Pumpkin Enchiladas

These loaded pumpkin enchiladas get their amazing flavor from a spicy beef and black bean filling and a creamy, flavorful homemade pumpkin enchilada sauce.

We’re really flexing those fall muscles today with these enchiladas. Pumpkin has officially enter the enchilada chat!

And it’s not even as weird as you may think because we’re adding it to a homemade enchilada sauce and all its doing is providing a super creamy texture with lots of body and all that orange goodness.

All that to say…meet your new favorite enchilada!

These enchiladas are absolutely stuffed with the works and even more works get piled on top of your own personal plate after baking! Always go heavy on the enchilada toppings, ALWAYS.

And don’t be afraid to go back for that second one.

These Enchiladas feature…

• A spicy beef and bean filling
• Creamy homemade pumpkin enchilada sauce
• Gooey cheese baked on top with tons of toppings

Making the Enchiladas

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Diced tomatoes
• Pumpkin puree
• Garlic
• Chipotle in adobo
• Chili powder
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Chicken broth
• Ground beef
• Sweet pepper
• Yellow onion
• Black beans
• Refried beans
• Flour tortillas
• Pepper jack cheese

Choosing Your Tortillas

I recommend using flour tortillas for this particular recipe over corn. They hold their structure well underneath the heavy sauce and cheese while corn tortillas tend to fall apart a bit.

Tips for Perfect Enchiladas

1. Blend enchilada sauce – a blender will break down the tomatoes and pumpkin into a creamy sauce.
2. Use refried beans and black beans in filling – using these two kinds of beans will give the beef filling a perfect creamy-to-chunky texture.
3. Use chipotle in adobo sauce – using this in both the sauce and the beef filling gives an incredible smoky and slightly spicy flavor.
4. Serve enchiladas with toppings – anything goes here! Use my suggested toppings of diced tomato, avocado, lime wedges, and cilantro or get creative and add additional toppings such as sour cream, sliced jalapeno, red onion, etc.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on these enchiladas.

• Use chicken – use 1 lb diced chicken breasts or thighs in place of the ground beef.
• Skip the meat entirely – skip the ground beef and use another can of black beans in its place. You can also replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
• Adjust heat level – skip the chipotle for more mild enchiladas. Alternatively, for a more spicy flavor, supplement the chipotle with hot sauce or cayenne pepper to taste.

Make Ahead Instructions

Follow these instructions for time-saving make ahead tips.

• Make the enchilada sauce – the sauce stores well in refrigerator up to 1 week.
• Cook up beef and bean filling – cook up the filling and refrigerate up to 4 days.
• Fill enchiladas – fill the tortillas with beef mixture, place in pan, wrap well, and refrigerate up to 4 days. When ready to bake, top enchiladas with pumpkin sauce and cheese and bake per recipe instructions. (you may need to add an additional few minutes to bake time if baking from cold)

You wouldn’t think that pumpkin would work in a savory application like this, but dang, if it ever does! The pumpkin adds a creamy heartiness to the sauce that pairs so well with the spicy beef and bean filling and all that gooey cheese baked on top.

Trust me, you’ve just found your new favorite enchiladas!

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More flavor-packed enchiladas to bake up next!

• Skillet Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
• Make Ahead Beef Enchiladas
• Poblano Sweet Potato Black Bean Breakfast Enchiladas

 This post was updated with new recipe tips and photos on 8/22/24.