These saucy, cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas are made with a rich homemade enchilada sauce that is like a Tex-Mex gravy. They are savory, hearty, and supremely satisfying.
We love having Mexican food for dinner and think it’s best when it’s homemade! Serve these enchiladas up with Horchata, Mexican Rice, and Pico de Gallo for a full-on Mexican feast!
These Ground Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce are seriously the best!
These easy beef enchilada recipe is seriously the best. The homemade red enchilada sauce is so much better than anything that comes in a can from a store and it hardly takes any time at all to make on the stovetop.
I make no claims about these being authentic Mexican beef enchiladas since I think of them as being more Tex-Mex anyway. But regardless of their authenticity, these beef filled enchiladas make an incredibly satisfying and delicious dinner, especially if they are made with homemade flour tortillas.
We like enchiladas with corn tortillas as well and often rotate between the two when making enchiladas. Either way they are delicious!
The ground beef enchiladas I grew up with are a little different from these. Instead of using taco seasoning to flavor the meat, like I do here, my mom would mix a package of cream cheese and an egg in with the cooked ground beef and onion and just pour a can of red enchilada sauce over them. I still like my enchiladas that way sometimes, but find myself making them with Mexican spices or taco seasoning more often these days.
Ground Beef Enchilada Recipe ingredients
For the meat filling you will need
- Olive oil – To saute the onion in.
- Yellow Onion
- Ground Beef – I prefer 85/15 or 80/20
- Seasoning – A combination of chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, and garlic powder.
- Kosher Salt
- Red Enchilada Sauce
- Salted Butter
- All-Purpose Flour – the flour and butter will be mixed together to create a roux to thicken the sauce.
- Seasoning – A combination of chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano.
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Beef broth – Adds a great flavor to the sauce to compliment the beef filling.
- Tomato sauce – Get a rich tomato flavor by adding tomato sauce.
To assemble the Enchiladas you will need
- Flour tortillas
- Sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
- Monterey JAck cheese freshly grated
- Optional garnish toppings
- Freshly chopped cilantro leaves
- Sliced avocado
- Diced tomato
- Sliced green onions
- Olives
- Sour cream
- Salsa
Are enchiladas better with corn or flour tortillas?
This completely depends on what you prefer! Traditionally, a lot of restaurants use corn tortillas for enchiladas. I honestly like both corn and flour and will often rotate between the two.
What’s the best cheese for enchiladas?
There are so many different kind of cheese you can use! I personally like the pairing of the sharp cheddar and monterey cheeses with the flavors of the beef and red enchilada sauce. But other types of cheese you can use are cotija cheese or queso fresco, which are the more popular cheeses used in Mexican restaurants. You can almost always find a blend of monterey jack, cheddar, asadero, and queso in most grocery stores.
How to make Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Brown the ground beef. I tend to prefer ground beef with a higher fat percentage over a lean ground beef because it’s more flavorful and enchiladas. Just be sure to brown the meat over medium high heat and drain the grease well once the meat is no longer pink.
- Make the enchilada sauce. This starts with a roux, which is just melted butter or oil with some added flour. Once this cooks for a minute or two, add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Assemble. Warm the tortillas to make them pliable. Fill with some of the filling and roll up nice and tight. Nestle the enchiladas seam side down in a large casserole dish with a little extra sauce in the bottom, then pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with the rest of the shredded cheese. You could even sprinkle black olives over the top, if you like them, but the adults in our household are kind of babies and can’t stand olives so we always leave them off.
- Bake. Bake the ground beef enchiladas with foil over the top for about 20-25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes until they are heated all the way through and the cheese is melted on top.
How Long to Bake Enchiladas
Bake the ground beef enchiladas with foil over the top for about 20-25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes until they are heated all the way through and the cheese is melted on top.
Ground Beef Enchiladas Recipe Tips
Best way to warm tortillas for rolling enchiladas
If I’m using flour tortillas, I warm them in the microwave with the tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel for about a minute before filling them with the ground beef mixture.
If using corn tortillas, I like to heat a little oil on the stovetop and dip each tortilla with tongs for a few seconds on each side. The oil both warms them enough that they don’t tear while being filled, and protects them from soaking up too much of the sauce and turning to mush while the enchiladas bake.
