We’re big fans of enchiladas (SO satisfying and flavorful), but we know we’re not the only ones who’ve faced the tragedy of corn tortillas cracking when you try to roll them. Not anymore, friends! The ultimate weeknight enchiladas are here — in casserole form!
This green enchilada casserole is saucy, savory, hearty, and full of veggies and plant-based protein. It’s a nourishing entrée that comes together quickly with just 10 ingredients required. Let us show you how it’s done!
Origin of Enchiladas
Enchiladas may have originated from a similar Mayan dish called papadzules. But the first written recipe for enchiladas didn’t appear until a cookbook called El Cocinero mexicano was published in 1831 (source).
Typically, enchiladas are made with meat, seafood, beans, cheese, or vegetables stuffed in corn tortillas and topped with enchilada sauce. We’ve put a spin on the traditional style by creating this roll-free enchilada bake that’s plant-based and complete with all the savory and saucy goodness of the original!
How to Make an Enchilada Bake
We start the enchilada bake by sautéing a savory base of onions, garlic, spicy peppers, and chili powder. Jalapeños and serranos both work, depending on your heat preference!
Next, we add fresh veggies for fiber and nourishment! We like zucchini, carrots, and spinach for a contrast of colors and textures, but most of your favorite veggies can work here. Bell peppers, corn, or kale would all be winning options!
We finish off the filling by adding pinto beans for plant-based protein. Other legumes like black beans or lentils will also work for a similar hearty addition!
Then with the filling ready, it’s layer time! We cut the corn tortillas in half and place them with the flat sides toward the edges of the pan. The enchilada sauce under the tortillas helps to soften them and make the enchilada bake extra flavorful!
Top the tortillas with a bean and veggie layer.
Then we repeat a couple times: sauce, tortillas, veggie filling.
Lastly, we finish with tortillas and a final layer of green enchilada sauce. And then it’s time to throw it in the oven! After baking, we like to top it with vegan sour cream (or avocado crema), radishes, red onion, and cilantro. And then devour — major yum!
We hope you LOVE this enchilada bake! It’s:
Bright
Saucy
Hearty
Savory
Spicy
& SO delicious!
This enchilada bake is a satisfying, weeknight-friendly meal on its own. But if you’re planning a feast, pair it with other Mexican-inspired recipes like our 5-Ingredient Ginger Beer Margaritas, Mexican Quinoa Salad with Orange Lime Dressing, or Quinoa Salad Cups with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing!
More Enchilada-Inspired Recipes
- Cornbread & Black Bean Enchilada Bake
- Plantain Black Bean Enchilada Bake
- Enchilada-Stuffed Butternut Squash
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Pinto Bean & Veggie Green Enchilada Bake
Ingredients
TORTILLAS
- 6 (6-inch) yellow or white corn tortillas (find our recipe for homemade here)
FILLING
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (if oil-free, sub water)
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced (1 small onion yields ~1 cup or 160 g)
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 medium jalapeño or serrano pepper, finely diced (we used serrano for more heat)
- 3/4 tsp sea salt (use less if your chili powder has salt in it)
- 2 tsp chili powder blend (NOT chili flakes, cayenne pepper, or pure chili)
- 4 cups fresh veggies of choice, finely diced (we used 1 cup zucchini, 1 cup carrots, and 2 cups baby spinach)
- 1 (15-oz.) can pinto beans (or sub black beans), drained
SAUCE
- 1 cup Easy Green Enchilada Sauce (or sub store-bought)
FOR SERVING optional
- Vegan sour cream (or avocado crema)
- Red onion (or shallot), diced
- Radish, thinly sliced
- Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- If using homemade green enchilada sauce, start preparing it at this time. You can proceed with making the casserole while the enchilada sauce ingredients are roasting. For the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and position a rack in the middle of the oven.
- FILLING: Heat a large rimmed stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and onion and sauté until fragrant and softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeño (or serrano), salt, and chili powder. Toss to distribute the spices and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the veggies (we used zucchini, carrots, and whole baby spinach) and sauté. Stir frequently, until the vegetables have brightened in color and are beginning to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add the drained pinto beans and mix once more to combine. Let the pinto beans warm through for ~2 minutes, then taste and adjust the filling, adding more salt for overall flavor or more chili powder for smokiness and heat.
- CASSEROLE: Cut all the tortillas in half so you have 12 half moon-shaped tortillas, and set nearby. Pour 1/3 cup (80 ml) of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of an 8×8-inch (or similar size) glass or ceramic baking dish and spread to evenly coat.
- For the first layer, place 4 corn tortilla halves on top of the sauce (see photo), then put half of the filling mixture on top of the tortillas and spread evenly. Top the filling with 4 more tortilla halves, then another 1/3 cup (80 ml) sauce, and the rest of the filling. Place the final 4 tortilla halves on top of the filling and top with the final 1/3 cup (80 ml) of enchilada sauce.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through. Top with desired toppings and serve. We went with vegan sour cream, red onion, radish, and cilantro, but this enchilada casserole is delicious on its own!
- Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer up to 1 month, though best when fresh. Reheat in a 350-degree F (176 C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 1 cup zucchini, 1 cup carrots, 2 cups spinach, and without optional ingredients.
