Made with sweet potatoes and black beans these vegetarian black bean sweet potato enchiladas bake together in one-pan, dump-and-bake style, with a smoky red enchilada sauce. A hands-off, make-ahead weeknight dinner the whole family will come back for, including the meat eaters!

A hand serving enchiladas from a baking dish topped with melted cheese, sliced avocado, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream.

5 star review

“Made this last night for my family of 5 (Three kids 9, 6, and 4 years old). Everyone finished their dinners and my husband exclaimed how much he loved it! I”

– Nicole
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My Favorite Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

This one-pan vegetarian black bean sweet potato enchiladas recipe is one of the EASIEST weeknight enchiladas I make! My signature trick? Using ONE baking dish for the entire process! Just roast the diced sweet potatoes in the pan with cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder, mash them with cream cheese and black beans, then assemble the rolled enchiladas right back in that one dish. Cleanup is minimal, and the recipe is the kind of cheesy, comforting Mexican-style dinner the whole family devours.

Cream cheese is the secret ingredient that takes these enchiladas from good to great, as it melts into a creamy, slightly tangy binder that lightly coats every bite without being heavy. Use full-fat for the silkiest texture, or reduced-fat for a lighter version. The other key step is lightly mashing about half of the black beans (not all) before stirring in the sweet potatoes. The mashed beans help the filling hold together when sliced, while the whole beans give texture and bite, which is the perfect balance of texture.

Use my homemade enchilada sauce if you have a batch on hand, or a 15-ounce can of store-bought red enchilada sauce works just as well. Serve these enchiladas with sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and a generous dollop of sour cream, and for a complete dinner, my what to serve with enchiladas roundup covers everything from quick salads and rice to easy dips. This recipe holds up beautifully as a make-ahead meal: just assemble the casserole up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate, then add a few extra minutes to the bake time to compensate for the cold pan.

Welcome to My Kitchen, Here’s How to Make Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Jump to Recipe Instructions
Enchilada ingredients including sweet potatoes, black beans, cheese, cream cheese, green chilis, enchilada sauce, and spices.
Gather the ingredients.
Diced sweet potatoes in a casserole dish coated in spices.
Coat the sweet potatoes in spices and roast.
Shredded cheese, green chilis, black beans, cream cheese and enchilada sauce in glass bowl.
Add cheese, enchilada sauce, chilis, cream cheese, and beans to a bow.
Smashed sweet potatoes and black beans in a glass bowl.
Add the cooked sweet potatoes and mash.
A white hand dipping a corn tortilla in enchilada sauce in a baking dish.
Add enchilada sauce to a pan and dip the tortillas.
Rolled corn tortillas with filling in a white baking dish.
Fill each dipped tortilla, roll, and add to the pan.
Enchiladas covered in cheese in a white casserole dish.
Sprinkle over the cheese.
Close up shot of black bean and sweet potato enchiladas covered with cheese.
Bake covered, then uncover and bake until the cheese is browned.
Baked enchiladas topped with melted cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream, and cilantro in a rectangular dish, with a halved avocado, lime wedges, and a striped towel nearby.

Testing Tips for Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas

  • To make this dairy free, use your favorite dairy-free cheese shreds and dairy-free cream cheese (Kite Hill works well for both). I have tested this swap and the casserole still bakes up creamy and satisfying, though the dairy-free cheese melts slightly differently than dairy cheese on top.
  • For a heartier meal, do what one of my readers, Melissa, suggested in the comments and stir 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken into the bean and sweet potato filling. The chicken adds protein and substance without throwing off the recipe’s structure, and it is an easy way to please mixed-diet households where some people prefer meat!
  • Drained and rinsed kidney or pinto beans both work in place of the black beans, depending on what is in the pantry. Pinto beans give a creamier texture and slightly sweeter flavor, while kidney beans hold their shape more and bring a heartier bite.
Baked enchiladas topped with melted cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream, and cilantro in a rectangular dish, with a halved avocado, lime wedges, and a striped towel nearby.
5 stars (3 ratings)

Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas (One-Pan)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 6
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
This easy, vegetarian black bean and sweet potato enchiladas recipe is simple to prepare in just one pan and yields super flavorful, delicious results every time!
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups 1-inch diced sweet potato, from about about 2 large peeled sweet potatoes
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon mild chili powder
  • 1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4 tablespoons cream cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
  • 1 (4-oz) can diced green chilis 
  • 1 ½ cups homemade red enchilada sauce, divided, (or 1 [5-oz] can red enchilada sauce)
  • 12 corn tortillas, gently warmed 

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Heat the oven to 350F.
  • Add the diced sweet potatoes to a 10 x 7 rectangular baking dish. Add the olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, cumin, garlic, and chili powder, tossing to evenly coat the sweet potatoes. 

Roast the Sweet Potatoes

  • Cover tightly with foil, then bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are very tender.

Prepare the Filling

  • Meanwhile, begin the filling by adding the black beans, cream cheese, ½ cup cheese, green chilis, and ¼ cup enchilada sauce in a large bowl. Lightly mash about half of the beans, then stir until all the ingredients are well combined.
  • When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove the foil and set aside to (you'll use it again later in this recipe).
  • Carefully transfer the sweet potatoes to the bowl containing the black bean mixture, scrapping any bits left in the baking dish. Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork or potato masher, then stir until all the ingredients are combined.

Prepare the Enchiladas

  • To the same baking dish, pour in ¾ cup enchilada sauce. Dip both sides of each tortilla into the sauce, stacking each dipped tortilla on a plate.
  • If the pan is dry after dipping the tortillas, add ¼ cup enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan.
  • Fill each dipped tortilla with about 3 tablespoons of the black bean and sweet potato filling. Roll tightly, then nestle into the pan.
  • Top with the remaining ¼ cup enchilada sauce and ½ cup cheese.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbling around the edges.
  • Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
  • Allow to rest for 5 minutes for more even serving.

Notes

  • Warm the corn tortillas before dipping them in enchilada sauce to prevent cracking. Wrap a stack of 12 in a damp dish towel and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds; cold tortillas crack about half the time in my experience while warmed ones stay pliable and roll up beautifully.
  • For a spicier version, use hot diced green chilis in place of mild and bump the chili powder up to hot. I default to mild for kid-friendly weeknights and set hot sauce on the table for anyone who wants more heat, but the hot-chili version is great if your family likes spice.
  • For gluten-free, be sure to use gf enchilada sauce and gf tortillas.
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 6), Calories: 320kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 27mg, Sodium: 531mg, Potassium: 369mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 10192IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 199mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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