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Learn how to make traditional Mexican enfrijoladas with this easy recipe! Just fill them with your favorite fillings (cheese, veggies, meat/seafood, herbs, you name it!), and then you can either roll them up or fold them into little triangles. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner…and so delicious!
Breakfasts there were served every morning in a gorgeous open-air restaurant looking out over the ocean. And on our very first morning there, Barclay and I were stoked to wake up and see a stunning rainbow of fresh tropical fruits laid out on the breakfast buffet, along with homemade granola, yogurt, baked goods, fresh juices, and coffee galore. It was fresh and beautiful and healthy and totally our kind of meal. So much so, actually, that we both piled our bowls high with our own customized parfaits, and then ate and ate and ate until our bellies were full and our plates were clean. When the server came by to clear our table, we raved about how fresh and delicious everything was. To which he casually responded — “Wonderful, so what would you like for your second course?”
Um… ? Turns out that was literally just the appetizer round.
Our server kindly turned our attention to the large chalkboard (see below) in the restaurant with the daily “second course” hot breakfast options, which I promptly freaked out about because it was like a dream lineup of so many of my favorite traditional Mexican foods! They had everything from huevos rancheros, to chilaquiles, sopes, quesadillas, molletes, omelettes, and pancakes. But then my interest was immediately piqued when I saw enchiladas on the list…along with enfrijoladas and enmoleadas. Somehow I had never heard of those final two. But sure enough, our hunch proved true and they turned out to be a spin on enchiladas made with a frijole (bean) sauce or a mole sauce, instead of the traditional red chile sauce. And man, were they DELICIOUS.
Barclay and I divided and conquered and literally taste-tested everything together on the breakfast menu during our 7 days there. And then, per usual, I immediately came home and have been trying to recreate them in our kitchen ever since. My first successful attempt so far turned out to be exceptionally easy to make, and exceptionally good.
Homemade enfrijoladas FTW!?
Enfrijoladas Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Here’s a little peek at that breakfast menu. (Which conveniently turned around in the afternoon to become a mezcal menu. ?)
Annnnd then here’s a peek of my homemade version (sans the beautiful Mexican sunshine and ocean breezes blowing in the background). ?
As I mentioned, traditional enfrijoladas are basically everything you love about enchiladas, but made with a simple blender black bean sauce instead of red enchilada sauce. The corn tortillas are soaked in the sauce, and then either rolled up or folded into fourths (triangles) with your desired fillings. Our hotel gave us the option of a simple cheese filling, or meat (such as chicken or steak), and then always served them with a side of avocado. I made this batch (pictured above) with a shredded chicken and Oaxaca cheese filling. But you could use just about any proteins, veggies, cheeses, and/or herbs that you would like.
To make the enfrijoladas, just add some black beans, chipotles in adobo, onion, garlic, seasonings, and chicken (or veggie) stock to a blender. (Or you could also use a food processor.)
Puree until smooth. Then warm up some corn tortillas (here are 3 ways to warm corn tortillas), and dip them in the bean mixture until the tortillas are coated on both sides.
Fill the tortillas with your desired toppings. Then either roll or fold them up, place them in a large baking dish, then spoon any extra sauce on top.
Bake for about 15 minutes…
…then serve them up immediately, garnished with your favorite toppings!
SO GOOD. And perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anytime of day you’re craving some good Mexican comfort food.
I mean seriously, enfrijoladas, I don’t know where you’ve been all my life. But I’m very glad we finally found each other.
your favorite toppings (ex: diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, diced red onion, Mexican crema or sour cream, fresh lime wedges etc.)
fresh lime wedges
Black Bean Sauce Ingredients:
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 chipotles in adobo sauce, or more to taste
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup diced white onion
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano (I recommend Mexican oregano, if available)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Instructions
To Make The Enfrijoladas:
Heat oven to 350°F.
Spread 1/2 cup of the prepared black bean sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Pour the remainder of the black bean sauce in a large bowl. Set aside.
