Enfrijoladas Mexicanas is a flavorful and traditional dish packed with comforting flavors, creamy textures, and healthy ingredients. Serve them for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast!
What Are Enfrijoladas?
Enfrijoladas is a Mexican popular dish made of corn tortillas covered with bean sauce and stuffed with cheese and onions.
The name means “in beans”, and it refers to the sauce being made by blending beans and used to dip the tortillas in it. Just the same way enchiladas take their name by the chile sauce.
The dish has a humble origin because, back in time, it was made only by drenching the tortillas in the sauce to soften them and then serving them without fillings or toppings.
All the ingredients were cheap and common but still delivered a hearty and nutritious meal that was also fulfilling.
Now that the recipe has evolved you can find it almost in every restaurant served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner with various fillings and sides.
Whether you make the traditional version or you decide to add some protein, this recipe is really yummy and easy to make, so I don’t doubt it can become a staple in your home.
Why You Should Make This Recipe
- Is easy to make. The traditional way to make the sauce is to mash the cooked beans in enough water to make it thick and creamy, though you can easily use a blender or food processor, whatever you have at hand.
- Serve when you want. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this Mexican recipe can be served any time of the day.
- It is versatile. You can use any type of beans, add more or a little spicy, or stuff the tortillas with anything you want, from veggies to meat, and even leftovers.
Ingredients Needed
- Cooked Beans. I used homemade pinto beans, but black beans are also suitable for this recipe.
- Tortillas. Nixtamalized corn tortillas are healthier than flour tortillas.
- Cheese. The traditional recipe calls for queso fresco, but you can sub with Feta, cheddar, mozzarella, or Monterey jack cheese.
- Spices. Chipotle in adobo sauce, garlic, onion, and cumin.
- Beans broth. Or vegetable stock for blending the beans.
- Oil. For frying the tortillas and olive oil for cooking the beans sauce.
- Toppings. I used cheese, Mexican crema, avocado slices, chopped onions, and chilies. See below for more options for toppings.
How To Make Enfrijoladas Mexicanas
Dice a large onion and place it in a bowl. Crumble the queso fresco and add to the bowl with onion. Mix and set aside.
Place beans, beans broth (or vegetable stock), chipotle peppers, onion, garlic, and cumin powder in a blender or food processor.
Blend at high speed for one or two minutes, or until you’ll have a smooth and creamy mixture.
Heat the olive oil in a medium cookie pan and pour in the bean puree. Season with salt to taste.
Allow to simmer for 5 minutes while stirring from time to time or until the bean mixture has the consistency of a thick soup. Turn off the heat and set the mixture aside.
Fry the corn tortillas for about 10 seconds on each side. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper towels to drain excess oil.
Fully dip one tortilla at a time into the frijoles salsa. Read the notes below to know how to prevent tortillas from breaking when doing this step.
Place the tortilla flat on a plate and add some cheese and onion mixture. Then fold into a half-moon or roll (whatever is easier for you).
Repeat the steps for dipping, filling, and folding each enfrijolada, placing 3-4 pieces per serving.
Add more salsa on top and garnish with cheese, onions, cilantro, etc. See below some options to serve this dish.
Recipe Notes
- Instead of dipping the tortillas in the sauce, you can stuff them, arrange them on a plate and add plenty of sauce over, this step will prevent the tortilla from breaking and falling apart and it will make them easier to fold or roll too.
- Stale tortillas are best for this recipe, so this is perfect for using your tortilla leftovers.
- Homemade corn tortillas are sturdier and hold better the sauce, check up our recipe for tortillas and make them yourself!
- For extra flavor, add more garlic cloves, more cumin, and more chilies if you want.
- For a healthier dish, skip frying the tortillas and just warm them up in a griddle or comal.
- Check up our frijoles de la olla recipe, it is super easy to make and perfect for this recipe.
How To Serve
The popular way of serving this enfrijolada dish is just with cheese and onions on top, but other toppings and sides can be used too.
Depending if you serving it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you can add…
- Pickled onions.
- Salsas.
- A fried egg on top.
- Pickled chilies.
- Avocado slices.
- Red rice (side).
- Mexican potatoes (side)
Authentic Variations
As is the case with many Mexican dishes, there are many different versions of enfrijoladas. That’s because recipes change a bit depending on the Mexican state or city you look into.
The thing that varies the most for this recipe is the kind of bean it’s used. Additionally, the filling can also vary.
