Green Enchiladas
Green enchiladas verdes are soft tortillas rolled around a hearty filling of beans and Mexican vegetables, smothered in tangy salsa verde and baked until the cheese on top turns golden. This vegan version comes together fast, leans on budget-friendly pantry and freezer staples, and delivers all the filling, comforting flavor of Mexican comfort food with no meat in sight.
If you’re craving some filling Mexican food, I have just the recipe for you. I decided to change things on the blog a little and start posting all those everyday recipes I make for lunch or dinner — the yummy, easy ones I cook and love but never had time to photograph with my proper camera because I was just TOO hungry. For this one I only have a couple of phone photos, but what matters here is the taste and the actual recipe.
These came together after a Mexican dinner I organized with my boyfriend a few weeks back. We served hard shell veggie tacos and loaded vegan nachos that night, and I still had half a bag of Mexican veggie mix left over. Putting that leftover mix to good use is exactly how this ah-mazing green enchiladas recipe was born.
What Goes Into These Green Enchiladas
The filling is where the magic happens, and it could not be lower-effort. I use around half a bag of frozen Mexican vegetable mix — the one from Lidl is my favorite because it already has baby corn and beans in it and comes pre-seasoned with Mexican spices. Any brand works, though. To that I add a drained can of red kidney beans for extra protein and heft, plus a couple of teaspoons of enchilada seasoning. No seasoning blend on hand? A few pinches each of chili powder, sweet paprika, cumin, onion and garlic powder, oregano, salt and black pepper will get you there.
The green in green enchiladas verdes comes from salsa verde, the tangy tomatillo-based sauce poured over the top. I was a bit lazy this time and used a store-bought jar, which was pretty good. That said, I have an excellent homemade salsa verde recipe on the blog, and I still recommend making your own when you have the time — the flavor comes out brighter and you control the heat.
For the cheese on top, use any melty cheese you like. To keep these fully vegan, reach for your favorite vegan shredded cheese; if you eat dairy, a melty cheese such as Asiago works too. As for the wraps, I used some green ones this time, and no, the name green enchiladas isn’t given by the fact that the tortillas were green. Those were just a fun bonus.
How to Fill and Fold the Enchiladas
Start by sauteing the Mexican veggie mix in a pan for about 3 minutes, then splash in a little water, stir in your spices and the drained kidney beans, cover with a lid, and let everything steam for around 10 minutes until tender. Divide the filling into four right there in the pan, so one quarter fills each enchilada and portioning stays easy. Spoon a quarter along the center of each tortilla and roll it up snugly.
If folding tortillas trips you up, I recommend checking out my step-by-step video for the Protein Power Vegan Enchiladas, where I show you exactly how to wrap them so they hold together in the dish. Once you get used to it, it’s a breeze.
Nestle the rolled enchiladas seam-side down in a ceramic baking dish — mine fit four large ones snugly, roughly 25×35 cm. Pour the salsa verde over the top, grate on your cheese, and bake at 200C (about 400F) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Finish with sliced pickled jalapenos and a scatter of fresh oregano or chopped cilantro.
Why Salsa Verde Makes These Work
Pouring the salsa verde over the assembled enchiladas before baking does two jobs at once. The sauce keeps the tortillas from drying out in the oven, steaming their edges soft while the tops set, and its acidity cuts through the richness of the beans and cheese so each bite stays bright rather than heavy. Baking uncovered lets the cheese brown and the surface of the sauce concentrate, which is why you wait for that golden, bubbling finish before pulling the dish out.
Easy Swaps and Variations
- Beans: Red kidney beans are my go-to here, but black beans or pinto beans slot right in.
- Vegetables: No Mexican veggie blend? Any frozen or fresh mix of corn, peppers, onion and green beans does the trick.
- Sauce: Store-bought salsa verde keeps it fast, while a homemade batch gives you brighter flavor and full control over the heat.
- Cheese: Vegan shreds keep the dish fully plant-based; a melty dairy cheese makes a vegetarian version.
- Heat: Dial the spice up or down with extra jalapenos, a pinch more chili powder, or a milder salsa.
