Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Last updated January 3rd, 2025

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These sweet potato and black bean enchiladas are the perfect big batch recipe for meal prep or dinner parties with a crowd! They’re vegetarian friendly, packed with nutrients, and oh-so flavorful.

Sweet potato black bean enchiladas in a serving dish

This simple vegetarian enchilada recipe is an instant hit with everyone who’s tried it! It’s now a staple in our family and often makes an appearance at holidays and beach vacations.

Why is it so popular, you might be wondering? For 3 reasons – it’s cheap, it feeds a crowd, and it leaves you completely satisfied without feeling stuffed. That’s also why the two of us often meal prep these enchiladas for ourselves. As delicious as they are fresh, they’re even better when you can just pop one in the microwave the next day for lunch!

Our recipe is an adaptation of the sweet potato enchiladas from Chelsea’s Messy Apron. We found her recipe in college and fell in love with how easy and affordable it was! Our spin on it features our favorite spicy peppers and homemade ranchero sauce, since we love to add a little bit of heat to most things we cook.

What This Recipe Entails

To make these healthy vegetarian enchiladas, you’ll need to make the filling first, then assemble the enchiladas and bake.

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 45 minutes

We like to use our homemade ranchero sauce instead of store bought enchilada sauce. If you want to do the same, make sure to prep the ranchero sauce in advance.

Sweet potato black bean enchiladas in a casserole dish

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make sweet potato and black bean enchiladas:

  • Sweet potato – You’ll only need about 1 medium sweet potato (6 to 7 inches long) to make a big batch of enchiladas.
  • Black beans – Canned beans work great for this recipe. Simply drain and rinse before using.
  • Peppers – We like to use poblano peppers for their mild flavor and heat. You can substitute with bell pepper, or use something spicier like jalapeno or Anaheim if you prefer.
  • Taco seasoning – We make our own taco seasoning recipe instead of using store bought packets, but use what works best for you!
  • Rice – Brown or white rice works. It helps bind the filling together and adds substance to the enchiladas.
  • Sauce – You can easily use store bought enchilada sauce, or try our homemade ranchero sauce if you’re feeling adventurous! It gives these enchiladas a spicy kick and tastes much fresher than red enchilada sauce.
  • Tortillas – We recommend flour tortillas since they are less likely to break while rolling up your enchiladas, and they are easier to find in larger sizes. Use 8 inch tortillas for the best results.
  • Shredded cheese – Use a Mexican blend cheese for the best flavor! If you’re in a pinch, you can also use a cheddar blend.

How To Make Vegetarian Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Although it takes some time to prepare these sweet potato enchiladas, none of the steps involved are difficult! You can have dinner on the table in about 1 hour following our recipe.

  1. Steam the rice. This can be done first and left to sit at room temperature while you prepare the rest of this recipe.
  2. Make the ranchero sauce, if you’re using our recipe instead of canned enchilada sauce. This can be done up to 4 days ahead of time (store it in the fridge).
  3. Make the filling. Sauté the sweet potatoes until just tender, then add the peppers. Continue to cook until softened, then add the taco seasoning, garlic, and beans. Warm through and then stir in the picante sauce, lime juice, and rice.
  4. Assemble. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9 by 13 baking dish and set it next to your workstation. Working one at a time, spread a thin layer of sauce over a tortilla, then spoon the filling in a line down the center of the tortilla. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and roll tightly, then place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until all the filling has been used, snuggling the enchiladas tightly into the pan so they stay rolled during baking.
  5. Top the enchiladas with additional sauce and shredded cheese.
  6. Bake until warmed through and melty. Optionally garnish with chopped cilantro and serve!

Serving Suggestions

Black bean and sweet potato enchiladas are the perfect vegetarian friendly Mexican dish to serve to a crowd, whether you’re hosting a dinner party or Cinco de Mayo get together. They’re also perfect for meal prepping healthy lunches for the week ahead.

Here are some of our favorite sides to enjoy with these healthy enchiladas:

  • Add guacamole and sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt) to your plate
  • Serve chips and salsa on the side
  • Start with a small salad as an appetizer
  • Pair with a small bowl of chicken tortilla soup (for non-vegetarians)
A serving dish of sweet potato black bean enchiladas

Storing and Reheating

Store leftover sweet potato enchiladas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat single servings in the microwave for about 2 minutes per enchilada, or until warm.

