Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

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!

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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!