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Dive into a cozy fall favorite with these Pumpkin Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas! Featuring a homemade pumpkin enchilada sauce, hidden veggies and a bunch of protein and fiber, these enchiladas are healthy and delicious. They’re even gluten-free friendly too!

pumpkin chicken and black bean enchiladas on white plate with slices of avocado

Hey it’s me again…the girl who can’t stop adding pumpkin to all her recipes. You can call me crazy if you want, but I bet you’ll change your mind after you take the first bite of these Pumpkin Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas 😉

I can’t quite remember how this idea came about but it turned out 1000x better than I could’ve ever expected. For this recipe, we’re creating a homemade pumpkin enchilada sauce which is smoky, spicy and delicious. Don’t worry, it’s not giving pumpkin spice vibes. Rather, the pumpkin puree acts as a really creamy (and nutritious) base for the sauce. It just works, trust me!

The pumpkin enchilada sauce is simple – just throw everything into the blender and you’re done. After that, you’ll mix it with some sautéed onion, sneaky cauliflower rice, black beans and shredded chicken. Roll it up along with some shredded cheese and your favorite tortillas and you have a bangin’ dinner ready to pop into the oven.

I’ve already made these pumpkin chicken and black bean enchiladas 3 times by the time you’re reading this post and I fully intend to make it many more times before fall is over. It’s equally as great on weeknights, for meal prep or for when you’re hosting. I mean who doesn’t love an enchilada!? Delicious, nutritious and so comforting.

Why You’ll Love these Pumpkin Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

These chicken and black bean enchiladas are a great source of protein and fiber.
This is a fun fall twist on a classic Mexican dish.
They are full of smoky, spicy flavor!
The enchilada filling sneaks in hidden cauliflower rice that you can’t even taste.
They are delicious eaten fresh but just as good for leftovers/meal prep!
These are easily made gluten free.
It’s the perfect cozy yet healthy fall dinner!

pumpkin chicken and black bean enchiladas in baking dish topped with cheese and cilantro

What You Need to Make these Pumpkin Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas

For the Pumpkin Enchilada Sauce:

Broth: The pumpkin enchilada sauce is thinned out with some broth of your choice. I used beef broth but chicken or veggie work too. Use bone broth for extra protein!
Pumpkin Puree: These enchiladas have a festive spin on them because the sauce features a whole can of pumpkin puree. It mostly just provides body and creaminess to the sauce so these enchiladas aren’t gunna taste like pumpkin spice lol.
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo: This is where the majority of the flavor comes from! Chipotle peppers in adobo are sold in small cans in the International aisle of the grocery store. You’ll need about 2 of the peppers and 2 tbsp of the sauce that comes in the can. This yields a medium spice level so feel free to increase or decrease based on spice preference.
Garlic: 4 garlic cloves, peeled – but no need to mince since they will be blended.
Chili Powder, Cumin & Kosher Salt: These simple Mexican-inspired seasonings add flavor to the pumpkin enchilada sauce.

ingredients for pumpkin chicken and black bean enchiladas

For the Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas:

Avocado Oil: You just need a small amount (roughly 1/2 tbsp) of avocado or olive oil for sautéing the onion and cauliflower rice.
Yellow Onion: 1/2 large yellow onion, diced.
Frozen Cauliflower Rice: I love adding cauliflower rice to the filling for sneaky veggies and nutrients! No need to thaw it beforehand. Feel free to omit if you don’t like it.
Black Beans: 1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed. These are a great source of fiber and plant-based protein!
Shredded Chicken: This enchilada recipe calls for cooked and shredded chicken breast. To make your life easy, use a rotisserie chicken. If you’d prefer to cook your own, check the recipe notes for boiling instructions.
Large Tortillas: You can really use whatever type of tortilla you prefer here, as long as they’re about 6-7″ in diameter. I like using Siete cassava flour or almond flour tortillas to keep them gluten and grain free.
Shredded Mexican-Blend Cheese: Some of the cheese will get stuffed inside the enchiladas and the rest will get sprinkled on top.
Kosher Salt: Season to taste.
Cilantro: Optional, for a fun garnish!

How To Make these Pumpkin Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

Blend Pumpkin Enchilada Sauce:

First, preheat your oven to oven to 350F. Then, add all pumpkin enchilada sauce ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the amount of chipotle peppers if you want it even spicier!

pumpkin enchilada sauce in blender with a spatula

Saute Onion and Cauliflower Rice:

Next, bring a large pan to medium heat. Once hot, add a bit of avocado oil. Then, add onion and frozen cauliflower rice. Season with kosher salt to taste. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until softened and tender.

