Stacked Beef Enchiladas (AKA Mexican Lasagna)
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With layers of corn tortillas, spicy ground beef, salsa and cheese, this stacked beef enchilada casserole is a huge family-pleaser.
You know when you make a dish for the first time and your whole family loves it, and you’re thrilled because you’ve found a new recipe to add to your repertoire forever? That’s how I felt the first time I cooked these hearty stacked beef enchiladas. With layers of corn tortillas, spicy ground beef, roasted tomato salsa, and cheese, it’s a cross between traditional beef enchiladas and lasagna — yet easier to make than both. It’s a great make-ahead dish for a potluck or big family dinner. And if you prepare the sauce in advance, it’s doable on a weeknight, too.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Stacked Beef Enchiladas
- Ground Beef: The main protein that fills the layers of the enchiladas. 90% lean beef is ideal for its lower fat content while still providing rich flavor (with extra lean beef, there is no need to drain the fat).
- Baking Soda: Used for tenderizing the beef.
- Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic: These ingredients are used to create a vibrant and rich sauce, essentially a roasted tomato salsa.
- Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Chipotle Chili Pepper: This spice trio infuses the dish with earthy, spicy, and smoky notes, giving the enchiladas bold Mexican flavor.
- Cilantro: Adds a pop of herbal freshness and color.
- Yellow Corn Tortillas: The foundation for the stacked enchiladas, these tortillas are cut into quarters for easy layering.
- Mexican Blend Cheese: A mix of cheeses that includes cheddar and Monterey Jack, this blend melts beautifully, creating gooey, stretchy layers that bind the enchiladas together.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Tenderize the Beef
To begin, mash the ground beef and the baking soda in a large bowl and let sit on the counter for about 20 minutes. The baking soda raises the pH of the meat, helping to lock in moisture and make the beef melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
Toss the tomatoes, onions, and garlic with the vegetable oil directly on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Broil until softened and charred, 12 to15 minutes (if the vegetables are browning too quickly, give them a quick stir with a rubber spatula).
Transfer the vegetables and juices to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper and pulse until just slightly chunky — then toss in the cilantro leaves.
Pulse until the cilantro is chopped. Set the sauce aside.
Step 3: Make the Beef Filling
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently and breaking into pieces, until just slightly pink, about 2 minutes.
Add the chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes more, or until cooked through.
Step 4: Assemble the Casserole
Preheat oven to 350°F and move the oven rack to the center position. Lightly oil a 9×13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Set aside 1 cup of the sauce for the top of the casserole. (You want to ensure that you have enough to cover the top layer of tortillas, otherwise they won’t cook through.) Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with a layer of tortillas, overlapping them slightly.
Spoon half of the beef (and any juices) over the tortillas, followed by half of the sauce.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the sauce.
Repeat with another layer of tortillas, the remaining beef, remaining sauce, and 1/3 of the cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas. Spread the reserved cup of sauce over the tortillas and cover completely. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over top.
Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is completely melted.
Slice the stacked enchiladas into squares and serve.
Video Tutorial
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Stacked Beef Enchiladas (AKA Mexican Lasagna)
With layers of corn tortillas, spicy ground beef, salsa and cheese, this stacked beef enchilada casserole is a huge family-pleaser.
Ingredients
For the Beef
- 1½ pounds 90% lean ground beef
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1½ teaspoons ground chipotle chile pepper (see note)
- 2½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For the Sauce
- 4 large vine-ripened tomatoes (about 1.3 lb), quartered
- 2 medium yellow onions, cut into ½-inch wedges
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves
For Assembling
- 10 (8-in) yellow corn tortillas, cut into quarters (I use Mission brand)
- 4 cups (12 oz) shredded Mexican blend cheese
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and the baking soda. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. Let sit on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes.