Make ahead and Freezing instructions for Ground Beef Enchiladas
We love that enchiladas are something you can make in advance and even freeze so you have something on hand for busy days. These make a great freezer meal for sharing with a friend in need.
To freeze before cooking: Either us a disposable aluminum pan or line a casserole dish with a thick layer of foil. Assemble the enchiladas like normal, then freeze. If you lined your regular baking dish with foil, once the enchiladas are frozen you can pop them out, wrap them in another layer of foil, and keep them in the freezer that way so your have your casserole dish free to use. When ready to thaw and bake, just pop the foil-wrapped enchiladas back in the pan.
They can stay frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, first allow the enchiladas to thaw on the counter for at least an hour or in the fridge overnight. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 30-40 minutes covered with foil. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes until hot all the way through.
To freeze after baking: I like to divide leftovers into individual portions to freeze. It makes them easier to reheat for lunches.
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat well in the microwave or oven.
What to serve with Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce
Enchiladas are pretty heavy and filling all on their own. We typically serve them with light sides like a nice, fresh salad or slices of watermelon and something sweet to drink like Brazilian Lemonade.
Be sure to have sour cream, chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, and chopped green onions for topping the enchiladas.
Beef Enchilada FAQs
I wouldn’t say there is one big grand secret to making good enchiladas but nothing beats a good homemade enchilada with delicious homemade sauce topped with freshly grated cheese. Try not to overstuff your tortillas and make sure you don’t use too much sauce. You don’t want your enchiladas swimming in the sauce. Another trick you can do is quickly fry your tortillas before stuffing them. This creates a nice barrier and prevents soggy tortillas. I sometimes don’t do this because I just don’t have the patience and just want to get them in the oven. Either way, these enchiladas will taste wonderful!
Typically enchiladas are baked covered to allow them to bake evenly and heated throughout. You also don’t want the sauce to evaporate so baking it covered keeps it nice and “saucy”. Remove the foil the last ten minutes to get the cheese nice and melted.
Really you can put pretty much anything in an enchilada! There are so many recipes for good enchiladas but traditionally they include a combination of meat, cheese, and sauce. You can add vegetables, beans, green chiles, salsa, sour cream, or guacamole to mix things up a bit.
More Mexican recipes
- Homemade Churros Recipe
- Chicken Chimichangas
- Ground Beef Taco Meat
- Baja Fish Tacos
- Authentic Carne Asada Recipe
- Taquitos
- Cheese Enchiladas
- Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
- or get even more dinner ideas!
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Ground Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
Meat Filling
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 pound ground beef I prefer 85/15 or 80/20
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Red Enchilada Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups beef broth
- 6 ounces tomato sauce
Assembly
- 10-12 medium 8-inch [flour tortillas]
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese freshly grated
Garnish
- Freshly chopped cilantro leaves
- Avocado sliced
- Tomato diced
- Green onions sliced
- Olives
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and saute for 5-6 minutes until softened. Add the ground beef and spices, breaking up the meat and cooking until browned. Transfer meat to a bowl.
- Melt the butter for the sauce in the same pan. Whisk in the flour to form a roux and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in all of the spices, then lowly whisk in the beef broth, a few splashes at a time to avoid lumps. Stir in the tomato sauce, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently until slightly thickened.
- Mix ¼ cup of each kind of cheese with the browned ground beef. Warm tortillas in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel until soft and pliable. Spread about ½ cup of the sauce in a thin layer on the bottom of a large 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Fill each tortilla with about ⅓ cup of meat, then roll tightly and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat until all the meat and tortillas have been used, then pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, then cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and the enchiladas are hot all the way through.
Notes
- Freezer instructions: Make and assemble the enchiladas up to the point of baking. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking, covered in foil, for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F, then remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are hot all the way through.
Family favorite!!! So yummy! I’ll have to check out your other recipes because this one is fabulous!
Hi, I’m use to making enchiladas with corn tortillas, is this just your favorite using flour tortillas? I will use your recipe. it sounds real good.
I honestly love both! I alternate between corn and flour tortillas. Use whatever you like best! It’s a delicious recipe, hope you enjoy it!