Spinach Artichoke Enchiladas
Hearty spinach artichoke enchiladas with a simple homemade red sauce! These lightened-up vegetarian enchiladas will please the whole family.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on March 26, 2026
Spinach and artichoke is one of my favorite flavor combinations. It might seem like an unexpected enchilada filling until you imagine spinach artichoke dip rolled into a warm tortillaโa very good idea indeed.
Sometimes Iโm haunted by a menu item that I didnโt get to try. I once caught a mention of spinach-artichoke enchiladas on a menu in Austin, Texas, but didnโt order them. Iโll never know what the restaurant version tasted like, but I can vouch for my homemade version.
These enchiladas have been one of my favorite recipes for over ten years, so Iโm excited to share them with you again today with updated photos. They have almost two hundred five-star reviews!
I based this recipe on memories of the enchiladas my mom makes at home, which are more Tex-Mex than authentic. She is not one to change it up, so her enchiladas consistently feature green chilis, sour cream, flour tortillas and red sauce.
I made sure to incorporate all of the above into these lightened-up vegetarian enchiladas, but I also took it upon myself to create a healthier, from-scratch red sauce. I tried a spice-based sauce first, then a tomato-based sauce, and finally settled somewhere in between.
My red sauce recipe is made with common dried spices, tomato paste for umami-rich tomato flavor, vegetable broth as a base, and flour to thicken it up. You may have tried it on my Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas, another popular enchilada recipe.
Watch How to Make Spinach Artichoke Enchiladas
Enchilada Substitutions
This recipe is flexible. Here are some options to suit your preferences:
Make them vegan
Replace the sour cream with cashew cream. Omit the shredded cheese. Once baked, top them with another drizzle of cashew cream and sliced ripe avocado.
Make them gluten free
Thicken the enchilada sauce with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Substitute corn tortillas for the flour tortillas. Just be sure to warm the tortillas first so they donโt crack when you bend them. Since theyโre smaller, you might make 8 or more enchiladas.
Make them extra cheesy
Add 1/2 to 1 more cup shredded cheese. This addition might make the enchiladas more appealing to younger kids.
Try green sauce instead
Iโm partial to red sauce in this recipe, but I bet it would also be delicious with my Easy Green Enchilada Sauce. Itโs easy to make with store-bought salsa verde.
Serving Suggestions
One of these enchiladas is quite filling on its own. Serve them with a fresh salad with Mexican flavors. Here are a few options:
- Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)
- Fresh Herbed Avocado Salad
- Mexican Green Salad with Jalapeรฑo-Cilantro Dressing
You might like to add my favorite margarita or a fruity variation! For a light dessert, try my Easy Pineapple Mint Popsicles.
Spinach Artichoke Enchiladas
Hearty spinach artichoke enchiladas with homemade red sauce! These lightened-up vegetarian enchiladas include black beans, a modest amount of sour cream and some golden cheese on top. Recipe yields 6 large enchiladas. You might as well make a double batch of the sauce and freeze it for later.
Ingredients
Homemade red enchilada sauce (yields 2 cups sauce)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons whole wheat or all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
- ยผ teaspoon dried oregano
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- โ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Enchiladas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup chopped red onion (about 1 small red onion)
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 heaping cup drained artichokes (either jarred or defrosted frozen), quartered if necessary
- 1 (4-ounce) can green chilis, drained
- 12 ounces baby spinach, preferably organic
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ยผ cup sour cream
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 medium (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas or flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Handful chopped cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Before you make the sauce, measure the flour and spices into a small bowl and place your tomato paste near the stove. In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until shimmering (it should be warm enough that the spices sizzle on contact). Pour in the flour and spice mixture. While stirring constantly with a whisk, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, whisking often, for about five minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will further thicken as it cools.) Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
- To make your enchiladas, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the middle position and upper third. Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch pan.
- In a large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and ยผ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the drained artichokes and green chilis to the skillet, then add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the pan is no longer wet with excess moisture. Remove from heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the drained black beans and sour cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Pour ยฝ cup enchilada sauce into your prepared pan and tilt it from side to side until the bottom of the pan is evenly coated. To assemble your first enchilada, spread ยฝ cup spinach artichoke mixture down the middle of a tortilla, then snugly wrap the left side over and then the right, to make a wrap. Place it seam side down against the edge of your pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas, leaving the very ends of the enchiladas bare. Sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the enchiladas.
- Bake, uncovered, on the middle rack for 20 minutes. If the cheese on top isnโt golden enough for your liking, carefully transfer the enchiladas to the upper rack of the oven and bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until sufficiently golden and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let the enchiladas cool for 10 minutes (trust me!), then sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and serve. These enchiladas will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Enchilada sauce roughly adapted from The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook. Enchilada filling based on my spinach artichoke lasagna.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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Amazing recipe that I make regularly! My only issue is that when I freeze the sauce โ the texture really changes when it is thawed. Is there any trick to keeping the same texture? Tastes great still!!
Hi Mary, are you freezing the sauce individually in cubes or packets? Or the assembled dish, before or after baking?