Corn and Zucchini Enchiladas
Published on August 02, 2023
Quick Summary
Corn and Zucchini Enchiladas with black beans, green chiles, spices, salsa verde, and cheese are the perfect weeknight dinner! You are going to love these hearty vegetarian enchiladas!
Are you trying to figure out what to do with the all of the garden zucchini and summer sweet corn? I am here to help. You HAVE to make these Corn and Zucchini Enchiladas!
Enchiladas are always a hit at our dinner table. We love vegetarian, chicken, beef, bean, and more!
I love making this enchilada recipe during the summertime when we have an abundance of zucchini and corn…but you could make them anytime of the year. Who can resist a pan of cheesy enchiladas?
And a big bonus? My boys don’t even know these are vegetarian enchiladas. They are so flavorful and satisfying, they gobble them up!
Table of Contents
Enchilada Ingredients
- Olive oil– for sautéing the vegetables. Avocado oil is another good option.
- Onion– I use a yellow onion, but white or red will work too.
- Zucchini– A great way to use up the summer zucchini!
- Corn– I like to use fresh sweet corn when it’s in season. If you can’t find good sweet corn, you can use frozen corn.
- Garlic– use fresh garlic, not garlic powder.
- Green chiles– You need a 4 oz jar. Don’t worry, they aren’t spicy!
- Black beans– a great way to add protein!
- Spices– cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder add lots of flavor to this dish!
- Cilantro– A favorite in Mexican dishes!
- Salsa verde– use a 16 ounce jar of your favorite brand! Easy peasy! If you prefer red enchilada sauce, you can use it instead of salsa verde. Our homemade enchilada sauce is the best!
- Shredded cheese– I like to use Monterey Jack cheese, but Pepper Jack or cheddar would work well too!
- Corn tortillas– I prefer corn tortillas, plus it keeps the recipe gluten-free, but if you like flour tortillas, you can use them!
- Garnish: Top the enchiladas with fresh cilantro, avocado, radish slices, and queso fresco!
Prevent Your Tortillas from Breaking
Here are a few tips to keep your corn tortillas from breaking when rolling enchiladas.
- First, heat the corn tortillas in the microwave so they stay pliable and don’t split or tear when you roll them up.
- Wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave on high for 30-seconds and then flip and heat for 30 more seconds.
- I also dip the tortillas in a little bit of salsa verde before rolling to keep the tortillas moist and pliable.
- You can also fry the tortillas briefly in oil to prevent them from breaking and to make sure they don’t get soggy. I usually do the microwave method, but you certainly can fry up the tortillas, it works well.
How to Make Corn & Zucchini Enchiladas
There might be quite a few steps involved, but I promise this enchilada recipe is easy! Have all of your ingredients ready to go and you will be rolling in no time!
- First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and zucchini and cook until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the corn and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in the green chiles, black beans, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in ½ cup of the salsa verde and ½ cup of the shredded cheese.
- Spread about ½ cup of the tomatillo sauce onto the bottom of the greased baking dish. This will keep the enchiladas from sticking and it will keep the enchiladas moist.
- Heat the tortillas in the microwave to prevent them from breaking.
- Pour about 1 cup of the salsa verde into a pie plate. Take a tortilla and dip it into the salsa verde, coating both sides. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and add about ¼ cup of the filling into the center. Carefully roll it up tightly and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat until the filling is gone.
- Pour remaining salsa verde over the top of the filled enchiladas and then sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are bubbly. Remove the pan from the oven and allow enchiladas to cool for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro, avocado, radish slices, and queso fresco, if desired. Toppings are always a good idea!
Serving Suggestions
Here are a few of our favorite side dishes to serve with a pan of these cheesy enchiladas!
- Mexican Rice
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Easy Refried Beans
- Best Guacamole
- Fruit Salad
- Watermelon Salad
- Best Bean Dip
How to Store & Freeze
Enchiladas make GREAT leftovers and they also freeze well.
- Cool the enchiladas to room temperature and cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat in the microwave or oven.
- To freeze, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes and then uncover the pan. Continue to bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until completely cooked through and cheese is melted.
More Enchilada Recipes
- Skillet Vegetarian Enchiladas
- Beef Enchiladas
- Bean Enchiladas
- Chicken Enchiladas or Skillet Chicken Enchiladas
- Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
- Black Bean Quinoa Enchilada Bake
- Stacked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Creamy Spinach and Cheese Enchiladas
Corn and Zucchini Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 oz green chilies
- 15 ounces black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 16 oz salsa verde, divided
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- 12 corn tortillas
- Garnish: Fresh cilantro, avocado, radish slices, queso fresco
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and zucchini and cook until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the corn and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in the green chiles, black beans, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in ½ cup of the salsa verde and ½ cup of the shredded cheese.