If using corn tortillas, warm the tortillas either in the microwave, in the oven, or on the stove. (Here are 3 ways to warm corn tortillas. You can skip this step with flour tortillas.) Then gently dip a single tortilla in the bowl of black bean sauce until the tortilla is completely coated on each side. Transfer the tortilla to a plate, fill the tortilla with your desired fillings, then roll it up and place it seam-side-down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
Spoon a generous portion of the remaining black bean sauce on top of the rolled tortillas. Bake (uncovered) for 15 minutes.
Serve immediately, garnished with your favorite toppings. (And I recommend a few generous squeezes of fresh lime juice!)
To Make The Black Bean Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. Taste, and season with extra salt if needed. (Also feel free to add in an extra chipotle or a spoonful of extra adobo sauce if you would like a smokier black bean sauce.)
Notes
*This recipe makes a large batch of sauce! Feel free to refrigerate any leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days to enjoy later.
DROOL! These look right up my alley, adding to my recipe list now!! Also I completely love how many vegetarian or veggie friendly recipes you’ve been posting lately, they are all a big hit in my veggie household :) You’ve made me curious about Mexican oregano though, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my usual stores. Do you usually buy it in a special place?
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks, Chelsea, we hope you can try these soon and that you enjoy them! :) You should be able to find Mexican oregano at Hispanic grocery stores, but you can also find it online: https://www.amazon.com/Dallesandro-H157A63-Oregano-Mexican-Oz/dp/B000RHUXGC We hope this helps!
My mouth is watering just looking at these and I can’t wait to try my hand at them – they look so fresh and tasty and have just about everything I love! I’ll be making the enfrijoladas this coming week – and I look forward to your efforts at the enmoleadas too!
This sounds Delish! I love the idea of an alternate sauce for enchiladas! AND using ingredients I typically have on hand, yeah! Cant wait to make it. Thank you for sharing =)
Whoa enfrijoladas for breakfast!! I don’t know that I would have ever thought of that, but it sounds pretty awesome. Isn’t it fun to eat something so different when traveling and then want to recreate it at home! That sauce looks pretty amazing!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks, Maria! We hope you can give the recipe a try sometime soon (they’re SO yummy for breakfast, we’re definitely hooked)! :D
Ali, I think your honeymoon will end up driving me crazy, with all these Mexican recipes that I wouldn’t have enough time to make. I love Mexican food and I love that you are posting recipes for foods I’ve not previously encountered. I will have to try this recipe, probably as lunch or dinner. I’m drooling already. :-)
This sounds delicious! I never have good luck with corn tortillas….I’ve tried everything, but they just break/tear apart. Maybe white corn tortillas will work!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thank you, we hope you can give this a try soon! Have you tried different brands of corn tortillas? Some might be sturdier and hold up better than others. The flour tortillas generally are your best bet though, because they always hold up well.
I made these & they are FANTASTIC! !! THANK U FOR SHARING YOUR AWSOME COOKING TALENT ;)))) And congratulations on your move :))) It will be a GREAT ADVENTURE ;)))
We love Mexican food and tried this recipe this morning. It was fabulous. We tend to like spicier food so I increased my chipotles in adobo sauce to about 8. It wasn’t overly spicy. Just had some nice heat. Loved it. Look forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
Made these for dinner today, and my husband (who is a native of Mexico City) LOVES them. Thanks so much for helping me bring a little bit of home to him :)
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks, Ashley, we’re so glad you both enjoyed these! :)
I made this for dinner last night and got two thumbs up from the family. My sauce didn’t come out as thick as yours but it was still really good. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
I made this for my family tonight. HUGE hit! I will probably add at least one more pepper (maybe 2) to the sauce because we’d like to have just a touch of heat, but this has an amazing flavor that I’ve never had before. So glad you shared!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thank you, we’re so happy it was a hit, Valerie! :)
Wow !! these were super good – very similar to enchiladas , but with a great twist to them . I used flour tortillas , as we usually prefer them, & used 3 tbl chipotle sauce as we are getting older , and spicy stuff tends to wreak havoc on us.
Thanks !!
I made these for dinner tonight and they were delicious! I was afraid the sauce was too funny when I first made them but it worked put perfect after I baked them, I also thought I had too much leftover sauce BUT in hindsight I should have added all of it. I filled mine with shredded chicken I had cooked in the slow cooker with some Verde salsa; I also mixed in some sharp white cheddar and diced and sauteed zucchini. Served with a little guacamole on top. We will definitely be eating these again!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer, we’re so glad they were a hit! :)
HI
We re this and the sauce was very soupy. I would recommend starting with 1 cup broth.
