Vegan Enchiladas

These vegan enchiladas are a hearty, flavorful plant-based dinner! They're smothered with red enchilada sauce and filled with veggies and black beans.

Vegan enchiladas

These vegan enchiladas are seriously delicious. Whenever I make them, my husband Jack and I fight over the last one. For context, Jack might be the world’s biggest cheese lover. If he’s going after cheese-less enchiladas, you know they have to be good.

The filling here is a hearty mixture of mushrooms, peppers, and black beans. I roll it up in corn tortillas and then smother them with red enchilada sauce and homemade vegan nacho cheese. Before serving, I sprinkle garnishes like jalapeños, radishes, and avocado on top.

This vegan enchiladas recipe is comforting, but also fresh. The rich enchilada sauce and vegan cheese create an incredible contrast with the fresh veggies. Try it the next time you’re craving something healthy, filling, and flavorful—it won’t disappoint!

Vegan enchiladas ingredients

How to Make Vegan Enchiladas

Ready to make vegan enchiladas? You can find the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but for now, I’ll give you an overview of how it goes.

Ingredients

Get started with these simple ingredients:

  • Corn tortillas – Use 100% corn tortillas if you need this recipe to be gluten-free. If not, I recommend using tortillas made from a mix of corn and wheat flour. They have the wonderful flavor of corn tortillas but the pliability of flour tortillas, which makes them great for rolling.
  • Red enchilada sauce – I love my homemade enchilada sauce in this recipe! Get ahead by making it a day or two in advance. Alternatively, use store-bought vegan enchilada sauce to streamline this recipe.
  • Vegan cheese – This creamy, tangy sauce tastes like cheddar cheese, but it’s made from whole foods, plant-based ingredients like cashews, sweet potatoes, and nutritional yeast.
  • Onion and garlic – They add savory flavor to the enchilada filling.
  • Mushrooms, poblano peppers, and black beans – They make the filling hearty and satisfying.
  • Chili powder and cumin – They add warm, earthy flavor to the filling mixture.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil – For sautéing the veggies.
  • Fresh lime juice – Squeeze it over the enchiladas for a pop of bright flavor.
  • Fresh garnishes – Think cilantro, jalapeños, radishes, avocado, and/or diced red onion. They offer a refreshing contrast to the comforting enchiladas!
  • And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Mushroom, poblano, and black bean filling in skillet

First, make the vegan cheese.

The first step in this recipe is making the vegan cheese. If you like, get ahead by prepping it a day or two in advance. Note that it will thicken in the fridge. You’ll likely need to add water to thin it to a creamy, drizzleable texture before assembling the enchiladas.

If you’re making homemade enchilada sauce, prep it alongside the vegan nacho cheese. You can also make it ahead! It keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Next, make the mushroom filling.

Sauté the onions, peppers, and mushrooms until soft, seasoning them with the garlic and spices partway through the cooking time. Stir in the black beans.

Assembling and arranging enchiladas in baking dish

Assemble the enchiladas.

Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce at the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Fill each tortilla with a little nacho cheese and some of the veggie filling. Roll tightly to close and place seam side down in the prepared pan. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce down the middle of the enchiladas, leaving the edges of the tortillas exposed.

Recipe Tip

Are your tortillas too stiff to roll? Wrap them in a kitchen towel or damp paper towels and microwave for 20 seconds. They’ll become much more pliable and easier to work with!

Cover the enchiladas and bake for 15 minutes at 400°F. Uncover and bake until the bare edges of the tortillas are lightly crisp, 10 to 20 more minutes.

Loosen the cheese sauce with water as needed to reach a creamy, drizzleable consistency. Pour 1/2 cup down the center of the enchiladas. Top with fresh garnishes and squeeze with lime juice before digging in!

How to Store and Freeze

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They reheat nicely in the microwave or oven!

These enchiladas also freeze well. After baking, top them with the cheese sauce and allow them to cool to room temperature. Cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

Allow the frozen enchiladas to thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat them, covered, in a 350°F oven or warm them in the microwave.

Vegan enchiladas recipe

What to Serve with Vegan Enchiladas

These vegan enchiladas are a satisfying meal on their own. But if you’re looking for a side dish to go with them, you can’t go wrong with any of these recipes:

Enjoy!

Want more vegan Mexican-inspired recipes? Try these vegan tacos, vegan burritos, or this burrito bowl next!

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Vegan Enchiladas

rate this recipe:
4.93 from 14 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 4
These vegan enchiladas are a delicious, healthy plant-based meal! They have a flavorful veggie and black bean filling and are topped with red enchilada sauce and creamy vegan cheese. Get ahead by making the vegan cheese and enchilada sauce a day or two in advance. Store-bought sauce works too.