Meal Prep and Freezing
You may already know how much I love meal prepping over the weekend, and these green enchiladas freeze beautifully, which I absolutely love. Assemble the dish, cover it well, and freeze it before or after baking; reheat straight from frozen in a moderate oven until hot all the way through. They also keep in the fridge for a few days, which makes them a perfect grab-and-go lunch. If you like cooking in batches, you might enjoy my other freezer-friendly meal prep ideas too.
One heads-up on portions: the recipe card says this makes 4 to 8 servings, and that is not a typo. These enchiladas are pretty big, so half an enchilada in one sitting was more than enough to leave me feeling SO full.
What to Serve With Green Enchiladas Verdes
These are hearty enough to eat on their own, but they really shine as part of a bigger Mexican spread. Pair them with rice, guacamole and a crunchy salad, or turn any leftovers into easy lunch wraps the next day. Want to build a full menu around them? My complete Mexican culinary guide is packed with ideas for what to cook alongside them.
If you fold up a batch of these green enchiladas verdes, come back and give the recipe a star rating, then leave a comment telling me how the salsa verde treated you and whether you went vegan or dairy on the cheese. I’m so curious to find out, and best of luck with folding those wraps!
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Green Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 tortilla wraps
- 1 can red kidney beans 400g can | 15 ounces can
- 1 can salsa verde 400g can | 15 ounces can – or you can make it at home using this recipe – https://gourmandelle.com/homemade-salsa-recipes/
- 400 grams frozen Mexican vegetable mix Any brand you like. I used half a bag of Lidl Mexican mixed veggies, but you can use any brand. Mine contains baby corn, sweet corn, green beans, kidney beans, onion, red pepper and spices
- 2-3 tsp enchilada seasoning blend If you don't have a seasoning blend, just add some pinches of chili powder, sweet paprika, cumin, salt, onion and garlic powder, oregano and ground black pepper
- grated cheese you can use any melty cheese you want, be it vegan or dairy-based. I had some Asiago cheese and used that.
- toppings optional – pickled jalapeno slices and fresh oregano leaves or chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Add the mixed Mexican veggies to a pan. Saute for 3 minutes then add some water. Add the spices and drained kidney beans can.
- Cover with a lid and let the veggies steam for about 10 minutes.
- Make the enchiladas by filling them with the beans and veggies filling. I divided the filling into four, in the pan, then used each quarter to fill an enchilada. If you want to see how you can wrap the enchiladas, check out the video I made for this Protein Power Vegan Enchiladas recipe.
- Place the enchiladas into a ceramic oven dish (mine was perfect for 4 large enchiladas, about 25x35cm I would estimate).
- Pour over the salsa verde.
- Grate some dairy or vegan cheese on top.
- Bake in the oven at 200C for 20-25 minutes – the cheese should be golden.
- Serve with some sliced jalapenos on top and chopped herbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the base recipe is fully vegan. The filling is red kidney beans and Mexican vegetables, and the salsa verde is plant-based, so you just need to pick a vegan melty cheese for the topping. If you eat dairy, any melty cheese such as Asiago works too, which turns it into a vegetarian version.
Salsa verde is a tangy green Mexican sauce, traditionally built on tomatillos. You can use a store-bought jar for speed, which is what I did here, or make your own with the homemade salsa verde recipe on the blog for brighter flavor and full control over the heat.
Green enchiladas, or enchiladas verdes, are sauced with salsa verde, a tangy tomatillo-based green sauce. Red enchiladas use a chili-and-tomato-based red sauce instead. Green tends to taste brighter and more tart, while red is deeper and earthier.
Yes, they freeze beautifully. Assemble the dish, cover it well, and freeze it before or after baking. Reheat straight from frozen in a moderate oven until it is hot all the way through, with no need to thaw first. They also keep in the fridge for a few days.
This recipe uses red kidney beans, but black beans or pinto beans work just as well. Drain and rinse canned beans before adding them to the pan so the filling stays hearty instead of watery.
Warm the tortillas slightly so they are pliable, avoid overfilling them, and roll them snugly seam-side down in the dish. Pouring the salsa verde over the top before baking keeps the edges soft. My Protein Power Vegan Enchiladas video shows the folding technique step by step.
Suuuuper filling and delish, thanks for the inspiration!