This vegan recipe for chicken enchiladas is our plant-based alternative to a classic tex-mex style comfort food, and we love this dish because it’s packed with flavour, from the smoky spice of the chipotle chilli paste to the perfect paring of the tomato passata and aromatic garlic. Each flour tortilla is filled with a blend of tasty vegetables and diced vegan chicken before the whole dish is covered in rich plant-based cheese and baked in the oven to bring all these wholesome ingredients together in a perfectly simple and delicious enchilada dinner.
We have strived to keep the ingredients list inexpensive, and built from ingredients that you can find in the first popular brand of supermarket you walk into. Even if you have not heard of chipotle paste before, I can assure you it will likely be right there on the shelves of the herbs and spices aisle amongst the jars of minced garlic, miso paste, curry pastes etc. Plus it’s an ingredient which adds the Mexican heat you should find in a dish like this, without having to make your own enchilada sauce.
By using jarred minced garlic, getting the spice from the chipotle paste instead of raw chillies, and by using passata as the tomato sauce base, the prep time for this dish is minimal. You only need to dice up a couple of peppers, an onion and the meatless chicken. After that, it’s not much more than 10 minutes of frying time, before just rolling up your loaded tortillas and setting them into the oven for 25 minutes to bake to a golden-topped, flavour-infused state of perfection.
Much like our creamy tomato and herb pasta bake recipe, this tasty enchilada dish is perfect for feeding a group of friends or a family, it’s an easily scalable recipe, and it doesn’t need you to be chained to the kitchen for 45 minutes to make it. This is a social comfort food that you’ll enjoy making and everyone will love to eat. Get out the corn chips and guacamole and savour in a classic tex-mex meal.
Vegan Chicken Enchiladas Ingredients
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 white onion (substitute with yellow onion)
2 red or orange peppers
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp chipotle paste
300 g plant-based chicken
400 g can of black beans
2 500 g cartons of passata
6 flour tortillas
150 g Violife Tex Mex Flavour Grated (substitute with mature cheddar)
Vegan Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
You should start with the food prep, by first de-seeding and chopping up the peppers into small pieces, and then peeling and dicing the onion. If you are using pre-minced garlic from a jar, then that’s great, otherwise, you should peel and mince 1 whole clove now as well.
Chop up the the plant-based chicken breasts into thin strips no longer than a few centimetres. Next, drain the can of black beans and give them a thorough rinse to get all the starchy, salty juice off, making sure you have some clean beans for this delicious dish.
Next, get a large frying pan and set it over medium heat. As soon as it’s hot, but not before, pour in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (this will avoid the oil breaking down before you’ve even added anything to the pan), then add the diced onion, pepper and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic to the pan (saving another teaspoon of garlic for a sauce later on). Stir the onions, pepper and garlic around in the warm oil until they’re all evenly coated, then occasionally until the pepper and onion start to soften.
At this point, you should measure 2 teaspoons of chipotle paste and mix it with the softened vegetables, much like you would when cooking up the base for a tomato and sweetcorn risotto, and then fry everything together for at least 1 minute. Try to make sure that all of the vegetables in the pan are evenly covered by this spicy paste.
Now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 390°F / Gas Mark 6. Next add the chicken strips to the frying pan, and cook for at least 6 minutes, while turning it all over, ensuring that the vegan chicken pieces are cooked through and evenly. They should just start to turn a golden colour as you mix them into the Mexican veggie medley already in the pan.
You will use 500 ml of the two 500 g cartons of passata you’ve purchased, just because it is a bit easier to measure it out in ml than weigh it. Once the chicken strips have cooked (per the packaging guidelines), measure 150 ml of passata and pour it into the pan, along with the rinsed and drained black beans. Combine the beans and sauce well with all the ingredients already in the frying pan, turn off the heat, and set the pan aside.
Add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic to 350 ml of passata and mix, then pour half of this into the bottom of your baking dish, spreading it out evenly. We recommend using a 27 x 21 cm baking dish if you’re cooking all 6 filled tortillas at once. Separate 50 g of grated vegan cheese to add to your enchilada filling. Lay out one flour tortilla at a time and fill it with one-sixth of the chicken and veggie mix, plus a sprinkle of cheese from the 50 g you just weighed out.
Roll up your first tortilla and set it into one end of the baking dish. Repeat this five more times until all six of your filled and rolled tortillas are laid out next to each other. Finally cover them in the remaining 175 ml of passata and garlic sauce (that you did not coat the bottom of the baking dish with), and then sprinkle over another 100 g of grated cheese.
