Beef Enchiladas

At a glance

What stands out: With seasoned ground beef, red enchilada sauce, zippy green chilies, and lots of melty cheese, these beef enchiladas are guaranteed to be a big hit at the dinner table!

How long it takes: Just under an hour
Equipment you’ll need: skillet, baking dish
Servings: 4 (2 enchiladas each)

Pin this now to find it later

Pin It

From-scratch Enchiladas

Like tacos, enchiladas have seemingly endless filling options, from chicken (see our chicken enchiladas verde) to plain cheese, black beans, and veggies. But if you’re looking for an enchilada recipe that’s going to be a win with you and your kids, it’s these beef enchiladas. The filling is basically your classic “taco meat” filling, with browned ground beef cooked with taco seasoning. Straightforward and rich!

Although you can use store-bought enchilada sauce, we highly recommend using our from-scratch red enchilada sauce recipe here. You might even have everything you need to make it on hand in your pantry already! It has memorable flavor and it’s straightforward—plus, you can have it simmering on the stovetop while you brown the ground beef, so it won’t add much extra prep time either.

Classic Ground Beef Enchilada Recipe

Straightforward to mix. The simple seasoned ground beef filling is probably the easiest option for making enchiladas, aside from just adding cheese! There’s not a lot of prep work or cooking required. (You can also get more bang for your buck by doubling the filling recipe and using or freezing half for making tacos or beef nachos another day.)

Kid-friendly. Kids LOVE classic ground beef tacos and they’ll love these beef enchiladas, too, because they’re made with the same seasoned beef filling.

Reliable for meal prep. These beef enchiladas are rich reheated as leftovers and you can also get a head start on this recipe by making the filling or sauce in advance. Make a double batch of enchiladas and freeze one panful for a future meal.

What goes in

• Lean ground beef: We like to use lean ground beef, such as 92/8 so the enchiladas don’t get too greasy.
• Onion and garlic: Cooking the beef with onion and garlic infuses it with savory flavor.
• Taco seasoning: You can use a packet from the grocery store or our from-scratch taco seasoning with added flour to help thicken the filling a bit.
• Green chiles: Canned green chiles are available mild or spicy, so choose whichever one you prefer. They can be omitted if you’re not a fan.
• Shredded Mexican blend cheese: The enchiladas are cheesy inside and out, with part of the cheese mixed with filling, and the rest on top. You can use cheddar, Monterey jack, or pepper Jack as alternatives.
• Red enchilada sauce: Buy canned sauce (you’ll need 1 ½ cups, or about 12 ounces) or make our from-scratch red enchilada sauce recipe.
• Flour tortillas: We like to use taco size tortillas, about 8 inches in diameter. They easily fit in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. (See the note below.)
• Toppings: Choose what you like best from fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, sour cream, sliced avocado or guacamole, salsa, etc.

Corn vs. Flour Tortillas

However, if you’d like to use corn tortillas, that’s fine. We recommend frying them in a small amount of oil until they’re warm and pliable before filling and rolling them.

Mexican lasagna is another tasty option if you like corn tortillas. The tortillas are layered in a southwest-style lasagna casserole instead of lasagna noodles.

How it comes together

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 375ºF and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. We coat ours lightly with nonstick spray.

Brown the beef. Add the beef and onions to a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Use a wooden spoon to break up the beef as it cooks. Once the beef is cooked, with no pink remaining, drain off any excess fat, if necessary.

Finish the filling. Add the garlic, taco seasoning, chilies, and water to the skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened slightly. Stir in 1 ½ cups of the shredded cheese.

Fill the tortillas. Spread a little of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Divide the beef filling onto the tortillas and roll them tightly. If you’re using flour tortillas, they should be pliable and roll without tearing, but if you’re having issues, warm them up a bit and try again. Place the rolled enchiladas seam-side down in the baking dish.

Finish assembling. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle on the reserved cheese.

Bake. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes. Uncover the baking dish and bake 15 minutes more, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling up along the edges.

Serve. Let the enchiladas cool for a few minutes, then add desired toppings, and serve. If you prefer, the toppings can be served separately and everyone can choose their own.

Straightforward Recipe Variations

• Use ground turkey. If you’re not a fan of beef, feel free to substitute ground turkey in this recipe, like our ground turkey tacos; you may need to add a tablespoon of oil to the pan before browning the turkey since it’s leaner than beef.
• Make it creamy. Stir sour cream into the enchilada sauce to make it creamy. Sour cream is excellent for topping enchiladas too.
• Add beans and veggies. You can add canned black beans or canned corn to the ground beef filling if you’d like. If you use frozen corn, thaw it first. Diced green or red bell pepper is rich, too. Add it to the skillet with the onion and beef to sauté.

Ways to serve it

• Beans and rice. Refried beans are a classic side dish for enchiladas but you could also serve them with Instant Pot pinto beans. Serve with a side of from-scratch Mexican rice.
• Corn. This Instant Pot corn on the cob recipe is a favorite around here! You can slather it with butter and sprinkle a little taco seasoning onto it for Tex-Mex flair.
• Salad. Black bean and avocado salad would work as a side or as a topping for the beef enchiladas. Taco slaw is another great side. Another salad-type topping we love with enchiladas is black bean corn salsa and pico de gallo.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Store leftover beef enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you have a lot of leftovers, you can simply cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate that.

Freeze: You can freeze these enchiladas before or after baking. If you want to freeze them before baking, assemble the enchiladas and wrap the dish tightly in foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking according to the original recipe instructions. If you’re freezing after baking, wrap them in the dish or transfer smaller portions to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw before reheating.

Reheat: Warm leftovers in a 350ºF oven until heated through or use the microwave. If you’re using the oven, we recommend covering the baking dish with foil to keep the enchiladas from drying out.

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 35 minutes
• Total: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef (we used 92/8)
• ½ cup finely diced onion ( 1 small onion)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 packet (1 ounce) taco seasoning (see note)
• 1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles, optional
• ¼ cup water
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
• 1 ½ cups red enchilada sauce, divided (store-bought or homemade )
• 8 large flour tortillas (8 inches, taco size)

Optional Toppings:

• cilantro, sliced green onions, sour cream, sliced avocado or guacamole, salsa

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the ground beef and chopped onion, breaking the beef up into crumbles as it cooks, until beef is cooked through. Drain excess fat if needed.
3. Add garlic, taco seasoning, green chiles (if using), and water. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened.
4. Remove pan from heat and stir in 1 ½ cups shredded cheese until melted.
5. Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce (½ cup) on the bottom of the baking dish. Place a few tablespoons of the beef filling in the center of each tortilla, roll tightly, and place seam-side down in the prepared dish.
6. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce (1 cup) over the rolled tortillas, ensuring they are evenly coated. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of shredded cheese.
7. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
8. Let the enchiladas cool slightly before serving. Garnish with desired toppings.

Notes

Meat: If you prefer, ground turkey can be substituted.

Taco seasoning: we recommend using our from-scratch taco seasoning. Use 2 tablespoons, along with 1 tablespoon flour, to equal a 1 ounce packet.

Storage & freezing: Leftover beef enchiladas can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can freeze these enchiladas before or after baking. If you want to freeze them before baking, assemble the enchiladas and wrap the dish tightly in foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking according to the original recipe instructions. If you’re freezing after baking, wrap them in the dish or transfer smaller portions to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw before reheating.

Reheating: Warm leftovers in a 350ºF oven until heated through or use the microwave. If you’re using the oven, we recommend covering the baking dish with foil to keep the enchiladas from drying out.