Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

Loaded black bean and rice enchiladas are hearty and healthy. These enchiladas are loaded with good for you protein and are super filling. Use soy chorizo or regular chorizo to make them and this will be your new favorite enchilada recipe!

So guess what? I made you dinner.

And I made you something that is absolutely mindblowingly, d-elicious. As in tortillas stuffed with black beans, Mexican rice, and cheese, all smothered with homemade red enchilada sauce and lovingly topped with shredded cheese, queso fresco, and cillllllantro.

You guys, I have a real problem. I’m absolutely Obsessed (with a capital ‘O’) with black beans right now. Like for reals. It’s slightly really scary. I can’t stop finding foods to stick black beans into. I think about them a lot. Like finding ways to put black beans into my dinner will earn me bonus points or something. And that’s kind of how the idea for these black bean and rice enchiladas came about. So obsessed that they were actually the last thing I thought about one night. I actually got out to bed to soak some, so that we could have these enchiladas the next day. True story.

Don’t believe me that i’ve been stuffing black beans into EVERYTHING? See here, here, and here.

There is just nothing that I can’t love about those little black beans. Not only are they packed with lots of fiber, they’re also a good source of protein. They’re perfect for my tex-mex food loving self. Especially when they’re mixed with brown rice, soy chorizo, salsa, cheese… (still going here)… then rolled up inside a tortilla and topped with my homemade red enchilada sauce and then sprinkled with more cheese ((❤)), queso fresco, and then finally with my favorite herb, cilantro. Ahhhh. This is what healthy food is suppose to taste like, right?

If you’re a little worried about how the black beans and rice enchiladas pair together with the chorizo, let me explain it to you in just one word; fabulously. I used soy chorizo that I purchased from Trader Joe’s for this recipe. You can use the soy chorizo or regular, totally up to you.

This black bean and rice enchiladas recipe is seriously the easiest homemade Mexican food to make. Ever. Also known as comfy, cozy, i-don’t-want-to-get-out-from-under-this-blanket food. Which is exactly what I needed for the week of rain that we’ve had here in Houston. Rain is the perfect excuse for me to stuff black beans into all of my favorite comfort foods. Not that I actually need an excuse or anything.

Let’s talk about all the goodies that are actually loaded into these black bean and rice enchiladas. You’re going to start with a little olive oil, some diced onions, and some garlic. Get these aromatics going. We want tons of flavor. Toast up the brown rice and then top with your seasonings – cumin powder, chili powder, and salt. Add your vegetable or chicken broth along with a little salsa and let the rice cook as usual. When it’s almost done, add in the black beans. Give it a good mix and a little bit of lime juice is going to make this di-vine. I chopped up a fresh tomato and some cilantro for a little color too, use it or don’t. Totally up to you.

This is super easy, guys!

Speaking of guys, even my guy (aka mr. Carnivore), gave an approving nod to these black bean and rice enchiladas, his only request – how about we try it with some chicken instead of the soy chorizo next time? *Gasp*. You mean you don’t want it to be 100% vegetarian? I didn’t even bother asking, I know the answer way too well. I agreed, as long as the black beans stayed. 😉

Let’s talk about ways to customize this black bean and rice enchilada recipe to your own taste:
1.) Don’t like black beans: Use pinto beans, garbanzo beans, northern white beans – the possibilities are endless.
2.) I want more/ veggies: add frozen peas, carrots, and corn to the pot once the rice has lightly been sautéed, proceed with the broth and salsa as the recipe card suggests
3.) Add more salsa for a more flavor packed punch
4.) I don’t want to use chorizo/soy chorizo: Use rotisserie chicken, cooked chicken, or even sautéed spinach would be lovely!
5.) Use my homemade restaurant style salsa recipe , it’ll make the Mexican rice so so so much more delish.
6.) Add your favorite toppings, like chopped avocados, or more black beans(!!)
7.) Make the Mexican rice without the black beans and chorizo and layer it inside the enchiladas along with my slow cooker salsa chicken and black beans
8.) Add sautéed onions and bell peppers inside the black bean and rice enchiladas.
9.) Use whole wheat tortillas to make it even healthier
10.) this one is mandatory: serve with sour cream.

This black bean and rice enchilada recipe is super customizable to anyone/everyone’s taste. So many ways to make it your own, so don’t be afraid, add and subtract what you want. This recipe has fall 2014 written all over it.

Enchilada queen, signing off.

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Yield: 12 enchiladas

Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Loaded black bean and rice enchiladas are hearty and healthy. These enchiladas are loaded with good for you protein and are super filling. Use soy chorizo or regular chorizo to make them and this will be your new favorite enchilada recipe!

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Ingredients

For the rice:

• 1 tablespoon EACH: olive oil AND garlic, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 cup salsa (store bought or homemade
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon EACH: cumin AND chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tomato, diced
• 3 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 1/2 cups (1 can) black beans
• 12 oz. of chorizo (regular or soy chorizo), cooked to package directions*

For the enchiladas:

• 1-2 cans enchilada sauce or 1/2 of this recipe
• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 12 - 15 tortillas (corn, flour, or whole wheat)
• toppings of choice: cilantro, queso fresco, guacamole, chopped avocados, fajita veggies, sour cream etc.

Instructions

To make the rice:

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet or medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until onions become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rice and toast for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the salsa, chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, and salt, bring to a boil, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer until rice is cooked through, about 35-40 minutes. Add the black beans and chorizo and let heat all the way through. Stir in the tomatoes, cilantro, and lime juice.

To assemble the enchiladas:

1. Position a baking rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Warm 3/4 of the enchilada sauce in a large shallow pan over low-medium heat.
3. Pour enough enchilada sauce to also lightly coat the bottom of a 9×13 dish. Swirl to coat and set aside. Using your hands or tongs, carefully dip the tortillas in the warmed sauce until both sides are well coated. Transfer the tortilla to the baking dish, scoop in 1/3 cup of the black bean and rice filling and about a tablespoon of the shredded cheese. Roll the enchiladas and place it seam side down in the baking dish.
4. Top enchiladas with remaining sauce and use spoon to make sure all parts of the tortillas are evenly coated. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Serve with toppings of choice.

Notes

• To cook the soy chorizo: Heat a medium skillet on medium high heat, add the chorizo to the pan, and using a wooden spoon break the chorizo down into tiny pieces. Cook chorizo till the temperature reads 165 degrees F. Soy chorizo should not have any excess fat, if using regular chorizo, drain excess fat from the pan, onced cooked.
• This recipe was ideal for us because it makes a ton of enchiladas. You can just keep the filling and make a few enchiladas throughout the week as needed. As written, the black bean and rice filling would stuff about 20-25 regular sized flour tortillas. Although a 9x13 pan is written as a guide line, the size of pan to use will depend on how many you're baking at one time.

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