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Ground Beef Enchiladas Recipe

December 17, 2020 by Melissa 45 Comments

These Ground Beef Enchiladas are so tasty and easy, you’ll never go back to canned enchilada sauce. Corn tortillas filled with flavorful ground beef, melty cheese and a killer homemade red enchilada sauce.

Ground Beef Enchiladas

Beef Enchiladas Made Simple

This beef enchilada recipe is really so simple, that you might have all the ingredients you need already on hand. Start with a pound of extra lean good quality ground beef. I prefer to sauté the onions and jalapeños, then add the garlic just before adding the ground beef. This brings out the flavors of the aromatics. A small amount of sugar balances the acidity of the tomato sauce.

These Beef Enchiladas are so tasty and easy, you'll never go back to canned enchilada sauce. Corn tortillas filled with flavorful ground beef, melty cheese and a killer homemade red enchilada sauce.

How to Make Beef Enchiladas – Time Saving Tip!

Prepare as much as you can ahead, dice and shred and have everything laid out. Once you have everything prepared, set up an assembly line to make the enchiladas. In this enchilada recipe, the beef and sauce is cooked together in one pot. For assembly, rather than separating the meat and the enchilada sauce, I use a slotted spoon to spoon the meat mixture into each tortilla, then top with cheese and roll. Once the beef has been evenly divided into the tortillas, use the remaining sauce in the pan to top the enchiladas and bake.

These Beef Enchiladas are so tasty and easy, you'll never go back to canned enchilada sauce. Corn tortillas filled with flavorful ground beef, melty cheese and a killer homemade red enchilada sauce.

Good Quality Spices and Fresh Herbs

I love the flavor of cilantro, but if you don’t you can certainly skip it. For freshness, try chopped fresh parsley instead. I also like the extra flavor of smoked paprika in this recipe, but you can substitute regular paprika as well.

These Beef Enchiladas are so tasty and easy, you'll never go back to canned enchilada sauce. Corn tortillas filled with flavorful ground beef, melty cheese and a killer homemade red enchilada sauce.

Frying the Tortillas for Enchiladas

In a small frying pan, lightly fry tortillas in a shallow amount of vegetable or canola oil. You just want the tortillas to be soft and pliable, not crispy. Lightly frying the corn tortillas prevents them from getting soggy once you bake the enchiladas. The oil acts as a barrier and keeps tortillas from absorbing too much liquid from the sauce.

Beef Enchiladas

Beef Enchiladas Recipe

The best part of this recipe is that it’s easily doubled or tripled. It’s a great dinner to make and take. Make one for home and one for a friend or neighbor. These beef enchiladas freeze really well too! Just assemble, let cool completely, cover tightly and freeze.Ground Beef Enchilada Recipe

 More Mexican Recipes

  • Easy Mexican Rice Recipe  
  • Instant Pot Mexican Rice 
  • Slow Cooker Refried Beans 
  • Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas 
  • Skillet Enchiladas 
  • Loaded Sheet Pan Nachos 
5 from 37 votes
Print
Ground Beef Enchilada Recipe
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 

Seasoned ground beef, melty cheese and an easy homemade enchilada sauce.

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6
Calories: 565 kcal
Author: Melissa
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus additional for frying tortillas
  • 1/2 cup onion finely diced
  • 1 jalapeno minced and seeds removed
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound 93/7 lean ground beef
  • 1 cup beef broth low sodium
  • 2 8 oz cans tomato sauce good quality
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 16 oz Colby-jack cheese shredded
  • sour cream for serving
Instructions
  1. In a large skillet, sauté onions and jalapeño over medium low heat until onions start to soften and turn translucent, 2-3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more. Increase heat and add ground beef to skillet and brown until cooked through. Add beef broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, sugar, cumin, salt and pepper to pan and stir to combine. Let simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until sauce has reduced slightly. 

  2. Meanwhile in a second smaller skillet, lightly fry corn tortillas in hot vegetable oil. Tortillas should still be pliable for rolling. Set tortillas aside with paper towels between each layer. Once sauce has reduced slightly, stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro.

  3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray.

  4. To assemble enchiladas, start by adding 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce mixture in bottom of baking pan. Use a slotted spoon to evenly divide meat mixture into each of the tortillas, then divide 8 oz of cheese between all 12 enchiladas, roll and place seam side down in baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over rolled enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

  5. Cover dish with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through and hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with additional fresh cilantro and serve with sour cream.

