Making restaurant-style beef enchiladas at home is easier than you think! Tortillas are filled with hearty seasoned ground beef, then smothered in zesty enchilada sauce and melty cheese.
If you’re looking for an easy, delicious way to get dinner on the table, look no further than beef enchiladas! This classic Tex-Mex dish is simple to make, and you can tweak the recipe and toppings to your family’s tastes, which means enchiladas are always a winner!
(Try switching things up with these 5 Easy Enchilada Filling Ideas!)
Cheesy Beef Enchiladas Recipe
Beef enchiladas are one of those Tex-Mex favorites like tacos and chicken enchiladas that can be made a hundred different ways, but they’re always guaranteed to be delicious—I mean, how can you go wrong with seasoned ground beef, tortillas, and cheese?!
These homemade beef enchiladas are definitely better than anything you can buy in a restaurant, and they’re a cinch to put together. If you want to get a head start on dinner, you can make the sauce and ground beef filling a day or two in advance, or you can even assemble the enchiladas the night before and have them ready to pop in the oven the next day.
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
For the Sauce:
- Vegetable oil – Olive oil or another cooking oil can be used instead.
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken stock
- Enchilada sauce or Mexican red sauce
- Chili powder – This is optional.
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
For the Filling:
- Vegetable oil
- 90/10 ground beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Dried oregano
- Cumin
- Chili powder
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
To assemble the Beef Enchiladas:
- Flour tortillas – You can use corn tortillas if you prefer.
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Or use a Mexican blend.
- Green onions
- Cilantro
- Black olives – These are optional.
- Pickled jalapeños – These are also optional, if you want to add a little kick to your enchiladas!
How to Make Beef Enchiladas
1. Make the Sauce
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the oil and flour. Cook the mixture while whisking until it bubbles. Toast for 1 minute.
Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer so the sauce will continue thickening as you work on the rest of the recipe.
2. Make the Filling
In a large sauté pan set over high heat, cook the ground beef for 5-6 minutes while breaking it up with a spoon or spatula. Add the onions and garlic and continue to cook until the beef is browned, about 4 minutes.
Add the spices and seasonings to the pan and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Assemble and Bake
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Pour a cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and spread it evenly.
Spoon 3 tablespoons of the beef filling onto each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and other filling ingredients, then roll it up. Place into the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
Pour the remaining enchilada sauce and any leftover beef over the enchiladas. (Alternatively, you can reserve the leftover beef and use it for sheet pan nachos for tomorrow night’s dinner!) Sprinkle with cheese and any other toppings you’re using. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Wrap the enchiladas in the baking dish or transfer them to an airtight container. Keep them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer them for up to 3 months. You can reheat beef enchiladas in the microwave or in a 350ºF oven until warmed through.
FAQ
What kind of tortillas are used for beef enchiladas?
Traditional Mexican-style enchiladas are made with corn tortillas, but flour tortillas are commonly used for American (or Tex-Mex) style enchiladas. I prefer using flour tortillas because they don’t need to be warmed up before rolling; corn tortillas will tear if rolled up without heating first.
Should enchiladas be covered before baking?
It’s common to cover the baking dish with foil before cooking enchiladas, but I don’t do that because I like it when the edges and cheese get browned and crispy. If you prefer, you can cover your enchiladas with foil and then take the foil off during the last few minutes of cooking time.
Can I use green enchilada sauce for beef enchiladas?
I think green enchilada sauce goes better with chicken, so I used red sauce for this recipe. If you want to use green, though, you definitely can!
Topping Ideas
I like to add lots of toppings to my enchiladas. Here are a few of my favorites!
- sour cream
- black beans
- avocado
- lettuce
- green chiles
- fresh cilantro leaves
More Tex-Mex Favorites
Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 10-ounce cans of enchilada sauce/Mexican red sauce
- ½ tsp chili powder optional
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Filling
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb 90/10 ground beef
- ½ medium onion finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Enchiladas
- 8 flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup green onions green ends chopped finely
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 can sliced black olives optional
- 1 can pickled jalapeños optional
Instructions
- Sauce
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour. Whisk together and cook until it bubbles. Toast for 1 minute.
- Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer to continue to thicken while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Filling
- In a large sauté pan over high heat, add the ground beef and cook for 5-6 minutes while breaking the meat up with a spoon or spatula. Add the onions and garlic and continue to cook until the beef is fully cooked, about 4 minutes.
- Add the spices and seasonings and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- To Finish
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Spoon a cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and distribute evenly.
- Spoon 3 tbsp of the beef filling into each tortilla, sprinkle with some cheese and other filling ingredients, and roll up. Place into the baking dish, seal side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Ladle the rest of the sauce (and any remaining beef) on top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and any remaining toppings. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.
