Ground Beef Enchiladas
These ground beef enchiladas are made with a flavorful beef and bean filling, rolled up with cheese, and topped with a from-scratch red sauce (and more cheese!).
Enchiladas, really good enchiladas, are one of life’s best comfort foods, and this recipe does not disappoint! No fancy ingredients or expensive cuts of meat – just basic, easy-to-find ingredients that combine to make some of the most delicious enchiladas ever.

From-Scratch Enchilada Sauce Ingredients
Don’t have store bought enchilada sauce on hand? Don’t worry! The sauce for these enchiladas is made from scratch. It comes together really fast with easy-to-find ingredients:
- Olive oil: the olive oil is necessary to form the roux (with the flour) to help thicken the sauce.
- Flour: all-purpose flour is best here – for a gluten-free option, a basic 1:1 gluten-free flour (that isn’t nut-based) will likely work well as a substitute.
- Beef broth: I almost always use low-sodium beef broth and then taste at the end and add more salt, if needed.
- Tomato sauce: use an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce (not crushed tomatoes or tomato juice).
- Chili powder: different brands of chili powder may vary greatly in flavor and spiciness. Keep that in mind when making this recipe and make sure to use a brand you like the flavor of. My favorite brand of chili powder is this one from Penzey’s spices.
- Onion powder: this ingredient may also be labeled as granulated onion.
- Garlic powder: you can sub 1 to 2 cloves fresh garlic for the garlic powder; I like the ease of using garlic powder for this recipe, and in my recipe testing, there was no noticeable difference between using garlic powder and fresh garlic.
- Ground cumin: this adds an earthy, deep, smoky flavor to the enchilada sauce.
- Brown sugar: there is just a small amount of brown sugar, and I encourage using it as it helps to balance the flavors of the sauce.
- Dried oregano: if you can find or have Mexican oregano, use it – but if not, Italian oregano will work fine.
Enchilada Make-Ahead Tips
➡️ The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. It can be used straight from the fridge; no need to warm up before using in the enchilada recipe.
➡️ The ground beef filling can be also be made several days in advance. It will be quite a bit thicker after refrigerating. Mash the cold filling into smaller pieces or lightly warm before filling the enchiladas.
➡️ The enchiladas can be fully assembled and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. To bake, increase the baking time by about 10-15 minutes and keep the pan covered with lightly greased foil for the first 20 minutes (so the cheese doesn’t stick).
➡️ Alternately, the assembled enchiladas can be frozen before baking. Cover the dish with lightly greased foil and freeze. To bake, it is preferable to thaw the enchiladas in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed above in the refrigerated instructions. However, the enchiladas can be baked from frozen by reducing the oven temperature to 350 degrees, baking the enchiladas covered for 45 minutes, uncovering and continuing to bake for another 45 to 60 minutes until they are hot and bubbling.
Ground Beef Enchilada Filling Ingredients
There are just five simple ingredients for the ground beef filling:
- Ground beef: I prefer using lean ground beef; regardless of the leanness of the ground beef, make sure to drain excess grease after cooking.
- Onion: white or yellow onions can be used.
- Green chiles: one 4-ounce can of chiles is used in this recipe; check the labels closely and make sure to use mild, medium or hot, based on your preference.
- Garlic: fresh garlic or garlic powder can be used in the filling.
- Pinto beans: the pinto beans can be lightly mashed prior to adding to the filling (I prefer to do this), but you can also leave them whole. A different variety of bean, like black beans or white beans, can be used in place of the pinto beans. Alternately, the beans can be omitted entirely (you’ll likely get less enchiladas if doing so).
Once the filling ingredients have cooked fully, 1/2 cup of the prepared enchilada sauce is also stirred into the filling. This adds a delicious boost of flavor and sauciness to the inside of the enchiladas.
What Type of Tortillas are Best for Enchiladas
There are pros and cons to flour or corn tortillas, but ultimately, the type of tortilla used really just boils down to preference.
- Corn tortillas can crack easily while rolling up the enchiladas. To prevent this, gently warm them before using. Corn tortillas usually hold up a bit better if making enchiladas in advance to bake later (either refrigerating or freezing).
- Flour tortillas usually roll up without cracking, however, they do have a tendency to get a bit more soft/soggy in sauce-heavy enchilada recipes.
