Vegan Enchiladas

WOW is all we can say about this vegan enchiladas recipe! It tops the charts (with our vegan lasagna and shepherd’s pie) as one of our most crowd-pleasing plant based recipes…ever. Tortillas are wrapped around a veggie filling oozing with flavor, and it’s all doused in a zesty homemade enchilada sauce. With the crunchy veggie topping, this dish looks simply incredible. And it tastes even better than it looks! Alex and my goal was a whole food plant based (WFPB) enchiladas recipe with no cheese substitutes or need for vegan cheese. With a few tasty tricks, it turned out even better than expected! Here’s how to make it.

What’s in the best vegan enchiladas?

Don’t let these vegan enchiladas fool you: they’ll satisfy people of all diets! They’re packed with zingy flavor and full of nutrients. Even better, there’s a lazy version and a version for when you have lots of time. Here’s what’s in these enchiladas (can you see it peeking out?):

Veggie filling: The tasty filling features black beans, red onion, bell pepper, and portobello mushrooms sauteed with spices Guacamole! This is the secret ingredient! Instead of cheese, guacamole is what brings the savory, creamy flavor to the inside of these enchiladas. Red enchilada sauce: Use your very favorite red enchilada sauce here, or the best one is homemade (see below). Tortillas: Flour or corn tortillas work. See our comparison below! Veggie garnish: Since there’s no cheese on top, we went for a fresh Mexican-style veggie garnish with romaine lettuce, red onion, radish, and cilantro. It makes the entire dish look stunning!

Homemade enchilada sauce makes the dish!

If you have time, it’s absolutely worth making our Homemade Enchilada Sauce. Turns out, it takes just a handful of ingredients to get huge flavor. This full-bodied sauce is zingy, zesty, and you’ll never want to stop eating it. Here are a few notes on incorporating this sauce into these vegan enchiladas:

It’s cheaper to make homemade. This recipe calls for 3 cups enchilada sauce. Alex and I priced out our favorite brand and it would be $12 to make this recipe! The homemade version weighs in at around $5. Make it the day before for quick assembly. It takes about 30 minutes to make the enchilada sauce. We recommend making it the day before and refrigerating until serving. Or, you can… It adds about 15 minutes to the prep time (and a dirty pan & blender). If you make it the day of, it will add about 15 minutes to the recipe, since you can simmer it while you make the enchilada filling. Just know you’ll have a little more to clean up, too!

How to assemble these vegan enchiladas

Assembling these vegan enchiladas is the hardest part. How to make sure you have the right amount of filling so it doesn’t spill out? How to make sure the tortillas don’t split? Here are our tips:

Don’t overfill the tortillas. It’s easy to want to put in way too much filling. All you need is ¼ cup veggies and 2 tablespoons guacamole. Spread them in a line like you see below. Roll them tightly and place seam side down. Placing seam side down helps them stay rolled. If using corn tortillas, use a good brand and cook in oil prior to rolling. Corn tortillas taste great and are gluten-free, but they can easily tear and split when rolling them. See the instructions in the recipe and the section below for more!

Flour tortillas vs corn tortillas: which are better for enchiladas?

Corn tortillas are more traditional in Mexican-style enchiladas. Flour tortillas are more traditional in American style enchiladas. There are pros and cons to both! When we tested this vegan enchiladas recipe, we had a lot of issues with corn tortillas that split open when we went to roll them. Here are some pros and cons to each:

Corn tortillas are gluten-free and more authentic Mexican. But many brands easily split when you go to roll them! To combat this, find the best corn tortilla brand you can. Then brush it with oil and cook it 15 seconds per side before assembling. Doing so can help to make it more supple for rolling (and infuses a little flavor). Flour tortillas are more authentic to American enchiladas. They’re not gluten-free but they are much easier to roll! We also both loved how gooey they get when soaked in the enchilada sauce.

Homemade vs purchased guacamole

Our homemade guacamole recipe is so good, it’s worth making if you have time! But since storebought guacamole is so easily available, we’d recommend getting your favorite purchased brand to speed up prep time for the recipe. It takes about 15 minutes to make the guacamole. If you’re making of the components at home, we’d recommend the enchilada sauce instead. But if you do have time, it’s worth making this incredible homemade guacamole, and you can use the extras as a side dish. You could also make it ahead and store it using this storage tip so it doesn’t brown: refrigerate it with 1/2″ of water on top of the guac. This serves as a barrier to the air and works like a charm!

Sides to serve with vegan enchiladas

These enchiladas are a stunning vegan dish that’s perfect for dinner parties or weeknight meals. What to serve with these vegan enchiladas to make it a full meal? We’ve got lots of options. Here are our favorite sides to serve with enchiladas:

Mexican Chopped Salad Here’s the perfect easy Mexican Chopped Salad with cilantro lime dressing that’s easy to whip up and goes with tacos and enchiladas. Mexican-style Coleslaw: This Tangy Mexican Slaw is fresh and tangy, featuring cabbage, red onion, cilantro, and cumin. Tomato Avocado Salad: This Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad is a healthy side dish with Latin-style flavors. Chips & Salsa: To go super simple, try our Best Salsa with chips.

Looking for more types of enchiladas? Try our Quick Vegetarian Enchiladas, Cheese Enchiladas, or Chicken Enchiladas.