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.
My daughter made these using flour tortillas instead of corn. It makes the finished product “softer” but insanely delicious nonetheless! This is at least a 10/10!!
I made these for dinner tonight and my husband and I loved them. I had plenty of filling left over which I will eat by itself!
Most amazing recipe…we have this at least once a month in our house!
I love to hear that, Tracy!
SO good! I used Trader Joe’s corn & wheat tortillas (very pliable & tasty) plus a combo of hatch pepper salsa & salsa verde. Left out the jalapeños but the salsa has a good kick. I also used plain skyr-style yogurt instead of the sour cream. Outstanding recipe!
Thank you, Elaine!
Hi! What size corn tortillas do you suggest? Thanks!
Hi! Whatever brand you prefer. They range fro 4-6 inches.
Absolutely delicious. Enjoyed by my husband, the kids & I. Thank you x
You’re welcome, Narelle!
This is an old favorite of mine. It had been a bit since I had made it. We invited our vegetarian friends over for dinner and I chose this for dinner. I paired it with a crisp salad. Everyone, even the kids, was raving about it. I was so proud to have shared this meal with our friends. Thank you again. Your recipes never disappoint and I recommend this website over and over again.
Also, for the record, my family is not strictly vegetarian. We enjoy vegetarian meals much of the time. But this is one that you definitely do not miss the meat. The flavors and textures are so nuanced and collide perfectly. Don’t pass this one up.
I have made these several times and they are delicious. Now my pantry must have two bottles of salsa verde at all times!
These are delicious. My boyfriend and I truly enjoyed them! Thank you!
Simply divine! We make these every few weeks and every time I love them each time!
You left out the steps for the filling. That would be helpful
Hi RM, what steps are you referring to? See step 3.
Absolutely delicious! I used pepper jack cheese and added roasted mushrooms. I made a smaller pan for just two of us. My husband couldn’t get enough and they didn’t last until the next evening for dinner. We are working to eat less meat and salt but so tired of salads- how fun to have a baked veggie dish with so much flavor! I’m sold on your recipes! Thank you.
Love this recipe! Has anyone figured out the approximate nutritional breakdown? Carbs, protein, fiber, etc.?
Hi Elise, all the nutritional information is below the notes of the recipe. You just need to click the header to expand.
It’s my new go to recipie and I share it with everyone!! I make trays and freeze them for easy, delicious weekday meals
Thank you for sharing, Fallon!
reduce the carbs by reducing the amount of sweet potato and substituting in some riced cauliflower
I just wanted to comment and say I love this recipe. It’s in our regular rotation, and I’ve probably made it a hundred times. It’s great as leftovers, and because it’s vegetarian and gluten free, it’s great for all crowds. I’ve also made it vegan, and it’s just as good as the original recipe.
That’s great to hear!
We enjoyed this recipe quite a bit, but the flavors were just a little bland for us. The heat level was perfect- I would say with 1/4 tsp cayenne it was a nice mild/medium on the spice spectrum. Next time I will try a more flavorful cheese, and will likely add scallions to the filling (will also help give the filling more texture). If you’re planning to make this for an easy weeknight dinner, I recommend prepping the filling ahead of time.
SO good. Made this for a dinner party and everyone loved it!
Great to hear, Libby!
I love this recipe and almost without exception all of your recipes. I had too much filling one time and we just heated it and used it with tortilla chips as a dip for a gathering later in the week!
Just FYI, I rarely leave reviews but this recipe required one. This really was outstanding! My husband, who dislikes any vegetarian recipe asked to add this to the rotation! And you were correct, after making the enchilada sauce, I’ll never go back to store bought! It’s worth it! :) Wonderful recipe! Made it just as written. :)
Great to hear, Christy!
These are in the oven now. Any ideas for leftover filling? I am out of tortillas!
Make some more! :)
Can flour tortillas be used instead? My kids prefer them. Thank you!
Sure, if you prefer! I hope this is a hit.
Where do you put the sour cream?
I like to top mine with it. I hope you loved these enchiladas, Steph!
I thought they were very dry. I only cooked them for 25 min at 350 and that was even too much. The first batch I cooked according to your instructions and they burned.
Really good! Here’s something else you could say instead of delicious.
I have now made these enchiladas several times and not only are they healthy and easy to make but have outstanding flavor! I highly recommend making them!
Great to hear, Annie!
Can you make this as a casserole rather than enchiladas?
You cold try my Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole.
Can I use flour tortillas instead? And green enchiladas sauce?
Sure, you could try it.
Thank you so much Kathryne for this recipe! We’ve been doing it for about…. 15 times already! It’s always on our rotation.
It’s SO DELICIOUS!
I was just wondering if there is a way to make the tortillas less mushy, as we make loads of portions for the entire week. Have you found a way?
thank you so much for your amazing work, your recipes are always a hit here.
For leftovers, I haven’t found away to not help how they set-up. Sorry! Thank you for your review, Dominique.
Outstanding! Based on all of the positive reviews i knew these were going to taste amazing…but they are even better than expected. Delicious and everyone loved them. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Meg!
Could you sub a different cheese for the feta cheese?
If you prefer, sure! Let me know what you think when you try it.
This may be my new favorite recipe of Kate’s! Love how the different flavors come together. I had to use store-bought salsa verde and got medium instead of mild because we like spicy – only small change I made.