Ginny says
I wasn’t sure if the tortillas called for in the recipe were supposed to be soft or crispy. I used soft, flour tortillas. I’m guessing it was supposed to be crispy? The tortillas turned pretty gooey, almost like it had reverted back to batter. The flavor was good.
Hi Ginny, this recipe calls for corn tortillas (they should be soft). Flour tortillas could cause it to be gooey, unfortunately. Hope that helps for next time!
Li says
Love the idea of this recipe. Can I use store-bought red enchilada sauce instead? I have some leftovers in a can and want to use it up. Thank you!
Hi Li, yes! Red enchilada sauce should also work well in this recipe. Enjoy!
Li says
Thank you so much for your reply! I cooked this dish with the red enchilada sauce last night and it was a huge hit. And the whole process was pretty easy — for the veggies I used a zucchini and a large bell pepper, plus two handfuls of spinach. It was a bit more than 4 cups but the ratio still turned out great. I did put some vegan mozzarella shreds on top! For the toppings (we are a big toppings family), we had vegan sour cream, sliced avocados, fresh cilantro, sliced radishes, and pickled red onion.
Yay! We’re so glad it was a hit, Li. Thank you for sharing! xo
margie says
I’m wondering if I could make this today and serve it tomorrow. It sounds delicious!
Hi Margie, yes, you can!
Trisha says
This recipe successfully reproduced the layered veggie tortillas with green sauce I just returned from Santa Fe wanting more of. I used dried green chilies brought home from there in my filling of mushrooms and eggplant with the beans. Totally worth it making your homemade green enchilada sauce for this. We topped it with your yummy vegan queso, which elevated it way beyond dairy cheese. Felt like I was back in New Mexico!
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Trisha!
Darlene Salvador says
Made this yesterday, it is so good! It has the right level of spice and is so simple to make. I used zucchini, carrots, and spinach as my four vegetables and I used Siete’s Green Enchilada Sauce. Will be making it again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Darlene. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Steve says
Made this for our Christmas Eve dinner. It was really, really, good and so simple to make. Added some potatoes with our four vegetables. This was a hit with everyone so is solidly in my rotation.
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review, Steve!
Rachel says
Sooooo yummy!!!! Happy dance!!! ☺️
Yay! xoxo
Missy says
I’ve never ordered enchiladas before or really had them but tried this recipe with a mushroom, celery, carrots mixture in addition to the beans and I’m with everybody else- this absolutely blew me away!! Fantastic creation, thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Missy. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Meri Schroeder says
Great dinner, and so easy to make. Very versatile; so many options on the vegetables. I used carrots, red & yellow pepper, zucchini, yellow squash and spinach. I also added about a 1/2 tsp of cumin and some cheese.
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Meri. So glad you enjoyed!
Laura says
This is absolutely delicious and will be in my meal rotation a lot! I made the enchiladas oil-free, along with the easy green enchilada sauce and avocado crema! The flavors were amazing! I might throw a little fresh corn into the recipe next time. Thank you for this recipe!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Laura!
Becky T says
I made this last week and it was delicious! I used Saucy Lips Green Enchilada Sauce from Whole Foods, omitted the oil, and used zucchini, orange bell pepper, corn, and kale for the veggies. Otherwise I followed the recipe as written. I doubled it so I would have plenty of leftovers. SOOO good and easy to prepare. Oh, I made a batch of cashew queso for topping and it was divine. Thanks!
Ooo cashew queso sounds like it would make it even better! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Becky! xo
Lauren says
I made this last night and loved it! I used a pre-made enchilada sauce and it was great. The vegetables I used were carrot, zucchini, and eggplant. Great recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lauren! Thank you for sharing! xo
Susan Davis says
Made this recipe tonight. Only change was a little cumin n cilantro to the mixture. It was very very good. I used canned mild enchilada sauce and pre-made corn tortillas to reduce cooking time. Definitely will make again. I too am surprised more people have not tried it.
Love your additions, Susan! Thank you so much for sharing! xoxo
Ruben says
Fantastic. Almost bought a store jar of sauce but this sauce is simple and so delicious, well worth the effort. One of the best recipes I’ve made in awhile. Used oil, otherwise made as recipe read. So good! Thank you!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Ruben!
Becky Moulder says
I know this recipe only came out a few days ago, but I was still surprised to see only one rating so far. Get on it, people! Make this delicious, filling enchilada dish with all your end-of-summer zucchini. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Haha, we love it! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Becky!
Stacy Sharp says
I made this recipe tonight. As soon as I saw it I had to make it. It was Devine!!! The first thing my husband said was “Put this in the rotation. It’s really good.” I agree. The only change I made was omitting the oil. We aren’t completely oil free but I remove it where possible. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Yay! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Stacy! Thank you for sharing! xo
Flyingmartini says
Hello! I want to make this but I can’t eat anything spicy -not even mild. What are good subs for the peppers & chili blend?
Hi, you could try green bell peppers and more cumin, but we haven’t tested it that way and can’t guarantee the result. Let us know if you try it!
The Vegan Goddess says
Most corn is GMO so I avoid it even though I loved it.
I am interested in the green sauce and the rest of the recipe but will try it with an alternate tortilla. There are other options on your wonderful website. : )
This looks hearty, delicious and satisfying.
Hi, feel free to sub another tortilla! Just know it could get a little soggy in this recipe. We typically find organic and non-gmo corn tortillas at health food stores. Hope that helps!