Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake

By Maria Lichty

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Quick Summary

Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake- this hearty vegetarian enchilada casserole is a family favorite meal. Meat-lovers, vegetarians, and even kids love it! Serve with your favorite toppings and tortilla chips for dipping! This recipe also freezes beautifully!

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This Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake is in my top 5 favorite meals of all time and my family loves it too, even my kids! You HAVE to try it. I know it will become a favorite at your house too. It is always a crowd pleaser.

You get all of the delicious flavors of classic enchiladas, but in a hearty casserole that is made with quinoa, black beans, flavorful veggies, the best enchilada sauce, and lots of melty cheese.

We like to serve the enchilada bake with lots of toppings and tortilla chips. The salty chips are perfect for scooping up all of the cheesy goodness!

And the best part? The leftovers are fantastic and this recipe freezes well too. It really is a DINNER WINNER!

Ingredients

  • Quinoa– I always rinse my quinoa before cooking to get rid of the saponin and its bitter flavor.
  • Olive oil– you can also use avocado oil.
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Jalapeño– remove the seeds.
  • Bell peppers– you can use red, orange, or yellow!
  • Corn– I use frozen corn, but if corn is in season, you can use fresh corn kernels.
  • Lime Juice– always use fresh lime juice, not bottled.
  • Spices– cumin and chili powder!
  • Cilantro– chop up the leaves and discard the stems.
  • Black beans– I use canned black beans. Rinse and drain before using.
  • Enchilada sauce– I love using our homemade enchilada sauce, it’s the best, but store bought is fine too.
  • Cheese– use shredded Mexican blend cheese or cheddar cheese.
bell peppers, corn, and onion cooking in cast iron skillet with wooden spoon.

How to Make Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake

(Scroll down to the recipe card to see the full recipe with ingredients and instructions).

  • Preheat the oven and grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Cook the quinoa and set aside.
  • In a large skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until softened.
  • Add in the peppers and corn. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
veggies, black beans, enchilada sauce, and quinoa in glass mixing bowl with spatula and cup of cheese on the side.
  • In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa and black beans. Add the sautéed vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Pour in the enchilada sauce and stir. Add ½ cup shredded cheese.
black bean quinoa enchilada bake in pan topped with shredded cheese.
  • Pour the black bean and quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese.
  • Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges are bubbling.
  • Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
black bean quinoa enchilada bake in pan with wooden serving spoon.

Topping Ideas

When the casserole comes out of the oven, it is time to load on the toppings! Use your favorite, you can even let everyone customize their own.

black bean quinoa enchilada bake on plate with toppings and tortilla chips.

How to Store

The leftovers are SO good! Let the enchilada bake cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven.

This recipe also freezes well. Place the enchilada bake in a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in the microwave or oven.

More Enchilada Recipes

black bean enchilada bake in pan with cheese, toppings, and wooden spoon scooping the casserole.
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Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake

This Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake is a family favorite! Kids and adults love it and the leftovers are great too! Serve with tortilla chips!
4.68 from 340 votes

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed,diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
  • 1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeds removed, diced
  • 1 cup corn frozen kernels
  • Juice of 1 small lime
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 30 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
  • Toppings: Sliced green onions, avocado, sour cream, cilantro

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Cover quinoa and set aside.
  • In a large skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the peppers and corn. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add the lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • In a large bowl, add the cooked quinoa and black beans. Add the sautéed vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Pour in the enchilada sauce and stir. Add ½ cup shredded cheese.
  • Pour the black bean and quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining shredded cheese. Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Remove from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. Garnish with toppings, if desired. Serve warm.
  • Note-this recipe freezes well! If you need the recipe to be gluten-free make sure you use a gluten-free enchilada sauce. We like to serve it with tortilla chips.

Nutrition

Calories: 221kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 21mg, Sodium: 917mg, Potassium: 404mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1540IU, Vitamin C: 37.4mg, Calcium: 188mg, Iron: 2.5mg
Keywords casserole, enchiladas, vegetarian

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Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
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4.68 from 340 votes (191 ratings without comment)

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  1. 5 stars
    Made it to the letter and was amazing!
    I was almost scared off by the home made enchilada sauce as being an ingredientโ€”but then i realized how simple it was to pull together and that i had all the sauce ingredients on hand!
    Another keeper from TPaTP! Bookmarking this one for sure!

  2. 5 stars
    I am always looking for delicious and satisfying vegetarian dishes to help create balance in our diet. This was both. It made my 6′ 5″ carnivore of a husband happy. He was actually bummed out when we finished the last of it.
    I followed the recipe to a T even using your recipe for easy enchilada sauce. We thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Absolutely the best receipe…so healthy… used all organic ingredients….perfect amount to freeze for other meals….will make this over and over…thank you for sharing

  4. 5 stars
    We loved this recipe and your enchilada sauce recipe was also delicious. We used the vegan cheese instead, worked great. Going to take to a potluck next.

  5. 5 stars
    This is so delicious! It freezes and reheats so well. Meat eaters wonโ€™t miss the meat. It tastes like the most filling Mexican comfort food. Add fresh green onions, chopped tomatoes, and/or avocado. Make this!

  6. 5 stars
    My go to for meal trains. Everyone loves this recipe – vegetarians and meat lovers. Comes together easily, and tastes extremely satisfying while being pretty healthy!!

  7. 3 stars
    I donโ€™t want to be a downer, so Iโ€™ll say it was good. We have another recipe similar that is more flavorful and easier to make. To each their own though.

  8. Hi there! This sounds really great and Iโ€™d love to make it and freeze it for postpartum. How would you recommend I reheat from frozen?

    1. It freezes well. You can thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven.

  9. hi, I used to make your vegan black bean and quinoa enchiladas. can you tell me where to find that recipe please.? thanks for sharing all your lovely recipes.

  10. 5 stars
    Love this recipe. I typically dont like red enchilada sauce but this enchilada sauce is amazing.

  11. 5 stars
    Made this for dinner meal prep this week. It was very easy to make even though it may seem such as. We enjoyed it a lot and I’m excited to have the leftovers for lunch Because yes, it makes into a lot of servings I honestly recommend a fresh topping as recommended. I have made an avocado topping with scallions, parsley, lemon juice and a few spices

  12. 5 stars
    This is so good and Iโ€™m so happy I stumbled upon this recipe! I actually use it for meal prep – I let it cool for a bit when I take it out of the oven, then I am able to โ€œsliceโ€ it into 5 equal sized sections that I then scoop into individual Tupperware. So technically Iโ€™m having two servings a day for lunch, but still miles healthier and less expensive than eating out daily ๐Ÿ™‚

  13. 5 stars
    Iโ€™ve made this many times. Itโ€™s my go to work lunch meal prep for my husband and I. We both love it and never tire of eating it. Not only that but itโ€™s incredibly easy to make.

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