Equipment

Ingredients

Topping Options

  • Diced or sliced avocado
  • Sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers
  • Thinly sliced radishes
  • Diced red onion
  • Chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and oil a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  • Prepare the vegan cheese according to this recipe, adding 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeños for heat. Add water as needed to reach a creamy, drizzleable consistency.
  • In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano, and mushrooms. Stir, then add the chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. If the pan becomes dry, add water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the black beans and remove from the heat.
  • Evenly spread a heaping ½ cup of the enchilada sauce in the prepared baking dish. Fill each tortilla with a heaping tablespoon of the vegan cheese and a heaping ¼ cup of the veggie filling. Roll the tortillas and place them seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining 1 cup enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, down the middle, leaving the edges of the tortillas dry. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the tortillas are lightly crisp.
  • If the vegan cheese sauce has thickened, stir in a little water to loosen it. Pour ½ cup down the middle of the enchiladas. Garnish with desired toppings and serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Notes

*Note: Warm the tortillas for 20 seconds in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towels, or heat for 10 minutes in the oven, wrapped in aluminum foil.

15 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Shira
    03.22.2024

    I loved making all the components from scratch. And there were so many veggies! Loved it.

  2. Amanda L.
    03.22.2024

    5 stars
    The homemade sauce was super easy and so good! The filling was amazing, some of the best homemade enchiladas I’ve had!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.22.2024

      Hi Amanda, I’m so glad you loved them!

  3. Emily R.
    03.20.2024

    5 stars
    These were SUPER yummy and flavorful – huge hit in our house! I made the sauce (both the cheese and the enchilada sauce) the night before which helped save on time too. Definitely will add into our rotation.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.21.2024

      Hi Emily, I’m so glad you loved the enchiladas!

  4. Kelsey
    03.19.2024

    5 stars
    Wonderful enchiladas! I made them for my meat-loving husband and he ate them and loved them, even requesting me to add them into the meal rotation that we do. The recipe was very easy to make as well, not too time consuming.

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.21.2024

      Hi Kelsey, I’m so glad the recipe was a hit!

  5. Ellie C
    03.07.2024

    5 stars
    So good!!! I recently completely cut out dairy after years of lactose intolerance denial and this recipe completely fulfilled my craving for creamy comfort food.

    I doubled the recipe and assembled it like a lasagna instead of enchiladas, mostly out of laziness, and it turned out great (If you try it this way, I recommend dipping the tortillas in the warm enchilada sauce so they get nice and soft in the oven). I also added a couple handfuls of spinach to the filling.

    I wasn’t sure how the vegan cheese would microwave, but I’ve been eating this all week microwaved with a little extra enchilada sauce and topped with a quick slaw of shredded cabbage, carrots, and parsley (not a huge fan of cilantro.) and it’s DELISH. I originally doubled the recipe so I could freeze half, but my husband and I have already eaten most of it!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.08.2024

      Hi Ellie, Thank you so much for sharing this variation! What a great idea. I’m so glad you loved the recipe, especially the vegan cheese!

  6. Ann Tavakoli
    03.06.2024

    I used the vegan enchilada recipe but used a small amount of cheddar instead of the vegan cheese. I am a fan of vegan cheese sauce but didn’t want the richness and wanted the salty cheddar flavor. I minced the mushrooms to give them more of a meaty texture. Used a whole can of spicy black beans and added about 2 cups of chopped baby spinach in the filling. They were delicious!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      03.08.2024

      Hi Ann, so glad you loved them! Thanks for sharing your twist. It sounds great!

  7. Carol Salyers
    02.19.2024

    4 stars
    Delicious! I followed the recipe pretty closely. First time I’ve made vegan cheese, and it was good. I had a question though. Most vegan cheese recipes call for soaking raw cashews in water before blending them. Yours did not and I’m wondering why? I wasn’t sure I like the taste at first, so I added a little mustard and garlic powder, along with a couple of Tbs. of oat milk instead of water to thin it out. That was my only change, and I loved the enchiladas! Thank you for the recipe.

  8. Sabrina from newkitchenlife.com
    02.12.2024

    thank you, will have to try the cheese especially, always conscious of the heavy calorie load in dairy cheese, and the rest of these ingredients are definitely among my favorites, thank you!

  9. My pescatarian always asks for black bean burritos when she comes home. I can’t wait to add mushrooms to them! Great recipe!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.13.2024

      I hope you enjoy!

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.