Recipe: Slow Cooker Black Bean Enchiladas
Serves6 to 8
This dish might not win any beauty contests, but I’ll say this: it’s seriously good. The tortillas get soft and chewy during cooking, absorbing some of the salsa and becoming the perfect vehicle for beans, corns, and lots of melted cheese. (And isn’t it all about the melty cheese, really?)
These slow cooker enchiladas are one of my go-to meals when I’m out of ideas and have some bits and leftovers to use up, and they always hit the spot.
I also like that this is a classic dump-and-cook slow-cooker recipe. It only requires you to mix the filling and roll up the tortillas before plugging in the cooker and walking away. The onions soften during cooking and the flavors have plenty of time to meld. It’s perfect for times when I don’t want to dirty a lot of dishes or deal with an extra step of pre-cooking vegetables.
Tester’s Notes
These enchiladas are a personal favorite. They’re not the kind of thing I’d serve to guests — things get a bit messy and less-than-photogenic when served from the slow cooker — but they are most definitely the kind of thing I adore eating when it’s just me, my husband, and a good movie to watch on the couch.
Some of you who’ve made this recipe over the years describe it as “mushy but delicious,” and I have to agree with that assessment. Using tortillas that are a few days old and a little stale helps with this situation, and flour tortillas hold up better than corn tortillas. But, to be completely honest, I kind of love that slightly mushy, chewy quality! It sounds like such a negative, I know, but this feels like comfort food to me. These enchiladas are the perfect meal to scoop onto a plate and take to the couch. From your comments and feedback, I know many of you agree!
On the other hand, if you’d prefer more classic enchiladas (and I respect that), I recommend baking this recipe in the oven instead of the slow cooker. There are instructions for this at the end of the recipe below.
Either way, I do hope you enjoy this recipe. Pick a night when the weather keeps you inside and you have a good movie that’s waiting to be watched. Enjoy!
– Emma, March 2015
Slow-Cooker Black Bean Enchiladas
Serves 6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1
small yellow onion (or 1/2 large onion), diced small
- 1
sweet bell pepper, diced small
- 1
(16-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup
frozen corn kernels
- 2 teaspoons
chili powder
- 1 teaspoon
ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups
shredded Monterey Jack, colby, or other melting cheese, divided
- 2
(16-ounce) jars salsa, any kind
- 12 to 15
medium (6-inch or so) flour tortillas
Optional: 1 cup leftover meat or extra veggies — chicken, pork, hamburger, beef, baked tofu, or roasted vegetables
Instructions
Place the onion, bell pepper, black beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and meat (if using) in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Spread about 1 cup of the salsa over the bottom of a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker, enough to evenly coat the bottom with a bit of sauce.
Fill each of the tortillas with about 1/3 cup of the filling, roll them up as tightly as you can, and pack them seam-side down in a single layer into the bottom of the slow cooker. Don't worry if some filling falls out — just tuck it back in once you've set the tortilla down.
When you complete the first layer (you will make 3 layers), spread about another cup of salsa over the top and sprinkle with about 1/2 cup of the remaining cheese. Continue rolling the remaining tortillas with the remaining filling to make one more layer; if you have leftover filling, sprinkle this over the top. Finish by pouring the 1 cup of the salsa evenly over the top of the enchiladas. Reserve the last 1/2 cup of cheese to add later.
Cover and cook on HIGH the setting for 2 to 4 hours. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top, re-cover the slow cooker, and finish cooking. Serve the enchiladas with any remaining salsa.
Recipe Notes
Gluten-free enchiladas: Use gluten-free corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. These tortillas tend to fall apart a bit more during cooking, but I've tried them and the dish is still just as tasty!
Cooking on LOW: You can cook the enchiladas for longer (6 to 8 hours on the LOW setting), but I find that the tortillas in the middle start to get very mushy while the ones touching the sides of the cooker get crispy. Still tasty, though!
Oven-baked enchiladas: To cook these enchiladas in the oven, layer the rolled tortillas in a 9x13-inch baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the dish is bubbling.
Smaller slow cookers: To make this recipe in a smaller (3-quart or so) slow cooker, halve the recipe and make 3 layers instead of 2.
Doubling the recipe: If your slow cooker is large enough, you can also double the recipe. Just continue creating layers in the slow cooker and bake as usual.
Storage: Leftovers will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.