Beef Enchiladas
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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
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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
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- 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.
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I have made at least 10 of your recipes and not once have I been disappointed.
Thank you for keeping me busy and happy in the kitchen especially during the past year.
Lynne
Made the Beef Enchiladas as well as the Mexican Rice (featured in your email of 1/28)
last evening for our son, his wife and 2 kids – 10 & 8. The only difference I made was to only use 2 Tablespoons of the chili powder – afraid it might be too spicy for the little ones. I needn’t have worried, the whole family loved both dishes and the very picky 8 year old went back for seconds! They also very subtly asked if they could take the few leftovers home, and would I give them the recipes! I have really enjoyed all the recipes I’ve made from your cookbook and am looking forward to getting your next! Will probably buy an extra for our daughter in law! Thanks so much for all your efforts!
If you would like to make the enchiladas spicier, what do you think about substituting part of the chili powder with ancho chili powder? I don’t know a great deal about the ancho. Thanks
Hi JE, Chipotle chili powder will give you more heat than ancho chili powder. You could also add a bit of cayenne pepper or some of the ribs/seeds from the jalapeno.
I made these today and they are great! – the men at my house really liked them. After our meal, my son quickly snatched up all the leftovers to take home with him.
Since it helps me to read your reviews before I cook one of your recipes, I am reporting in today with a few of my tips in preparing this dish. 1)Chili powder – Be sure to check your stash of seasonings before you begin to make sure you have 3 T of chili powder – that’s a lot. I didn’t do so and only had 2 T and began scratching my head wondering if I could substitute with Ancho Chili powder 2) Tilamook shredded Mexican cheese- yes, Jenn is right, this brand is much better than Sargento , etc. Took me 3 stores to find the Tilamook – it was at Publix! 3) Tortilla size – unfortunately I tried to eyeball the 6-7 inch measurement for the tortilla at the grocery, and bought the wrong size. I bought 8 inch diameter tortillas and they won’t fit 5 and 5 as described in Jenn’s recipe. So if you buy the 8 inch like I did, it makes 6 enchiladas and you can lay them along the length of the dish 4) Flour tortillas vs Corn – corn is probably technically better but my family just likes flour so I made them with flour tortillas and they loved them. 5) 90-10 beef – Yes, Jenn is right about this but if you buy 80-20, just drain the grease after you brown the beef and you may not need the first 2 T oil.
All great tips, JE – thank you!
My family loved your Beef Enchilada recipe ! The red sauce flavor combination is delicious (no more canned sauce after making this one). And the tortilla method is genius. Thanks Jen for another very tasty recipe.
I made these last night for dinner. They were delicious! They took a bit longer to prep and cook than the recipe suggests, but that’s probably just me. I followed the recipe quite closely. The only differences were minor, to suit our taste for spicy food: I used homemade beef broth instead of chicken, since I had it. I used a very large jalapeno and kept the seeds and ribs in. I couldn’t find the super size corn tortillas so I used the regular sized ones and they worked just fine, with maybe a bit more space between the 2 rows and also at each end. When I tasted the sauce for seasoning as suggested, I needed to add a moderate additional pinch of salt. This might be because I used kosher salt which the recipe didn’t specifically call for. I also added a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to up the spice a bit. As the recipe states, the spice, even with the added cayenne, mellowed quite a bit in the finished dish. My wife and I both thought they were really delicious. She even went back for a third enchilada after finishing the 2 I plated for each of us. She also said I should make them again, which I agree with. I’m very happy I tried this recipe.
I meant to add that I really liked the method of warming/softening the tortillas by brushing with oil and heating uncovered in the microwave. The only minor issue I had with it was near the bottom of the stack, the tortillas started to stick together a bit when rolling the enchiladas, requiring a bit of care to avoid tearing them.
I made this recipe last evening for my husband. I changed a few things like using almond flour tortillas. He loved it! Went back for seconds and will add this to a regular meal rotation for sure!
Made this on the weekend and shared it with my family – my wife thought there could be less chili pwder, but after having this over a bed of chopped lettuce It balanced out the flavors. I would make this again. It was also fun not to use canned enchilada sauce too.
Excellent!! The flavors were perfect.
I also served it with your Mexican Rice which was also very good. A great combination. Will definitely make again!
I made this recipe as described, with one exception. My family prefers flour tortillas rather than corn. In retrospect, I should have skipped the oiling of the tortillas since the flour ones are flexible enough without additional help. They were too soft/soggy, but that is my mistake. The flavor was excellent and this recipe is going in the family cookbook, with my note about not oiling flour tortillas. I served this along with Jen’s Mexican rice – also a hit!