Enfrijoladas (Corn Tortillas in Black Bean Sauce) Recipe

María del Mar Cuadra

Updated March 27, 2025

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Notes:

Queso fresco is a crumbly, white, Latin American cheese available in the dairy or refrigerated Latin American products section of most supermarkets.
Enfrijoladas should be eaten as soon as they are made: The tortillas will absorb the bean sauce the longer they sit, turning the dish into a blown-out mess.

Recipe Details

Enfrijoladas (Corn Tortillas in Black Bean Sauce) Recipe

Prep 15 mins

Cook 15 mins

Active 20 mins

Soaking and Cooling Time 25 mins

Total 55 mins

Serves 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

2 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 dried ancho chiles
3 garlic cloves, chopped
8 ounces queso fresco (see note)
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 (16-ounce) cans refried black beans
Salt
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Directions

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 450°F.
Bring broth to boil in small saucepan or liquid measuring cup in microwave. Add chiles and soak until softened, about 20 minutes. Transfer chiles (reserving broth) to cutting board, then stem, seed, and coarsely chop.
In medium bowl, combine cheese and onion. In blender, purée beans, 1 cup broth, chiles, and garlic until smooth; season to taste with salt. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in enough reserved broth to make bean sauce resemble the texture of hot fudge sauce.
Brush tortillas on both sides with oil and arrange in single layer on 2 baking sheets. Bake until lightly crisp and golden, about 6 minutes, turning tortillas over with tongs halfway through cooking. Tortillas should still be pliable. Transfer baking sheets to cooling racks.
Spread 1 cup bean mixture in bottom of 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Using tongs, dip tortillas in bean mixture, 1 at a time, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Transfer to baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Reserve 3/4 cup cheese-onion mixture, then divide the rest evenly among tortillas, sprinkling mixture only on one half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas over and transfer to prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly.
Reserve 3/4 cup cheese-onion mixture, then divide the rest evenly among tortillas, sprinkling mixture only on one half of each tortilla. Fold tortillas over and transfer to prepared baking dish, overlapping slightly.
With rubber spatula, scrape any of the bean mixture from the baking sheets into the sauce in the bowl. Pour remaining bean mixture over tortillas. Cover baking dish with foil and bake just to warm through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and allow to set about 3 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle enfrijoladas with remaining cheese-onion mixture and cilantro. Serve immediately (see note).

Special equipment

small saucepan or liquid measuring and microwave, blender, rubber spatula, pastry brush, 2 rimmed baking sheets, 2 cooling racks, tongs, 13- by 9-inch baking dish, foil

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
483	Calories
16g	Fat
62g	Carbs
25g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	483
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g	21%
Saturated Fat 6g	31%
Cholesterol 26mg	9%
Sodium 430mg	19%
Total Carbohydrate 62g	23%
Dietary Fiber 17g	60%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 12mg	61%
Calcium 309mg	24%
Iron 4mg	24%
Potassium 813mg	17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.