Stir in Chicken, Black Beans & Pumpkin Enchilada Sauce:

Then, turn off the heat and then add in the shredded chicken, black beans and 2 cups of the pumpkin enchilada sauce. Stir until incorporated.

pumpkin chicken and black bean enchilada filling in pan

Warm up the Tortillas:

Next, add ¾ cup of the pumpkin enchilada sauce to the bottom of the baking dish and spread out evenly. Set aside.

Then, wrap your stack of tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds. This will help make them more pliable to reduce the risk of breaking when rolling up the enchiladas.

Wrap up the Enchiladas:

Place a warm tortilla on your cutting board. Then, add a generous strip of the chicken and black bean filling down the center of the tortilla, followed by a strip of shredded cheese. Carefully roll the tortilla up and place it seam-side down into the baking dish. Repeat the process with the remaining tortillas. Depending on the size of your pan and tortillas, you may have to place 8 of the enchiladas horizontally and the remaining 2 vertically in the pan.

Coat Enchiladas with Remaining Sauce & Cheese and Bake:

Next, spread the remaining pumpkin enchilada sauce (about 1 cup) evenly over the top of the enchiladas. Then, sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over top. Transfer baking dish to the oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until cheese has melted. Optionally, top with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

pumpkin chicken and black bean enchiladas in baking dish before cooking

Are These Healthy Chicken Enchiladas?

“Healthy” is of course a subjective word but I think these are healthy chicken enchiladas! This recipe includes a homemade pumpkin enchilada sauce which allows you to control the ingredients and the amount of salt. The filling itself includes shredded chicken breast which is a great source of lean protein, and black beans for extra fiber and plant-based protein.

Plus, we’re sneaking in some hidden cauliflower rice that you can’t even taste! Shredded cheese is also such an underrated source of protein and healthy fats. Finally, I like to use Siete cassava or almond flour tortillas to keep these gluten free – they’re made with simple, amazing ingredients!

Expert Tips & Tricks:

Hopefully these few tips will ease your mind about making enchiladas. I promise they’re not as hard as they look! And even if your tortillas end up cracking, the flavor is still gunna be there and that’s all that matters anyways 🙂

Shred your chicken with a hand or stand mixer: If you’re choosing to cook the chicken yourself, one of my favorite life hacks is shredding the chicken with a hand or stand mixer instead of two forks…it’s so much quicker!
Warm your tortillas: It’s important to wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave them until warm so that they become more pliable. If you’re working slowly, you may need to re-heat some of the tortillas.
Don’t overstuff the enchiladas: Overstuffing will lead to the tortillas breaking…which isn’t the end of the world, they’ll obviously still taste amazing.
Arrange them tightly in the pan: Make sure they’re placed seam-side down in the baking dish and that they’re close together so that they stay in place and don’t open up while baking.

How Spicy are these Pumpkin Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas?

I’d consider these pumpkin chicken and black bean enchiladas to be medium level spice. However, this recipe is very adaptable – so feel free to increase or decrease the amount of chipotle peppers or adobo sauce if you want it spicier or milder. Remember, you can always add more but you can’t take it away so start small and then taste and adjust accordingly.

What Type of Tortillas Should I Use for these Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas?

I personally love to use the Siete cassava flour or almond flour tortillas to keep this recipe gluten free. They can be found in the refrigerated section at most grocery stores. However, you can really use whatever type of tortilla you prefer, as long as they are similar in size (about 6-7″ in diameter).

Based on my understanding, enchiladas are traditionally made with corn tortillas however you will often see American-ized recipes that call for flour tortillas. So choose your journey! Just be sure to warm them up before using so that they’re pliable and don’t break.

How Should I Store Leftover Pumpkin Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas?

You can either keep the leftover pumpkin chicken and black bean enchiladas in the baking dish and cover the whole thing with plastic wrap, or transfer them to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. These are delicious enjoyed cold, but even better when warmed up in the microwave for about 1 minute. I have not tried freezing these yet, but will update the blog post if/when I do.

Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.

Looking for More Mexican-Inspired Recipes?

5 from 4 votes

Pumpkin Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

Dive into a cozy fall favorite with these Pumpkin Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas! Featuring a homemade pumpkin enchilada sauce, hidden veggies and a bunch of protein and fiber, these enchiladas are healthy and delicious. They're even gluten-free friendly too!

Servings servings

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Total Time 50

Equipment

cutting board
knife
high speed blender
large pan
spatula
9×13" baking dish