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These Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Chipotle Pumpkin Sauce are a super cozy and hearty meatless fall dinner. Flour tortillas are filled with a spiced rice and black bean mixture with poblano peppers, savory roasted cinnamon-garlic sweet potatoes, and melty Monterey Jack cheese. The chipotle pumpkin sauce is extra creamy thanks to a base of sour cream, which helps temper the heat and adds richness to the dish.
Jump to:
- What Ingredients go into these fall enchiladas?
- How to assemble enchiladas
- What to serve Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Chipotle Pumpkin Sauce with?
- Can I halve this enchilada recipe?
- Are these creamy enchiladas freezer-friendly?
- What tools do I need to make this recipe?
- Looking for more dinner inspiration?
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Chipotle Pumpkin Sauce
What Ingredients go into these fall enchiladas?
- Flour tortillas - I prefer the 10-inch burrito-size tortillas for this dish, but you can use the smaller 8-inch size if you are using a narrower baking dish.
- Sweet potatoes - I don't even bother peeling these as the skin gets lovely and crisp when pre-roasted. They just need a good scrub and a quick dice. I prefer red garnet sweet potatoes if available to you.
- Black beans - I generally used canned beans, but you can pre-cook beans if you prefer.
- Rice - I prefer white rice like Jasmine or Basmati, but you can also use brown rice if you prefer (just pre-cook it a bit longer).
- Poblano peppers - If you can't source fresh poblano peppers, you can use pre-roasted jarred green chilis.
- Green onions
- Cheese - I usually use Monterey Jack cheese because it has a mild, buttery flavor and melts really well. But these enchiladas are also lovely with white cheddar, classic cheddar, or Colby Jack, or you can also use a crumbly cheese like cotija or feta (note: cotija is not vegetarian so keep that in mind if that's important to you).
- Pumpkin puree
- Sour cream
- Garlic-infused olive oil (may sub for olive oil + garlic powder)
- Chipotle chili powder
- Traditional chili powder
- Ground cayenne pepper
- Ground cumin
- Ground cinnamon - I prefer Ceylon cinnamon if available to you.
- Lime - I use both the juice and the zest to help balance the flavor and temper the spice in the spiced rice.
- Kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
How to assemble enchiladas
- Lay a flour tortilla flat on a clean surface.
- Fill with a generous scoop of the spiced rice and bean mixture then a smaller scoop of the roasted garlic-cinnamon sweet potatoes, portioning these out in an oblong shape rather than a mound.
- Top with filling with a couple of spoonfuls of the chipotle pumpkin sauce, then a sprinkle of the shredded cheese.
- If you'd like your tortillas to be tucked closed on each end like a burrito, you can fold the two outer edges (the edges that align with the oblong portion of filling) over by about an inch. If you prefer your enchiladas to remain open on the ends, you can skip this step.
- Fold over one of the remaining wide sides of the tortilla until it covers the filling. You may need to tuck the edges in a bit as you fold the tortilla over if you prefer closed burrito-style ends. Carefully, roll the tortilla forward so that it is fully enclosed and the seam end is on the bottom.
- Carefully transfer the closed enchilada to the pan, placing it flush with the bottom edge of the pan, seam side down. Repeat until all 8 tortillas have been filled, rolled, and transferred to the pan.
- Pour the chipotle pumpkin cream sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas and, using a silicone spatula, spread the sauce evenly across the top until they are evenly covered. Sprinkle the top with the reserved portion of cheese.
What to serve Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Chipotle Pumpkin Sauce with?
These vegetarian enchiladas are super hearty on their own, but if you'd like to round the meal out with something green, they are lovely served with a simple green tossed salad, roasted broccoli, or sauteed kale on the side.
Can I halve this enchilada recipe?
Yes! I portioned these Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas out to easily be halved or doubled, depending on how many people you're feeding. If you halve this recipe, it can be made in an 8x8 or 9 x 9-inch baking dish.
Are these creamy enchiladas freezer-friendly?
This dish is super freezer-friendly. Sometimes I will freeze half of the batch (prior to baking) for another day and bake the other half that evening in a 8 x 8 or 9 x 9-inch baking dish.
What tools do I need to make this recipe?
- A cutting board
- A chef's knife
- A kitchen scale (or measuring cups for less precise measurements)
- Measuring spoons
- A baker's half sheet lined with parchment paper
- A medium pot with a lid -- OR -- an electric pressure cooker -- OR -- a rice cooker (depending on your preferred method for cooking rice)
- A medium saucepan (for the sauce -- may wash and use the same you cooked the rice in)
- A large pot to finish the rice and bean mixture.
- A citrus zester
- A citrus juicer
- A wooden spoon
- A silicone spatula
- A cheese grater (if using cheese that hasn't been pre-grated)
- A can opener (if using canned beans)
- A fine mesh strainer
- A 13 x 9-inch baking dish
Are you looking to upgrade your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.
Looking for more dinner inspiration?