Great to hear, Ann!
We love this recipe that out daughter’s boyfriend introduced to us.
I was instructed to go on a low carb diet yesterday. Sweet potatoes have 27 carbs and Butternut Squash has less than 12! I should wait until we have actually tried it, but in my mind, the taste and texture are so similar, it should be just as good!
Okay, since I made quite a few changes, I would be giving this recipe as is a 3-4 star, but I’ll be giving it 5 stars because it inspired one of my favorite recpies. I have made this several times and LOVED it, as have several friends and family members.
Instead of jalepeno and green chiles, I put in one large bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow), which I tossed in olive oil and roasted along with the sweet potatoes. I didn’t really understand the feta cheese (sounds more Mediterranean than Mexican to me, although maybe it is acting as a substitute for cotjia?), so I just stuck with a four cheese blend for the whole recipe (monterey jack, cheddar, asadero & quezo quesadilla cheeses). I did end up doubling the cumin, chile powder, and garlic paste, and also added 1/4 cup chopped cilantro inside the mix.
Since some of my friends can be a little picky in their toppings (ie some wanting none and others wanting heaps), I also chose not to put the sour cream, onions, or cilantro on top, but instead set them out buffet-style along side avocado and extra lime wedges so everyone could choose their own toppings. I have also made versions where I added ground turkey and shredded chicken for friends/ family, and they were also hits (although I did increase the spices a bit more again). The only thing bad about making this recipe is that it’s so popular in this house, it’s gone too soon.
this is a great recipe and I use it often.
Just FYI – some steps are missing in the recipe above but its easy to figure out based on the ingredients.
Do you think I could make this with butternut squash? I’ve got some squash to use and I feel like it will work in this recipe.
You could try it. Let me know if you do!
I just made this with a butternut squash instead of sweet potato. It was incredible! There was some filling left over so I just threw it on top before baking. I used one cup of salsa verde (it was all I had) but if didn’t matter. 10/10.
Great recipe! Thank you
This recipe looks delicious and I know we all would love it, except no one here is found of feta cheese. Can you please recommend a
substitute or could we leave it out all together? Thank you and I will be making this soon.
You could omit and use cheddar or another type of cheese you prefer.
Thank you for your prompt reply. Picked up some swiss and other
cheese today. Will make tomorrow!
I hope you enjoyed these, Deborah!
Yes! Finally made this and it was delicious. Will be making again for sure. Everyone loved this dish.
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Deborah.
I love everything about this! Delicious combination of tastes and textures
Great to hear, Deborah!
I made these Sweet potato and Black Bean Enchiladas last night and they were a huge hit! Very easy recipe to put together. It will definitely be moved into my rotation. Thanks, Kate! I followed it exactly except for subbing Greek yougurt for the sour cream. ❤️
I started making these to replace our favorite chicken enchiladas when we stopped eating meat about 5 years ago. I add sour cream to the filling and use extra Colby jack cheese instead of the feta. This is now one of my top five weekly meals!
I love to hear that, Krista!
Drop the feta IMHO, it adds a weird flavor.
Also the corn tortillas really turn to mush which is a little unsettling in the mouth alongside the already mushy sweet potatoes. Use flour tortillas.
This was perfect as I’ve always made this dish with enchilada sauce. My husband can’t eat tomato sauce so salsa verde worked great. I made this a skillet without the tortillas then served over mexican rice.
I have yet to make a dish from your site that has not been a favorite with my family, we love them all! These were great and quick to double and make. We are not vegetarians but I like to teach my kids that you can have a delicious meals without meat and your recipes are always do that.
That’s great to hear, Lanette! I appreciate your review.
I have made this recipe several times and it ALWAYS hits! Love making this for meal prep. Tastes wonderful with some sour cream and avocado. Highly recommend this recipe!!!!
Great to hear, Marissa!
Love the roasting method for the sweet potatoes! They made the whole house smell amazing! I could not stop eating them, so I ended up cutting the recipe in half, but it still made plenty.
The combination of the sweet potato, spices, beans, and lime juice worked really well. The only thing I did differently was I roasted my own Anaheim pepper (instead of using canned), to add some smokiness and clean green flavor! I also added some cream to my salsa verde, and created more of a white crema sauce to pour on top….Spectacular!
The only thing is, I really wanted my corn tortillas to get crispy, so I flash dipped them in hot oil before baking….which made the ends crispy, but not the center. Kate, if you could crack the code on how to get the corn tortillas to stay crispy in the oven…..would love that!
I brought this dish to friends for dinner. Had never made it before and had never made enchiladas either. It was a total hit and spicy right. Very flavorful. We all loved it. Will definitely make it again. Used a bit less of the salsa verde. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Francoise!
This is random but – why do they need to cook for 25 minutes once assembled? The sweet potato is cooked, beans are fine. I get letting the sauce soak/cook and the cheese bubbling. Is there other cooking chemistry happening? Honest question! Haha
Hi Stacey, it’s get all the ingredients to cook together to get a true enchilada result. I hope you try it!
My nephew’s wife made this for us when we were visiting. She gave me the recipe and I made it when we got back home. It was so delicious both times it’s going on my rotation. Thanks for a great recipe!
You’re welcome, Dennis! I appreciate your review.
Has anyone ever done this in layers rather than rolling each individual tortilla?