How to Make Vegan Enfrijoladas

Enfrijoladas are the cousin of the enchiladas. These are made by dipping corn tortillas into a creamy bean sauce. You’re going to love this Hot to Make Vegan Enfrijoladas recipe.

This Mexican recipe is easy to make with basic pantry ingredients. Try my quick, easy and inexpensive vegetarian recipe with a vegan option.

Plates with Homemade Vegan Enfrijoladas

What Are Enfrijoladas

Enfrijoladas are like enchiladas. But replace the chile sauce with a creamy blended bean sauce.

How are They Made

Just like enchiladas, to make enfrijoladas a corn tortilla is lightly fried in oil. This is to soften it and to help the sauce adhere to the tortilla better.

The tortillas is dipped into the bean sauce and filled with a wide variety of ingredients.

Enfrijoladas Fillings

You’ll often find enfrijoladas stuffed with chicken, chicharron, chorizo, cheese or just vegetables.

Garnishes to Top Them With

Usually topped with cheese, crema, and onion are popular toppings.

But other ingredients like avocado slices, jalapeños, and cilantro may be used. Well anything you’d like is really ok.

Vegetarian Enfrijoladas

The most traditional enfrijoladas, and also the way I grew up eating them, are vegetarian.

Cheese and chopped onion are often both a filling and topping. Very simple and best of all, no meat! 

Even before going meatless I always preferred vegetarian enfrijoladas and enchiladas.

Potato filled Vegan Enfrijoladas

Vegan Stuffing for Enfrijoladas and Enchiladas

My recipe is a bit of a fusion recipe. I love using potatoes paired with a green leafy vegetable like spinach or kale or in this case, collard greens.

Of course neither are a typically filling. But I love this international modern twist on my enfrijoladas. I think you will too — plus adding the greens gives them an extra nutritional boost. Which is always a great bonus!

How to Fold Enfrijoladas

Many people like to dip, stuff and roll up the tortillas just like with enchiladas.

Another method that’s used is that half moon. This is when after dipping and stuffing the tortilla, it’s simply folded in half.

Now, a lesser known method and one I only discovered a few years back, is the quarter folding method.

The quarter folding method is dipping the tortillas in the bean sauce, then folded in quarters. Then topped with more beans sauce and a fried egg.

The sources where I discovered this say that this is the way enfrijoladas are prepared in Oaxaca.

These are traditionally made with black beans. Instead of the pintos like I use in my recipe.

In Oaxaca when served with the egg it’s for breakfast. When eaten for lunch or dinner they’ll replace the egg with meat.

How To Make Vegetarian and Vegan Enfrijoladas

Quickest Folding Method

I love using both the half moon and quarter folding method. To me both of these are easier and quicker than the rolling method.

I personally also think these add a different appeal to the plate. But you are of course free to use any folding method you’d like.

At the end of the day it’s the bean sauce and stuffing that give the dish all of it’s glorious flavours.

Vegan Enfrijoladas Recipe

My enfrijoladas recipe is vegan until. But I do like to occasionally top them with cotija cheese. You can of course swap for a vegan alternative or leave off entirely.

If you decide not to add the cheese you can drizzle with some vegan crema fresca. Avocado slices are great too, if you’d like.

How to Make Vegan Enfrijoladas

Ok amigos, make sure you watch the video to see a visual guide of the folding methods.

Two plates with vegan enfrijoladas, which are like enchiladas but with a creamy bean sauce.

How To Make Vegetarian and Vegan Enfrijoladas

Nancy Lopez & MexicanMadeMeatless.com
Enfrijoladas are the cousin of the enchiladas. Enfrijoladas are made by dipping corn tortillas into a creamy bean sauce. This Mexican Recipe is easy to make with pantry staple ingredients. Try my quick and easy vegetarian recipe with a vegan option.
5 from 8 votes
Save Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican, vegan, vegetarian
Servings 4 people
Calories 526 kcal

Ingredients
  

Bean Sauce Ingredients

  • 3 cups boiled beans
  • boiled bean broth or water or vegetable broth alternatively you can use leftover refried beans and water or vegetable broth
  • 1 to 2 whole canned chipotle en adobo
  • 3 whole garlic cloves
  • 1/2 small white onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt adjust to taste (specially if previously seasoned beans or are using canned)
  • 1.5 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Filling Ingredients

Toppings

  • 1/2 cup cotija cheese
  • 1 whole avocado, sliced
  • 1/2 cup Mexican crema
  • 1/4 small white onion, chopped or sliced
  • 1 handful cilantro
  • jalapeños

Instructions
 

Instructions:

  • Saute the onion until soft then add potato and cook until the it’s soft and cooked through.
    How To Make Enfrijoladas | Enfrijoladas recipe with potato and collard greens
  • While you wait for the potatoes to cook prepare the bean sauce. Simply place all of the bean sauce ingredients, except the oil, into a blender and blend until you have a smooth sauce. If needed add more broth or water to the blender. Once done set the bean sauce aside.
  • Back to the potatoes, check to see if they’ve cooked through and once they have add the minced garlic and saute for a couple of minutes before adding the frozen collard greens. Stir until well combined, add a pinch of sea salt and cook until the collard greens are defrosted, warm and evenly distributed throughout the potatoes. Taste and if needed add a bit more salt. Turn the heat to low while you wait for the collards to defrost and in the meantime continue to the next step.
  • While you wait for the collards, in a sauce pan add the 1.5 Tablespoons of oil and once warm carefully pour in the bean sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes or until you can no longer taste the raw onion and the sauce has thickened up a bit.
  • Once the filling and beans sauce are done heat half cup of oil in a frying pan. Once hot carefully fry all 12 of the tortillas just for a minute or two, all we want is for them to soften and stay bendable — don’t over fry as they’ll get crispy and you won’t be able to bend them. Drain the fried tortillas on a paper towel lined plate.
  • To assemble the enfrijoladas. Take one of the fried tortillas and dip into the bean sauce until well coated. Place on a plate then add the filling and fold in half or half moon shape. Serve 3 to 4 enfrijoladas per person. Drizzle plenty of bean sauce over the plated enfrijoladas then top with cotija cheese and avocado slices or anything you’d like. For the quarter folded enfrijoladas, dip into beans sauce, place on plate then fold in half then again in half to form triangle shaped quarters. Drizzle with bean sauce and serve the stuffing on the side and top with any of the suggested toppings.

Video

Notes

Nutrition

Serving: 4servingsCalories: 526kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 17gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 1265mgPotassium: 1054mgFiber: 15gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1438IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 321mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and tag me on social media @MexicanMadeMeatless or tag #mexicanmademeatless!

Thanks for stopping by amigos, I really do hope you make these enfrijoladas very soon.

Have a beautiful day!!

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13 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Just found your site about enfrijoladas. This is a great alternative to regular enchiladas as it can be a good source of protein for vegetarians. We would like to see more vegetarian options for Mexican food.

    Just a small problem….your site is very hard to read with the light blue text on white background.

  2. 5 stars
    Thank you for your recipe, I made this tonight with some variation, I made a vegan crema to go with them. My husband & I lived in Mexico City for awhile & loved it.
    I look forward to making more of your recipes.
    Gracias

    1. Thank you so much, Sheila! So happy to hear this because enfrijoladas are one of my favorite meals. Hope you make them again soon.

  3. 5 stars
    I like the sauce, but I’m underwhelmed by the filling. Adding a bunch of spices to the potatoes and greens helped.

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