- Spread about ½ cup of the salsa verde onto the bottom of the greased baking dish.
- Wrap the tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave on high for 30-seconds and then flip and heat for 30 more seconds. OR you can briefly fry the tortillas in hot oil.
- Pour about 1 cup of the salsa verde into a pie plate. Take a tortilla and dip it into the salsa verde, coating both sides. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and add about ¼ cup of the filling into the center. Carefully roll it up tightly and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat until the filling is gone.
- Pour remaining salsa verde over the top of the filled enchiladas and then sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are bubbly. Remove the pan from the oven and allow enchiladas to cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, avocado, radish slices, and queso fresco, if desired. Serve warm.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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Iโm excited to make these- question –
I donโt eat cilantro tastes soapy in my mouth. I usually leave out of recipes. Iโm wondering is there something else I could sub for it or just keep leaving it out all together. Would parsley work as sub?
If you don’t like cilantro, you can leave it out. There is enough flavor going on!
this looks amazing, just pinned this for next week’s dinner menu for the family. Is there a corn tortilla brand that you would recommend? The store bought basic ones have preservatives that I prefer not to use…any healthier versions? Thank you!
http://www.bhoomichaico.com
I hope you like the enchiladas. I like Trader Joe’s corn tortillas or if you have a Mexican market close by, they usually sell fresh tortillas.
Made a version of this last night, but I made it layered like a lasagna instead of rolled up like enchiladas. It was delicious and crazy easy! Thank you!
I want to try this. How many layers did you do?
Made these today for lunch and they were so easy and SO good! My brother in law scoffed at the idea but gobbled them up too. We are going to try adding shredded chicken and using red sauce next time for him! Thanks!
So glad you loved the enchiladas.
These enchiladas were amazing. Very flavorful and easy to make. I made them pretty much without deviation from the recipe except that I added some drizzled red salsa on the top before serving. I used Amyโs brand salsa. Rave reviews from my guests.
Yay! Glad you loved them!
These enchiladas were amazing. Very flavorful and easy to make. I made them pretty much without deviation from the recipe except that I added some drizzled red salsa on the top before serving. I used Amyโs brand salsa. Rave reviews from my guests.
Oh good, I am glad they were a hit!
We enjoyed these for dinner! Left out the cilantro but otherwise no changes. Used TJ corn and wheat blend tortillas. Thanks!
I am so glad you loved the enchiladas. Thanks for letting us know!
Made these yesterday so good! If you freeze them, do you bake first, or just assemble then freeze?
Glad you liked them! You can freeze them baked or unbaked.
My family really loved these. My husband said these enchiladas are his favorite veggies lasagna, ha ha.
Ha! Glad it was a hit!
Delicious! The supermarket was out of zucchini so I subbed yellow squash. This is a keeper!
I love this recipe! Instead of rolling individual enchiladas I make 3 layers of tortillas and mixture in a casserole dish. Easier for me. The flavors are awesome. Itโs a family favorite and on heavy rotation. Thanks!
Delicious! We thoroughly enjoyed these enchiladas — so good and so easy to make. It was simple enough to halve the recipe to make 6 tortillas. I used mild, red enchilada sauce in lieu of the salsa verde. Excellent — a keeper recipe!
My daughter and I made this last night using fresh picked zucchini and sweet corn out of the garden. The salsa verde was a perfect match for the enchiladas. The only substitution we made was using light kidney beans instead of black beans. It was amazing! Not a single leftover for lunch the next day. Amazing recipe! Bless you for your commitment to taste, healthy food.
These were so good! I added leftover roasted chicken and didnโt add any cilantro by accident and they were still amazing! Will make these again!
Very good! Would make again; excellent flavors and straightforward directions.
Yay!
What brand corn tortillas do you use? Mine seem to fall apart no matter what I do. Look forward to trying these.
What size tortillas shells do you use? Thanks
Small corn tortillas.
Fantastic recipe!
I made these tonight exactly as posted and they had so much flavor!
They were quick & simple to prepare and love that the cook time is minimal. Makes a great weeknight dinner.
Thanks for such a great recipe!
One of my favorite summer meals. Glad you loved the recipe.
Can you use flour tortillas instead of corn?
Sure!
Delicious and easy! Used a yellow squash because thatโs what we had and a corn/wheat tortilla blend. Served with a pile of pickled jalapeรฑos on top.
YUM!
Yummy enchiladas! I changed about 5 things but mainly substituted carrots for the zucchini since I realized I didn’t have any zucchini! It worked out just fine anyway. The carrots were sauteed with the onions, etc. and it was delicious. I also used diced poblano chiles instead of the canned chiles. Great recipe.
Glad you loved the enchiladas!