Buffalo White Bean Enchiladas
These buffalo white bean enchiladas are a spicy, cheesy twist on a classic, and make the perfect dinner. We've got flour tortillas stuffed with creamy white beans and veggies, then smothered in a two-sauce blend of enchilada sauce and buffalo hot sauce for a tangy, fiery kick. Topped with melted cheese and baked until golden and bubbling, they're the kind of comfort food that disappears fast (especially in my house!).
The combination of enchilada sauce and buffalo sauce is what makes these buffalo enchiladas really special - you get the earthy, smoky depth of a traditional enchilada with the vinegary heat of buffalo sauce, without it being entirely overpowering. The white beans add protein and a lovely creamy texture that soaks up all those flavors. They're ready in about 40 minutes and perfect for a meat-free weeknight dinner that feels like something special.
If you love Mexican-inspired dinners, try my lentil enchiladas, crispy black bean tacos, or this Mexican black beans recipe for more easy vegetarian meals.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
I first tested this combo in my buffalo white bean tacos and hundreds of you agree, it works! It's become one of my most popular recipes to date, so I was very excited to develop the recipe into enchiladas - one of my all-time favorite dinners topped with guacamole, sour cream (or, I often substitute Greek yogurt for a healthier option), and jalapenos for even more spice.
Most buffalo enchilada recipes use shredded chicken, but I'm here to prove that a vegetarian buffalo enchilada with white beans can be just as good (dare I say better?!). The beans are a brilliant vegetarian swap - they're creamy, high in protein, and soak up the spicy sauce beautifully. I've created a similar flavor in this buffalo white bean dip - perfect for gameday!
The two-sauce approach for these enchiladas means you get the best of both worlds: the rich, earthy flavor of enchilada sauce with the tangy heat of buffalo. Some recipes use just buffalo sauce, which is absolutely fine - but personally, I found the overall flavor a little overpowering. Mixing buffalo sauce with enchilada sauce retains that heat we all love, but gives the other ingredients room to shine!
Ingredient Notes
Here are some notes on the key ingredients. The exact quantities are in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- White beans: I use tinned cannellini beans, drained, although butter beans (lima beans) would also work. The cannellini beans have a gorgeous creamy texture that works perfectly in enchiladas. Chickpeas would also work, but give a firmer bite.
- Enchilada sauce: Use store-bought or my homemade enchilada sauce recipe. A mild or medium red enchilada sauce works best, as the buffalo sauce adds plenty of heat.
- Buffalo hot sauce: Frank's RedHot is my go-to, but any cayenne pepper-based hot sauce works. Adjust the ratio of buffalo to enchilada sauce depending on how spicy you like it.
- Flour tortillas: Large burrito-sized tortillas work best for rolling. Warm them slightly before filling so they don't crack.
- Cheese: A blend of cheddar and mozzarella or Monterey Jack melts beautifully. Crumbled blue cheese on top after baking is optional, but amazing if you love the classic buffalo + blue cheese pairing.
- Onion and garlic: Sautéed with the beans as the base of the filling.
- Veggies: Add in whatever veggies you prefer for this recipe; I like diced peppers and sweetcorn, but you could also use green pepper and celery for a white chili riff, sweet potato and zucchini for more nutrients, or whatever sounds good to you!
- Cream cheese or sour cream (optional): A couple of tablespoons stirred into the bean filling makes it extra creamy.
How to Make Buffalo White Bean Enchiladas
Step 1: Make the Sauce
Combine the enchilada sauce and buffalo hot sauce in a bowl. Taste and adjust the ratio - I like roughly two-thirds enchilada sauce to one-third buffalo for a good balance of smoky depth and tangy heat. Spread a thin layer of the sauce across the bottom of your baking dish.
Step 2: Prepare the Filling
Heat oil in a pan and sauté the diced onion for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, along with any other vegetables that you're adding. Saute for another couple of minutes until they begin to soften. Tip in the drained white beans and a couple of tablespoons of the sauce mixture. Stir everything together and lightly mash some of the beans with the back of a fork - you want a mix of whole and broken beans for texture.
Stir in the cream cheese or sour cream if using, and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Roll the Enchiladas
Warm your tortillas briefly (microwave for 20 seconds or heat in a dry pan). Spoon the bean filling down the center of each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, and roll up tightly. Place seam-side down in the baking dish.
Step 4: Sauce and Bake
Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, making sure they're well coated. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 190°C | 375°F for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Step 5: Serve
Let the enchiladas rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top with fresh cilantro, sliced spring onions, a drizzle of sour cream or guacamole, and sliced jalapenos if you want even more heat!
Expert Tips
Enchiladas have always been a meal I love, and since I've started developing my own recipes, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they're a pretty easy recipe to bring together once you've got all the different components organised!
