Enfrijoladas with Black Beans, Avocado and Cotija

Enfrijoladas, made with corn tortillas and bean sauce, is one of Mexico’s best answers to the quick and healthy dinner conundrum. It’s a hearty, nourishing dish made of inexpensive ingredients and it’s easy to assemble.

If you’re a bean lover, gluten-free, or a vegetarian, a plate of enfrijoladas is likely to get its hooks into you. You’ll make it once, appreciate its easy comfort, and want to make it on repeat.

What are Enfrijoladas?

Think of enfrijoladas as the distant cousin to enchiladas. The difference? The sauce is made from beans instead of tomatoes or tomatillos. And unlike enchiladas, which are routinely rolled up snug with the fillings inside, enfrijoladas are often folded in half with the fixings either inside, on top, or both.

The dish has roots in Oaxaca, though it’s popular throughout Mexico, often served at breakfast. Although beans are universal in enfrijoladas, the other ingredients depend on the cook. Cheese, onion, cilantro, and chicken are common. You might also find a cooked egg or crumbled chorizo in the mix, too.

This recipe is a fairly traditional spin on enfrijoladas, since it’s built on black beans and corn tortillas. Corn tortillas work better than flour here, since they’re sturdy enough to hold up in the sauce. For flavor, the recipe calls for chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, which adds an easy pop of smoky flavor without making the dish excessively spicy.

How to Make Sauce for Enfrijoladas?

To make the sauce, start by sauteing onions and garlic in a little oil. From there, it’s just a matter blending in black beans, lime juice, chipotle chile in adobo sauce, cumin, and salt. You can lean on the convenience of canned beans here, which work well for this recipe.

If you have dried beans on hand and a little bit of time, feel free to cook your own beans from scratch. Just be sure to save one cup of the bean cooking liquid. In addition to the bean cooking liquid, the recipe also calls for water to be added. The amount can vary depending on the beans, so just aim for a sauce that’s about the texture of a thick soup.

Recipe Swaps and Substitutions

• Enfrijoladas is a dish that lends itself to interpretation depending on your mood and what you have in the pantry. Here are a few ideas:
• Swap pinto beans for black beans. You may have to adjust the amount of water, since one variety of bean may be starchier than another.
• Leave out the cheese and sour cream (or find non-dairy substitutes) for a vegan version of the dish.
• Add more (or less) chipotle depending on your tolerance for spice.
• Fill with shredded cheese instead of topping with cotija. Simply add a few tablespoons of shredded Monterey Jack inside each enfrijolada before folding.
• Sauté a pile of fresh spinach to tuck into the enfrijoladas along with that Jack cheese.

A Nutritious Vegetarian Dish

In addition to being tasty and easy to make, enfrijoladas are packed with good nutrition. Black beans are rich in fiber and folate. For folks following a plant-based diet, black beans are a particularly good choice, since they provide protein as well as iron and zinc, nutrients commonly found in animal products. When you figure in the whole grains from corn tortillas and the healthy fats in avocado, you’ve got a very balanced plate on your hands.

Serving Suggestions

Enfrijoladas are suitable for any meal of the day. For breakfast, serve as is or top each plate with a poached or fried egg. For dinner, pair them with a bright fresh salad, such as this Jicama Salad or this Nopalitos one. For those not following a vegetarian diet, you can top each enfrijolada with shredded chicken before you add the avocado and onion. If you happen to have fresh cilantro on your fridge, it makes a pretty garnish.

More Vegetarian Black Bean Recipes

• Easy Avocado and Black Bean Quesadillas
• Mexican Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, Corn, and Tomatoes
• Black Bean Burrito Bowl
• Texas Stacked Enchiladas with Corn and Black Beans
• Butternut Squash and Black Bean Skillet Dinner