Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Amazing black bean and sweet potato enchiladas, smothered in salsa verde. A delicious, hearty vegetarian entrée.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 22, 2024
Quick! I’m sharing these enchiladas with you as a suggestion for a post-Thanksgiving meal this weekend (don’t forget, I have lots of vegetarian Thanksgiving options here).
The enchiladas are stuffed with creamy, hearty sweet potato, plus black beans, feta cheese, and spices. The sauce is super easy—just grab some mild salsa verde at the store. Or, you can go the extra mile and make your own.
Most restaurant enchiladas are so cheesy that I leave with a belly ache, but not these. They are delicious, satisfying and leftovers taste even better the next day. If you want to make a vegetarian dinner and hear, “I don’t even miss the meat,” these enchiladas are for you.
This recipe is actually one that I shared back in 2011, but it was missing some key instructions, like how to roast the sweet potato. So, I revisited it and tweaked it a bit, and they’re better than ever.
These enchiladas taught me some valuable lessons about cooking back then, so I’m leaving my notes for you below.
From 2011: Do you ever cut corners when you’re following a recipe? I do—all the time—and I’m always learning from my mistakes.
Take these black bean sweet potato enchiladas, for example.
I blundered through Gluten Free Goddess’ recipe, made it my own, and came out a better cook in the end.
Lessons learned:
- Substitutions can be ok: I subbed Target’s salsa verde for the Karina’s green chile sauce, which worked out fine.
- Skipping steps is usually not ok: I ignored her recommendation to warm up the corn tortillas first, so they broke to pieces when I tried to wrap the tortillas around the inside ingredients. As a result, my enchiladas weren’t as pretty as they could have been, but it didn’t affect the flavor. I need to trust that my fellow cooks will not recommend additional steps if they are not integral to the dish’s success!
- Additions are just fine: I love spicy food, so I knew adding a jalapeño was a good idea. And it was.
- Pay more for high quality ingredients: Packaged breads, including tortillas, tend to be full of preservatives and unnecessary ingredients. I paid more for these sprouted grain corn tortillas at my local health food store, and go figure, they taste better than the rest!
- Some flavors are so good together, you can’t go wrong: Black beans and sweet potatoes are a delicious combination. Even with all my mistakes, I ended up with a mighty delicious meal.
Please let me know how these enchiladas turn out for you in the comments! I hope they’re your new favorite.
Craving more Mexican-ish, cheesy goodness? Don’t miss my roasted veggie enchilada casserole or baked jalapeño poppers.
Watch How to Make Enchiladas
Vegetarian Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Amazing black bean and sweet potato enchiladas, smothered in salsa verde. A delicious, hearty vegetarian entrée. Recipe yields 10 enchiladas, enough for about 5 servings.
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes (2 small-to-medium)
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
- 4 ounces (1 cup) grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 ounces (½ cup) crumbled feta cheese
- 2 small cans (4 ounces each) diced green chiles
- 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and minced
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
Remaining Ingredients
- 2 cups (16 ounces) mild salsa verde, either homemade or store-bought
- 10 corn tortillas
- 4 ounces (1 cup) grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon water
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and coat the flat sides lightly with olive oil. Place the sweet potatoes flat-side down on the baking sheet. Bake until they’re tender and cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes. Leave the oven on, since we’ll bake the assembled enchiladas soon (no temperature adjustments necessary).
- Meanwhile, pour enough salsa verde into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish to lightly cover the bottom (about ½ cup). In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the remaining filling ingredients.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cooked through and cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides with a spoon. Discard the potato skins, and lightly mash the sweet potatoes with a fork or the back of a spoon.
- Stir the mashed sweet potato into the bowl of filling, and season to taste with additional salt (I added ¼ teaspoon) and pepper.
- Warm up your tortillas, one by one in a skillet, or all at once in a microwave so they don’t break when you bend them. Wrap them in a clean tea towel so they stay warm.
- Working with one tortilla at a time, spread about ½ cup filling down the center each tortilla, then wrap both sides over the filling and place it in your baking dish. Repeat for all of the tortillas.
