Beef Enchiladas featuring a deliciously rich and saucy filling, generously covered with a homemade Enchilada Sauce. To save time, I use a single Enchilada spice mix for both the sauce and the filling!
The world of Beef Enchiladas is vast and varied. You can find simple versions filled with just cooked beef and topped with enchilada sauce and plenty of cheese, as well as more elaborate ones that include ingredients like chilies, beans, corn, and even olives or bacon.
These mouthwatering Tex-Mex-inspired enchiladas are packed with tender ground beef (or, as we often do now, plant-based meat), green chiles, onion, garlic, beans, cheese, your choice of tortillas, and my favorite red enchilada sauce. Once baked to a warm, melty perfection and served with slices of avocado and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and crumbled cotija, I can confidently say—after more than a decade of sharing these enchiladas with family and friends—that they are always a resounding success.
How to make Beef Enchiladas
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This beef enchiladas recipe is made with a delicious (and easy!) homemade red enchilada sauce, and it’s guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
- 1 batch red enchilada sauce (or 15 ounces store-bought red enchilada sauce)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 8 large flour tortillas*
- 3 cups Mexican-blend shredded cheese
- toppings: fresh cilantro, chopped red onions, diced avocado, sour cream, and/or crumbled cotija cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the enchilada sauce. Prepare the enchilada sauce according to recipe instructions.
- Sauté the beef filling. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground beef and cumin and sauté for 5 minutes or until completely browned, crumbling the beef with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Stir in the beans and green chiles until combined. Season the mixture with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper, to taste.
- Prep oven and baking dish. Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce evenly along the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Assemble the enchiladas. To assemble the enchiladas, set up an assembly line including: tortillas, enchilada sauce, beef filling, and cheese. Lay out a tortilla, and spread two tablespoons of sauce over the surface of the tortilla. Add a generous spoonful of the beef filling in a line down the center of the tortilla, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Roll up the tortilla and place it in the prepared baking dish. Assemble the remaining enchiladas. Spread any remaining sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas, followed by any extra cheese.
- Bake. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the enchiladas are cooked through and the tortillas are slightly crispy on the outside. Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack.
- Serve. Serve the enchiladas immediately while they’re nice and hot, garnished with lots of your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Tortillas: See notes in the post above if you would like to substitute corn tortillas.