Beef Enchiladas
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Whip up these cheesy, crowd-pleasing beef enchiladas in just about an hour, and bring the authentic flavors of Mexico straight to your dinner table!
Drawing inspiration from Sam Sifton’s popular enchiladas con carne recipe featured in the New York Times, these beef enchiladas are seriously delicious. To prepare them, begin by making a quick chili con carne sauce using lean ground beef, onions, peppers, spices, tomato sauce, and broth. Next, combine the sauce with shredded Mexican cheese and roll the mixture into soft yellow corn tortillas. Carefully arrange the filled tortillas in a baking dish, layer additional sauce and cheese on top, and bake until bubbly.
Taking about an hour start to finish, this recipe delivers an irresistibly crowd-pleasing dish. Serve with cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice to complete the meal, and don’t forget chips and guacuamole on the side!
Table of Contents
“The best enchiladas I’ve ever made! My picky-eater kids even loved them.”
What You’ll Need To Make Beef Enchiladas
- Ground Beef: Use 90% lean ground beef to ensure the meat is flavorful yet not greasy.
- Baking Soda: Used for tenderizing the beef.
- Onion, Jalapeño Pepper, Garlic: A flavorful trio that forms the aromatic foundation of the filling.
- Chili powder, cumin, oregano: Spices that infuses the beef with Southwestern flavors.
- All-Purpose Flour: Used to thicken the filling.
- Canned Tomato Sauce: Adds a rich, tomatoey element to the beef filling.
- Chicken Broth: Provides a savory liquid for simmering and tenderizing the beef.
- Yellow Corn Tortillas: Look for Mission Super Size “Super Soft” Tortillas, which are ideal for rolling empanadas.
- Mexican blend cheese: A blend of cheeses including Monterey Jack and cheddar, this melty cheese adds a gooey element to the filling. Use a quality brand, like Tillamook thick-cut.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1. Tenderize the Meat
In a medium bowl, combine the beef, baking soda, and salt.
Mash with your hands until evenly combined and let sit on the counter for at least 20 minutes.
Step 2: Prep
While the beef rests, chop the onion, jalapeño, and garlic and prep your other ingredients.
Step 3: Make the Sauce
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the meat.
Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned meat to a plate.
Add the onion, jalapeño pepper, and garlic to the skillet.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary.
Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and flour.
Cook, stirring constantly, to toast the flour and spices for 1 minute more.
Stir in the tomato sauce.
Gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring to combine.
Add the beef.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and vigorously simmer until the sauce is thickened, 12 to 14 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
Step 4: Soften the Tortillas
Pour the oil into a small bowl or ramekin. Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of each tortilla with oil, then stack them on a plate and microwave until hot and steamy, about 1-1/2 minutes. This makes them pliable; if you skip this step, they’ll likely tear when you roll them.
Step 5: Assemble the Enchiladas and Bake
Spoon about 1 cup of the sauce evenly into the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish.
Working directly on the stack of tortillas, put about 3 tablespoons of cheese and 2 generous tablespoons of the sauce in the center of the top tortilla.
Roll it up.
Place it seam-side down in the pan, and repeat with the remaining tortillas, nestling each one against the last. (You’ll have two rows of 5 enchiladas.)
Spoon the remaining sauce over the rolled tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. (I like to sprinkle the cheese over the center of each row of enchiladas, rather than all over, so that the tortillas are partially exposed during baking.)
Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
I definitely prefer corn tortillas for enchiladas, but flour tortillas will work. Homemade corn tortillas are super easy to make and a fun DIY project if you’d like to make them yourself.
Baking soda raises the pH level of the meat’s surface, making it more alkaline. This change in pH disrupts the protein structure in the meat, making it more tender. Baking soda also accelerates browning, which boosts the flavor of the dish. However, it’s important to use baking soda sparingly, as using too much can lead to an undesirable soapy taste; stick to the recommended amount for the best results.
