Black Bean Plantain Enchilada Bake

Friends, behold one of the best things that’s ever come out of my kitchen: a savory, saucy, Black Bean Plantain Enchilada Bake! Just 10 ingredients required for this incredibly flavorful, hearty, comforting dish. Let’s do this!

This isn’t your average enchilada bake, as it relies on roasted slices of plantains in place of tortillas, which not only add a naturally sweet balance but also keep this recipe both gluten- and grain-free!

Plantains are grown and enjoyed in many tropical regions around the world, especially in the Caribbean, Latin America, and West Africa. They are a relative of the banana, but tend to be larger and starchier. Mmmm, starch.

They can be consumed when green (unripe) or yellow (ripe). But in this recipe, we recommend spotty, yellow, ripe plantains which will be sweeter and caramelize nicely.

Just check out those plantains roasted until golden brown and slightly caramelized – swoon!

The next layer is black beans simply spiced with cumin and sea salt. We went with canned to save time, but you could also make our 1-Pot Black Beans from Scratch if you’d rather!

All that’s left is sauce, and we went with two: a combination of our Easy Red Enchilada Sauce and this Creamy Cashew Queso.

The two together make this dish saucy, cheesy, smoky, and utterly delicious. Now, let’s layer.

Layering is my favorite part because it’s so darn fun. Start with sauce, then plantains, then beans, cheese sauce, and so on and so forth until you have a multilayer, flavor-packed masterpiece that’s ready for the oven. Just a quick bake and it’s ready for your dinner table!

We hope you LOVE this enchilada bake! It’s:

Hearty
Smoky
Savory-sweet
Cheesy
Fiber-packed
Versatile
& So delicious

This would make such a delicious meal for both weeknight dinners and hosting friends. It can also be prepped ahead of time, refrigerated, and baked later on to save time!

While delicious on its own, this bake would also pair well with Garlicky Guacamole + Baked Plantain Chips, Easy Red Salsa and chips, Mexican Quinoa Salad Cups with Avocado Dressing, 7-Layer Vegan Mexican Dip, and Ginger Beer Margaritas!

If you try this dish, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can see what you come up with. We sincerely hope you enjoy this dish! Cheers, friends.

Plantain Black Bean Enchilada Bake

A flavorful twist on classic enchiladas with roasted plantains, black beans, smoky enchilada sauce, and cashew queso! Just 10 ingredients required, hearty, flavorful, and so delicious!

Author Minimalist Baker

Print SAVE SAVED

4.94 from 61 votes

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Course Entrée

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Mexican-Inspired, Vegan

Freezer Friendly 1 month

Does it keep? 4-5 Days

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

PLANTAINS

• 4 large ripe, spotty plantains
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted (or sub other neutral oil)

BLACK BEANS

• 2 15-oz cans black beans (well drained // 2 3/4 cups cooked beans)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• Sea salt to taste

CHEESE SAUCE

• 1 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 small chipotle chili in adobo sauce* (optional // or sub hot sauce // omit for less spicy queso)
• Warm water for blending

ENCHILADA SAUCE

• 2 cups Enchilada Sauce (or store-bought)

FOR SERVING (optional)

• Cilantro
• Jalapeños
• Red Onion
• Guacamole (or avocado)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and line two baking sheets (or more as needed) with parchment paper.
• Carefully peel plantains, and one at a time, lay on a flat surface and thinly slice lengthwise – each plantain should yield about 5 thin slices. Arrange on your baking sheets in an even layer.
• Brush plantains with melted coconut oil (or spray with coconut oil) on both sides. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown on both sides, being sure to rotate the pans and use a spatula to carefully flip the plantains near the halfway point to ensure even baking. You’re looking for tender, golden-brown plantains with a caramelized taste. Set aside and lower oven heat to 375 degrees F (190 C).
• In the meantime, add drained black beans to a large saucepan and add cumin. Heat over medium heat until bubbling, stirring frequently – about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and stir. Then turn off heat and set aside.
• To make the spreadable cheese, add raw cashews to a food processor and process into a butter, scraping down sides as needed. Add spices and chipotle pepper and mix until a thick spread is formed. Then add warm water a little at a time and blend until a creamy spreadable “queso” sauce is formed. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more chipotle pepper for heat, cumin for smokiness, salt for saltiness, or nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor. Set aside.
• To assemble your enchilada bake, spread a thin layer of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch (or comparable size) baking dish. (If multiplying this recipe, use more baking dishes as needed.) Then add a layer of plantains. Next, add a thin layer of cheese sauce. Then add half the beans. Next, add a generous layer of enchilada sauce followed by another layer of plantains. Next, add another thin layer of cheese sauce and top with the rest of the beans. Add another layer of enchilada sauce, reserving a small amount for the top player. Then add your last layer of plantains and brush with/spread any remaining enchilada sauce. Top with any remaining cheese sauce – we scooped ours into a plastic bag, cut the corner off, and piped it on for easy application. But you can also just spread it on with a spoon.
• Cover with foil and bake 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees F (190 C) or until hot and bubbly on the edges. Remove from oven and let cool briefly before slicing and serving. Enjoy as is or with sliced jalapeños, onion, or fresh cilantro. Guacamole would also be a great addition!
• Freeze leftovers up to 1 month or store covered in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days. Reheat in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven until hot.

Video

Notes

*Learn more about chipotle chilies in adobo sauce here.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 293.6 Carbohydrates: 49.9 g Protein: 8.3 g Fat: 9.1 g Saturated Fat: 3 g Sodium: 410.6 mg Potassium: 838.6 mg Fiber: 8.4 g Sugar: 16.8 g Vitamin A: 2600 IU Vitamin C: 18.2 mg Calcium: 50 mg Iron: 3.2 mg