The size of tortillas doesn’t have to be exact. I use 6- or 7-inch tortillas for this recipe (sometimes labeled “fajita size” for flour tortillas). Smaller or larger tortillas can be used; obviously the size of tortilla may impact the overall yield (bigger tortillas? bigger enchiladas…but less of them). Aren’t you glad I’m here to help with such tricky enchilada math? 😜
Here’s Why I Personally Love This Recipe
Even with the from-scratch sauce, these ground beef enchiladas come together fast. And the flavor is profoundly delicious!
I love that I can make these enchiladas early in the day so they’re ready to bake when dinner time rolls around. They are hearty, filling, and a huge family favorite.
Also, can we normalize loading up enchiladas with tons of toppings? A creamy dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh avocado, squeeze of lime juice, and some chopped tomatoes and cilantro will skyrocket these simple enchiladas straight into Best Meal Ever status.
If you’ve been wanting a down-home, unfussy enchilada recipe, this is it! Get them on the menu ASAP.
What to Serve With This:
- Mexican Chopped Salad
- Fresh fruit
- Corn on the cob
- Toppings: sour cream, tomatoes, avocados, etc.
Ground Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
Filling:
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 4-ounce can green chiles
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch black pepper
- 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed, drained and lightly mashed (optional)
Enchiladas:
- 12 (6- to 7-inch) flour or corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese
- Fresh, chopped cilantro for topping, optional
Instructions
- For the sauce, in a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the flour. Whisk to combine and cook for 30-45 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Gradually add the beef broth, whisking constantly. Add the tomato sauce and all the seasonings. Simmer, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat.
- For the filling, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet, add the ground beef, onions, green chiles, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, breaking the meat into small pieces, for 5 to 6 minutes until the meat is no longer pink. Off the heat, drain excess grease.
- Add the pinto beans and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce to the filling. Stir to combine.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- To assemble the enchiladas, lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and spread 3/4 cup of sauce on the bottom.
- Scoop a heaping 1/4 cup of the ground beef filling in the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of cheese (make sure to leave about 1 cup cheese for topping the enchiladas).
- Roll each enchilada up and place seam side down on top of the sauce in the prepared pan. (Using 6- or 7-inch tortillas, I get 12 enchiladas with this recipe and place them in two rows of six in the pan.)
- Spread the remaining sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese (about 1 cup).
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cilantro, if using. Let the enchiladas rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with additional toppings, like: sour cream, salsa, avocados, extra cheese, if desired.
Notes
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
These were delicious. The homemade enchilada sauce is a game changer. Thanks for a great new recipe to add to our dinner rotation
You are so welcome, Traci – thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Is an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce the correct amount for the enchilada sauce? That doesn’t seem like it will be enough.
Yes, I use one 8-ounce can tomato sauce for this recipe.
Great! I made these last week during a busy night and they came together quickly. I was worried they’d be spicy with the chili powder I used, but they were great! We had leftover filling which we will pull out for nachos or burritos! Thank you for a great from scratch recipe.
Love the idea of using extra filling on nachos or burritos. Thanks, Kimberly!
This sounds perfect. I’m curious because most enchilada recipes call for dipping the tortilla in oil or the sauce first. I think that was to prevent the tortilla from cracking. I’m glad your recipe doesn’t require this, but do the tortilla crack and separate. Thank you!
Hi Leigh, corn tortillas have a tendency to crack more than flour tortillas, but you can combat that by lightly warming the corn tortillas in a skillet with a bit of oil before using. I haven’t found I need to warm flour tortillas before using in this recipe.
Yum! Once again, Mel, you somehow deliver a new recipe that hits the mark!! These are delicious! And because my husband and I are the only ones eating enchiladas these days (one day our kids will graduate from cheese quesadillas, I hope!), it is so nice to be able to scale this. I halved it this time, but it was so yummy that next time I’ll make the entire recipe and freeze half for later. I also think I’ll add a pinch of cayenne to the enchilada sauce next time, but we like things a bit spicy. Thanks for another winning recipe for our dinner rotation!
I’m happy this worked out well for you and you were able to make it work for a smaller crowd (although I think you’re right, making the full batch and freezing is a great idea!)
We are such fans of your creamy chicken enchiladas that I hesitated to make these, but I should not have. They were easy and delish. We had zero leftovers!
Thank you for another enchilada favorite.
Thrilled you liked these, Sheila!
Thanks to a successful archery season, we now have a freezer stuffed with elk meat. I made these last week with elk hamburger and they were SO delicious! I have a feeling we will be making these enchiladas quite often. Thanks for another easy and delicious recipe!
