Beef Enchiladas
This beef enchiladas recipe is made with a delicious (and easy!) homemade red enchilada sauce, and it’s guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!
Prep: 15min
Total: 1h
Yield: 8
Ingredients:
- 1 batch red enchilada sauce (or 15 ounces store-bought red enchilada sauce)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds (24 ounces) lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 8 large flour tortillas*
- 3 cups Mexican-blend shredded cheese
- toppings: fresh cilantro, chopped red onions, diced avocado, sour cream, and/or crumbled cotija cheese
Instruction:
- Prepare the enchilada sauce according to recipe instructions.
- Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground beef and cumin and sauté for 5 minutes or until completely browned, crumbling the beef with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Stir in the beans and green chiles until combined. Season the mixture with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper, to taste.
- Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce evenly along the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- . To assemble the enchiladas, set up an assembly line including: tortillas, enchilada sauce, beef filling, and cheese. Lay out a tortilla, and spread two tablespoons of sauce over the surface of the tortilla. Add a generous spoonful of the beef filling in a line down the center of the tortilla, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Roll up the tortilla and place it in the prepared baking dish. Assemble the remaining enchiladas. Spread any remaining sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas, followed by any extra cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the enchiladas are cooked through and the tortillas are slightly crispy on the outside. Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack.
- Serve the enchiladas immediately while they’re nice and hot, garnished with lots of your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
BEEF ENCHILADAS | Easy Enchilada Sauce Recipe | How To Make Cheesy Baked Enchiladas
FAQ
Why are my enchiladas always soggy?
Traditional enchiladas are made with less sauce but, because the tortillas are coated in sauce, it’s more evenly distributed throughout the dish. And, with less sauce, it’s less likely your tortillas will sog out and disintegrate.
How do you keep enchiladas from getting hard on the bottom?
Some recipes suggest spreading a little sauce (½ cup for a 3-quart baking dish) on the bottom of the pan before adding enchiladas. This keeps the tortillas from sticking to the pan or getting tough on the bottom.
What is the secret to good enchiladas?
Treat Your Tortillas Right
The most important tip for avoiding soggy enchiladas is to briefly fry your tortillas in hot oil before you fill and roll. This creates a little bit of a barrier so that the tortillas don’t soak up too much of the sauce and therefore start to break down.
Are enchiladas better with flour or corn tortillas?
While some recipes use flour tortillas, corn tortillas are traditional — and for good reason — are the better option for enchiladas. Corn tortillas have a distinct flavor that plays a key part of the enchilada experience, compared to flour tortillas, which are more like a blank slate.