You can soften the tortillas in the oven. Simply wrap the stack of oiled tortillas in aluminum foil and place them in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until they are warmed through and pliable.
Yes, you can use ground chicken or turkey instead of beef; just be sure it’s not too lean. If you go this route, skip the tenderizing step with the baking soda.
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
Beef Enchiladas
Whip up these cheesy, crowd-pleasing beef enchiladas in just about an hour, and bring the authentic flavors of Mexico straight to your dinner table!
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium white onion, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (see note)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
For the Enchiladas
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for brushing the tortillas
- 10 (6- to 7-inch) yellow corn tortillas, preferably Mission Super Size "Super Soft"
- 3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, preferably Tilamook
Instructions
- Tenderize the Meat: In a medium bowl, combine the beef, baking soda, and salt. Mash with your hands until evenly combined and let sit on the counter for at least 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Make the Sauce: Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the browned meat to a plate.
- Add the onion, jalapeño pepper, and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and flour; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Add the tomato sauce, then gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring to combine. Add the beef and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and vigorously simmer until the sauce is thickened, 12 to 14 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. (The sauce may taste a bit spicy; it will mellow out when combined with the cheese and tortillas.)
- When the sauce is almost done, soften the tortillas: Pour the oil into a small bowl or ramekin. Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of each tortilla with oil, then stack them on a plate and microwave, uncovered, until hot and steamy, about 1½ minutes.
- Assemble the Enchiladas: Spoon about 1 cup of the sauce evenly into the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
- Put about 3 tablespoons of cheese and 2 generous tablespoons of the sauce onto the center of each tortilla, then roll the tortillas up and place them seam-side down in the pan, nestling each one against the last. (You'll have two rows of 5 enchiladas.) Spoon the remaining sauce over the rolled tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. (I like to sprinkle the cheese over the center of each row of enchiladas, rather than all over, so that the tortillas are partially exposed during baking.) Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer Friendly Instructions: The enchiladas can be assembled up to one day ahead of time, tightly covered with foil, and refrigerated until ready to bake. If you go this route, bake for 15 minutes covered with foil, and then remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the cheese is melted. The enchiladas can also be frozen for up to 3 months before baking (if frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight before cooking).
- Note: Always wear gloves and/or wash your hands very well after working with jalapeños, and keep your hands away from your eyes.
- Note: For maximum efficiency, prep the onion, jalapeño and garlic and measure out your ingredients while the beef tenderizes in step 1.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Serving size: 2 enchiladas
- Calories: 693
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated fat: 16 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 41 g
- Sodium: 918 mg
- Cholesterol: 126 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hi Jen….Is it ok to cut the enchiladas in half for a buffet or do the enchiladas leak out?
The buffet is for a large number of people.
Hi Marcia, They may leak a little, but I think you can get away with it. Hope everyone enjoys!
Very Tex Mex and very good! I did not come prepared to this recipe lol. I was too impatient to wait for my backup jalapeno from the freezer to defrost so I used chili flakes instead. I also did not realize I was low on chili powder ( I had just over 2 tbsp so I threw in some extra chili flakes. I did use beef broth instead of chicken as well. When I tasted the sauce it needed salt so I added some. I only had flour tortillas on hand so that is what I used. Garnished with cilantro and sour cream. Yum!
I made this recipe last night and it was FABULOUS. I followed the directions exactly as written, the only thing I would change is I would had a second jalapeno, as I like a bit more spice. The cheese does mellow the spice down.
Winner!
When my husband asked for homemade enchiladas, I thought of all the mess and work involved. I was searching for a recipe that wasn’t too complicated and not a casserole when I saw all the great reviews of this one.
These enchiladas were a huge hit with the whole family, even the picky teenager.
I love the idea of softening the tortillas in the microwave. It saved all the grease spatters and burned fingers.
I followed the directions as written, but drained some of the sauce off the meat before filling the tortillas.
I’ll definitely be making these again.
