I’ve been eating these Black Bean and Avocado Enchiladas for lunch all week and the fact that I only have one serving left almost makes me want to cry… I might have to make a second batch pronto. Yes, they’re that good.
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It’s All About the Enchilada Sauce
What makes these enchiladas so amazing? Not only are they filled with super fresh flavors, but they’re smothered in a homemade enchilada sauce. Now, if you’ve made my homemade enchilada sauce before you know that it takes less than ten minutes to make and is 100x better than the canned stuff.
Well, this time I went one step further and added a little cocoa powder to the enchilada sauce. OMG. You won’t believe how rich and amazing the cocoa makes the sauce! It doesn’t taste like chocolate, just extra rich and good. It’s the same amazing chili/chocolate combo that works magic in the Aztec Cocoa. SO. GOOD.
The Simple Filling
Black beans give these enchiladas filling power and avocado offers that creaminess that you’d usually get from cheese. If you’re vegan, just make sure your tortillas don’t contain lard (some do, some don’t). Or, try making your own!
Should I Use Corn or Flour Tortillas for Enchiladas?
Enchiladas are supposed to be wrapped in corn tortillas, not flour flour tortillas, but I’m all about doing what makes you happy. Use whichever type of tortilla you like. But whatever type you use, consider giving them a quick toast in a hot skillet before wrapping your enchilada filling. It will give your enchiladas some extra toasty flavor!
Black Bean and Avocado Enchiladas
Servings 5 two per servingIngredients
ENCHILADA SAUCE
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil* ($0.10)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp chili powder** ($0.60)
- 2 cups water ($0.00)
- 3 oz. tomato paste (1/2 of a 6oz can) ($0.23)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder ($0.03)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.05)
ENCHILADAS
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($0.59)
- 1 avocado ($1.50)
- 1 tomato ($0.86)
- 2 green onions ($0.13)
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels ($0.33)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro ($0.13)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 10 8-inch tortillas*** ($2.49)
Instructions
- First prepare the enchilada sauce. In a medium sauce pot combine the cooking oil, flour, and chili powder. Heat the mixture over a medium flame until it begins to bubble. Whisk and cook the bubbling paste for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the water while whisking. Add the tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk until smooth and continue to heat over a medium flame. Let the sauce come up to a gentle simmer, at which point the sauce will thicken. Once thickened, turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Drain and rinse the can of beans, then add them to a large bowl. Cube the avocado, dice the tomato, slice the green onion, and pull a handful of cilantro leaves from their stems. Add them all to the bowl, along with the frozen corn kernels. Stir everything together. Season with a little salt and garlic powder.
- Coat a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of filling and roll tightly. Place the filled tortillas in the casserole dish, seam side down. Once all of the filled enchiladas are in the dish, pour the enchilada sauce over top.
- Bake the enchiladas in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until they’re heated through and the sauce is bubbly along the edges. Top with any remaining cilantro and enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Black Bean Enchiladas – Step By Step Photos
Start with the amazing sauce, so that it will be ready to go on the enchiladas later. Add 2 Tbsp cooking oil, 2 Tbsp flour, and 2 Tbsp chili powder to a medium sauce pot. Turn the heat on to medium and begin to whisk them together.
The mixture will begin to bubble. Keep whisking and cooking, after it begins bubbling, for 1-2 minutes. This toasts the flour and chili powder for maximum flavor.
Next, carefully add 2 cups of water, then 3 oz. tomato paste, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp salt, and 2 tsp cocoa powder. Whisk it all in until smooth, and continue to cook over medium heat until it comes up to a gentle simmer. When it starts simmering it will begin to thicken up. Once it’s thickened, just turn off the heat and set it aside until you’re ready to use it.
Begin preheating the oven to 350ºF. Drain and rinse one 15oz. can black beans, then add them to a bowl. Dice one avocado and one small tomato, slice two green onions, and add them all to the bowl. Pull a handful of cilantro leaves from the stems and add it to the bowl, along with 1 cup frozen corn kernels. Stir everything together and then season with about 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.
Next, add a little of the filling to each tortilla and then roll it up tight. I used 8-inch flour tortillas and made 10 enchiladas, each with about 1/3 cup filling.
Roll the enchiladas tightly and then arrange them in your dish. Oh, and coat the dish with non-stick spray if you want the enchiladas to come out in one piece.
Then pour that amazing sauce over top! Bake the enchiladas in a preheated 350ºF oven for 25-30 minutes, or until they’re heated through and the sauce is bubbling along the sides.
It’s sad because the pictures don’t do these Black Bean and Avocado Enchiladas justice. They’re SO GOOD. I wish you could see the carnival of flavors that are going on inside…
I promise they’ll “disappear” quickly. ;)
IF you were to recommend an enchilada sauce in a can, which brand do you guys think is best? Might not have time to make the sauce when I prepare this tmrw
Ha, honestly, I never even used to look at the brands :P I would just pick one off the shelf! I wish I could offer some advice.
Love almost everything I’ve made from your blog, especially these. I used canned hominy instead of frozen corn, and OMG they were yummy! Thank you for so many great ideas!
I just made these, and they are divine! I used corn tortillas instead though. A little tip: if your corn tortillas keep breaking when you roll them, toss them in the microwave for 30 seconds! They should come out a lot more pliable! And thanks for your awesome recipes, Beth!
Awesome recipe, can’t wait to try this out! I like the idea of adding coco to this, reminds me of Cincinnati style chili which is amazing!
Oopsie! I totally skipped the part where you said enchiladas are supposed to be wrapped in corn tortillas and to use whichever type we wanted; partly coz it was almost midnight when I asked that question and I was already tired and mommy brain but corn tortillas it is! Sorry about that :)
Oh, well I’m glad you found the answer before I had a chance to get back to you :D I hope you enjoy the enchiladas!
Hi Beth, how’s your evening going :) I have a quick question if you don’t mind. I was planning on making this for dinner tomorrow night. We have lots of frozen corn tortillas and I was thinking about using them up. Do you think it would be a good substitute using corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas? :)
Just made this! Covered the whole thing with a layer of shredded Mexican blend cheese, and it was delicious! And I definitely ate the leftover filling with a spoon while waiting for them to cook.
I am wondering if you could assemble these one day and then bake the next, or if you think that we need to bake it all on the first day and then reheat. I wasn’t sure with the avocados. Also, do you think that you could use the same amount of fresh corn cut from the cob (since it’s summer and it’s available)?
I would definitely do that. You don’t have to worry about the avocados turning black because they’re wrapped up inside so no one will see and the oxidation doesn’t affect the flavor at all. Plus, oxidation only occurs when they’re exposed to air, and when they’re all mixed up with the other ingredients and wrapped tightly in the enchiladas, they don’t get that much exposure :) Ooh, and yes, fresh corn would be *awesome*.
My BFF emailed this recipe to me. She has made it a few times and loves it. DAMN TASTY!!! I was impressed by how simple it was to create, but even more impressed by the BIG flavor. I can’t believe I have never attempted to make enchilada sauce before. A kitchen success! Looking forward to checking out more of your recipes.
I’m Mexican, and have always made enchiladas from scratch the hard way. Some times it’s worth it to cook your tomatoes and chiles, make a sauce, fry your sauce, thicken your sauce etc…, but these were SO simple and SUPER delicious. I recently cut meat from my diet and these are oh so encouraging. I think I’ll make them at least weekly. My husband added feta cheese and lemon over his, and that was even better if you’re not vegan. Try them!
Holy crow these were amazing! I ended up halfing the cayenne and throwing in some black pepper because I’m a big ol’ baby with spiciness, but in the end I probably didn’t need to. What a perfect meal, thank you!
Thanks so much for this post… I always refer back to it for the enchilada sauce. It’s so easy and so much tastier than the canned variety. Love your recipes!
YUM!!!!
I tried this, making a few adjustments, and we enjoyed it thoroughly. Thanks!
Wow. These were awesome! Thank you! Didn’t even miss the cheese. Love your blog!