Nutrition Facts
Ground Beef Enchilada Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 565 Calories from Fat 288
% Daily Value*
Fat 32g49%
Saturated Fat 19g119%
Cholesterol 119mg40%
Sodium 1114mg48%
Potassium 569mg16%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 38g76%
Vitamin A 1740IU35%
Vitamin C 4.4mg5%
Calcium 588mg59%
Iron 3.9mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Filed Under: Dinner, Mexican, Recipes

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Evie Carter

    May 4, 2019 at 1:19 am

    5 stars
    It looks so delicious! I totally agree with you about it being easy to double or halved in size. My kids also like it because it’s like spaghetti and lasagna where they can just reheat it themselves any time they want when they feel hungry.

    Reply
  2. Cyd

    May 17, 2019 at 11:25 am

    5 stars
    Obsessed with enchiladas! My teenagers love these!

    Reply
  3. Aimee Shugarman

    May 17, 2019 at 12:05 pm

    5 stars
    OMG these turned out so delicious. Next time I’m going to make an extra pan and freeze them for later!

    Reply
  4. April

    May 17, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    5 stars
    OMG this was soooo good. Even my kids gobbled it up!

    Reply
  5. Valentina

    May 17, 2019 at 2:03 pm

    5 stars
    Love this beef enchiladas recipe!

    Reply
  6. Beth Pierce

    May 17, 2019 at 2:36 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner last night and had nothing but smiling faces all around the dinner table! It was delicious and full of flavor!

    Reply
  7. Suzy

    July 8, 2019 at 4:07 pm

    5 stars
    Frying the tortillas is a must! We tried it both ways and frying them was the best!

    Reply
  8. Krissy Allori

    July 8, 2019 at 4:28 pm

    5 stars
    These look like they will be a hit with the whole family!

    Reply
  9. Jen

    July 8, 2019 at 5:28 pm

    5 stars
    My kids devoured these! Definitely adding to our normal rotation.

    Reply
  10. Sara Welch

    July 8, 2019 at 5:32 pm

    5 stars
    I know what I will be having for dinner tomorrow! This looks restaurant worthy, indeed!

    Reply
  11. wilhelmina

    July 8, 2019 at 7:21 pm

    5 stars
    This is one of the best enchilada recipes ever! So delicious!

    Reply
  12. Alexis

    September 11, 2019 at 2:31 pm

    5 stars
    Definitely the best enchiladas I have made. So good!

    Reply
  13. Maralee

    September 18, 2019 at 1:27 pm

    Do you think it would be good if I subbed flour tortillas? I don’t have corn tortillas.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      October 5, 2019 at 8:32 am

      I think the flour might get too soggy. Let me know if your tried it! Thanks!

      Reply
  14. LoReah Gerdes

    October 26, 2019 at 10:10 am

    Where do you get corn tortillas for these? I only find the little ones for tostadas.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      January 25, 2020 at 8:57 am

      I usually use the standard Mission brand yellow corn tortillas, not the mini street taco size. They measure about 5 1/2 inches if that helps.

      Reply
  15. Pamela Wright

    December 26, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    5 stars
    I made this on Christmas Day and I must say these are the best Enchiladas. Will definitely make again. Thank you!!!

    Reply
  16. Sharon Anne Kennedy

    January 16, 2020 at 9:23 am

    5 stars
    So delicious!!
    We loved it.
    Thank you

    Reply
  17. Erin

    January 20, 2020 at 4:09 pm

    5 stars
    These enchiladas are so flavorful! I’ve made them numerous times and they’ve come out great each time. Thank you for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
  18. Rhea

    March 7, 2020 at 2:02 pm

    5 stars
    They came out great I rlly enjoyed making this sauce Ive been trying different methods and this one tastes good

    Reply
  19. Emma

    March 9, 2020 at 5:03 pm

    I’m making them tonight for small group tomorrow… Would it be best to bake them tonight and reheat them tomorrow or just bake them tomorrow?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      March 10, 2020 at 1:02 pm

      They would be great made-ahead and reheated!

      Reply
  20. Alma

    March 10, 2020 at 4:48 am

    Hi, i will love to try this looks so good. Can this be freeze for future meal? thanks in advance 🙂

    Reply
    • Melissa

      March 10, 2020 at 1:00 pm

      Yes, they would be great for freezing!

      Reply
  21. Carrie Robinson

    March 27, 2020 at 3:45 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so cheesy and delicious! Definitely adding this to my weekly dinner rotation soon. 🙂

    Reply
  22. Laura Reese

    March 27, 2020 at 3:54 pm

    5 stars
    These enchiladas are amazing and easy! We loved them. The photography is amazing.