- Top with the remaining salsa verde and cheese. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and the cheese is lightly golden.
- Let the enchiladas cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk the sour cream and water together to make a drizzly sour cream sauce. Drizzle it back and forth over the enchiladas, then top them with cilantro and red onion. Serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Gluten Free Goddess.
Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free corn tortillas.
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the cheese. Stir a scant 1 cup vegan sour cream into the filling, reserving a few tablespoons for drizzling on top. Once baked, thin the vegan sour cream with a little extra water to make it extra-drizzly and drizzle it on top as shown.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
We are trying to eat less meat and tried these tonight. Absolutely delicious …….made. Them exactly as the recipe was written.
Thank you, Annamarie!
Always return to your side for this recipe. We love it!!! SO nice and no meat which we enjoy.
Thank you.
You’re welcome, Nina! Thank you for your review.
one of our favourites! we make these enchiladas often!
A great favorite to have, Kayla! Thank you for you review.
This recipe has become a staple in our house, allowing with some of your other recipes. I have also shared it with friends.
The last time I made it, I put the enchiladas on a rack instead of in the baking dish. This prevented them from sticking or from getting too soggy.
I would love to see more one-dish meals/casseroles like this and slow-cooker recipes with simple ingredients.
Late to the party, but I’m sure glad I made it! Super delicious recipe. I omitted the shredded cheese and green chiles in the filling, and had to make a poblano and spinach salsa in lieu of the tomatillo sauce. It was a winning combo! Thanks!
Hi-
I made your black bean/sweet potato enchiladas- delicious…..
I was wondering- can I freeze some of these for later? I’m not sure. Let me know please- thank you!!
Maura
This is one of my go to dinner recipes. It’s so good and my Hubsand says he doesn’t like sweet potatoes… we call them orange potatoes. LOL thanks for all the amazing dinner ideas.
I peeled the sweet potatoes and covered them with foil to initially bake them. I used whole wheat tortillas. It turned out great.
I love red enchilada sauce; do you think this recipe would work as well with red vs. green sauce?
I prefer this with the sauce listed, but you can experiment!
I love (love!) this recipe. Have been making it for a bit- and now have it down pat when meal prepping for the week. Easy to make the filling ahead of time and let it be in the fridge for a day or two until you make it. So filling and great as leftovers! Thank you!
Being lactose intolerant, I left out the cheeses and put spinach and cilantro in the stuffing. Being short on salsa verde, I stretched it with sauted onions and more cilantro. It was a big hit, and the lucky cheese-eaters got melted mozzarella on their half. Thank you for the great recipe!
I’m glad you were still able to enjoy it and make it work for everyone who got to eat it, Lillian! I appreciate your review.
Invited a new friend for lunch and made these. They were a hit. I was nervious trying a new recipe and it also being for someone I had no idea of her likes and dislikes. We both enjoyed them. I did serve plan quinoa and sliced tomatoes along side. Thank you for your recipes. I’ve now tried several. All have been great!
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! The only change I make is switching out the feta for cotija cheese. Makes it more authentic :)
Sounds delicious, Nikki! Thank you for your review.
My family loves these! Thank you for the recipe.
Is there any way to make these in advance and just warm them up for Thanksgiving? Serving 7 people.
Hi! You can try rewarming them in the oven. Or you can prep the ingredients before hand, then assemble and bake.
These are very good and also very filling. I cut the recipe in half since it was just me and my wife. I thought that I would be able to eat three of them but I was stuffed after eating two. Leftovers! I also used your recipe for salsa verse instead of using store-bought. I used a half cup of filling in the enchiladas that I made and they look a lot bigger than the enchiladas in your pictures. We had cut up avocado on the side. Fresh diced tomatoes would go well on the top of these after they come out of the oven. If I make these next summer when we have tomatoes in the garden I’ll add them. These are definitely a “do again.”
I’m glad you loved them, Ken! Thank you for your review.
