These vegetarian Mexican recipes, with staples like black beans, avocados, and oodles of fresh produce, are as satisfying as any meat-based meal. From tacos and stuffed peppers to burrito bowls and casseroles, these dishes deliver the protein and nutrients you need along with the south-of-the-border spice you love—no meat required.
Cauliflower-Corn Tacos with Pico Verde
This vegetarian Mexican recipe is a terrific make-ahead dinner idea and a brilliant way to inspire your family to eat more vegetables. Since the smoky cauliflower and corn taco recipe filling "roasts" low and slow in your slow cooker, dinner prep is no sweat. Just stuff it inside your favorite store-bought or homemade tortillas, garnish with the refreshing cucumber avocado pico verde, and dive in.
Cheesy Taco-Stuffed Peppers
Mexican recipe staples like rice, beans, peppers, onions, and taco seasoning get remixed in this Test Kitchen-favorite Mexican vegetarian recipe. Affordable and easy to assemble in 15 minutes flat, these stuffed peppers are the dish we turn to when we're looking for a vegetable-forward way to refresh Taco Tuesday. We keep the filling mild so each diner can crank up the heat in their serving (or not) with hot sauce.
Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls with Cashew Cream
Recreate this fast-food favorite at home with this meal prep-friendly grain bowl idea. (These can be fully assembled in airtight containers and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days!) By simmering the brown rice in vegetable stock and roasting the chili powder-spiced sweet potatoes and peppers, each bowl will be overflowing with flavor. The nacho cheese-inspired, totally-vegan cashew cream sauce takes this vegetarian Mexican recipe over the top.
Tomato Salad with Guajillo Chile Dressing
Showcasing the colors of the Mexican flag, this fresh tomato salad has become one of our favorite side dishes of summer. (It could also be a terrific light lunch if you add a serving of plant-based meat or beans!) A bounty of fresh cilantro, a handful of crumbled queso fresco cheese, wilted green onions, and a chile pepper-based homemade dressing complement the vibrant fresh tomatoes without taking over their well-deserved position in the spotlight.
Tlayuda (Mexican Pizza)
Mole is a complex-tasting and versatile vegetarian Mexican sauce recipe made with dried chiles and bittersweet chocolate. Here, we use our 10-minute mole as the sauce for this Mexican-style pizza. Black beans replace the meat (psst…yes, you should rinse and drain canned beans—here's why), then avocado, shredded cabbage, and Oaxaca cheese star alongside diced tomatoes as the tasty topping blend.
Chiles Rellenos Casserole
Unlike classic chiles rellenos, our riff on this restaurant-style vegetarian Mexican recipe is baked instead of fried. The result trims down on prep time and the calorie count, but don't worry—we didn't skimp on the shredded cheese! Boiling the chiles for 3 minutes before piling them high with the cheesy, cayenne-spiced filling means you only need to bake this weeknight-friendly casserole for 15 minutes.
Black Bean and Rice Patties with Fresh Tomato-Avocado Salsa
Rice and beans get a thoroughly modern makeover in this vegetarian Mexican recipe. Since they look a lot like burger patties, this 30-minute meal is one of our go-to healthy Mexican entrées to share with picky eaters or kids. The beef-like patties pack in distinct (but not too fiery) south-of-the-border flavor, though, thanks to lime juice, garlic, oregano, chipotle chile pepper, and cumin. Top it all with fresh tomato-avocado salsa and enjoy one or two patties as-is, tucked inside a tortilla, or atop a salad.