Easy Beef Enchiladas made with lean ground meat, shredded cheddar, a quick flavorful, enchilada sauce, succulent beans, and green chilies are perfectly seasoned and tossed together in tortillas.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- The whole family will love this classic enchilada recipe. It's a crowd-pleaser!
- As written, It's not too spicy. You can kick up the spices if you prefer more heat.
- It's a freezer-friendly. So make a double batch and freeze one for another busy day.
- These easy ground beef enchiladas are affordable
Ingredients
- ground beef - We use 80% lean for this recipe.
- onion - adds a nice flavor to the beef.
- fresh garlic - everything tastes better with garlic.
- diced green chiles - another layer of flavor and a kick to enhance the beef.
- black beans - additional protein is always a plus.
- fire-roasted diced tomatoes - adds moisture to the beef filling. Fire-roasted has a smokiness that adds great flavor but regular diced tomatoes can be used.
- red enchilada sauce - use either homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought, always great results.
- flour tortillas - use burrito size tortillas to get a nice amount of filling in each one.
- Mexican cheese, a combination of cheddar and Monterey Jack, balances so well with the beef and enchilada sauce.
- black pepper and salt.
Equipment
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Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
Step 1:In a large skillet, brown beef, onions, and garlic. Drain excess fat. Add in tomatoes, beans, and chiles.
Step 2: Place the filling down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortilla.
Step 3: Pour some enchilada sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish.
Step 4: Place rolled tortilla, seamed side down in the prepared casserole dish.
Step 5: Cover tortillas with enchilada sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.
Step 6: Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes.
Serve with favorite toppings.
Serving Suggestions
- Guacamole
- Pico de Gallo
- Black bean salad
- Cilantro rice
- Black olives
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Diced tomatoes
Storage
Keep leftovers in the refrigerator in a covered, airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a preheated 350°F/178°C oven until heated through.
Freezing Instructions
To freeze the ground beef enchiladas, it is best to use a freezer-safe aluminum baking pan. Wrap well with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To heat the frozen enchiladas, ( be sure to remove the plastic wrap around the baking dish) place them in a preheated oven at 350°F oven, for 45 minutes, covered. Then, remove the foil and bake an additional 5 - 10 minutes. Everything should be cooked through, tiny bubbles around the edges, and the cheese melted.
The casserole can also defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Heat at 350°F for about 20 minutes, uncovered.
For detailed information on food storage, refer to USDA Food Safety Page.
Expert Tips
Expert Tip: Plan ahead, make the casserole the night before and just heat up when ready for dinner.
Absolutely, traditional enchiladas use corn tortillas. We use flour tortillas because they are easier to work with and my family loves the flavor.
Another reason to use soft flour tortillas, there is no need for frying. Corn tortillas need to be fried to soften them before filling them with the ground beef mixture.
Cover the casserole with aluminum foil unt
Variations
- Use Shredded Mexican Beef in lieu of ground beef for amazing enchiladas
- 1 cup of corn, either canned ( drain and discard the juices) or frozen corn, it doesn't need to be defrosted.
- Swap 3 green onions, chopped instead of diced onions
- Use ground turkey or shredded chicken instead of beef
- For a spicy recipe use 1 teaspoon chili powder.
- Taco Seasoning is also great added to the beef mixture.
Similar recipes
Another recipe that I've added to our meal rotation is these tasty chicken enchilada sliders. Gosh, they are so tasty.
Some other recipes to enjoy, Tequilla Lime Steak, a flavor-packed marinade on steaks and beef.
Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Mango Salsa is one of my favorites.
Make a double batch of sauce and make a big pot of Chicken Enchilada Soup.
Our Frito Pie recipe is another classic ground beef casserole that is always a hit.
Chicken Tortilla Soup is a classic and delicious soup! Not too spicy and kids love it!
Chicken Fajitas are another easy dinner with everything made in one pan.
Serving Suggestions
This is a great recipe to serve on its own with Pico de Gallo and Guacamole.
Finish off the meal with a slice of Tres Leches Cake and Churros Bites.
Do you want a fun, and festive Mexican dinner that everyone will love? A meal that after one bite, your family will ask to add this meal in as a favorite. Well then, this is your beef enchilada recipe.
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Thank you for the continued support. I am forever grateful.
Eileen xo
This recipe was first published April 25, 2020. It has been updated for reader experience.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Beef Enchiladas Recipe
Equipment Needed:
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef Note 1
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 14 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained Note 2
- 14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 ounce can green chiles
- 28 ounces homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought, Note 3
- 3 cups shredded cheddar and Colby Jack Cheese 1 ½ cups of each cheese
- 8 flour tortilla
- non-stick cooking spray
Toppings
- guacamole
- pico de gallo
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 tomato, diced
- sour cream
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray, set aside.
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the ground beef and onions. Brown the beef, breaking it up it as it browns. When all the beef is just about browned, Mix in garlic. Stir occasionally to blend in the garlic. The meat will be browned through with no pink in the meat. Drain excess fat from pan and discard.
- Season meat mixture with cumin, salt, and black pepper.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, mix in the diced tomatoes, black beans, and green chiles. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a low-boil, reduce to medium heat, simmer another 5 minutes to blend flavors.
- Taste the cooked beef mix for seasoning, if needed, adjust seasoning.
- In the prepared casserole dish, spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce to cover bottom of pan.
- On a cutting board or any flat surface, lay out a tortilla, place ⅕ of the beef mixture down the center of the tortilla. Then place a generous helping of shredded cheese, about 2 Tablespoons on the meat mixture. Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down in the casserole dish.
- Repeat this process with remaining 7 tortillas.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the filled tortillas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 15 minutes, covered. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5-8 minutes, until the sauce will be bubbly and the cheese is all melted.
- Remove from oven. Let rest 5 minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings
