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
