Cheesy Vegan Enchilada Skillet (30 Minutes!)
Everything you love about enchiladas, minus the fuss! This super flavorful, cheesy vegan enchilada skillet comes together in about 30 minutes with simple methods, minimal dishes, and no need to fill or roll tortillas.
This easy, nourishing dish features tender cubed sweet potato or winter squash, fiber- & protein-rich black beans, and a rich red enchilada sauce. Everything gets simmered in 1 pan and topped with a melty cashew “cheese” that makes it SUPER satisfying and delicious!
Origins of Enchiladas
It’s believed that enchiladas may have originated from a similar Mayan dish called papadzules. But the first written recipe for enchiladas was in an 1831 cookbook called El Cocinero mexicano. Typically, enchiladas are made with meat, seafood, beans, cheese, potatoes, or vegetables stuffed in corn tortillas and topped with enchilada sauce.
Our “inspired-by” enchilada skillet has all the flavors of classic enchiladas, but it’s vegan, and instead of rolling the filling in tortillas, we slice the tortillas and cook everything together in one pan on the stovetop!
How to Make a Black Bean Enchilada Skillet
This 1-pan, 30-minute vegan enchilada skillet begins with a base of sautéed vegetables — onion, garlic, sweet potato, and poblano pepper. The veggies are flexible here, so feel free to experiment! We love kabocha squash for a fall variation and have found green bell peppers work well when poblanos aren’t available. We also think butternut squash would be nice, as would greens such as kale or spinach.
Once the onions are very tender and the squash and peppers are just beginning to soften, we stir in black beans + corn tortillas that have been sliced into strips.
Next comes the final ingredient in the skillet portion of this dish (hello, simple + flavorful!): red enchilada sauce. We love the bold flavor of our homemade enchilada sauce (and usually have it stocked in the freezer), but this recipe also works well with store-bought enchilada sauce.
And lastly, it just wouldn’t be enchiladas without: the CHEESE! More specifically, a flavorful cashew “cheese” sauce inspired by our fan favorite Cheesy Vegan Pizza Beans. It’s made by blending up cashews, water, lime juice, garlic, tapioca starch, and sea salt. When poured over the enchilada skillet and covered with a lid, the heat and tapioca starch do their magic, creating a melty, cheesy layer! Total swoon!
We highly recommend trying the cashew “cheese” sauce, even if you’re not vegan or dairy-free! It’s super easy and takes this dish to a whole new level. However, this enchilada skillet is also delicious with shredded vegan or dairy cheese (such as pepper jack).
We think you’ll LOVE this recipe! It’s:
Smoky
Spicy
Super flavorful
Satisfying
Versatile
Quick & easy to make
& SO delicious!
This dish is hearty and amazing as a standalone quick meal for weeknights! It would also pair well with our Smoky Shredded Tofu Taco “Meat” or 1-Pan Mexican Shredded Chicken for a higher-protein option. Or, for more veggies, try it with our Crunchy Jicama Slaw or Quick Citrusy Cabbage Slaw.
More Enchilada-Inspired Recipes
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Servings 4 (Servings)
CASHEW “CHEESE” (or sub shredded vegan or dairy cheese*)
- 1/2 cup raw cashews*
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1/2 small clove garlic (or 1/8 tsp garlic powder)
- 2 Tbsp tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
ENCHILADA SKILLET
- 1-2 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1/2 medium yellow or white onion, diced (1/2 medium onion yields ~1 heaping cup or 150 g)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 4 medium cloves garlic, minced (4 medium cloves yield ~2 Tbsp or 18 g)
- 2 cups sweet potato or kabocha squash, peeled, diced into 1/4-1/2-inch cubes* (1/2 medium squash or 1 medium sweet potato yields ~2 cups or 300 g // 1/4-inch cubes work better for sweet potato and 1/2-inch for squash // we also think butternut squash would work)
- 1 medium poblano pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced into 1/2-inch squares (or green bell pepper // 1 pepper yields ~1/2 cup or 75 g)
- 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed (or ~1 ½ cups homemade // or sub pinto beans)
- 4 (4-inch) corn tortillas*, sliced into 1/4-inch x 2-inch strips
- 1 (15-oz.) jar red enchilada sauce (we like Siete or ~1 ¾ cups homemade // green enchilada sauce also works)
TOPPINGS optional
- Green onion, thinly sliced
- Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
Start by cooking the veggies for the skillet. Heat a large (preferably oven-safe) skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and onion and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Add the sea salt and garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Next, add the sweet potato (or squash) and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until they are starting to soften — about 5 minutes.
Add the drained and rinsed black beans (or pinto beans) and tortilla strips and stir.
Finally, add the enchilada sauce, stir well, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, cover and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for ~10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato (or squash) is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Meanwhile, to a small high-speed blender, add the cashew sauce ingredients (cashews, water, lime juice, garlic, tapioca starch, and sea salt). Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
After the skillet has sautéed and your squash/sweet potatoes are tender, remove the lid, reduce the heat to low, and carefully pour the cashew sauce (or sprinkle shredded cheese) over the beans in an even layer. Cover and steam for 3-5 minutes to encourage the cheese to firm up (or melt) a bit. Then remove the lid and (optionally) transfer to the oven to broil for another 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is darkened in spots and dry to the touch.
Serve warm garnished with green onions and cilantro (both optional). Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days or in the freezer for 1 month (or longer).
Freezing: You can freeze the enchilada skillet in individual containers for quicker reheating or freeze the entire dish. To freeze in individual containers, transfer individual servings to freezer-safe containers (we like glass storage containers), let cool in the refrigerator, then cover with a lid or foil and freeze. When ready to eat, uncover and microwave using the defrost then full power settings to heat until warmed through. To freeze the entire dish, transfer to a large freezer-safe container (such as a casserole dish), let cool in the refrigerator, then cover and transfer to the freezer. When ready to eat/serve, defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then bake in a 350 degree F (176 C) oven until warmed through.
*It’s important to cut the squash/sweet potato into very small (1/4-1/2-inch) cubes for it to cook in the time specified. If cutting into larger pieces, increase the cook time as needed.
*We haven’t tested with flour tortillas but think their texture would be too soft.
*The corn tortillas can be substituted with ~1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, but we prefer the version with corn tortillas.
*You could also make this recipe with dairy cheese (such as shredded pepper jack), but we preferred the taste and texture of the cashew version!
*For more protein, this recipe would pair well with our Smoky Shredded Tofu Taco “Meat” or 1-Pan Mexican Shredded Chicken. You could even add ~1 ½ cups of the tofu or chicken (or plain leftover shredded chicken) to the enchilada skillet (at the same time as the beans), but it won’t be as saucy/flavorful unless you add more enchilada sauce (or water + extra salt). Let us know in the comments if you do some experimenting!
*Inspired by Rachael’s Good Eats One Pan Enchilada Skillet and adapted from our Cheesy Vegan Pizza Beans.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with sweet potato, black beans, and homemade enchilada sauce, and without optional ingredients.
Serving: 1 serving Calories: 416 Carbohydrates: 68.2 g Protein: 13.6 g Fat: 12.2 g Saturated Fat: 1.8 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.1 g Monounsaturated Fat: 6.1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 940 mg Potassium: 1034 mg Fiber: 14.3 g Sugar: 11.6 g Vitamin A: 5342 IU Vitamin C: 35 mg Calcium: 219 mg Iron: 4.9 mg