These were delicious. I made some ‘family’ adjustments (so 2x size filling): flour tortillas for one full pan – easy to roll and work with. The pan of corn tortillas were too crumbly, so rather than roll individually I layered it like a lasagna. I made a few other replacements based on what was on hand, and obviously the basic recipe is great and could take the swaps easily. I served it with a side salad of spinach, arugula and oranges with a light vinaigrette. Everything was devoured. It was a little spicy for the 7 and 5 year old, but just enough heat for the adults
I tried this recipe tonight, it turned our very good. My Mexican husband even approved! Wish I could share the photo I took. thanks
You’re welcome, Charles!
Hello Kate,
I recently discovered your blog and am very thankful I did. I haven’t eaten a lot of meat for a long time, but recently committed to a meatless diet (still eat fish) and was again thankful that I discovered your blog in my search for vegetarian recipes. I’ve tried the pumpkin fettuccini (which I actually added a little maple syrup to) and the sweet potato black bean enchiladas. I live in a multigenerational house with my two grown children and their children and they all loved it. I look forward to trying more of your recipes. Thanks so much for creating and sharing them. Brent
I’m glad you did as well, Brent! Thank you for sharing your experience.
These are amazing!!!!! No changes/substitutions except vegan cheese for my vegan friend’s birthday lunch:)
Such a flavorful combination. Thanks Kate!
You’re welcome, Liza!
Looking forward to making these. Every recipe I have made of yours has turned out SO WELL. I bet Mole Sauce would be delish on these as well! :D
Hi they are outstanding! I do short cuts and layered everything like a lasagna! Quicker easier and we’re fabulous! I did not have to heat and roll tortillas! Thanks
Has anyone tried making the sweet potatoes the night before and putting the enchiladas together the next day OR making the whole dish before and baking the next day? Looking for time saving options for quick dinner production :)
Hi Austin, you could try to make the filling ahead of time then assemble and bake when ready. They also make great leftovers.
Hi Kate:
Trying to find out your suggestion for freezing. I am having company next week and won’t have time to cook fresh before hand, so wanted to freeze. What is your experience/suggestions for freezing?
Hi! You can freeze once cooled in a freezer safe dish. You will want them to thaw before rewarming. I hope they are a hit!
This recipe was AMAZING! So good and so very easy to prepare!! I did use light Feta Cheese and also Habanero jack cheese (because we like heat!). It was SO yummy. Thanks for sharing this one! It’s a keeper!
These enchiladas are absolutely wonderful. Wowed my in-laws, absolute rave reviews. Also easy to make! The first bath of many.
I’m glad they were a hit! I appreciate your review.
Hello! I am trying to print several recipes and i am having difficulty. I don’t print the nutritional information, pictures especially in color, or notes in an effort to be more eco conscious and conserve paper but for some reason it isn’t letting me NOT print them. Thank you for your help in advance. Love the recipes!
Hi! You should be able to adjust that with your printer settings by selecting which pages to print. I hope that helps! Some people want that information, others don’t. I hope that works for you, Erin!
Just made this and my husband and I loved it! Filling, healthy and a complete protein between the beans and sweet potato. I sprinkled goat cheese on top as I had no sour cream. I also pickled the red onions. I will keep making this one!
I love these—made them multiple times—but just checked the sodium. Yikes!! You may want to bypass if you have to watch sodium in your diet. :(
These were so delicious and easy! They will definitely be added to our dinner rotation.
Loved these.My daughter-in-law served them during Christmas. I used sprouted corn tortillas also. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Sounds delicious, Celia! I appreciate your review.
This recipe was incredible I wouldn’t change a thing! The garlic really popped too & the toppings are a must. This was fan favorite with my friends & husband who are all carnivores.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Candace! I appreciate your review.
This has been a favorite recipe of my partner and I’s for years now! The trick is to upgrade the salsa verde to really make them fire. I buy the jar of hatch chili salsa from Trader Joe’s. It’s a green salsa also but not the same as the salsa verde from TJ’s. I’ve tried them both for this recipe and I’ve discovered the hatch chili is the way to go. First buy the hatch chili salsa, then pop it into the blender with some cumin, salt, lime juice, jalapeño, white onion, garlic, and cilantro. Makes it taste amazing and it makes you feel like it’s really homemade. Super elevated flavors!
