Hold on to your sombrero! You are going to go crazy over these spinach and black bean enchiladas! Spinach, onion, jalapeรฑo chile, black beans and lots of melty cheese, rolled up in soft corn tortillas, and covered in colorful rich sauce, this is winning Mexican food. ยกOlรฉ!
Have you ever noticed that many Mexican dishes feature red, green, and white colors, mimicing the stripes in Mexicoโs flag? For instance, these mouthwatering enchiladas waving red sauce on one side and green sauce on the other, with creamy white drizzles down the middle. ยกViva Mexico!
Click here to PIN Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas!
Here, north of the border, weโre about to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, quite a gringo holiday, bigger than celebrated in Mexico. Not everyone knows why we mark this day so heartily, but the chips, salsa, and beer are front and center and weโre all looking forward to some good Mexican food.
The delicious combination of healthy ingredients and two authentic sauces–everything comes together in one beautiful casserole, this festive vegetarian recipe. Everyone who tastes these enchiladas gives them a big thumbs up.
To see how to assemble these enchiladas, click on the circle labeled โEnchiladas!โ in my Instagram profile.
The whole enchiladaโhere’s all the recipe details for your spinach and black bean enchiladas:
- You can use either canned black beans, or beans youโve cooked from scratch. Hereโs how to cook black beans in the pressure cooker.
- To make it easier, bathe your enchiladas in just one sauce, 2 cups of either red or green.
- Choose either purchased or homemade enchilada sauce. Hereโs my recipe for homemade green enchilada sauce. And my homemade red enchilada sauce.
- You will like my lower calorie spray-and-bake method for softening corn tortillas. Easy and quickโsix tortillas to a pan and 5 minutes in the oven. (Mexican cooks fry their corn tortillas in hot oil to make them pliable, and so they donโt easily absorb the sauce.)
- Whenever you cook leafy greens like spinach, brighten them with something acidic. The apple cider vinegar in todayโs enchilada filling does just that!
- If your store sells them, try Mi Rancho organic corn tortillas. Their old-world rich corn flavor and hearty texture makes stellar tacos and enchiladas.
I love healthy homemade Mexican food. Can you tell? Here are some more vegetarian recipes to tickle your taste buds:
- Chard enchiladas with black olives, green onions, and feta cheese.
- Chile relleno enchurritos, made with flour tortillas.
- Stacked mole-sauced enchiladasโtortillas, spinach, potatoes, and carrotsโ layered like lasagna.
- Chard and pepper jack quesadillas with avocado crema.
- Youโll love these vivid red hibiscus margaritas, too.
- You’ll love these with a salad with jicama, grapefruit, and cumin-lime dressing.
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Put on your apron and whip up something delicious and celebratory!
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If you like this recipe, Iโd be grateful if youโd give a โฎโฎโฎโฎโฎ rating on the recipe card below.
Outstanding Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 5 ounces baby spinach, or 1 bunch fresh spinach, washed well and coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive, avocado, or grapeseed oil
- 1 medium onion, diced in 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeรฑo chile, seeds removed, minced
- ยผ cup chopped cilantro leaves, some stems ok
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ยฝ cups black beans, one (15-ounce can, drained) (see note)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ยฝ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 12 corn tortillas
- Cooking spray, as needed
- 3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese, about 8 ounces
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce (see notes)
- 1 cup green enchilada sauce (see notes)
- Plain whole milk Greek yogurt or sour cream, as needed
Instructions
- Heat the oil in the largest skillet you have over medium heat. Stir and cook the onion, garlic and chile until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the spinach, stirring occasionally until the spinach has wilted. (In a smaller diameter skillet, you may need to add a portion at a time until all of the spinach has wilted.)
- Add the cilantro, oregano, and salt; cook and stir a few more minutes. Stir in the black beans. Season with the vinegar. Taste, adding more salt if you think itโs needed.
- Pre-heat oven to 350ยฐ F. Spray or rub a small amount of oil in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spread about ยผ cup enchilada sauce on the oiled dish.
