These delicious Ground Beef Enchiladas are a little spicy and totally cheesy! Everything good Tex-Mex should be, and while I use my Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe with them, they'd be equally good with a green or white sauce too.
This recipe is so easy to whip up that you can put it on your weeknight menu and feel confident you can get dinner on the table in minutes. That said, they hold up really well to being made ahead of time. Roll and refrigerate the enchiladas before baking and wrap them up tight with plastic and you can make them up to a day ahead.
Ingredients
I would consider this recipe a pantry staple meal. Most if not all of these ingredients are almost always in my fridge or freezer, meaning this can be whipped up at a moment's notice. I make my Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe from scratch, but it is a double batch, so I usually have some of that around too!
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
In a large skillet, first cook the onions in the butter until tender, then add the ground beef. Cook until the beef is browned and season it up with all the spices.
Then let the beef cool just a little bit, and stir in some of the chihuahua cheese. The beef and chees mixture is now ready to be rolled in tortillas and turned into enchiladas.
Place some of the fillings into the tortillas, and roll them up tight. Then place them in a baking dish or pan that has some enchilada sauce spread across the bottom of it. When they are all rolled up, top with more sauce and cheese. Bake them until the cheese is melted and bubbly, then top with queso fresco and cilantro if desired.
Notes & Tips
If you don't like any crispness on your tortillas, cover them all the way to the edges with the sauce and cheese. I like a crispy edge, so I don't take it all the way to the edge.
The tortillas can be filled, wrapped, and frozen for up to two months. You can also assemble everything and keep it in the fridge for up to a day before baking.
These enchiladas also make great leftovers. Cooked and cooled enchiladas can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat the whole pan do so in a 350-degree oven, covered in foil until warmed, then remove the foil and bake 5 minutes longer. 1-2 enchiladas warm in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
If you opt to make these with corn tortillas, give them a quick fry, 30-45 seconds per side, in some oil to make them more pliable for rolling and to keep them from getting too soggy when baking.
Substitutions
If you would like to keep these enchiladas dairy-free, swap the butter for olive oil, and trade the chihuahua cheese for your favorite non-dairy substitute.
I great, lighter option for the ground beef is ground turkey! It still has a great meaty flavor and swaps out perfectly in this recipe.
I make my Red Enchilada Sauce homemade, but using a can from the store is just fine if needed.
I like these particular enchiladas made with flour tortillas, but you could swap them with corn tortillas to make them gluten-free too!
Chihuahua Cheese is a great Mexican melting cheese. If you can not find that, easily swap it for mozzarella in a pinch.
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📖 Recipe
Ground Beef Enchiladas
These Ground Beef Enchiladas are a little spicy and totally cheesy, just good Tex-Mex should be, and perfect with my Red Enchilada Sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Yellow Onion, small diced
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 2 pound Ground Beef
- 1 tablespoon Chili Powder
- 1 teaspoon Sweet Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- ½ cup Chunky Salsa or Pico de Gallo
- ½ recipe Red Enchilada Sauce
- 3 cups Chihuahua Cheese, divided
- 14-16, 8-inch Flour Tortillas
- 1 wheel Queso Fresco, crumbled
- Cilantro, for serving
- Pico de Gallo, for serving
- Sour Cream, for serving
- Guacamole, for serving
- Mexican Rice, for alongside
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onion and garlic to the pan. Cook till soft, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the pan and cook until fully browned. Drain off any liquid that may be in the pan.
- Season the beef mixture with chili powder, paprika, cumin, salsa/pico, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking the mixture 2-3 minutes longer.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Prepare 2, 9x13 baking dish by coating with pan release spray and coat with ½-3/4 cups enchilada sauce on the bottom.
- Remove the seasoned meat from the heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Stir in 1 ½ cups of chihuahua cheese.
- To form the enchiladas, take the slightly cooled meat mixture and place about ¼ cup in the middle of a tortilla. Roll it up tight and place it in the prepared 9x13 baking dish. This recipe makes 2 pans, 7-8 enchiladas per pan, which you can cut in half if needed. I make one for the freezer and one for the day of eating. Continue rolling enchiladas until all the meat mixture is used.
- Top the rolled enchiladas with sauce to mostly cover the remaining chihuahua cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes. Until warmed through and the cheese is melty and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and rest 5 minutes, top with the queso fresco and some cilantro and serve.
Notes
Notes & Tips
If you don't like any crispness on your tortillas, cover them all the way to the edges with the sauce and cheese. I like a crispy edge, so I don't take it all the way to the edge.
The tortillas can be filled, wrapped, and frozen for up to two months. You can also assemble everything and keep it in the fridge for up to a day before baking.
These enchiladas also make great leftovers. Cooked and cooled enchiladas can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat the whole pan do so in a 350-degree oven, covered in foil until warmed, then remove the foil and bake 5 minutes longer. 1-2 enchiladas warm in the microwave for 2-3 minutes.
If you opt to make these with corn tortillas, give them a quick fry, 30-45 seconds per side, in some oil to make them more pliable for rolling and to keep them from getting too soggy when baking.
Substitutions
If you would like to keep these enchiladas dairy-free, swap the butter for olive oil, and trade the chihuahua cheese for your favorite non-dairy substitute.
I great, lighter option for the ground beef is ground turkey! It still has a great meaty flavor and swaps out perfectly in this recipe.
I make my Red Enchilada Sauce homemade, but using a can from the store is just fine if needed.
I like these particular enchiladas made with flour tortillas, but you could swap them with corn tortillas to make them gluten-free too!
Chihuahua Cheese is a great Mexican melting cheese. If you can not find that, easily swap it for mozzarella in a pinch.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 634Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 921mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 36g
This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.
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