If you’ve been around me for a while, you know that I love Mexican food. It is hands down my greatest joy and my greatest weakness. We were in Colorado on vacation a few years ago, and we had Mexican food 9 out of 11 days! These enchiladas are an homage to my grandma, whose enchiladas were (next to her biscuits and gravy) my most favorite meal.
Grandma’s enchiladas were pretty basic—ground beef, diced onion, and tomato sauce with cheese. They were simple but divine. These are a little bit more complex but equally delicious. These are a staple in our house and one of my daughter’s favorite foods! I like to dice a little extra sweet onion and use it as a garnish and avocado, sour cream, and salsa. I’m getting hungry just thinking about them.
You can use a store-bought enchilada sauce if you’re in a hurry or don’t want to make it. But I have to warn you it will not be as good! I like to double it and then refrigerate the remainder. It’s good on tofu eggs, burritos, tacos, nachos, and of course, these enchiladas! I like the addition of the Impossible Meat because it reminds me of my Grandma’s recipe. You can easily skip it if you are avoiding plant-based meats. I would, however, add another can of beans. These enchiladas also freeze well. Just assemble them and then freeze. Enjoy!
If you make them, please tag me on Instagram and let me know how you like them!
Print
Enchiladas Rancheras
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12–16 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Enchilada Filling:
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 package plant-based meat (optional) **See note
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (4 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper, each
- 16 corn tortillas, or 10 whole wheat tortillas
- Vegan Cheese Shredded *See Notes
Ranchero Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons flour (I used brown rice flour for a GF sauce)
- 16 oz vegetable broth
- 1 (6oz) can tomato paste
- 3 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- pinch of cinnamon
- 1 lime juiced
Toppings:
- Daiya Cheddar Cheese block, grated
- Diced Avocado
- Salsa
- Vegan Sour Cream
- Minced Cilantro
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Ranchero Sauce:
- In a small bowl, mix flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt & pepper, and cinnamon.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring 1/2 cup vegetable stock to a boil. Slowly, add dry spice and constantly whisk until the mixture is smooth and fragrant for about one minute. Add tomato paste and stir well until combined. Slowly add broth and whisk until smooth. Add lime juice and cilantro. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.
Enchilada Filling:
- Warm a large skillet over medium heat. When warm, add onion and sauté until translucent—about 7 minutes. (If the onions begin to stick, add 2 tablespoons of water and stir).
- Add garlic and jalapeño and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Add plant-based meat if using: Cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Add black beans and stir well to incorporate.
- Add canned tomatoes, spices, and add 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Assembly:
- Wrap tortillas in a wet cloth or paper towel. Put on a microwave-safe plate and warm in the microwave for one minute. Keep tortillas wrapped while assembling.
- Add ranchero sauce to a pie pan or other deep bottomed plate.
- Add one cup of ranchero sauce to the bottom of a 9 x 12 pan, coating the pan evenly.
- Remove one tortilla and dip it in the ranchero sauce. Place tortilla in 9 x 12 pan.
- Add about 1/4-1/3 cup of filling (depending on your shells’ size, you may want to add more or less).
- Add 2 tablespoons of Daiya cheese.
- Carefully roll the tortilla and place seam side down.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas if you run out of space using another pan. I fit 8 to a pan (6 side by side and then two end to end at the bottom of the pan). I used a smaller 8×8 pan to fit the rest. I covered them with wrap and froze them for later.
- When you have finished assembling the enchiladas, pour the rest of the ranchero sauce over them and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Carefully remove foil. Turn oven to broil and cook for 2 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. DO NOT WALK AWAY!
- Remove from oven and serve with avocado, salsa, cilantro, and sour cream!
- Enjoy!
Notes
*I like Daiya block style cheddar and grate it myself. I NEVER use pre-shredded vegan cheese because they add an anti-caking ingredient that simply ruins the taste of the cheese.
**I used Impossible Meat because it has a great texture and flavor. You can also use Gardein beef crumbles, or Hungry Planet beef. You can also skip the meat if you’re not a fan of meat substitutes, but you may want to add an additional can of beans. I would add a can of pinto beans with my black beans for variety.
These freeze well. When I know I’m going to use them I remove them from the freezer and refrigerate overnight. Always be careful putting a frozen, or super cold glass pan in the oven. They can break.
Keywords: Black Bean Enchilada, Vegan Enchiladas