Amazing way to use up a freezer of elk meat! I’m going to tell my sister (who also has a freezer full of elk meat). Thanks, Kimmy!
Amazing. I subbed in cooked chicken for the beef because that’s what I had and they turned out so good. Even my kid that doesn’t like enchiladas loved these.
Thanks for the comment, Julia! So happy to know subbing chicken worked so well!
This was so good!! My son is gluten and dairy free so we just made the filling, half the sauce & poured it over the filling and ate it over quinoa. It was a delicious!
What a great variation, Becky! Thanks for including the details of how you varied the recipe!
These were fabulous, Mel! There are only two of us, so we ate them twice in one week and froze the rest. Thank you!!!!!!!
Happy to hear that, Kim! Thanks for letting me know!
Because my family has been so anti-enchiladas, I haven’t made them in well over a decade (or longer). When I saw these I wanted to just give them a try. Thumbs up all-around! Everyone REALLY liked them! I did, too! Definitely going into our rotation.
Oh yay, Chris! I was nervous when I first started reading your comment and saw “anti-enchilada” but I’m so happy that the enchiladas were well received and loved!
Delicious! Perfect proportions of sauce and fillings. Loved the added beans too! Everyone ate them and loved them. Thanks Mel!
Thanks for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed this recipe, Rachel!
These were SO yummy! Thanks, Mel!
Happy you loved the recipe, Katie! Thanks for letting me know!
Made this for a family dinner last night. Multiplied everything by 1.5 to make 18 enchiladas. Some didn’t like spicy so I put in fewer green chiles and no jalapeños. Didn’t put as much cheese as written but everyone still loved it. My oldest even ate 2 for breakfast this morning. Thanks!
Yay, Loren! Thanks for the review!
Enchiladas was new for me. Made them in the morning with corn tortillas and popped them in the oven when we got home this evening. Flavorful, creamy, and simply unctuously delicious! Will be making again and seems like a great meal to share!
Thanks for the review, Michele! Happy you enjoyed these – and I agree, this would be a great take-in meal to a neighbor or friend!
I definitely have to try and make this homemade enchilada sauce. I have a recipe very similar to this that I came up with after many trials, and I agree adding enchilada sauce to the meat mixture adds so much flavor. We also include a jalapeño because we like the additional kick it provides. I like your addition of the pinto beans, we always add refried beans in my tortilla before adding the filling and cheese.
Delicious! I didn’t know making enchilada sauce was so easy and so much better than the can. I made a batch for dinner tonight and froze a pan for postpartum. I’m so excited to eat them when the time comes!
Look at you go, Emily! You’re amazing! Good luck with baby and postpartum!
These were so easy to make and so tasty. After a little coaxing to “just try one bite,” each of my kids proceeded to finish their whole plate. Yay for easy meals that they like!
Ok, that’s amazing, Beth! Yay!! Why is it such a relief when kids eat dinner without any complaints?!?
These were amazing!! Even the pickiest eaters are without complaint and my husband is already looking forward to them being on the menu again! Thanks for another yummy recipe Mel!
All who ate them loved these enchiladas. My husband thought this was one of your best recipes!
Jill, this is such high praise from your husband. That totally made my day! Thank you for taking the time to share. So, so happy the recipe was a hit.
I’m so happy to hear this, Shauna – thank you!!
Mel, I have never made enchiladas before but saw your recipe and decided I was going to try them. All 4 of mid kids and husband LOVED them! There was not a bite left! Thank you!!
I am thrilled to read your comment, Gessica! So happy your family loved them. Yay!
Coming in clutch when I am fresh out of dinner motivation! These were yummy. Came together faster than other enchilada recipes, which I love. And the sauce was just the right amount of spicy. Thanks, Mel!
I have leftover chuck roast and wanted to use it in enchiladas. There a way that I could use that meat with this recipe? Or do you have a better recipe for that?
Hi Jeni, I think you could saute the onions, garlic and green chiles in the skillet with a little olive oil (without the ground beef), and then dice the leftover chuck roast and add it to the skillet to heat briefly with the aromatics…then proceed with the recipe. Will probably be very yummy!
I had planned on ground beef taco for dinner and then this recipe showed up in my inbox. Wow, it was a hit with the whole family! My son declared it “the best new recipe I’ve made in a long time”.
Awesome, so happy you loved this one, Nancy. Thanks for letting me know!