If you love satisfying vegetarian enchiladas, you are in the right place. These enchiladas verde made with jackfruit and white beans are a meatless meal that everyone will truly love!
It’s the filling that meat-eaters or vegetarians will go crazy over. Thanks to shredded jackfruit, it mimics the texture of shredded chicken while remaining totally meatless. Of course, making them with homemade green enchilada sauce definitely takes them to the next level, too.
Ingredient Spotlight: Jackfruit
This recipe, and all savory recipes made with jackfruit, use young green jackfruit; it should be canned in brine, not syrup. It has a very neutral flavor and shreds just like chicken, so it’s an excellent meat substitute.
To prepare it, drain and rinse he chunks. Then, using your hands, simply press it apart into shreds. You can chop the firm base or leave it whole. For more information and details on preparing and using jackfruit, check out my ultimate guide to jackfruit!
Let’s Make Fresh and Tangy Green Enchiladas!
First things first, if you’re making your own green enchilada sauce, start there. My version roasts the tomatillos, aromatics, and peppers in the oven before it all blends together. It’s so easy to make, and the flavor is unbeatable! Of course, if you’re in a pinch, use your favorite canned sauce.
Mix the Filling
This filling is what dreams are made of – it’s hearty, cheesy, and uber-flavorful. Once the jackfruit is shredded, mix it together with a can of white beans, hatch chiles, cream cheese, shredded Monterey jack cheese, and cilantro.
Cream cheese, you might ask?! Yep! I tried versions with it and sour cream during my recipe testing process. And while, of course, I love sour cream, cream cheese gave the enchiladas a richer, more decadent take that my taste testers and I couldn’t resist.
Roll the Enchiladas
Use either corn or flour tortillas for this recipe. If using corn, make sure you heat them in the microwave for a few seconds, wrapped in a damp paper towel, to ensure they’re pliable and won’t tear while rolling. To be extra authentic, lightly fry each side in a little oil.
I often use flour tortillas, as shown here. If they’re cold, I also recommend warming them slightly to make rolling easier.
Either way, place the tortilla flat on your work surface and place about 1/3 cup of the filling in the center, spreading it in a line across the tortilla. Gently take one edge of the tortilla that’s parallel to the filling and begin rolling it around the mixture. Continue rolling until it’s all the way across.
In a 9×13 pan with enchilada sauce on the bottom, place the rolled tortilla seam side down. Continue the process until all of the filling has been used. With traditional tortillas around 6 inches, this recipe makes approximately 10-12. I usually get 10 to fit in a 9×13 pan, and then place the two extra along the side.
Time to Bake
Spread the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas, along with shredded cheese. Bake until bubbly and the cheese is melty. If needed, turn on the broiler for a few minutes at the end to get some golden brown touches to the cheese.
Serve ’em Up!
Once baked, let the enchiladas rest for a few minutes to set up. Then, the best part…time to dig in! These green enchiladas stand alone just fine, but for some garnishing touches, I like avocado slices, more fresh cilantro, a little sour cream, diced red onion, and jalapeno slices for those who love a bit of spice.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!
Enchiladas Verde with Jackfruit and White Beans (Vegetarian)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 – 2½ cups green enchilada sauce homemade or canned
- 14 ounces young green jackfruit in brine, not syrup, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces canned white beans drained and rinsed*
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 4 ounces diced green chiles canned
- 8 ounces Monterey jack cheese shredded (2 cups)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅓ cup Cilantro roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 flour or corn tortillas 6 inches or so
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spread 1 cup of enchilada sauce across the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit, then use your hands to break it apart to "shred" it. Roughly chop or break apart the firm base; any "seeds" are fine to use as they are.14 ounces young green jackfruit
- In a large mixing bowl, combine shredded jackfruit, white beans, green chiles, 1 cup shredded cheese, cumin, cilantro, and salt.15 ounces canned white beans, 4 ounces cream cheese, 4 ounces diced green chiles, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ⅓ cup Cilantro, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Warm tortillas as needed; if using corn tortillas wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds, or lightly fry each side in a little oil before wrapping.12 flour or corn tortillas
- Place a tortilla flat on a work surface, and place approximately ⅓ cup of filling in the center. Take one edge of the tortilla and roll it around the filling. Place the rolled tortilla in the baking dish, seam side down. Continue until all enchiladas are formed.
- Spread the remaining sauce across the tortillas (using 1 to 1 ½ cups depending on how saucy you like them). Sprinkle the remaining cheese across the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted. Broil for 1-2 minutes for extra golden cheese. Let the enchiladas rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with extra cilantro, red onion, avocado, or sour cream as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- White Beans: any variety will work; I like Great Northern or Cannelini beans the most!
Nutrition
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