So obsessed with this Roasted Cauliflower Enchiladas recipe! It’s super hearty and flavorful, made with my favorite homemade enchilada sauce, and deliciously vegetarian (or it can be made vegan, if you prefer).
I had a feeling these roasted cauliflower enchiladas were going to be great.
But oh my goodness, they have officially stolen our enchilada-lovin’ hearts. So much so that they have now been voted the new favorite enchiladas in our casita, hands-down — both by my vegetarian husband (no surprise there) and myself (who has been fiercely loyal to chicken enchiladas for over a decade). And it’s all thanks to three winning ingredients:
- My favorite homemade enchilada sauce, which makes any enchiladas a million times better
- An entire head of roasted cauliflower, which caramelizes in the oven while you make that sauce
- Toppings galore, which I sincerely hope include as much fresh avocado as possible
Truly, I’ve made a lot of enchiladas over the years, with all sorts of sauces and fillings and toppings. And I am now convinced that this particular combo of ingredients is extra-special. All of that caramelized cauliflower pairs perfectly with that smoky, savory sauce. The hearty beans and melted cheese inside the filling are balanced beautifully by all of those fresh, cooling toppings. All of which, pair perfectly with a fresh, cold homemade margarita. Naturally.
Also? These roasted cauliflower enchiladas are naturally vegetarian, and can also be adapted to become vegan and/or gluten-free if you prefer, which make them perfect for serving to a crowd. They are easy to make ahead and refrigerate if you’re meal prepping for the week, and also freeze beautifully. And bonus, “the whole enchilada” (homemade sauce included!) is incredibly easy to make.
Trust me — you’ve gotta give this one a try. ♡
Roasted Cauliflower Enchilada Ingredients:
Alright, let’s talk details! To make these enchiladas, you will need the following ingredients:
- Roasted cauliflower: I just made a plain batch with salt and pepper and garlic powder, which was plenty flavorful. But feel free to sprinkle on some taco seasoning for extra flavor if you’d like.
- Red enchilada sauce: My homemade recipe is my absolute fave. It only takes about 5 minutes to prep, another 10 or so to simmer, and it tastes a million times better than the canned stuff.
- Flour tortillas: Or you’re welcome to use corn tortillas.
- Beans: I used pinto beans as part of the enchilada filling, but any kind of beans or lentils will do.
- Shredded cheese: I recommend either a Mexican blend or Pepper Jack.
- Toppings: The more the merrier! I used lots of sliced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco and pepitas. But feel free to use any of your faves.
How To Make Enchiladas:
You’ve got this!
- Roast your cauliflower. Cut your cauliflower into florets. Toss with oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes until golden. While that’s cooking…
- Make your homemade enchilada sauce. Make your roux, sauté the spices, whisk in your broth, and then let it simmer for 10 or so minutes until it has reduced and slightly thickened.
- Assemble your enchiladas. Then spoon some sauce onto a tortilla. Fill it with cheese, beans and roasted cauliflower. Roll it up into an enchilada. And place in a baking dish, spreading the extra enchilada sauce first on the bottom of the pan, and then drizzling anything remaining on top.
- Bake. For about 20 or so minutes, until the enchiladas are warmed through and the tortillas begin to crisp up a bit. Remove from the oven.
- Pile on your toppings. Don’t be shy — the more, the merrier!
- And…serve! YUM.
Ways To Customize These Enchiladas:
You’ve got all kinds of options. For example, feel free to:
- Add extra veggies: Roasted sweet potato, red onion, poblano, bell pepper, or mushrooms would be great with cauliflower, just to name a few.
- Add meat: If you’d like, chicken, shrimp, carnitas, steak or tofu would also be delicious here.
- Make them vegan: Nix the cheese entirely, or sub in vegan cheese or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. And then just be sure to use veggie stock in your enchilada sauce.
- Make them gluten-free: Use gluten-free corn tortillas. And be sure to use a gluten-free thickener (such as cornstarch) to thicken the enchilada sauce.
