These vegetarian black bean and spinach enchiladas are a healthy, easy meal for the whole family! The filling is packed with vegetables, including bell pepper, onion, and corn, and has a creamy texture from shredded cheese and cream cheese. Plus, you can assemble the recipe in advance to pop in the oven on a busy night!

black bean and spinach enchiladas assembled in a rectangular baking dish on a counter

Enchiladas are always a hit in our house, especially with our toddler daughter! They make a such a great vehicle for eating tons of vegetables. Plus, I love that you can prep some components, like the sauce or even the whole dish, in advance to save time later.

This version of black bean and spinach enchiladas features the two headliner ingredients alongside other veggies, making it quite the plant-packed meal! Similar to my Vegetarian Enchiladas Verdes with Zucchini, I added a little bit of cream cheese to the filling to make it extra creamy. I learned this trick from a recipe my mother-in-law shared with me!

In addition to the veggie-loaded filling, I also whipped up a homemade enchilada sauce for the recipe. I include the ingredients and instructions for it in the recipe card, but feel free to substitute a canned or other store-bought sauce instead! Whatever is easiest for you. You can also make the homemade sauce well in advance and freeze it for later use.

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Ingredients and Substitutions
Instructions
Storage and Reheating
Freezing
Serving
More Mexican-Inspired Dishes
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enchilada sauce, seasonings, tortillas, chopped veggies, corn, black beans, and cheese on a counter

Ingredients and Substitutions

Enchilada sauce: For this, you’ll need onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, flour, tomato paste, broth, and tomato sauce. If you don’t want to/have the time to make homemade sauce, sub 2 cups of store-bought enchilada sauce instead! I recommend choosing a mild sauce if you are making this for the whole family, including young kids. I give tips for how to make the homemade version milder in the recipe card.
Spinach: Obviously, this is a big ingredient in black bean and spinach enchiladas…and you can really pack it in there! I use a whole 5-ounce container of baby spinach.
Black beans: Feel free to sub other beans, such as pinto or kidney beans. Use 2 cans to bulk up the filling with a little more protein if desired.
Onion: I recommended white, yellow, or red.
Garlic: I use fresh garlic, but you can substitute about ½ to 1 teaspoon of garlic powder if needed.
Corn: Fresh, frozen, or canned (drained and rinsed) all work.
Bell pepper: Any color.
Shredded Jack cheese: I like Monterey Jack for this recipe, but feel free to sub Pepper Jack for a little extra spice. Of course, a shredded Mexican cheese blend also works well.
Cream cheese: You’ll need about 2 ounces to make the filling extra creamy. Omit if desired.
Flour tortillas: I personally like to use flour tortillas for enchiladas, since I think they are easier to roll and less likely to tear. It’s especially helpful if the tortillas have been at room temperature before rolling them. If you need to make the recipe gluten-free, a brand of corn tortillas that aren’t crumbly and roll well would also work.

Instructions

The full recipe card for black bean and spinach enchiladas, including ingredient quantities, is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you.

onion and garlic cooking in spices in a skillet

If you are making homemade enchilada sauce, start by cooking the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the spices, flour, and tomato paste, stir to coat, and cook for a minute more until fragrant.

enchilada sauce simmering in a skillet on a stove

Stir in the broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer for 10 more minutes.

chopped peppers, onion, and spinach on a cutting board with a knife

While the sauce is cooking, prep the ingredients for the filling. The recipe comes together quickly once you start cooking, so it’s helpful to have all of the ingredients prepped. Chop the pepper, onion, and spinach. Drain and rinse the black beans (and corn if using canned). Shred the cheese (if not using pre-shredded), and gather the cream cheese and tortillas.

peppers, onions, and corn cooking in oil in a skillet on a stove

In a large skillet, cook the onion, pepper, corn, and garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent.

spinach, beans, peppers, onions, and corn cooking in a skillet on a stove

Add the black beans and spinach to the skillet. Cook, stirring often, until the spinach is wilted.

black bean and spinach enchilada filling cooking in a skillet on a stove

Stir half of the shredded cheese and the cream cheese into the skillet. Cook until they are melted and the filling is coated. Remove from heat.

flour tortilla with enchilada filling before being rolled on a counter

Spread 1 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Then, fill the tortillas. Scoop ½ cup of the filling onto one side of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla, starting with that side. Repeat with the rest of the filling and tortillas.

filled enchiladas rolled up and placed in a rectangular baking dish

Place the rolled tortillas, seam side down, in the dish with the sauce.

enchiladas rolled up and covered with enchilada sauce in a rectangular baking dish

Spread 1 cup of enchilada sauce on top of the rolled tortillas, avoiding the edges.

enchiladas covered with sauce and shredded cheese in a baking dish before being baked

Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese on top of the sauce. At this point, you can bake them immediately or wrap with foil or plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 12 to 24 hours.

Storage and Reheating

Leftover black bean and spinach enchiladas keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. You can reheat them in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, in a skillet for about 5 minutes, or even in the oven. Reheating in the oven works best if you are warming up several at once. Place them in a baking dish and cook at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes.

an enchilada cut in half on a plate next to a fork with a piece

Freezing

You can also freeze these enchiladas. However, I recommend freezing them uncooked vs. cooked. Follow all of the instructions for assembling the dish. Use a freezer-safe baking dish, like a foil lasagna pan or a glass dish that’s specifically labeled as safe going from the freezer to the oven. I like this glass baking dish with a lid from Oxo.

If you are using a dish that doesn’t come with its own lid, wrap it tightly with foil, followed by a couple layers of plastic wrap that encompass the whole dish (top and bottom). Place in the freezer, somewhere it won’t get bumped. Store for up to 3 months.

When you want to cook your frozen black bean and spinach enchiladas, let them thaw overnight in the fridge for best results. Then, remove the plastic and foil. Let the enchiladas sit out while the oven preheats, then bake them according to the recipe directions. You can also bake them straight from frozen, but I like them better when they’re thawed first. If baking from frozen, add 15 to 30 minutes of cooking time.

Serving

Black bean and spinach enchiladas can stand alone as a complete meal, but they go great with a variety of sides and toppings too. I like to add diced avocado or guacamole, chopped lettuce, and sour cream when serving. For sides, consider Apple Jicama Slaw, Mango Corn Salsa with Black Beans, or Chili Lime Jicama and Cucumber Salad.

More Mexican-Inspired Dishes

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Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas