Enfrijoladas are a classic Mexican dish made with corn tortillas dipped in a savory bean sauce and filled with queso fresco. They’re simple, comforting, and one of my favorite ways to turn a pot of leftover beans into a delicious meal.
If you love Mexican food made with simple ingredients, this enfrijoladas recipe is one to keep in your back pocket. The bean sauce is creamy and flavorful, and you can customize the filling and toppings with whatever you have on hand.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- Easy and comforting. Simple ingredients come together to make a hearty Mexican meal that feels like home.
- A delicious way to use leftover beans. Turn leftover frijoles de la olla into a creamy, flavorful bean sauce instead of letting them go to waste.
- Easy to customize. Fill them with queso fresco, chicken, chorizo, or vegetables, then add your favorite toppings.
- Perfect for any meal. Enfrijoladas are filling enough for dinner but easy enough for a quick breakfast or lunch.
A Recipe That Reminds Me of My Mom
Enfrijoladas always remind me of my mom. Growing up, there was no such thing as wasting food in my family. If we had leftover beans, my mom always found a way to turn them into something delicious.
She would make enfrijoladas, whip up a batch of frijoles puercos, or use the beans to stuff gorditas. Nothing went to waste.
My mom was incredibly resourceful, and that is something I associate with so many Mexican women. We learn to look at what we have in the kitchen and figure out how to make something delicious with it.
That’s one of the things I love most about Mexican cooking. A simple pot of beans can become several completely different meals. These enfrijoladas are a perfect example.
🫘 Ingredients
- Beans – I’m using pinto beans. Some people use black beans, but it’s totally up to you.
- Bean Broth from the cooked beans. Swap out for chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce – Small can. If you prefer it spicier, use more chiles.
- Salt – Or swap out for chicken bouillon.
- Oil – The best oils for frying are peanut oil or canola oil.
- Corn Tortillas – These are not interchangeable with flour tortillas.
- Queso Fresco – Vegan option: swap out for vegan queso fresco or vegan cheese.
Topping Ideas
- White Onion
- Avocado slices
- Cilantro
- Jalapeno
- Sour Cream (or mexican crema)
- Cotija Cheese
- Pico de Gallo
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
- Add the beans, bean broth, chipotle, and salt in a blender (or food processor).
- Blend until smooth to make what in Mexico we refer to as salsa de frijol, or a creamy bean sauce.
- If the bean mixture is too thick, add ½ cup more of the bean broth. It should be silky smooth, the consistency of a thick soup.
Homemade frijoles de la olla are best to use because it will give you the bean broth. Or make them faster with Instant Pot Pinto Beans.
Or make this dish the easy way, by using canned beans and vegetable broth to blend.
- Heat oil in a large skillet.
- Individually fry the corn tortilla in the hot oil for 1 minute on each side.
- Place on paper towels to drain excess oil.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Frying the tortillas will help them withstand the sauce and NOT fall apart. This is the same reason why the tortillas are fried when making enchiladas rojas or enchiladas verdes.
However, it really depends on the tortilla. There are homemade tortillas that won’t fall apart as easily.
Assembling
First Method
- Dip tortillas individually into the bean puree.
- Add 2 tablespoons of cheese to the center of the tortilla.
- Fold over one half of the tortilla or wrap like a burrito. See picture above.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Second Method
- Add the cheese to the tortilla.
- Fold over the tortilla as in the shape of a taco.
- Pour the sauce over the stuffed tortillas.
I prefer the second way because it’s less messy. The first method is the traditional way of assembling. Add your favorite toppings, and it’s ready!
Variations
Some great additions are chicken, chorizo, carne asada, or fried egg.
Or to keep this a vegetarian recipe, try adding corn, spinach, or sauteed calabacitas.
For a cheesy option, stuff with monterrey jack cheese instead of queso fresco.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Enfrijoladas are a traditional Mexican dish made with corn tortillas dipped in a savory bean sauce and filled with cheese or other ingredients. They are similar to enchiladas, but the tortillas are coated in a bean-based sauce instead of a chile sauce. For this reason, some people refer to them as Bean Sauce Enchiladas.
Pinto beans are my favorite because they make a creamy and flavorful sauce. Black beans work well too, and this is a great recipe for using whatever cooked beans you already have.
Absolutely! In fact, that’s one of the best things about this recipe. Leftover homemade beans can be blended with their cooking broth to make the bean sauce.
I recommend lightly frying the corn tortillas because it helps them hold their shape and keeps them from falling apart when dipped in the bean sauce. If you have sturdy homemade tortillas, you may be able to skip this step.
You can substitute queso fresco with another mild Mexican cheese such as cotija or Monterey Jack. For a dairy-free version, use your favorite vegan cheese.
Yes. Enfrijoladas are delicious with shredded chicken, chorizo, carne asada, or even a fried egg. You can also keep them vegetarian with vegetables such as corn, spinach, or sautéed calabacitas.
🔥 Storing & Reheating Instructions
Enfrijoladas will last 3-4 days in the fridge. In the freezer, they last up to 4 months. The best way to reheat your enfrijoladas is in the oven. 400 degrees F for 15 minutes. Or, put them in the microwave for 3 to 3 ½ minutes.
🍴 More Mexican Bean Recipes
These enfrijoladas are a great example of how a few simple ingredients can make a delicious Mexican meal. A pot of beans, some corn tortillas, and a little queso fresco can turn into something incredibly comforting.
I especially love making them when I have leftover frijoles de la olla. Just blend the beans with their broth, add a little chipotle for flavor, and you have a rich and savory sauce ready for your tortillas.
It’s simple Mexican cooking at its best: resourceful, comforting, and absolutely delicious.
Buen Provecho!
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Enfrijoladas Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked pinto beans
- 1 cup bean broth
- 1 can chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (7 ounces)
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 1 cup oil (for frying)
- 10 corn tortillas
- 2 10-oz packages Queso Fresco crumbled
Toppings
- onion finely diced
- avocado sliced
- cilantro finely chopped
- jalapeños finely sliced
Instructions
- Add pinto beans, bean broth, chipotle, and salt in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- If it’s too thick, add more ½ cup more bean broth.
- Taste for salt.
- Pour into a shallow dish.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet.
- Fry tortilla for 1 minute on each side.
- Place on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
- Repeat with all of the tortillas.
- Dip each tortilla individually into the bean sauce.
- Add 2 tablespoons fo cheese to the center of the tortilla.
- Fold over one half of the tortilla.
- Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Cover the ones already assembled with foil paper to keep warm.
- Top with onion, avocado, cilantro, and jalapenos.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Can you fry the tortillas in an air fryer instead? I have to be careful because of my health and safety. I’m disabled and an air fryer would be a little safer.
They might come out too crispy in the air fryer and you won’t be able to fold them, but try it. Instead of frying, you can also heat them up in a griddle (or comal) with a little oil. The oil is what will help the sauce stick to the tortilla. Hope this helps.