- Place tortillas on baking sheets, 6 tortillas to a pan. Lightly spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray. Bake about 5 minutes, until pliable.
- Sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of the spinach and bean mixture down the middle a softened tortilla. Sprinkle about the same amount of cheese on top. Roll the tortilla around the filling and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas. You can cover the pan at this point and refrigerate overnight.
- Pour the enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas, making sure to cover the ends. You can use all red or all green, or give your enchiladas the Mexican flag color with both, one sauce on each side. Sprinkle with more cheese. Cover and bake until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Spread the Greek yogurt down the center of the pan and sprinkle with chopped cilantro leaves. (I used a pastry bag to squiggle on the yogurt.
Notes
- Canned black beans or home-cookedโit doesnโt matter. That said, Iโm a huge proponent of cooking beans from scratchโespecially using a pressure cooker.
- You can bathe your enchiladas in either red or green sauce, or both, like in the photo.
- Enchilada sauces can be homemade or store-bought. For many years, I used canned red enchilada sauce, but since Iโve become more of a label reader, I can hardly bring myself to use buy it. Not that I donโt on occasion. ๐ Looking around, I did find a cleaner ingredient red enchilada sauceย online.
- The same for green enchilada sauce, use homemade or storebought.
- Tip: For the photo, I cooked 2 small cans of green salsa in a saucepan until the liquid reduced to a sauce about as thick as the red enchilada sauce.
- If you like this recipe or find it useful, Iโd so appreciate a 4 or 5 star rating. Rating is done by clicking on the stars above.
OMG! I am making these asap! Thanks Letty! · 1 May, 2018
Hey–thank you Suzy! · 1 May, 2018
Yummy delicious Letty! I love going to Rancho Mkt for the produce and fresh tortillas! Cilantro was 5 big bunches for a buck – my entire bill for all the ingredients was less than $20! I made the verde sauce wth all fresh ingredients blended and reduced to thicken. ***** 5 Star! · 3 May, 2018
Thank you Petar! Your thumbs up means a lot to me. · 4 May, 2018
I noticed in the recipe it doesnโt mention where you used the green enchilada sauce. Were you just trying to say that you can use the red or the green? · 12 December, 2018
Hi Missy, Thanks for the note. You can bathe your enchiladas in either red or green sauce, or both, like in the photo. I took a minute to make the instructions more clear–let me know what you think. · 12 December, 2018
Iโm an ardent follower and fan of your blog Letty. This recipe, like so many others are all 5 star. Keep โem coming. These enchiladas are so delicious. I am not a red sauce fan (not even on my pasta) but your green sauce is just awesome and easy to make. Thanks Letty. · 14 March, 2019
Deb, Thank you for making my day! We love those enchiladas too! · 14 March, 2019
Really delicious and easy.. I added a can of fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies just for extra color and flavor.. Everyone loved them.. Great recipe.. Thank you · 24 March, 2019
Thank you Kim! Enchiladas are always a crowd pleaser! · 25 March, 2019
Can’t wait to try this! Sounds fantastic. Thanks for the idea and recipe. · 8 May, 2020
Delicious and very filling! Great recipe, Letty, thank you!!! · 9 May, 2022
Thank you Corey! · 9 May, 2022
I pretty much followed the original recipe but I added yogurt to the beans and spinach recipe. I added pickled jalapeno and a Serrano pepper. Also only put cheese on top not inside the enchiladas. · 5 August, 2022
Thank you Amber! Love that you feel comfortable adapting recipes with what you have or like. · 6 August, 2022
Delicious and easy. Thanks! · 16 April, 2024
Thank you Fay! I so glad you like these enchiladas! · 6 May, 2024
Delicious!!! Love the pop of acid from the vinegar. Added a little cumin and used a drained can of ro tel in place of the jalapebo. but otherwise recipe as written. Huge hit with the family. Also recommend a.little Salsa Verde on top. · 30 December, 2024
Thank you Jeannine. Rotel was an excellent choice instead of the jalapeรฑo chile! · 5 January, 2025