It could be ovens but I would also recommend a longer cook time.
Overall very tasty!
This is our new family favorite! My kids fought over the last enchilada. My husband requested it every week. Question: How would you suggest making this ahead of time? I feel like the tortillas would get soggy.
AMAZING!!!! I’m always looking for quick weeknight meals that are tasty for the whole family. I am vegetarian and loaded mine up with monterrey jack and some veggies, and my husband and 14mo loved theirs with chicken added. The sauce is SO EASY to make and is really delicious. It’s on our meal plan again this week :D
Thank you!! These are delicious and two of my favorite things: Mexican and meatless (just s nice changer now and then).
I followed your directions as writtten and used Cotija cheese as filling. I did use all of the sauce and let them cook a bit longer. My husband loved theses two!
Ps. This is the 3rd recipes of yours I have tried and I have loved all 3! Thank you!!
I made this last night. Amazing! I used chicken and diced avocado, a handful of shredded cheese with a bit of the sauce mixed in for the filling. I upped the chili peppers to 2. Absolutely delicious.
These were delicious! One of my favorite dishes at a local Mexican restaurant is enfrijoladas. This recipe came close to theirs and really hit the spot. My picky BF also loved them. I cooked shredded chicken in my instant pot the day before and use that as well as sautéed zucchini and green onions for the stuffing. Did half with corn and half with flour. Both were delicious. Also put a little cheese inside as well as sprinkled on top. Will definitely make this again!!
DROOL! These look right up my alley, adding to my recipe list now!! Also I completely love how many vegetarian or veggie friendly recipes you’ve been posting lately, they are all a big hit in my veggie household :) You’ve made me curious about Mexican oregano though, I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in my usual stores. Do you usually buy it in a special place?
Thanks, Chelsea, we hope you can try these soon and that you enjoy them! :) You should be able to find Mexican oregano at Hispanic grocery stores, but you can also find it online: https://www.amazon.com/Dallesandro-H157A63-Oregano-Mexican-Oz/dp/B000RHUXGC We hope this helps!
Yum! These look delish. And your stories about your honeymoon make me want to go to Mexico! Congrats.
Can’t wait for your chaquiles post!!! Love them too! :)
Coming soon! ;) I’m obsessed with them!
Enfrijoladas!!! I sincerely have not heard this meal before. I would love to try out this recipe this weekend.
I hadn’t heard of them either! :) Hope you enjoy them!
My mouth is watering just looking at these and I can’t wait to try my hand at them – they look so fresh and tasty and have just about everything I love! I’ll be making the enfrijoladas this coming week – and I look forward to your efforts at the enmoleadas too!
Awesome, hope you enjoy them!! And yes, it’ll be good motivation to work on our mole skills! :)
I’ve never even heard of these but I already love them! I’m totally an enchilada girl, and I’m DEFINITELY adding these to the menu next week! :)
Thanks, Robin, we can’t wait for you to try these! :)
This sounds Delish! I love the idea of an alternate sauce for enchiladas! AND using ingredients I typically have on hand, yeah! Cant wait to make it. Thank you for sharing =)
Thanks, Terri! We hope you enjoy!
Oh boy, cannot wait to make these, anything Mexican is good by me! Congratulations on your wedding, loved your pictures. Thanks
Thanks, Shelly — we hope you enjoy the recipe! :)
Whoa enfrijoladas for breakfast!! I don’t know that I would have ever thought of that, but it sounds pretty awesome. Isn’t it fun to eat something so different when traveling and then want to recreate it at home! That sauce looks pretty amazing!
Thanks, Maria! We hope you can give the recipe a try sometime soon (they’re SO yummy for breakfast, we’re definitely hooked)! :D
Wow! Loved your story and cannot wait to make this! Congrats and thank you!
Thanks, Tammy! We hope you enjoy it as much as we do! :)
Ali, I think your honeymoon will end up driving me crazy, with all these Mexican recipes that I wouldn’t have enough time to make. I love Mexican food and I love that you are posting recipes for foods I’ve not previously encountered. I will have to try this recipe, probably as lunch or dinner. I’m drooling already. :-)
This sounds delicious! I never have good luck with corn tortillas….I’ve tried everything, but they just break/tear apart. Maybe white corn tortillas will work!
