This easy recipe for ground beef enchiladas makes it possible to enjoy this beloved Mexican comfort food even on a weeknight.
I have been on a Mexican cuisine kick lately. With the craziness that this past year has brought, we did a whole lot of ordering takeout, much like everyone else. We are very fond of one little Mexican restaurant in particular, and it became our go-to…or should I say delivery-from since restaurants in our area were closed for indoor dining.
After a while, however, we got tired of getting delivered cold food and soggy enchiladas. Not faulting the restaurant here, but the experience just wasn’t the same as dining there. So I decided to start making my own classic Mexican meals.
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These ground beef enchiladas have become a family favorite. They take under an hour to make and are easily adaptable. Everyone loves them and they get gobbled up every time I make them.
Corn or Flour Tortillas?
Corn tortillas are traditional for enchiladas, but there really is no right or wrong answer here. Flour tortillas can also be used. I personally like using flour tortillas for burritos and quesadillas. Corn tortillas have much more flavor, and I find they work best for enchiladas.
Now, how do you choose between yellow or white corn tortillas? According to Kitchn.com, yellow tortillas are slightly thinner and more coarse in texture. They are not very pliable, which makes them break easily when rolled, making them best suited for tacos, tostadas, and chips. White corn tortillas have a higher moisture content, making them your best bet for enchiladas because they roll up without cracking and breaking.
What’s Needed for Beef Enchiladas
This recipe will make 8 enchiladas.
Ingredients:
ground beef
diced white onion
green chilis
6″ corn tortillas
Mexican-style shredded cheese
enchilada sauce
minced garlic
olive oil
vegetable oil
salt
chopped cilantro
Tools needed:
Small skillet
Large skillet
Baking dish
Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas
This recipe takes about an hour to come together if you make your own enchilada sauce, but you can save some time by using store-bought sauce if that is easier for you. You can also save time in the future by preparing double or triple batches of the sauce and filling to freeze for later use.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions, garlic, and salt. Stir to combine it all. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions soften – about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the ground beef to the skillet and break it apart while it browns. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes or so, until beef is completely browned.
While the ground beef is cooking, start making your enchilada sauce – here is my recipe for it. Or, if using a store-bought sauce, warm it in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Once the beef is browned, carefully drain the excess fat from the skillet before adding the green chilis and three tablespoons of the sauce to season. Stir everything together and reduce heat to low to keep it warm.
Place rack in the center position of the oven and pre-heat it to 350°F. Add about three or four spoonfuls of the enchilada sauce to a baking dish and spread to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. Set the baking dish aside, you’ll come back to it in a bit.
This recipe follows a two-step process to prevent soggy tortillas that fall apart after baking.
- Lightly toast the corn tortillas in a little vegetable oil.
- Lightly coat the toasted tortillas on both sides in some of the sauce before assembling the enchiladas.
To toast the tortillas, add a small amount of vegetable oil to a small skillet set over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add one tortilla and toast it until browned. Flip the tortilla and repeat on the other side.
Spoon a small amount of enchilada sauce on a plate. Place the tortilla on the plate and spoon more enchilada sauce onto the tortilla, spreading across the entire tortilla.
Repeat until all the tortillas are toasted, stacked on the plate, and sauced. Building a stack of toasted and sauce-coated tortillas will help them stay warm and pliable until you are ready to assemble the enchiladas.
Add a heaping spoonful of the beef filling to the top tortilla, halfway between the center and the bottom. Add some shredded cheese on top and roll the tortilla from the bottom end up. Place the rolled enchilada into the baking dish, seam side down.
Continue this process with the remaining tortillas until all eight enchiladas are in the baking dish. Top with the remaining sauce and shredded cheese and place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly. Some other great topping ideas include chopping up avocado, tomatoes, red onion, and shredded lettuce.
Carefully remove from the oven and top with some fresh cilantro right before serving. They are perfect to enjoy along with my easy sheet pan nachos.
Be sure to check out my other Mexican-style recipes:
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Strawberry Margaritas
Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 white onion diced
- 4 oz green chilis drained
- 8 6" corn tortillas
- 8 oz Mexican blend shredded cheese divided
- 10 oz enchilada sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup vegetable oil divided
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and salt, and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions soften, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Add the beef to the skillet and break apart while it browns. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, or until completely browned.
- Meanwhile, warm enchilada sauce in saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Once beef is browned, carefully drain excess fat from skillet before adding green chilis and three tablespoons of the sauce to season. Stir to combine and reduce heat to low to keep warm.
- Place rack in the center position of oven and pre-heat to 350°F. Add three or four spoonfuls of the sauce to a baking dish and spread to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. Set aside.
- To toast the tortillas, add a small amount of vegetable oil to a small skillet set over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add one tortilla and toast until nicely browned, approximately 2 minutes. Flip the tortilla and repeat on the other side.
- Spoon a small amount of enchilada sauce on a plate. Place the tortilla on the plate and spoon more enchilada sauce onto the tortilla, spreading across the entire tortilla.
- Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all tortillas are toasted, stacked on plate, and sauced. Then add a heaping spoonful of the beef filling to the top tortilla, halfway between the center and the bottom. Add some shredded cheese on top and roll the tortilla from the bottom end up. Place the rolled enchilada into the baking dish, seam side down.
- Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas until all eight enchiladas are in the baking dish. Top with the remaining sauce and shredded cheese and place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and top with some fresh cilantro right before serving.