These enchiladas verdes have a zesty green tomatillo sauce and a flavorful veggie filling. Topped with gooey, melty cheese, they're a delicious dinner!
Whenever I see enchiladas verdes on a restaurant menu, I’m tempted to order them. I love a bright salsa verde, so green enchiladas always sound so good. But more often than not, they’re filled with shredded chicken. If I want veggie enchiladas verdes (not traditional, but delicious), I’m better off making them at home.
These green enchiladas are my go-to recipe. I smother them in a homemade green enchilada sauce that has a tangy tomatillo base and jalapeños for a spicy kick. They’re stuffed with roasted vegetables and creamy pinto beans and topped off with fresh fixings like avocado, radishes, and cilantro (plus a layer of melty cheese).
My whole family loves these—I hope you will too!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this enchiladas verdes recipe:
- Green enchilada sauce – I make my own with tomatillos, onion, jalapeños, garlic, avocado oil, and cilantro. To streamline the prep, you can roast the sauce ingredients alongside the filling ingredients, or you can make it ahead. Of course, if you’re short on time, store-bought sauce works here too. Use your favorite green enchilada sauce or salsa verde.
- Tortillas – I like to use corn tortillas or corn and flour tortillas in this recipe because I love the corn flavor. If you prefer flour tortillas, feel free to use them instead.
- Cauliflower and jalapeños – They give the filling a veggie kick.
- Pinto beans – They add plant-based protein and creamy texture to the filling. I season them with cumin, oregano, and garlic to bump up their flavor.
- Mexican blend cheese – I top these enchiladas with a melty layer of cheese. I typically use a pre-shredded cheese blend, but if you prefer to grate your own, cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, or a mix would be great.
- And toppings – Load these up with whatever fixings you like! Cilantro, radishes, Cotija, avocado, Mexican crema, sour cream… Any and all are fair game.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Enchiladas Verdes
You can find the complete recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post, but for now, here’s a quick overview of how it goes:
Start by roasting the vegetables for the sauce and the filling. They all take about 30 minutes at 450°F.
Then, blend the sauce. Add the roasted sauce ingredients to a blender with raw jalapeño, garlic, onion powder, avocado oil, and salt. Blend until smooth, then add the cilantro and blend again.
Next, assemble the enchiladas. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce at the bottom of a 9×13-inch or similar baking dish.
Lightly mash the beans with their seasonings, then fill each tortilla with some of the beans and roasted veggies. Roll to close and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Once you’ve filled all the tortillas, pour the remaining sauce down the center of the enchiladas and top with the cheese.
Bake at 400°F until the cheese is melted and the edges of the tortillas are crisp, about 20 minutes.
Top with your desired garnishes before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Make the sauce ahead. Want to get ahead? Make the enchilada sauce in advance. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Warm the tortillas before rolling. Corn tortillas are great here, but they crack easily. To make them easier to roll, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds before assembling the enchiladas. Or wrap them in foil and warm them in the oven.
What to Serve with Enchiladas Verdes
We love this recipe as a meal on its own, but if you’re looking for something to pair with it, you can’t go wrong with any of these sides:
How to Store
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- To reheat: Pop them in the microwave or cover and warm in a 350°F oven.
You can also freeze these enchiladas.
- Before baking: Assemble, then cover and freeze in the baking dish. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking according to the recipe instructions.
- After baking: Seal in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before warming in the microwave or a 350°F oven.
More Enchilada Recipes
If you love these enchiladas verdes, try one of these enchilada recipes next:
Enchiladas Verdes
Ingredients
Green Enchilada Sauce
- 1 pound tomatillos, about 7 to 8 medium
- ½ medium white onion, sliced into wedges
- 2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed and halved lengthwise
- 1 garlic clove
- 1½ teaspoons avocado oil, plus more for drizzling
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
For the Enchiladas
- 4 heaping cups small cauliflower florets
- 2 jalapeño peppers, stemmed and halved lengthwise
- 1½ cups cooked pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1½ teaspoons avocado oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- Freshly ground black pepper
Serving and Topping Options
- 8 tortillas, we like a corn/flour blend
- 2 cups grated Mexican cheese blend
- Sliced avocado
- Thinly sliced radishes
- Crumbled Cotija cheese
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Make the enchilada sauce: Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse to remove the stickiness. Pat dry and place on one of the baking sheets with the onion wedges and one of the jalapeños. Drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with salt. Rub with your hands to coat and spread evenly on the baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the tomatillos are soft and bursty. (If you’re making the sauce and the enchiladas at the same time, skip to step 3 and roast the enchilada filling alongside the sauce ingredients.)
- Blend the sauce. Transfer the roasted tomatillos, onion, and jalapeño to a blender and add the remaining raw jalapeño, garlic, avocado oil, salt, and onion powder. Blend until smooth, then add the cilantro and blend again.
- Make the enchiladas: Place the cauliflower and jalapeños on the second baking sheet. Drizzle with avocado oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until browned. When the jalapeños are cool enough to handle, roughly chop.
- In a large bowl, mash the beans with the avocado oil, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
- Assemble the enchiladas. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Brush a 9x13-inch baking dish with avocado oil and spread ½ cup of the enchilada sauce at the bottom.
- Fill a tortilla with some of the beans, some of the cauliflower, and some of the roasted jalapeños. Roll the tortilla closed and place it seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce down the center of the enchiladas, leaving the edges bare, if desired. Top with the cheese and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges of the tortillas are crisp.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly, then top with avocado, radishes, Cotija, and/or cilantro. Serve with sour cream, if desired.