Here are a few tips I'd recommend for excellent buffalo enchiladas!
- Consider making the sauce ahead of time: One of the most time-consuming parts of making enchiladas is making the sauce and the filling at the same time. I always recommend making a big batch of my enchilada sauce and then freezing portions in blocks so you cut down the cooking time in the future. Alternatively, of course, you could also use a store-bought enchilada sauce.
- Get the sauce ratio right: Start with two-thirds enchilada sauce to one-third buffalo and adjust to taste. Too much buffalo can overwhelm the dish; too little and you lose the distinctive tangy buffalo kick.
- Mash some of the beans: A mix of whole and partially mashed beans gives the best filling texture - creamy but still with some bite. I also like adding in some veggies like sweetcorn and peppers so the filling has a bit of bite!
- Warm the tortillas first: Cold tortillas can crack when you try to roll them. A quick warm in the microwave or a dry pan makes them pliable.
- Don't skimp on the sauce: Enchiladas need plenty of sauce, or the tortillas can dry out in the oven. Make sure they're well coated before baking.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes. Avoid adding the toppings until you're ready to eat them.
- Freezer: Assemble the enchiladas, but don't bake them. Cover tightly with foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 15-20 extra minutes to the cooking time.
- Make ahead: Assemble the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Bake when ready - you may need an extra 5 minutes in the oven if baking from cold.
FAQs
Buffalo hot sauce adds a tangy, vinegary heat that's different from the smoky, earthy heat of enchilada sauce. Combining the two gives you a sauce with more depth and complexity than either one alone.
Yes! Use vegan cheese and skip the cream cheese/sour cream, or use a plant-based alternative. The beans and sauce are already vegan.
That's totally up to you - you control the ratio of buffalo sauce to enchilada sauce. Start with a smaller amount of buffalo and add more to taste. You can also choose a mild buffalo sauce, but I would say that these are spicier than your average enchiladas!
Black beans or pinto beans would both work well here, though the flavor profile will be slightly different. White beans have the creamiest texture for this dish.
Buffalo White Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 6 flour tortilla wraps
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 50 g sweetcorn
- 400 g cannellini beans
- 0.5 cup buffalo sauce
- 1 cup enchilada sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon oregano
- 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 tablespoon sour cream
- 100 g mixed shredded cheese mozzarella and cheddar or Monteray jack
- 1 scallion sliced
- 1 avocado smashed
Method
- In a jug, combine the enchilada sauce and the buffalo sauce.1 cup enchilada sauce, 0.5 cup buffalo sauce
- Preheat your oven to 190°C | 375°F.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan, then add the diced onion, minced garlic, and red pepper. Saute for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.1 white onion, 1 red pepper, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the seasonings and cook into the vegetables for another minute.1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon cumin, 0.5 teaspoon oregano, 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Add the cannellini beans, sweetcorn, and ⅓ cup enchilada sauce. Mix them into the vegetable mixture, then use your spoon to crush down about ¼ of the white beans.400 g cannellini beans, 50 g sweetcorn
- Stir 2 tablespoon of the sour cream into the filling and set aside.2 tablespoon sour cream
- Spread 1-2 tablespoon of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of the pan.
- Divide the mixture into the 6 tortillas and then fold the tortilla wraps into burritos.6 flour tortilla wraps
- Pop them in the pan and pour over the remaining enchilada sauce. Top with the grated cheese, then bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly on top.100 g mixed shredded cheese
- Top the enchiladas with the sliced scallions, smashed avocado, and remaining sour cream.2 tablespoon sour cream, 1 scallion, 1 avocado
Nutrition
Notes
- Consider making the sauce ahead of time: One of the most time-consuming parts of making enchiladas is making the sauce and the filling at the same time. I always recommend making a big batch of my enchilada sauce and then freezing portions in blocks so you cut down the cooking time in the future. Alternatively, of course, you could also use a store-bought enchilada sauce.
- Get the sauce ratio right: Start with two-thirds enchilada sauce to one-third buffalo and adjust to taste. Too much buffalo can overwhelm the dish; too little and you lose the distinctive tangy buffalo kick.
- Mash some of the beans: A mix of whole and partially mashed beans gives the best filling texture - creamy but still with some bite. I also like adding in some veggies like sweetcorn and peppers so the filling has a bit of bite!
- Warm the tortillas first: Cold tortillas can crack when you try to roll them. A quick warm in the microwave or a dry pan makes them pliable.
- Don't skimp on the sauce: Enchiladas need plenty of sauce or the tortillas can dry out in the oven. Make sure they're well coated before baking.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes.
- Freezer: Assemble the enchiladas, but don't bake. Cover tightly with foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen, adding 15-20 extra minutes to the cooking time.
- Make ahead: Assemble the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Bake when ready - you may need an extra 5 minutes in the oven if baking from cold.