To finish, place your baking dish full of delicious tex-mex style enchiladas into the centre of your preheated oven for 25 minutes. Once the timer is up, take them out and look to see if the tops of the tortillas are starting to turn golden and crisp. If not you can put them back in for another 5 minutes, just so the tortillas are well baked. Once done, serve it up as is, or you could throw on some fresh guacamole or vegan sour cream.
EASY VEGAN RECIPE FOR CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 white onion substitute with yellow onion
- 2 red or orange peppers
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp chipotle paste
- 300 g plant-based chicken
- 400 g can of black beans
- 2 500 g cartons of passata
- 6 flour tortillas
- 150 g Violife Tex Mex Flavour Grated substitute with mature cheddar
Instructions
- Start by de-seeding and chopping up the peppers into small pieces, and then peeling and dicing the onion. If you are not using pre-minced garlic from a jar, peel and mince 1 whole clove as well.
- Chop up the the plant-based chicken breasts into thin strips no longer than a few centimetres. Next, drain the can of black beans and give them a thorough rinse to get all the starchy, salty juice off.
- Next, get a large frying pan and set it over medium heat. As soon as it’s hot, pour in 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil, then add the diced onion, pepper and 1 tsp of minced garlic to the pan (saving another teaspoon of garlic for a sauce later on). Stir the onions, pepper and garlic around in the warm oil until they’re all evenly coated, then occasionally until the pepper and onion start to soften.
- Measure 2 tsp of chipotle paste and mix it with the softened vegetables, and then fry everything together for at least 1 minute. Try to make sure that all of the vegetables in the pan are evenly covered by this spicy paste.
- Now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 390°F / Gas Mark 6. Next add the chicken strips to the frying pan, and cook for at least 6 minutes, while turning it all over, ensuring that the vegan chicken strips are cooked through and evenly, just turning golden on the outside.
- You will use 500 ml of the two 500 g cartons of passata. Once the chicken pieces have cooked (per the packaging guidelines), measure 150 ml of passata and pour it into the pan, along with the rinsed and drained black beans. Combine the beans and sauce well with all the ingredients already in the frying pan, turn off the heat, and set the pan aside.
- Add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic to 350 ml of passata and mix, then pour half of this into the bottom of your baking dish (we recommend a 27 x 21 cm dish), spreading it out evenly. Separate 50 g of grated vegan cheese to add to your enchilada filling. Lay out one flour tortilla at a time and fill it with one-sixth of the chicken and veggie mix, plus a sprinkle of cheese from the 50 g you just weighed out.
- Roll up your first tortilla and set it into one end of the baking dish. Repeat this five more times until all six of your filled and rolled tortillas are laid out next to each other. Finally cover them in the remaining 175 ml of passata and garlic sauce (that you did not coat the bottom of the baking dish with), and then sprinkle over another 100 g of grated cheese.
- To finish, place your baking dish into the centre of your preheated oven for 25 minutes. Once the timer is up, take them out and look to see if the tops of the tortillas are starting to turn golden and slightly crisp. If not you can put them back in for another 5 minutes, just so the tortillas are well baked.
Recipe FAQs
Are Tortillas Always Vegan
- Flour Tortillas: Most flour tortillas are vegan-friendly. They are typically made from flour, water, salt, and sometimes vegetable oil. Be sure to check the ingredients list for any animal products, particularly lard, which is occasionally used in traditional recipes.
- Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas are usually vegan. They are made from masa harina (cornmeal), water, and salt. These ingredients are plant-based. However, some brands may add additional ingredients, so always check the label.
- Whole Wheat Tortillas: Whole wheat tortillas are often vegan, as they are primarily made from whole wheat flour, water, salt, and sometimes vegetable oil. Verify the ingredients for animal-derived additives.
What Side Dishes Pair Well With Vegan Enchiladas
- Mexican Rice: A classic side, Mexican rice (also known as Spanish rice) is a flavorful and slightly spicy dish made with rice, tomatoes, onions, and seasonings. It’s an ideal companion for enchiladas, as the flavors complement each other beautifully.
- Refried Beans: Serve up a side of creamy refried beans for added protein and creaminess. You can make them from scratch or use canned refried beans.
- Guacamole: Creamy, rich guacamole made from ripe avocados, lime juice, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro is a refreshing and cooling side dish that balances the heat of the enchiladas.
- Salsa: Fresh salsa, whether mild or spicy, adds a burst of flavor and freshness to your meal. Consider varieties like pico de gallo, mango salsa, or pineapple salsa for a twist.
- Corn Salad: A light and tangy corn salad with ingredients like corn kernels, red onion, bell peppers, cilantro, and a zesty dressing can provide a refreshing contrast to the enchiladas’ richness.
