Just like enchiladas are tacos that are covered in a chile sauce, enfrijoladas are tacos that are covered in a frijol or bean sauce. Tacos smothered in beans are as delicious as they sound, especially when the tortillas are fresh and hand made.
Enfrijoladas are Convenience Foods
But enough of this handmade jazz. Store bought foods that are shelf stable are time savers and are completely authentic. If you don’t have time to cook a fresh batch of beans (which usually takes several hours) a can of precooked beans will do nicely. I always have a can of beans in the pantry that can quickly turn into a piping hot plate of enfrijoladas.
You can use any type of beans that you choose, although I wouldn’t recommend kidney beans because of their firm texture. Enfrijolada sauce is savory, velvety and smooth, so use beans that fit that description. Do I need to say green beans, sweetened baked beans and black-eyed peas are not the best options? If you like them, use them. But my choices would be black beans, pinto beans, mayacoba or navy beans.
Great for Leftovers
Enfrijoladas are an excellent recipe when you have loads of leftovers and have no idea what to do with them. Even though this recipe calls for cooked chicken, you can certainly use chopped leftover cooked beef, pork, scrambled eggs or even fish for your filling.
You can also convert enfrijoladas into a vegetarian meal by filling the tortillas with grated cheese, tempeh or cooked vegetables. The estimate for 1oz/28 grams per tortilla still works no matter what filling you want to use for your enfrijoladas.
I absolutely adore enfrijoladas as a light meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. With a salad on the side or a pan of rice you have a complete meal that feeds many. Super economical, fresh and ready for the table when you are…
Enfrijoladas (Tacos in Bean Sauce)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2–4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Sauce:
2 tbsp. olive oil (30ml)
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
15.5 oz can black or pinto beans (459g – do not drain)
1 cup water (240ml)
Salt to taste
8 corn tortillas
8 oz cooked chicken, shredded (250g)
Garnishes:
4 oz queso cotija, crumbled (125g – substitute grated cheese)
½ avocado, cut into chunks
Mexican crema or regular sour cream
Sliced pickled onions
Chopped cilantro
Chopped lettuce
Chopped radishes
Your favorite salsa
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the onion and tomato, and sauté until the onions are translucent and tomatoes are tender. Add the can of beans and stir to combine well.
Using a food masher, mash the beans so that they become a smooth paste. Stir in the water, season with salt and allow to simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. The bean sauce needs to have a pouring consistency, so add a little more water for thinner sauce or simmer longer for a thicker sauce. Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.
Heat a griddle on the stove and use for reheating the corn tortillas. Once the tortillas are hot, fill with 1 oz (28g) of the chicken. Arrange the filled tortillas on a platter.
When ready to serve, pour the bean sauce over the tacos. Top with the crumbled cheese and the remaining garnishes.
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