Delicious Ground Bison Enchiladas with Black Beans

Bursting with vibrant colors, zesty spices, and hearty textures, my Ground Bison Enchiladas with Black Beans are a must for your dinner table! Bison is a nutritious and lean protein. It’s the perfect choice if you are looking to try something new or limit your beef intake. 

In addition to bison meat, these delicious enchiladas include black beans, a homemade enchilada spice blend and a blend of monterey jack and mild cheddar shredded cheese. 

Why this recipe works

• These flavorful enchiladas are great for the whole family! 
• It’s loaded with protein and fiber!
• Enchiladas are a wonderful make ahead meal. You can prepare it a couple of days before and bake off when you are ready. 

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Ingredients

• Ground bison. You can find bison in major grocery stores. My tip is that Costco has the best prices and it comes as a 2 pack. You can freeze the other pack for later use if needed.

• Avocado oil spray. Using cooking spray lowers the overall fat content for this dish. 

• Homemade enchilada spice mix. If you don’t have all the spices to create my blend, don’t worry! You can substitute with taco seasoning, or a dash of chili powder, cumin or oregano. 

• White onion. Yellow or sweet onion can be used as well. 

• Green bell pepper. Any color bell pepper works.

• Green chiles (canned). The canned one works best. Green chiles add so much flavor and moisture to the bison meat mixture. The green chile can be omitted as well. 

• Black beans (canned). Be sure to rinse and drain the beans well. 

• Red enchilada sauce. Homemade enchilada sauce works. To save time, I use store bought. Siete Foods is one of my favorites because it is clean ingredients. I also like to use Las Palmas. Medium heat is good if you want a kick to it but not too intense. 

• Fresh cilantro. Ok, I get it if you want to leave out the cilantro! LOL I have so many friends and family who don’t eat cilantro. Cilantro really enhances all the other flavors of the homemade spice mix and green chiles. 

• Monterey jack cheese and mild cheddar. Many stores have a prepacked Mexican blend of cheese that will work. I have found that buying cheeses in blocks and shredding it myself produces a better result and texture. However I have other uses for the cheeses, so choose one that will work best for you. Also if you want to only use one kind of cheese, that works too. 

• Corn tortillas. Corn tortillas are the traditional tortilla used for enchiladas and also the best option because it will hold its shape and texture. I don’t recommend flour tortillas but if you want to use them, go with the smaller size ones. 

• Green onions. This is an optional garnish.

How to make Bison Enchiladas with Black Beans

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Then preheat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Spray generously with avocado oil spray. 

2. Meanwhile, add the enchilada sauce to a small sauce pan and place low heat. This helps with the bitterness taste that sometimes store bought sauce has. Let the sauce warm up and then set it off the side to keep warm until you are ready assemble.

3. Add the ground bison and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Add in the spices along with the green bell peppers and onions. Continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the peppers and onions start to sweat. 

4. Add in the green chiles along with the black beans and let cook for about 2-3 minutes. 

5. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh cilantro and a 1/2 cup of the cheese.

6. To prep the tortillas, wrap them in a kitchen towel or damp paper towel and microwave for about 30-60 seconds or until pliable.

7. Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with a 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce.

8. Prepare the enchiladas by brushing one side of the tortilla with the sauce and add about 1/4 cup of the mixture on top of the sauce. Roll and place seam side down into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining. You can also dip the tortilla into the sauce to coat both sides if you prefer. 

9. Pour 3/4 cup of the remaining sauce over the top of rolled tortillas.  Add any leftover meat mixture over the top. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top.

10. Place in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. When done, let the enchiladas cool down for about 5 minutes and then serve with the green onions on top or your other favorite garnishes. Store any leftovers in an airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Storage and reheating for black bean and bison enchiladas 

Store any leftovers in an airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, freeze prepared and assembled in the pan and unbaked for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, defrost in the fridge overnight and bake off the next day. Be sure to use a freezer safe container.

Helpful tips for making enchiladas

If you want to make more traditional enchiladas, you would prepare the corn tortillas by frying them in oil first and then dipping them into the red sauce. Also corn tortillas are the traditional tortilla used for enchiladas and also the best option because it will hold its shape and texture. I don’t recommend using flour tortillas. 

You can always add more cheese if you like and bake them a little longer if you want the edges to be crispy.

If using store bought sauce that tastes a little bitter, try adding a touch agave or sugar(white or brown)to it, plus a little flour to help thicken it. 

Use a 9×13 size casserole dish. For easy storage, use one that comes with a lid. 

You don’t have to use all the sauce in the jar. Using all the sauce will make the enchiladas soggy. 

Want to quickly chop up the onion and bell peppers? Use a food processor and will you have your veggies ready in under 30 seconds!

Serving suggestions and variations for bison enchiladas

You can make ground beef enchiladas using this recipe as a guide. Or switch your proteins to ground chicken or ground turkey. 

Keep this vegetarian by adding you favorite vegetables or squash such as my Cheesy Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas. 

Serve with Spanish rice, brown rice or with a refreshing salad. 

A homemade red sauce or a store bought sauce will work with the recipe. 

Garnishes are endless with enchiladas! Fresh guacamole like my Super Easy 4 Ingredient Guacamole, fresh salsa, diced tomatoes, black olives, or plain avocado slices will be tasty! For a tangy kick try sour cream or plain greek yogurt (trust me- its delicious and added protein!)

Recipe inspiration

I’ve been enjoying bison for years. I’ve recreated alot of my traditional comfort food recipes to fit into the nutrients and macros I need for my body. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! 

Check out these other tasty bison recipe ideas: Easy Bison Meatloaf and my Italian Braised Ground Bison Meatballs.

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