Batch reheating: You can reheat a larger batch of these enchiladas in a baking dish. Heat in the oven at 350 degrees F, covered with foil, for about 30 to 40 minutes or until warm.

Freezing: You can freeze these enchiladas before baking them, then defrost in the fridge for about 24 hours before baking. Bake at 350 degrees F, covered with foil, for about 30 to 40 minutes or until warm.

Leftover filling: If you end up with any leftover enchilada filling after assembling, store it in the fridge for up to 5 days and enjoy it as a burrito bowl, or put it in tacos! It’s delicious with a little bit of mashed avocado and some cheese.

Expert Tips

  • Make your enchiladas in a baking dish that comes with a lid for easy storage, like this 9×13 glass baking dish by OXO (we love ours!)
  • You may need more than one baking dish, depending on how tightly you roll your enchiladas. Sometimes we end up using our large Staub casserole dish in addition to our 9×13 baking dish, instead of two 9×13 dishes.
  • Meal prep these enchiladas on a Sunday and you’ll have plenty of easy meals for the week ahead.

Try our sweet potato black bean enchiladas recipe and let us know what you think by rating, commenting, and sharing below!


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Sweet potato black bean enchiladas in a serving dish

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

Nicole
These sweet potato and black bean enchiladas are the perfect big batch recipe for meal prep or dinner parties with a crowd! They’re vegetarian friendly, packed with nutrients, and oh-so flavorful.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 14 enchiladas
Calories 290 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup white rice dry
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium sweet potato peeled and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 1 medium poblano pepper sliced
  • tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup picante sauce or salsa
  • 15 ounces canned black beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 14 8 inch flour tortillas
  • 5 cups Homemade Ranchero Sauce or enchilada sauce
  • cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese

Instructions
 

  • First, steam the rice. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice, cover, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Once cooked, set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Make the enchilada filling:
    Heat ⅔ of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add diced sweet potatoes and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until potatoes start to soften, stirring occasionally. Then, add the poblano and remaining olive oil to the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are softened.
    Lower the heat to medium and stir in the taco seasoning and garlic. Then, add the black beans and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
    Turn off the heat and stir in the picante sauce and lime juice. Add the cooked rice and stir well to combine.
  • Lightly grease two 9×13 baking dishes. Pour about ½ cup of ranchero sauce into each baking dish and spread it around evenly.
  • Assemble the enchiladas:
    Spoon about 1 tablespoon of ranchero sauce onto a tortilla, then spread in a thin layer. Add about ⅓ cup of the sweet potato black bean filling in a line down the center of the tortilla. Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons shredded cheese, then roll up the tortilla tightly and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until both pans are filled with enchiladas.
    Top the enchiladas with the remaining ranchero sauce, then sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.
  • Bake for 25 minutes to warm through and melt the cheese. Optionally garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

Notes

Homemade Ranchero Sauce: Our spicy homemade ranchero sauce is super easy to make and tastes delicious on these enchiladas! Make sure to use vegetable broth for the vegetarian version (or, alternatively, you can reserve the liquid from the canned beans in this enchilada recipe and use that in place of the broth). Substitute ranchero with red enchilada sauce for a store-bought alternative.
Preparing the enchiladas: Spread the ranchero sauce on the tortilla like you’re making a pizza – you want a thin, even layer that doesn’t quite reach the edge of the tortilla – and be careful not to over-fill the enchiladas. The more filling you add, the harder it is to roll them.
Serving suggestions: Serve these with a side of our homemade guacamole and tortilla chips! Check out our blog post above for more suggestions.
Storing: Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. You can also assemble the enchiladas – but don’t bake them – and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook after freezing, allow enchiladas to fully defrost in the fridge, then bake at 350 degrees F (covered) for about 30 to 40 minutes or until heated through.
Reheating: Reheat single enchiladas in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Or, reheat a larger batch in the oven at 350 degrees F, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1enchiladaCalories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 10gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 774mgPotassium: 440mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3098IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 181mgIron: 3mg
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Keyword black beans, cheese, meal prep, ranchero sauce, rice, sweet potato

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Join the Conversation

  1. Patricia Langdon says:

    5 stars
    We love these and have made them several times. They freeze well, so it’s easy to make a big batch to have something delicious to pull out of the freezer at a later time. We’re actually having them tonight!

    1. Nicole Author says:

      We’re so glad you love them, enjoy! They really are the best for freezer meal prep 🙂

5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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