked rice and ¾ cup of the enchilada sauce then toss to combine.

Rice and enchilada sauce dumped on top of sautéed veggies and black beans for the filling for veggie enchiladas.

Fill Tortillas: Add a big spoonful of filling along the edge of a tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Roll the them tightly and then place, seam side down, in the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Two images showing sweet potato and black bena enchiladas being assembled on a tortilla, and then rolled up and placed in a white baking dish.

Bake: Cover with sauce and cheese. You may not need to use all of it, depending on how much sauce you like. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes. Garnish with chopped avocado and cilantro.

A sweet potato enchilada being lifted by a spatula from a white baking dish, freshly baked and topped with chopped avocado.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Make the black bean enchiladas filling then store it separately in the refrigerator up to 2 days ahead of time. Assemble enchiladas when ready to bake. You can also make the enchilada sauce sauce several days in advance. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

To Freeze: Make the sweet potato enchiladas through step 9 (roll the filling in tortillas but don’t cover them in sauce). Cover the pan with a double layer of tinfoil then freeze for 2-3 months. Allow the enchiladas to thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bake as directed.

Recipe Variations:

  • Vegan Enchiladas: Leave out the cheese to make this vegan enchiladas.
  • Add More Veggies: Sautéed broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, corn, butternut squash, chopped zucchini, or mushrooms would all make great additions.
  • Green Sauce: You can also substitute the red sauce for green if you prefer.

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Recipe

Easy Vegetarian Enchiladas on a plate topped with fresh avocado, ready to enjoy.
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 50 minutes
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Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1 batch homemade red enchilada sauce*
  • 2 small/medium sweet potatoes , peeled and chopped into small pieces
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 bell pepper , diced (any color)
  • 1/4 cup onion , chopped
  • 15 ounce can black beans , drained and rinsed
  • 10-12 large flour tortillas (or whole wheat)
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese , divided
  • fresh cilantro , Chopped (for topping)
  • 1 avocado , peeled, seeded and chopped, for topping

Instructions
 

  • Add the chopped sweet potato to a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until they begin to get tender.
  • Add 1 tsp minced garlic. Add chopped bell pepper, onions, and black beans and toss to combine. Cook for a few more minutes, until sweet potatoes are completely tender. 
  • Add cooked rice and ¾ cup of the enchilada sauce and toss to combine. 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover the bottom of a large casserole dish with a thin layer of enchilada sauce. 
  • Add a big spoonful of filling along the edge of a tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Roll tightly and place, seam side down, in the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Pour sauce over the enchiladas (you may not need to use all of it, depending on how much sauce you like). Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-30 minutes. Garnish with chopped avocado and cilantro.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Make the enchilada filling and store it separately in the refrigerator up to 2 days ahead of time. Assemble enchiladas when ready to bake. You can also make the enchilada sauce sauce several days in advance. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.
Freezing Instructions: Make the enchiladas through step 9 (roll the filling in tortillas but don’t cover them in sauce). Cover the pan with a double layer of tinfoil and freeze for 2-3 months. Allow the enchiladas to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake as directed.
Vegan Enchiladas: Leave out the cheese.
Add More Veggies: Sautéed broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, corn, butternut squash, chopped zucchini, or mushrooms would all make great additions.
Green Sauce: You can also substitute the red sauce for green if you prefer.

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 10gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 446mgPotassium: 289mgFiber: 5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 549IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 189mgIron: 2mg

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*I originally shared this recipe January 2016. Updated January 2020 and August 2023.

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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  1. Absolutely delicious! Only thing that I changed, I roasted the onions, green peppers and sweet potatoes together in the oven. When they were finished, I mixed everything together and followed the rest of the recipe. The roasting of veggies gave everything a nice roasty toasty flavor. Yum!!

  2. This is probably the dozenth time I’ve made these, theyre amazing! I always make 1.5x the sauce because this recipe makes so many and once you freeze or refrigerate, they tend to get dry. This is a great end of the week meal- the ingredients keep well while we use up groceries throughout the week, then we can throw in whatever extra veggies we have chopped up really small into the rice mix. We’ve done spinach, asparagus, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and the hidden veggies dont affect the flavor at all. I highly recommend making the homemade enchilada sauce, it is SO easy and it really makes a difference. and your house will smell amazing.

  3. 5 stars
    Awesome recipe! Whole family loved it (which is quite a feat to find something everybody likes). I had a leftover enchilada that I gave to my neighbor for a late night, coming home from the the hospital dinner and she also loved it. None of us are sweet potato fans but we all liked this.

    Thank you! Hope to see more vegan, low cholesterol recipes.

  4. 5 stars
    I made these tonight with the homemade enchilada sauce. I love this recipe. I didn’t think I liked sweet potatoes because I don’t like them as fries, but you have changed my mind. These are so hearty, but don’t leave you feeling guilty. I made them just as directed, except I may have added a little extra cheese.

  5. Hi – just to note the sauce above has beef broth, so these are not vegetarian, so it is misleading. But they sound delicious.

    1. Thank you for your comment, Sheila! We appreciate your feedback and want to ensure our recipes are as accurate and helpful as possible. You’re absolutely right that the enchilada sauce in this recipe contains beef broth, which makes it unsuitable for vegetarians. While we do mention in the enchilada sauce post that you can substitute beef broth with vegetable broth, it’s always helpful to have that information reiterated in the comments for others to see. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention, and we hope you enjoy the recipe! 😊🍴

  6. I made these using your homemade enchilada sauce and served them with your authentic Mexican rice, which is the only Mexican rice recipe I use, and my husband and I thought they were delicious. Thank You for sharing

  7. 5 stars
    I made this tonight but I added sautéed mushrooms and used canned enchilada sauce. It was delicious! Everyone loved it! Will be making this often!!

  8. Just made these tonight and oh my goodness they are sooooo delicious!! We are trying to become vegetarians and this recipe made me think it can be done! My 3 daughters loved them also! Definitely adding these to the rotation! 🙂

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