    Reply
  23. Erin

    March 27, 2020 at 4:17 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve been totally into making my own enchilada sauce. It’s so much better than store-bought. Next time I’ll make a double batch.

    Reply
  24. Christy Newland

    April 19, 2020 at 2:01 pm

    5 stars
    These are the best testing enchiladas I’ve ever made. My 3.5 year old loves them. I’ve made them twice within the past 1.5 weeks because we enjoyed them so much. Easy and delicious. I’ve always added beans to the recipe, once to use up leftovers and the second time to stretch the recipe out and make it go further and be more filling. So so tasty!

    Reply
  25. Vickie

    April 25, 2020 at 3:31 pm

    5 stars
    These were great! Best enchilada recipe to date. So good! I will keep this in my rotation. Thanks!!

    Reply
  26. Diane Carr

    April 26, 2020 at 5:43 pm

    5 stars
    I made these last night and they were so delicious. Best enchiladas I have ever made. I used flour tortillas and they were not soggy at all. Thanks for this great recipe.

    Diane

    Reply
  27. Natalie

    May 10, 2020 at 5:57 pm

    5 stars
    These were a big hit tonight! I used flour tortillas instead of corn and pickled jarred jalapeños instead of fresh. It was a flavorful, tasty dish that we will make again! Even my 4 and 8 year olds cleaned their plates tonight!

    Reply
  28. Beth

    June 4, 2020 at 11:30 am

    5 stars
    My family loves enchiladas and these are our favorites. We enjoy these more and more! I’m planning on making these again this weekend.

    Reply
  29. katerina @ diethood.com

    June 4, 2020 at 1:42 pm

    5 stars
    mmm…these beef enchiladas look incredible delicious! I can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  30. Natalie

    June 4, 2020 at 2:08 pm

    5 stars
    We are adding this to the rotation..so yummy!! Love all the flavors! Looks super easy!

    Reply
  31. Stephanie

    June 4, 2020 at 2:11 pm

    5 stars
    Mexican food is our favorite!! These were super simple and turned out perfectly!

    Reply
  32. Joan Donahue

    July 12, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    5 stars
    These enchiladas are outstanding! I deleted all others in favor of these.
    I drained the ground beef after frying then added spices and stir fried
    till crusty and aromatic then added the tomato and beef broth and simmered.
    Then strained the meat from the sauce; added cilantro to meat and ran tortillas
    through remaining sauce with enuf left over to coat the bottom of pan and top
    of tortillas. YUMMY!! Also added tiny bit of cinnamon..delish!

    Thanks for a great recipe. All the flavors and textures came together magically!

    Reply
  33. Rebecca

    August 25, 2020 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    My high schoolers and all their friends love these! Hit with hungry hockey players and softball players! Can’t tell you how many times I’ve made them! Winner! Winner!

    Reply
  34. Lily

    September 21, 2020 at 1:12 pm

    5 stars
    This was such a tasty and simple family dinner. I love how I can easily change the portion; we have family coming this weekend so I will be making this again because it is perfect for a large group.

    Reply
  35. Natalie

    September 21, 2020 at 2:23 pm

    5 stars
    Yum! We make cheese enchiladas often, but I love adding meat. More hearty & so good!!

    Reply
  36. Betsy

    September 21, 2020 at 3:40 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! Huge hit! Definitely need to double the recipe!

    Reply
  37. Kelly Null

    October 17, 2020 at 2:48 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe was great! Really tasty and easy. I added black beans to the ground beef mixture and only had flour tortillas on hand and did not pre-cook them, turned out fine. Will definitely make again, thanks for the recipe 😀

    Reply
  38. Toni

    December 21, 2020 at 8:50 am

    5 stars
    This was a huge hit at my house!! My whole family enjoyed it!

    Reply
  39. Matt Taylor

    December 21, 2020 at 9:55 am

    5 stars
    I love enchiladas! Usually, we have chicken enchiladas, These ground beef ones are excellent and super easy to make!

    Reply
  40. Katie

    December 21, 2020 at 10:59 am

    5 stars
    Sounds so delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe with my family.

    Reply
  41. Kelly Null

    January 6, 2021 at 8:41 am

    5 stars
    I made these in October and am doing again tonight. Great recipe! Homemade enchilada sauce is the only way to go in my opinion. Easy recipe, kid and adult friendly. Just perfect 👌

    Reply

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