Here’s a list of the different recipe variations you should know about:
- Mexico City. The recipe is made with Bayo beans or Flor de Mayo beans. And in many work cafeterias, they serve a version stuffed with huevos a la Mexicana.
- Jalisco. The dish is made with Bayo or Peruvian beans. The tortillas are fried in chorizo grease that then is also used as a filling. Then the dish is served with avocado slices, lettuce, and radish. There’s another version where they’re served with clotted cream (nata) and sliced red onion.
- Oaxaca. In this state the recipe is made with black beans blended with avocado leaves and green chile, chile de árbol, or Oaxacan pasilla chile. The preparation is also different because the tortillas are lightly fried in oil and, after being dipped in the bean sauce, they are folded into a triangle, then served with cheese, parsley, and some sides like cecina (dried beef) or shredded chicken.
- Veracruz. Here the dish is made using a type of black beans native to the state. The tortillas are stuffed with rich fillings like shredded chicken, chorizo, or scrambled eggs, then served with cheese, onions, and cream.
How To Store And Reheat
This dish is a lot better if assembled and eaten right away as the tortillas get soggy and the sauce will dry if sitting too long.
However, you can still make them ahead or store the ingredients leftovers, here’s how:
- The bean sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and for up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Tortillas can be wrapped in cling film and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.
- If frozen, transfer the sauce to the fridge and thaw overnight, then reheat in a saucepan on medium heat or in the microwave in 1-minute intervals.
FAQ
Where did Enfrijoladas originate?
Enfrijoladas originated in Mexico, possibly in the state of Oaxaca where black beans are a staple and often used to prepare many traditional recipes, including this.
Do I need to fry tortillas?
Not really, you can also just warm them up in a skillet. Just make sure the beans sauce is also warm to help soften the tortillas.
Are enfrijoladas healthy?
Yes. Enfrijoladas are a healthy dish because are made with nutritious ingredients like beans and nixtamalized corn tortillas. To keep this dish on the healthy side, add your toppings in moderation.
Authentic Enfrijoladas Mexicanas
Ingredients
For enfrijoladas
- 24 corn tortillas
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 1 lb queso fresco (crumbled)
- oil for frying (as needed)
For the beans sauce
- 3 cups cooked beans
- 1 ½ cups beans cooking water (or vegetable stock)
- ½ small onion
- 2 chipotle in adobo peppers
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 garlic clove (peeled)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- salt (to taste)
Toppings
- Mexican crema (or sour cream)
- queso fresco (read notes)
- cilantro (chopped)
- avocado slices (optional)
- fresh chilies or your favorite salsa (optional)
Instructions
- Combine queso fresco and diced onions in a bowl and set aside.
- Place the beans, broth, chipotle peppers, onion, garlic, and cumin powder in a blender or food processor.
- Blend until you will have a smooth and creamy sauce.
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the beans sauce and season with salt.
- Simmer for 5 minutes while stirring from time to time or until the beans mixture has thickened enough that coats the back of a spoon.
- Turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
- Heat some frying oil in a pan and fry the tortillas for about 10 seconds on each side.
- Transfer tortillas to a plate lined with kitchen paper towels to drain excess oil.
Assemble enfrijoladas
- Dip one tortilla at a time into the beans sauce (read notes).
- Place the tortilla flat on a plate and add some cheese and onion mixture.
- Fold it into a half-moon or roll (whatever is easier for you).
- Repeat the steps for dipping, filling, and folding each enfrijolada, placing 3-4 pieces on each plate.
- Add more salsa on top and garnish with the remaining cheese and onion mixture, Mexican crema, cilantro, and any other topping you prefer.
Notes
- Instead of dipping the tortillas in the sauce, you can stuff them, arrange them on a plate and then add sauce over, this step will prevent the tortilla from breaking and falling apart.
- Homemade corn tortillas are sturdier and hold better the sauce, check up our recipe for tortillas and make them yourself!
- For extra flavor, add more garlic cloves, more cumin, and more chilies if you want.
- For a healthier dish, skip frying the tortillas and just warm them up in a griddle or comal.
Nutrition Information
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Enfrijoladas were a delightful surprise! The velvety bean sauce infused with spices took it to another level. Topped with cheese and fresh toppings, it’s now a staple comfort meal!
Luv your Healthy Bean Dish!
Thank You.
This dish is so so good! We had it last night, and are having it again tonight and adding a few more veggies to the filling. Thank you for your recipes! I also made your guajillo sauce and it is divine!! ¡Muchas Gracias!
De nada! Thank you for trying our recipes, so happy you liked them :)