We love having Mexican food for dinner and think it’s best when it’s homemade! Serve these enchiladas up with Horchata, Mexican Rice, and Pico de Gallo for a full-on Mexican feast!
These Ground Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce are seriously the best!
These easy beef enchilada recipe is seriously the best. The homemade red enchilada sauce is so much better than anything that comes in a can from a store and it hardly takes any time at all to make on the stovetop. I make no claims about these being authentic Mexican beef enchiladas since I think of them as being more Tex-Mex anyway. But regardless of their authenticity, these beef filled enchiladas make an incredibly satisfying and delicious dinner, especially if they are made with homemade flour tortillas. We like enchiladas with corn tortillas as well and often rotate between the two when making enchiladas. Either way they are delicious! The ground beef enchiladas I grew up with are a little different from these. Instead of using taco seasoning to flavor the meat, like I do here, my mom would mix a package of cream cheese and an egg in with the cooked ground beef and onion and just pour a can of red enchilada sauce over them. I still like my enchiladas that way sometimes, but find myself making them with Mexican spices or taco seasoning more often these days.
Ground Beef Enchilada Recipe ingredients
For the meat filling you will need
Olive oil – To saute the onion in. Yellow Onion Ground Beef – I prefer 85/15 or 80/20 Seasoning – A combination of chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, and garlic powder. Kosher Salt Red Enchilada Sauce Salted Butter All-Purpose Flour – the flour and butter will be mixed together to create a roux to thicken the sauce. Seasoning – A combination of chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and dried oregano. Kosher Salt Black Pepper Beef broth – Adds a great flavor to the sauce to compliment the beef filling. Tomato sauce – Get a rich tomato flavor by adding tomato sauce.
To assemble the Enchiladas you will need
Flour tortillas Sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated Monterey JAck cheese freshly grated Optional garnish toppings Freshly chopped cilantro leaves Sliced avocado Diced tomato Sliced green onions Olives Sour cream Salsa
Are enchiladas better with corn or flour tortillas?
This completely depends on what you prefer! Traditionally, a lot of restaurants use corn tortillas for enchiladas. I honestly like both corn and flour and will often rotate between the two.
What’s the best cheese for enchiladas?
There are so many different kind of cheese you can use! I personally like the pairing of the sharp cheddar and monterey cheeses with the flavors of the beef and red enchilada sauce. But other types of cheese you can use are cotija cheese or queso fresco, which are the more popular cheeses used in Mexican restaurants. You can almost always find a blend of monterey jack, cheddar, asadero, and queso in most grocery stores.
How to make Ground Beef Enchiladas
How Long to Bake Enchiladas
Bake the ground beef enchiladas with foil over the top for about 20-25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 5 to 10 minutes until they are heated all the way through and the cheese is melted on top.
Ground Beef Enchiladas Recipe Tips
Best way to warm tortillas for rolling enchiladas
If I’m using flour tortillas, I warm them in the microwave with the tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel for about a minute before filling them with the ground beef mixture. If using corn tortillas, I like to heat a little oil on the stovetop and dip each tortilla with tongs for a few seconds on each side. The oil both warms them enough that they don’t tear while being filled, and protects them from soaking up too much of the sauce and turning to mush while the enchiladas bake.
Make ahead and Freezing instructions for Ground Beef Enchiladas
We love that enchiladas are something you can make in advance and even freeze so you have something on hand for busy days. These make a great freezer meal for sharing with a friend in need. To freeze before cooking: Either us a disposable aluminum pan or line a casserole dish with a thick layer of foil. Assemble the enchiladas like normal, then freeze. If you lined your regular baking dish with foil, once the enchiladas are frozen you can pop them out, wrap them in another layer of foil, and keep them in the freezer that way so your have your casserole dish free to use. When ready to thaw and bake, just pop the foil-wrapped enchiladas back in the pan. They can stay frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, first allow the enchiladas to thaw on the counter for at least an hour or in the fridge overnight. Then preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 30-40 minutes covered with foil. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes until hot all the way through. To freeze after baking: I like to divide leftovers into individual portions to freeze. It makes them easier to reheat for lunches. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheat well in the microwave or oven.
What to serve with Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce
Enchiladas are pretty heavy and filling all on their own. We typically serve them with light sides like a nice, fresh salad or slices of watermelon and something sweet to drink like Brazilian Lemonade. Be sure to have sour cream, chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, and chopped green onions for topping the enchiladas.
More Mexican recipes
Homemade Churros Recipe Chicken Chimichangas Ground Beef Taco Meat Baja Fish Tacos Authentic Carne Asada Recipe Taquitos Cheese Enchiladas Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas or get even more dinner ideas!
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