I love to hear that, Caryn! Thank you for sharing.
My husband and I love love love these! Easy to add some beef or chicken for extra protein too :)
So good!!!! The homemade verde sauce is key!!! Will definitely make again
That’s great to hear, Emily!
Made these for my book club and they were so good and flavourful! Everyone loved them, will definitely add to my rotation.
I made these enchiladas for dinner last night and they were soooo good! Will definitely be making these again (and again!)
I used flame roasted green chile sauce instead of tomatillo sauce and pepper jack instead of monterey jack because we like the extra heat. Delicious! Thanks, Kate, for another great recipe!
Not your typical enchilada recipe, so unique! Very delicious and easy to make!
If I want to leave the skins on, and just use your roasted sweet potato recipe, would I still need able to mash them, or should I puree them in the food processor?
Hi Tris, I’m not sure I understand your question. I find this method is the best for this recipe and works really well for roasting the sweet potatoes. Simple and great texture. I hope you try it!
I made it last week and my husband asked for me to make them this week! That is a good sign. I only have cheddar cheese and pinto beans so I will improvise
These enchiladas are one of my favourite meals to make AND enjoy. It’s a simple but satisfying recipe. I love it because it’s flavourful, easy, and makes lots of left overs. Only con is the time it takes (2 rounds of baking)
Unfortunately this was a miss. I don’t know if it was the lime juice or the feta but the filling was very sour. It was also a lot of work.
Hi Brit, I’m sorry you didn’t love this recipe.
I bought all the ingredients, but now that I look at the instructions, it’s like only have there. Where is the rest of the filling mix instructions? All it says is roast a sweet potato. I’m very confused on all this.
Hi Susan! The filling is listed first and then remaining ingredients. Mix the filling and then top with remaining per instructions. Does that help?
I made this last night and it was very good. My kids didn’t like it because it was too spicy. I will leave the jalapeño out next time. Is there a less spicy substitute for the diced green chiles that you recommend?
Hi Kari, you could omit them if you like. Or be sure to buy mild.
This turned out so great! I had dried beans so I tossed a few garlic cloves, some red onion, and a cube or two of frozen chipotle in adobo with a pinch of salt to season the beans. I rinsed the beans but left behind some of the garlic/onion mix. The beans were seasoned well with the chipotle even though I rinsed them. I followed everything else except my grocery store was out of feta so I used cotija. I used a jar of roasted salsa verde. Love this!
I’ve made these several times now and it’s definitely a favorite in our house. I’ve also made the Vegan version and it was a HUGE hit with my vegan kids. I added some plant based vegan feta (Trader Joe’s brand) along with plant based sour cream and the results were delicious.
I’m frequently recommending this site to friends as I love your recipes and have many favorites that are on my regular rotation.
Thanks for ALL your wonderful recipes!
Thank you for sharing, Cheryl! I appreciate your review.
I’ve made this recipe several times and love it. Thank you! Please note that when I choose the option to 2x (double) the recipe, it says I need 4 cans (EIGHT ounces each) of diced green chiles. Oops!
I’m sorry about that! Thanks for letting me know.
We absolutely love this recipe. My son ‘hates’ sweet potatoes but will eat a million of these enchiladas. This is by far our favorite vegetarian recipe so far. I sometimes make twice as much filling and freeze it.
Thank you for sharing, M!
I’ve made this a few times. Tonight I used two left over sweet potatoes and it saved me a step. They turned out amazing as usual! I also used almond flour tortillas and it worked out very well!
That’s great to hear, Michelle!
What size corn tortillas do you use? Thanks!
Hi! These were 6inches I believe. I hope you try this recipe!
Absolutely delicious! I upped the spices a bit but a fantastic recipe.
Thank you for your review, Ellen!