Thank you, we hope you can give this a try soon! Have you tried different brands of corn tortillas? Some might be sturdier and hold up better than others. The flour tortillas generally are your best bet though, because they always hold up well.
Made these for dinner last night- so yummy!!
That’s awesome, Kara, we’re so glad you enjoyed them!
I made these & they are FANTASTIC! !! THANK U FOR SHARING YOUR AWSOME COOKING TALENT ;)))) And congratulations on your move :))) It will be a GREAT ADVENTURE ;)))
We’re so happy you loved them, Stephanie! :D
My husband can’t have this but I need this in my life.
We love Mexican food and tried this recipe this morning. It was fabulous. We tend to like spicier food so I increased my chipotles in adobo sauce to about 8. It wasn’t overly spicy. Just had some nice heat. Loved it. Look forward to trying more of your recipes. Thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! :)
Made these for dinner today, and my husband (who is a native of Mexico City) LOVES them. Thanks so much for helping me bring a little bit of home to him :)
Thanks, Ashley, we’re so glad you both enjoyed these! :)
I made this for dinner last night and got two thumbs up from the family. My sauce didn’t come out as thick as yours but it was still really good. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
I made this for my family tonight. HUGE hit! I will probably add at least one more pepper (maybe 2) to the sauce because we’d like to have just a touch of heat, but this has an amazing flavor that I’ve never had before. So glad you shared!
Thank you, we’re so happy it was a hit, Valerie! :)
Wow !! these were super good – very similar to enchiladas , but with a great twist to them . I used flour tortillas , as we usually prefer them, & used 3 tbl chipotle sauce as we are getting older , and spicy stuff tends to wreak havoc on us.
Thanks !!
Thank you, we’re so glad you enjoyed them! :)
I made these for dinner tonight and they were delicious! I was afraid the sauce was too funny when I first made them but it worked put perfect after I baked them, I also thought I had too much leftover sauce BUT in hindsight I should have added all of it. I filled mine with shredded chicken I had cooked in the slow cooker with some Verde salsa; I also mixed in some sharp white cheddar and diced and sauteed zucchini. Served with a little guacamole on top. We will definitely be eating these again!
Thanks for sharing, Jennifer, we’re so glad they were a hit! :)
HI
We re this and the sauce was very soupy. I would recommend starting with 1 cup broth.
It could be ovens but I would also recommend a longer cook time.
Overall very tasty!
Thanks, Allison!
This is our new family favorite! My kids fought over the last enchilada. My husband requested it every week. Question: How would you suggest making this ahead of time? I feel like the tortillas would get soggy.
These were so good!!! Loved the bean sauce.
AMAZING!!!! I’m always looking for quick weeknight meals that are tasty for the whole family. I am vegetarian and loaded mine up with monterrey jack and some veggies, and my husband and 14mo loved theirs with chicken added. The sauce is SO EASY to make and is really delicious. It’s on our meal plan again this week :D
Yay, so happy to hear it! :)
Thank you!! These are delicious and two of my favorite things: Mexican and meatless (just s nice changer now and then).
I followed your directions as writtten and used Cotija cheese as filling. I did use all of the sauce and let them cook a bit longer. My husband loved theses two!
Ps. This is the 3rd recipes of yours I have tried and I have loved all 3! Thank you!!
I made this last night. Amazing! I used chicken and diced avocado, a handful of shredded cheese with a bit of the sauce mixed in for the filling. I upped the chili peppers to 2. Absolutely delicious.
These totally look right up my alley and I need to make these immediately! Love how versatile they are too!
These were delicious! One of my favorite dishes at a local Mexican restaurant is enfrijoladas. This recipe came close to theirs and really hit the spot. My picky BF also loved them. I cooked shredded chicken in my instant pot the day before and use that as well as sautéed zucchini and green onions for the stuffing. Did half with corn and half with flour. Both were delicious. Also put a little cheese inside as well as sprinkled on top. Will definitely make this again!!
Could you layer it like a lasagna instead of rolling individual tortilla?