This was so good! Just enough for 5 people and just as good as our favorite Mexican restaurant!
Another winner! My family loved this.
A few discoveries and observations:
1) Trust that 90% lean beef is correct. IMO, using 85% or even 80% will most likely yield too much rendered beef fat. (Thoughts, Jenn?)
2) I ended up using a medium/small onion because it was what I had. I’ll make an effort to use a slightly bigger one next time.
3) I chose a smaller jalapeno because one family member isn’t a big “heat person” and I was unsure of what the heat level from it would be in the finished product (it ended up being a nice subtle level). Next time I will use a slightly bigger jalapeno to test the ”heat waters”.
4) I taste tested about halfway through the 12-14 minute simmer and, for me, felt the flavor of the chili powder was a bit too prevalent/too forward (but, to be fair, I don’t know if it had fully assimilated or not) so I added about 1 Tbsp of tomato past and 1 heaping Tbsp of brown sugar and it turned out great – the flavors were nicely balanced, and it wasn’t too sweet (next time, solely for the sake of comparison, I’ll try only 2 heaping tsp of brown sugar).
A couple of questions:
1) Have you ever used beef stock instead of chicken? (I use Penzey’s stock base, which is similar to Better Than Bouillon, but the flavor is much MUCH better. There are 3 brick and mortar stores in the Twin Cities, otherwise you can get it at penzeys.com [I’m not paid to say that])
2) In general, I’m not a big fan of soft corn tortillas (it’s a texture thing). Can this be made flour tortillas? (To be clear, I surprisingly enjoyed the corn tortillas in this. I just prefer flour.)
3) Since jalapenos are generally fairly mild (chile pepper wise), would you add different forms of heat for a bit of kick? If so, red pepper flakes or tabasco?
Hi Jeffrey, so glad to hear your family. Enjoyed this! Yes, I found that 90% lean beef is the way to go as it yields just enough fat, but not too much. Regarding your other questions:
1. I’ve not used beef stock here, but you definitely could.
2. Corn tortillas are better for enchiladas but if you prefer flour tortillas, they will work.
3. If you want to add more heat to the dish using the jalapeños, add some of the seeds (as that’s where the majority of the heat comes from). Or, if you’d prefer, red pepper flakes would work nicely. Hope that helps!
Thank you, Jenn!
Hi Jenn! I was wondering if I could adapt these enchiladas for non-meat eaters by subbing the meat for cheese? Or do you have a cheese enchilada recipe? Thanks so much!
Hi Heather, Unfortunately I think these would require too many modifications to make them vegetarian, and I don’t have a good cheese enchilada recipe in my collection. But I will add it to my list of recipes to develop. 🙂
Hello Jenn, my culinary goddess! Again, you and your recipes never disappoint. This enchilada recipe hit it out of the park. The spices were right on for my temperature and liking of spice levels. The sauce was perfect thickness and consistency. What the baking soda did to the hamburg was nothing short of amazing! So tender and moist. No gristly or tough taste that you sometimes get when you brown hamburg. I’m embarrassed to admit that I questioned the 3 tbsp of chili powder thinking it may be too spicy, so I only put in 2 tbsp. Next time I’ll go full 3 tbsp and not second guess you ever again. Haha. Thank you so much for bringing all these great recipes to our attention. I love both of your cook books and I’m making recipe after recipe. I’ve spread the love and given your cook books as gifts as well. I love your videos, your helpful hints, tips and notes and I love your pairing suggestions. I also very much appreciate the nutritional info that you include at the end of all your recipes. Thank you so much for making my dishes stand out and for making it easy to do, too. You are my culinary goddess! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Donna
❤️❤️
The flavor was excellent but my batch was way too watery. I’m wondering why?
Donna, I’m sorry you had a problem with them. That sounds strange – did you make any ingredient substitutions or adjustments to the recipe? Is there any chance you added too much chicken broth?
Excellent!! Superb flavor and texture! We loved it!