Chile relleno enchurritos are soul-satisfying comfort food. They are incredibly easy to put together–all you do is spread refried beans on flour tortillas, then roll them around mild green chiles stuffed with a wedge of cheese. Arrange the rollups in a casserole dish, bathe in red enchilada sauce and bake!
Click here to PIN Easy Chile Relleno Enchiladas!
Can’t decide between enchiladas or burritos? Make enchurritos. Enchurritos, what? Chile relleno enchurritos make an excellent busy-day dinner casserole for family or parties. Everyone loves them!
What are Enchurritos?
- In Spanish, “enchilada” means “chili-sauced.” When you fill corn tortillas and bake them with red enchilada sauce, they’re known as enchiladas.
- Relleno means filled, so cheese-filled chiles are rellenos.
- When you fill flour tortillas with something yummy, they’re known as burritos.
- So, when we roll cheese-stuffed chile rellenos into flour tortillas, we get chile relleno enchurritos!
Today got to thinking about the chile relleno enchurritos I posted here a couple of years ago. Seems like a perfect time to bring them to the forefront again. It’s the same delicious recipe I’ve been making forever with added nutrition information.
These enchurritos come together quickly using canned green chiles and canned refried beans. If you want to make your enchurritos super easy, use purchased enchilada sauce. I’m not excited about red enchilada sauce in cans because it’s not all clean ingredients, but when you can put dinner together with tortillas, cheese, and canned goods, that defines EASY!
Today’s enchurritos got sauced with my go-to quick homemade enchilada sauce. If you have the time, make my authentic enchilada sauce.
Tips for Chile Relleno Enchurritos:
- I use whole grain flour tortillas for added fiber and nutrition.
- Ortega canned green chiles (affiliate link) are sturdy and don’t easily split when stuffed with cheese like some canned chiles I’ve tried.
- If your peeps like spicy food—stuff the chiles with pepper jack cheese instead of Monterey Jack.
- Prep ahead: Roll the tortillas with cheese-filled chiles in the morning or the night before. Pour the enchilada sauce over your enchurittos just before they go in the oven.
What kind of beans to spread on the tortillas:
- Easiest–buy a can of vegetarian refried beans, either black beans or pintos.
- Or make your own refrieds by mashing drained and rinsed beans with salsa, chili powder, and cumin, to taste.
- Cooking beans from scratch takes the fast and easy out of these enchurritos, but if you make your beans ahead of time you’ll have the most delicious black beans ever. Here’s my recipe for how to cook black beans in the pressure cooker.
Where does the enchurrito idea come from?
- In the old days, during Park City’s evolution from a declined mining town into a world famous ski resort, there was a really good Mexican restaurant at the bottom of Main Street. Whenever we went there for dinner, I’d order their vegetarian enchurritos. Not long after the restaurant ceased to be, I started making my own version at home, these chile relleno enchurritos.
More enchilada dinner ideas:
- Green enchiladas with spinach and arugula.
- Vegetarian chard-filled enchiladas.
- Amazing spinach and black bean enchiladas.
Make it a fabulous week–get in the kitchen and cook something delicious!
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Vegetarian Chile Relleno Enchurritos
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (1 15-ounce can) refried beans, black or pinto
- 1 teaspoon chili powder blend
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 whole grain tortillas
- 3 cans whole mild green chiles (4-ounce) cans (if there is an extra chile, dice it for top garnish)
- 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese , sliced into 8 pieces, plus about ¼ cup grated for the top
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce , homemade or purchased (see note)
- Cilantro garnish , if you have it (I didn’t!)
Instructions
- Brush a 9 x 13-inch pan with oil, or spray with cooking spray. Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
- Mash the refried beans with the chili powder and cumin. Thin with water or some of your favorite salsa so the mix is smooth and spreadable. Taste, adding more chili powder if you wish. (To make your own bean spread, see recipe note.)
- Drain the green chiles and place on plates. Insert a strip of cheese in each.
- Spread each tortilla generously with the refried beans, almost to the edges.
- Roll each bean-coated tortilla around a cheese-filled chile, then place in the prepared pan. Pour enchilada sauce over the filled tortillas, making sure the edges get plenty of sauce. Garnish with diced chiles and a sprinkle of cheese.
- Bake until heated through and sauce begins to bubble, 25-to 30 minutes. (See recipe notes for links to my homemade enchilada sauce recipes.)
Notes
- Make your own black bean spread: In the work bowl of a food processor, puree 1 (15-ounce) can drained black beans with the chili powder, cumin, and 1/3 to 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa. Puree until the bean mixture is smooth and spreadable, adding more salsa as needed. Taste and add more chili powder if you wish. Scrape into a small bowl and set aside.
- Recipes for quick and easy enchilada sauce or authentic red enchilada sauce.
Thanks Letty, That sound like a cinco de Mayo for the Constables. Perfect… I loved to have that dinner when I worked at Utah Coal and Lumber back in those old days. · 2 May, 2016
Thanks Patricia. As I recall it was one of the few vegetarian choice on the menu! · 2 May, 2016
These look amazing Letty. I am going to try these this week. · 2 May, 2016
Thanks Julie–I hope you enjoy them as much as we do. · 2 May, 2016
Alright. This may seem unrelated but you spurred a childhood memory with this one. When I was quite small during the Vietnam War my dad was the base pediatrician for Hill Air Force Base in Salt lake City. My parents went skiing (alot) in Park City. There was one time when they went skiing and were very, very late in picking me up from daycare. I was little but I remember the feeling of abandonment really well. I was scared because all the other kids had been picked up. Finally my parents showed. I was in tears but they consoled me with the first Mexican food I ever had. I wonder if it could have been from Utah Coal and Lumber… GREG · 5 May, 2016
That looks so good! I make stuffed peppers with cheese this way in the summer when I have tons of pepper. Add the tortillas and the sauce is something that would make it a really hearty meal.
love it. · 6 May, 2016
Chuck and I enjoyed your chile rellano enchurritos on cinco de junio! Delicious! Highly recommended. Thanks Letty! Love, Mona · 6 June, 2016
This looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing! · 24 September, 2018
THANKS LETTY · 12 December, 2018