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Here are all the very best recipes for what serve with enchiladas or fajitas! Try our tangy slaw, black beans and rice, guacamole, and more.
Looking for what to serve with enchiladas to make it a meal? We feel you. Enchiladas are some of our very favorite recipes to serve when we’re entertaining. They’re filling, over-the-top delicious, and everyone always loves them. But how do you pair recipes that fit the vibe and complement the main dish?
Here are all our favorite recipes for what to serve with enchiladas. Bonus: all of these recipes work as sides to serve with fajitas, too! Think: crisp Mexican slaw, fresh tomato and avocado salad, zesty black beans and rice, and of course: chips and guac. Ready to get to the recipes?
And now…our top sides to serve with enchiladas (or fajitas)!
First up in our best sides to serve with enchiladas: this tangy Mexican slaw! It features shredded cabbage, carrots, and thin sliced red onions, mixed with tangy apple cider vinegar and cilantro. Two types of cumin are featured here: ground and cumin seeds, which gives it a unique flair. The fresh vegetables are the perfect complement to the rich cheesy enchiladas!
Another classic idea for what to serve with enchiladas: black beans and rice! This Latin-style side dish features black beans, jumbled with rice and green bell pepper, and seasoned with cumin, lime and cilantro. Cook your rice on the stovetop, or use the Instant Pot for a hands off method.
Also try: Cilantro Lime Rice
This guacamole is one of the best homemade versions out there! The ingredients are simple, but the meld of flavors is balanced and smooth. The recipe is easy to whip up; chop the veggies then mash everything in a bowl (or a molcajete like the one shown, if you have it!). Add tortilla chips as a classic side to serve with enchiladas or fajitas.
Here’s our new favorite easy side to go with tacos: Spanish rice! It’s actually not Spanish at all, but Mexican-style red rice. This recipe is a quick and easy spin: it uses salsa to get big flavor quickly, and adobo sauce for a smoky undertone. It will become a go-to in no time! If you've got a pressure cooker, try Instant Pot Spanish Rice.
Of course, chips and salsa are the favorite side to serve with enchiladas or fajitas! Here's our very best salsa recipe for when ripe tomatoes are plentiful. It's got just the right tangy, garlicky and savory flavor so you won't be able to stop dipping! If it's not the season for tomatoes, try our Roasted Tomato Salsa or Salsa Verde instead.
This tossed salad works as a side for just about anything But paired with our Creamy Avocado Dressing, it's a natural fit to serve with enchiladas or fajitas! It's full of crunchy vegetables: radishes, carrots, cucumber, and red and green onion. Top with homemade tortilla strips and creamy cilantro dressing for a Latin-flair. (Or make our Easy Mexican Salad.)
This mix of fresh veggies is a perfect fit with Latin-style flavors! Ripe tomatoes, cool cucumber and avocado are mixed with red onion, cumin, and lime. It's extremely refreshing and a fantastic contrast to rich, baked flavors.
Here's everyone's favorite side to serve with enchiladas, fajitas or tacos: Mexican street corn! Elote is grilled corn that’s slathered in a sauce of sour cream, mayonnaise, and chili powder, and sprinkled with cheese. It’s a popular snack served by street vendors in Mexico, so it’s often called Mexican street corn. Serve it with tangy lime and cilantro, and the crunch of the corn against the creamy, messy sauce is pretty much to die for.
Refried bean dip is a perfect side to serve with enchiladas: but most bean dips are full of cheese, which would make for a cheese heavy meal. This one, though, is the perfect fresh and healthy spin! There's no cheese but it's full of big flavor, relying on onion, japaleno, and cumin to do the heavy lifting.
And last up in what to serve with enchiladas and fajitas: grilled avocado! If it's grilling season, a tasty way to prepare avocados is simply grilling them, which adds a smoky flair. Top with salsa fresca, pico de gallo, or black bean & corn salsa, and you've got a stunning and unique side!
More great enchiladas recipes
Tangy Mexican Slaw & More Sides for Enchiladas!
This tangy Mexican slaw is the perfect side to serve with enchiladas or fajitas! Deliciously fresh and tangy, it features cabbage, red onion, cilantro, and cumin.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 8 cups shredded cabbage (1/2 large or 1 medium head green cabbage; or do half red cabbage and half green)
- 1 cup shredded carrot (1 large or 2 medium carrots)
- 1/4 red onion
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cabbage. Shred the carrot. Thinly slice the red onion. Finely chop the cilantro.
- In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together. Taste and add additional salt or pepper if needed. Serve immediately. (Make ahead: slice the veggies in advance and store refrigerated. Mix together with the vinegar, olive oil, cumin seed, ground cumin, salt and pepper directly before serving. Store leftovers refrigerated; if you find the flavor needs refreshing, add a splash of vinegar, drizzle of olive oil and pinch of kosher salt to taste.)
And some favorite enchiladas & fajitas recipes
Of course, we couldn’t leave you with only what to serve with enchiladas! Let’s talk about our favorite enchiladas recipes:
- Vegetarian Enchiladas Fast and easy: a total crowd pleaser!
- Vegan Enchiladas These vegan enchiladas are over the top delicious! Stuffed with black beans and guacamole, they’re doused in a zesty homemade red enchilada sauce.
- Vegetarian Enchiladas with Quinoa These tasty vegetarian enchiladas are a major crowd-pleaser! They’re stuffed with satisfying quinoa and artichoke filling.
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas A fan favorite! These enchiladas are filled with sweet potatoes, black beans and salsa verde.
- Vegetarian Skillet Enchiladas Why not make enchiladas in a skillet? This one’s a short cut to dinner using purchased red enchilada sauce.
- Vegetarian Fajitas on the Grill These fajitas are easy to grill up as a fast and easy dinner recipe, featuring a charred veggie and black bean filling.
More sides to go with…
We love helping you find great recipes to pair with main dishes! Here are a few more recipe collections:
