These chicken and black bean enchiladas are one of our family's favorite dinners! Full of flavor, protein, and cheese, this meal is both satisfying and delicious.
There's nothing like homemade enchiladas. Since I've started making my own, I'll whisper-tell you that ordering them at a restaurant doesn't hold a candle for me anymore.
If you don't know, enchiladas are soft tortillas stuffed with some type of meat and/or cheese, all covered with a pleasantly spiced red or green sauce, then covered in more gooey cheese.
With this recipe, I've also taken the liberty of adding black beans to the filling for fiber, texture, and flavor.
How could you go wrong with this?!
Enchiladas can be daunting, but having a good Enchilada Sauce recipe makes them much easier (and more special!). And if you're motivated enough, you can also make your own tortillas (see below).
Ingredients and substitutions
For the filling:
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cooked chicken (I like using my Salsa Chicken or this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breast recipe; if I use the Salsa Chicken, I just add that directly to the tortillas.)
- Black beans - Pinto beans are great too!
- Cheddar cheese - Sharp cheddar imparts the best flavor, but mild will also work. Pepper jack is also a real treat, if you like spice! I do a combination of both.
- Tortillas - Though it may be a faux pas, I love my Spelt Flour Tortillas in this recipe. Corn tortillas generally hold up better though, in terms of sogginess.
- Kalamata olives - These are optional, but they add such a wonderful flavor!
For the sauce:
I use my Homemade Enchilada Sauce, but any variety will work.
For the tortillas:
I like to use my Homemade Corn Tortillas or my Spelt Flour Tortillas. Corn tortillas are traditional in enchilada recipes, but I love the tenderness and flavor of flour tortillas!
You'll also need fresh cilantro and scallions for the top.
Recipe steps
Step 1: Begin by heating the oil in a medium skillet and sauteing the onion and garlic until soft.
Step 2: Add in the chicken and beans.
Step 3: Pour 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Step 4: Begin filling your tortillas with the chicken and bean mixture. Also add some cheese to the filling. See the photos below for how I roll my enchiladas, burrito-style.
You can also just simply roll them up. I roll mine like a burrito to avoid the filling falling out.
Step 5: Place the rolled enchiladas atop the sauce in the baking dish.
Step 6: Add the remaining sauce and cheese, in that order, to the tops of the enchiladas.
Step 7: Place the sliced olives on top. (I also added some goat cheese crumbles to the top.)
Step 8: Bake the enchiladas until melty and bubbly!
Recipe notes
How much filling and cheese goes into each tortilla will vary, depending on the size of the tortillas used.
If you're feeling like making a Mexican-themed spread, take a peek at my Homemade Refried Beans and Tex Mex Rice. They make great sides!
Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup yellow onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound cooked chicken (about two 8-ounce chicken breasts)
- 1 cup cooked black beans rinsed and drained
- 2 cups cheddar and/or jack cheese grated
- 1 ½ cups Homemade Enchilada Sauce see Recipe Notes above
- 10 kalamata olives sliced
- 8-10 tortillas corn or wheat both work
- 3 Tablespoons cilantro chopped; for serving
- 2 scallions chopped; for serving
Instructions
FILLING:
- Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken, beans, some salt and pepper, and heat for 1-2 minutes. For the chicken, I use my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Breasts, but any cooked chicken will work. Rotisserie chicken would work great here.
ENCHILADA SAUCE:
- Prepare my Homemade Enchilada Sauce or use your own.
ASSEMBLY:
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- To assemble the enchiladas, fill a tortilla with a few tablespoons of the chicken/bean mix, top with 2-3 tablespoons of grated cheddar, and roll. Amounts of filling and cheese will vary, depending on the size of your tortillas. See step-by-step photos above for the rolling process with flour tortillas.
- Repeat this until all of the filling is used. Don't overfill your tortillas or they will break.
- Oil a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the dish.
- Place the rolled and filled tortillas, seam side down, into the dish.
- Top with the rest of the enchilada sauce, grated cheddar, and olives.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, uncovered, or until bubbly and melted.
- Sprinkle the top with fresh cilantro and scallions.
Notes
Nutrition
If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!
Kim
These were delicious! I really liked the addition of the kalamata olives. The enchilada sauce was so easy to make. I'll never buy it in a can again!
Lauren
That's great Kim! It's one of my favorite meals, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Min
I usually never order enchiladas at restaurants because they're so easy to make..and much cheaper also!
And what do you know? I also have a dove tattoo on my back :). I'm telling you..you and I are like twins ;).
Lauren
Are you serious???!! That's the coolest thing ever!!!! You'll have to take a pic of it so I can see it!
Kailey
Thanks for sharing this recipe 😀
I am currently loving enchiladas/mexican food!! Oh so delicious
Ellie
ahhhh those doves are just so cute! I wanna hold them in my palms and caress them...hehe. And Greg and I LOVE eagles and hawks!! when we see hawks, we always feel like God is up to something amazing in the near future. And eagles are just so symbolic too. Did you know that they are so wise and patient that when a storm is about to happen, they wait until it comes full force and they actually RISE ABOVE THE STORM?!!! I just love symbolism like that. 🙂 And this recipe looks gooooooood~I love jalapenos.