Enfrijoladas (Enchiladas with Black Bean Sauce) - The Anthony Kitchen (2024)

Black beans are getting a tasty makeover and it's going to up your enchilada game tenfold. Simple, yet seriously flavorful, Enfrijoladas With Cheese is budget-friendly, Mexican food at its finest.

The dish starts with a quick, 2-minute puree. Simply add canned black beans, adobo sauce, spices, and herbs to the blender and with the press of a button, you've got a savory, chili-infused black bean sauce ready to go!

Then, you'll dip warm corn tortillas in that delicious sauce, line them with a center of shredded cheese, roll, top with more sauce, more cheese, and bake!

This Enfrijoladas Recipe can be customized and bulked up in many ways to fit any appetite, any time of day! Stuff it with shredded chicken, leftover carnitas, or veggies for a hearty dinner, top it with a fried egg for breakfast, or simply serve it as is. And, if you love black beans, you'll go crazy for our all-time favorite Mexican breakfast dish Huevos Motulenos! Bookmark it for next time!

SHORTCUTS FOR EASY ENFRIJOLADAS

Enfrijoladas are a Mexican enchiladas dish featuring a flavorful, rich, and velvety smooth black bean puree, corn tortillas, and often times a filling of cheese and with an avocado garnish. But, make no mistake, there's more than one way to make Enfrijoladas. In fact, there are a lot of ways this dish can come together.

Similar to Entomatadas, the corn tortillas can be dipped in oil and briefly fried to add a little texture to the dish or simply warmed via the microwave. The tortillas can come rolled, folded in half or into quarters (like little triangles). The stuffing and garnish wildly varies as well.

Needless to say, this dish is extremely customizable.

You'll find this particular Enfrijoladas Recipe easier than most, but equally delicious. It opts out of frying tortillas and rather enlists more of an enchilada casserole approach where the tortillas are simply warmed and rolled. Actually, if you want to get really basic with it, don't worry about rolling them at all. Just fold them into triangles.

Another short cut we'll be taking is the ready-made help of canned black beans, but you can read more about that below!

HOW TO MAKE ENFRIJOLADAS

Enfrijoladas are messy to assemble but totally, totally worth it. If the ease of the dish in-and-of itself doesn't sell you, the flavor of this chipotle black bean sauce will.

Here's how you make it:

1. Blend - Add the black beans (juices included), water, garlic, cilantro, adobo sauce, and spices to a blender. Process until the mix is smooth and pureed. Add a ladleful of sauce to the bottom of a 9x13" casserole dish, and transfer the rest to a shallow bowl or dish.
2. Heat the Tortillas - Before you can begin assembling the enchiladas, you'll need to get those corn tortillas nice and pliable. The easiest way to do this is to wrap a stack of 4-6 tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave them for about 30-45 seconds. As soon as they are slightly warm and pliable, they're ready to rock.
3. Dip - Have ready a work surface you won't mind getting good and messy. Dip a warm tortilla in the black bean sauce and set it on your work surface.
4. Assemble - Add a pinch of Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese to the center of the tortilla and roll tightly. You could also just fold it in half if you'd prefer. Transfer the enchilada to the baking dish and continue with the remaining tortillas. Once all of them are in the casserole dish, top the whole shebang with the remaining black bean sauce and what's left of the cheese.
5. Bake - Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake the Enfrijoladas at 350°F for 30 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

The ingredient list for this Enfrijoladas recipe can be broken down into two main parts: the black bean sauce and the enchiladas.

FOR THE BLACK BEAN SAUCE

• Canned Black Beans | This is an extra easy Enfrijoladas Sauce, and we have mostly a blender and canned black beans to thank for that! Be sure to include both the beans and the juices from the can when adding to the blender. If you're in the mood to over-achieve, by all means, feel free to make black beans from scratch.
• Garlic | Fresh garlic will add a ton of flavor to this sauce, but if you'd prefer to use garlic powder, feel free to sub it in here. You'll need 1 ½ teaspoon.
• Cilantro | There's no replacement for fresh cilantro, so if you don't like it, just leave it out altogether.
• Adobo Sauce | You'll need a can of chipotles in adobo in order to get access to adobo sauce. You can find this on the international aisle of your grocery store, alongside other canned Mexican peppers. It adds a smoky, tangy vibe to the sauce. The quantity called for in this particular Enfrijoladas Black Bean Sauce won't make your sauce too spicy. If you want it hot, throw in a chipotle pepper or two!
• Spices | The spice mix for this sauce is small but mighty and consists of cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, and onion powder.

FOR THE ENCHILADAS

• Corn Tortillas | You'll need 12 standard-sized corn tortillas for this recipe. White or yellow -- it doesn't matter. Pick your favorite color!
• Cheese - As far as the cheese goes, you have options. You can stuff and top your enchiladas with any of the following cheeses: Monterey Jack, Oaxaca, or crumbled Queso Fresco. Monterey Jack and Oaxaca are exceptionally great melting cheeses for Mexican dishes, and if you like a stretchy, gooey cheese filling, I suggest opting for one of those two!

LOVE BLACK BEANS? MORE RECIPES TO TRY!

• Pulled Pork Nachos
• Mexican Black Beans
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa
• Taco Turkey and Black Bean Tostadas

MAKE YOUR ENFRIJOLADAS EXTRA...

Just like any enchilada recipe, the possibilities for stuffing, topping, and garnishing Enfrijoladas are practically endless. Here are a few ideas for amping up this humble black bean dish!

STUFF IT:

Stuff it with a cooked meat filling before you roll the enchiladas!

• Steak Fajita Meat
• Shredded Pork
• Shredded Chicken
• Flaked Salmon
• Jumbo Lump Crab
• Shrimp
• Roasted Vegetables

TOP IT:

If you want to get really extra with your Enfrijoladas once they come out of the oven, top them off with a little something special like crumbled chorizo or an over-easy fried egg!

GARNISH IT:

And, of course, you can easily spruce up the dish with a simple garnish of the following items!

• Diced White Onion
• Diced Avocado
• Thinly Sliced Jalapeños
• Sour Cream
• Chopped Cilantro
• Salsa
• Hot Sauce

4 MORE ENCHILADA RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Verde Enchiladas
• Crock-Pot Enchiladas
• Sour Cream Enchiladas
• Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas