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.
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
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. ;)
This has become a regular dish now and I’ve made it probably about 6 times. The amount of filling usually makes enough for two batches (I have a smaller glass pan that fits about 8 filled tortillas) so it’s perfect for two nights worth of dinner and the best part is the second night everything is already mixed and ready to go and only has to be thrown in the oven! I often skip the green onions because I hate having to buy a bundle and not using them all.
The sauce is lick-the-plate yummy and the fillings tastes fresh and healthy. The recipe is definitely a keeper!
This was an incredibly easy and delicious recipe! Will absolutely make again!
Omg this was amazing!
Yet again, another winner! These were wonderful! The sauce was great and the ingredients inside the enchiladas tasted so wonderfully fresh. It’s also budget-friendly. I’ll be adding this to my regular growing rotation. Thank you!
Made the dish a few weeks ago and it was awesome! But does the corn need to be frozen?
No, I just find frozen corn to be the best for flavor, price, and convenience. :)
You weren’t lying when you said these will disappear! Holy cow, what an amazingly delicious recipe! So super easy, quick, and still great as leftovers. My only regret is not making more from the start.
Can you make these enchiladas in a crockpot?
I wouldn’t suggest that. They would likely turn out very soggy.
Can you make the sauce with almond flour or gluten free flour? Need gluten free. :( Will use corn tortillas instead of flour but need to adapt the sauce as well.
Unfortunately I haven’t tried either of those ingredients, but I suspect almond flour would not work as a thickener. Your best bet is probably gluten-free flour.
Hey! I made my sauce with tapioca flour and it turned out perfect! Made them totally gf and with pinto beans because I’m allergic to black beans and the recipe is yummy! Thank you :)
I made this with good old pillsbury gluten free flour and it thickened up just fine.
Followed this recipe exactly and they came out delicious. My whole family loved them and I was super excited that they were vegan as well.
In this recipe you added cocoa powder to your enchilada sauce, but on the other enchilada sauce recipe you didn’t. Why? and how did you decide to add it? Thanks
I just wanted to change it up a bit. :) The cocoa powder adds a little more earthiness and richness to the flavor.
If I want to have leftovers, won’t they taste bad due to the avocado browning?
Nope. You won’t notice. :)
My meat-eating husband and I make this recipe ALL the time — it’s fantastic. We often have a bit of extra filling, so I just sprinkle it over the tops before pouring the sauce on.
Question — do you think these would freeze well (or well enough)?
Yes, I think it would freeze decently well. :)
I had less frozen avocado than I thought, so I added some cottage cheese to the mix as well for some extra creamyness. It worked out really well! Other than that I followed the recipe by the letter and it turned out really tasty! Got compliments from my mom who was visiting as well :)
I only have frozen, diced, avocado. How much would you use, in weight, for this recipe? Thanks!
Never mind, Google says it’s 120 g / 4 oz avocado flesh :)
Unfortunately I don’t know about how much one avocado weighs, but I would estimate about a cup to a cup and a half of diced avocado.
So dang good! I didn’t know what to expect, but these enchiladas turned out really well! I used whole wheat tortillas, and they were even better the next day for lunch! Kinda spicy but in a good way. I left out cayanne, and may only use 1/2 the chili powder next time….overall, delicious!