Favorite Mexican Side Dishes:
Feel free to check out our Mexican Recipes here on the site for inspiration, but a few Mexican side dishes I’d recommend include:
- Chips and Salsa (Restaurant-Style Salsa and/or Salsa Verde)
- Guacamole
- Elote Dip
- Mexican Caesar Salad
- Margaritas
Love Enchiladas? Check out these recipes too!
- The BEST Chicken Enchiladas Ever
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- BBQ Chicken Enchiladas
- Ancho Chicken Enchiladas
- Beef Enchiladas
- Turkey Enchiladas
- Crab and Avocado Enchiladas
- Breakfast Enchiladas
- Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
- Vegan Enchiladas
- Easy Enchilada Cups
- Chicken Enchilada Nachos
Roasted Cauliflower Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 batch basic roasted cauliflower
- 1 batch red enchilada sauce
- 7-8 large flour tortillas
- 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (8-ounce) bag shredded cheese (I recommend either a Mexican blend or Pepperjack)
- toppings: lots of sliced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, pepitas, or whatever else sounds good!
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Prepare the roasted cauliflower and red enchilada sauce according to directions. Once the enchilada sauce is ready to go, pour 1/4 cup sauce into the bottom of the baking dish, and spread it around evenly with a spoon to cover the entire surface. Set aside.
- Place a tortilla flat on a plate, and spoon a heaping tablespoon of enchilada sauce into the center of the tortilla. Spread it around evenly with a spoon. Then add 1/4 cup of shredded cheese in a line down the center of the tortilla, topped with a spoonful of beans and roasted cauliflower. Roll up the enchilada, and place it in the prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, beans and cauliflower. Then pour the remaining sauce down the center of the pan of enchiladas, and use a spoon to spread it around evenly.
- Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the enchiladas are heated through and the tortillas are a bit crispy.
- Remove from the oven, garnish with tons of toppings, and serve warm.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
These are absolutely amazing! I was a bit skeptical about making chicken-less enchiladas so I haven’t attempted them since I became veg. I’m happy to say I’m pretty sure these are the best enchiladas I’ve ever made.
And thank you so much for the note about American chili powder – I’ve been using an Indian chili powder for almost a year and wondering why it was overpowering many recipes. Hot tip!
We eat this quite regularly and love it! I’m looking to plan ahead for winter and it would be amazing to freeze for a quick meal. Has anyone frozen this yet and have advice for me on how to prepare it from frozen?
I made this last night for dinner. The flavors were really good and we’ll definitely be making it again. I went ahead and added taco seasoning to my roasted vegetables – I added a sweet potato and onion which I would definitely recommend. I had to use some of the tips in the comments for the enchilada sauce and add sugar, it was pretty bitter without it. Someone mentioned adding tomato paste as well which I might try. Also, I think this recipe will get faster the more you do it, but it took a long time to complete the three components: chop and roast vegetables, make sauce, and then assemble and bake enchiladas. Definitely not a quick meal.
I topped with roasted sliced yellow and red bell peppers and onion, pepitas, avo, cotija and cilantro. My husband and sister horked it down like it was their last day on earth. The sauce was great and easy to make. I only got four enchiladas out of it, but I might have overfilled.
These are fantastic. One of our first recipes we used to start eating less meat in our diets and now we consistently come back to it. Thanks!
I made these today for the second time in three weeks. While the cauliflower is delicious alone, I also stuffed the enchiladas with oven roasted red bell peppers and Vidalia onion seasoned with homemade taco seasoning. This is officially our family’s new favorite meal. Each time I’ve made a double batch. They reheat just fine in the microwave.
Loved these enchiladas. We eat mostly a plant based diet so a great addition to my recipe box. My only quibble is with the amount of cauliflower. Please use a scale next time.
Amazing recipe! I even cooked it for Easter because my family would only make meaty dishes and it really was a success! For me, preparing it took more like 2 hours because I had a bit of a struggle with the cauliflower, but the most difficult part was actually holding myself from eating all the delicious ingredients.
I would definitely make it again ?
I made this dish for my vegetarian wife tonight and she proclaimed it her new favorite vegetarian meal. She’s very particular about enchiladas and these checked all the boxes for her. I’ll be making them again soon! THANKS for the recipe!
Followed exactly. It was amazing!