Love these Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Chipotle Pumpkin Sauce? Here are some more of my favorite fall recipes to enjoy:
- Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
- Tahini Noodle Bowls with Crispy Tofu and Vegetables
- Sloppy Joe Bowls
- Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup
- Chili with Butternut Squash
- Pumpkin Pizza with Gruyere and Crispy Sage
- White Pizza with Pumpkin, Bacon, Kale, and Gouda
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Chipotle Pumpkin Sauce
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Chipotle Pumpkin Sauce are a super cozy and hearty meatless fall dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Garlic-cinnamon sweet potatoes:
- 636 g / 4 cups (about 1 large or two medium) sweet potatoes with skins left on, diced
- 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil -- OR -- 1 tablespoon olive oil + ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- Optional: ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Spiced rice and beans:
- ⅔ cup white rice (Jasmine or Basmati)
- Water to cover (measurement dependent on cooking method: see below)
- 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (may sub for 2 tbsp olive oil + ½ tsp garlic powder)
- 160 g (2 medium) poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 lime - juice and zest
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 80 g (1 cup) green onions, chopped
- 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
Chipotle pumpkin sauce:
- 32 oz sour cream
- 244 g (1 cup) pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
For the remaining recipe:
- 8 - 10-inch flour tortillas (burrito-sized)
- 12 oz (3 cups) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (may sub for cheddar, cotija*, or feta), divided
Instructions
For the garlic-cinnamon sweet potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F / 220 C. Line a baker's half-sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Transfer the diced sweet potatoes to the lined sheet pan. Sprinkle with garlic oil, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and if desired, the cayenne pepper. Toss by hand to combine.
- Transfer the pan to the oven to roast for 25-30 minutes or until fork-tender, lightly caramelized, and skins are crisp. Reserve to the side.
For the spiced rice and beans:
- Cook the rice according to your preferred method.
- On the stove:
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the rice and 1 ⅓ cup water. Allow to come to a boil, then reduce heat and cover the pot with a lid. Allow to maintain a gentle simmer for 15-minutes, then turn heat off and allow to continue steaming with the lid on for an additional 10-minutes. Reserve to the side.
- In an electric pressure cooker:
- Add the rice and ⅔ cup water. Secure the lid and set to pressure cook on high for 3-minutes. Once finished, allow to natural-release pressure for 10-minutes, then safely quick-release the remaining pressure. Reserve to the side.
- In a rice cooker: Cook according to your rice cooker instructions then reserve to the side.
- On the stove:
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the garlic-infused olive oil. Once shimmering, add the poblano peppers and saute for 2-3 minutes until the peppers begin to soften slightly.
- Lower the meat to medium. Add the lime juice and zest, ground cumin, chili powder, and Kosher salt and stir to combine.
- Add the reserved rice, green onions, and black beans and gently stir until the rice is evenly coated in seasoning and the ingredients are well-dispersed and warm through. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Remove from heat and reserve to the side.
For the chipotle pumpkin sauce:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat add the sour cream, pumpkin puree, chipotle chili powder, and Kosher salt. Stir often until well combined and warmed through. Reserve to the side.
To assemble the enchiladas:
- Lower the heat on the oven to 375 degrees F / 190 C. In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, add a few spoonfuls of the reserved chipotle pumpkin sauce to the bottom. Using a silicone spatula, spread the sauce to coat the bottom of the dish in a thin layer. Reserve to the side.
- Lay a flour tortilla flat on a clean surface. Fill with a generous scoop of the spiced rice and bean mixture then a smaller scoop of the roasted garlic-cinnamon sweet potatoes, portioning these out in an oblong shape rather than a mound.
- Top with filling with a couple of spoonfuls of the chipotle pumpkin sauce, then a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. (You'll use ⅔ of the cheese in the enchiladas and reserve the remaining ⅓ for the top)
- If you'd like your tortillas to be tucked closed on each end like a burrito, you can fold the two outer edges (the edges that align with the oblong portion of filling) over by about an inch. If you prefer your enchiladas to remain open on the ends, you can skip this step. Fold over one of the remaining wide sides of the tortilla until it covers the filling. You may need to tuck the edges in a bit as you fold the tortilla over if you prefer closed burrito-style ends. Carefully, roll the tortilla forward so that it is fully enclosed and the seam end is on the bottom. Carefully transfer the closed enchilada to the pan, placing it flush with the bottom edge of the pan, seam side down. Repeat until all 8 tortillas have been filled, rolled, and transferred to the pan.
- Pour the chipotle pumpkin cream sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas and, using a silicone spatula, spread the sauce evenly across the top until they are evenly covered. Sprinkle the top with the reserved ⅓ portion of cheese.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cheese has begun to lightly blister and the enchiladas are warmed through.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
* cotija is not vegetarian so keep that in mind if that's important to you.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 enchilada
- Calories: 794
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 1668 mg
- Fat: 41 g
- Saturated Fat: 22 g
- Carbohydrates: 74 g
- Fiber: 13 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 113 mg
Lexi says
I made these over the weekend using butternut squash in place of the sweet potatoes. Everyone loved them. They are hearty, healthy and so flavorful. I loved the addition of cinnamon during roasting, it added such a nice pop of flavor. It was a great recipe to use up some of the poblanos and squash we grew. Also a new way tousepumpkin!
Jenni says
Thanks, Lexi! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! I also sometimes swap out the sweet potato for butternut squash and they both work so well in this
Jess says
This recipe was fantastic! It came together really easily with minimal chopping. The sweet potatoes smelled heavenly when roasting and the spiced rice was perfect. You can use the rice saucepan to heat up the sauce if you're looking to cut down on dishes!
Jenni says
Thanks so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Those sweet potatoes are so good. I often make them for breakfast with eggs too!