- While the beef sits, prepare the sauce. Set an oven rack about 5 inches beneath the heating element and preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Toss the tomatoes, onions, and garlic with the vegetable oil directly on the prepared baking sheet. Broil until softened and charred, 12 to15 minutes (if the vegetables are browning too quickly, give them a quick stir with a rubber spatula). Transfer the vegetables and juices to a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the salt, cumin, and cayenne pepper and pulse until just slightly chunky. Add the cilantro and pulse until the cilantro is chopped. Set the sauce aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring frequently and breaking into pieces, until just slightly pink, about 2 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes more, or until cooked through.
- To assemble: Preheat oven to 350°F and move the oven rack to the center position. Lightly oil a 9x13-in glass or ceramic baking dish.
- Set aside 1 cup of the sauce for the top of the casserole. (You want to ensure that you have enough to cover the top layer of tortillas, otherwise they won't cook through.)
- Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with a layer of tortillas, overlapping them slightly. Spoon half of the beef (and any juices) over the tortillas. Top with half of the sauce and ⅓ of the cheese. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, the remaining beef, remaining sauce, and ⅓ of the cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas. Spread the reserved sauce over the tortillas and cover completely. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over top. Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the casserole is heated through and the cheese is completely melted.
- Note: Ground chipotle chile pepper is smoky and hot and makes this dish a little spicy. For a milder dish, replace the ground chipotle chile pepper with ground ancho chili pepper, which isn't as hot.
- MAKE-AHEAD/FREEZER-FRIENDLY INSTRUCTIONS: The casserole can be prepared ahead of time, tightly covered with foil, and refrigerated for up to two days or frozen for up to 3 months before baking (if frozen, defrost in the refrigerator before cooking). It can also be fully baked, tightly covered with foil, and refrigerated for up to two days or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat: defrost if necessary and heat the covered casserole in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until hot. If you'd rather reheat individual servings, small portions can be zapped in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 491
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Sodium: 608 mg
- Cholesterol: 96 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.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Hi Jenn – I saw in one of your answers that canned tomatoes wouldn’t work. Since we’re not in tomato season at the moment, I wondered if drained, canned whole tomatoes (in the weight specified in the recipe) might be ok? I’m sorry if this question is duplicative, I just wanted to make sure! Thanks so much, I love your blog.
Hi Aly, I’ve given this some thought and while I think fresh tomatoes would definitely be better than canned here, you could probably get away with canned. (I know that fresh tomatoes are out of season, but think that if your grocery store has them, even out of season fresh tomatoes would be better than canned.) If you use canned, you won’t need to roast them with the onions and garlic; just add them to the food processor after the onions and garlic are out of the oven. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
There is some work involved with this recipe but it is 100% worth it.
After studying the recipe I reduced the amount of salt called for and I still found it salty. Next time I will reduce it by 60% and season to taste. I also cooked it in a smaller pan. I recommend using a bit of the sauce in the bottom of the pan before the first layer of tortillas. It keeps them pliable.
I made this over the weekend with refried black beans as a side. We all liked it and went back for seconds. I was especially pleased to make a sauce from scratch and it wasn’t too labor intensive or time consuming. I think it would be easy to make on a weekday because it’s casserole style instead of individual enchiladas.
Tried this last night. Everybody loved it! And so easy to make in advance; will definitely try it again!
Delicious! My family loved this dish and I will include the recipe on my “company worthy” list.
I used ground elk instead of beef but that is the norm in my kitchen with a hunting husband!
This recipe so was easy to make. By roasting the vegetables, it gave the dish a very authentic flavor. I can’t wait until the next get together so more people can enjoy this dish.
We made this tonight with ground chicken (had beef last night) and it was a big hit! I will make a little more sauce next time as nearly ran out. Definitely a keeper! Got the cookbook too and have been enjoying, thanks so much!
I had guest for a weekend, so decided to go with Mexican lasagna, Mexican wedding cookies and white sangria. My mother in law does not like spice so I went with ancho chili powder and it was a great hit. The people who like spicier added salsa on top of it. Thank you! Great recipes. I bought you book because, your recipient just amazing. Beef satay with peanut butter sauce…. was so good. Hint hint! Go buy book so Jeniffer can keep sharing her recipes. Incredible.
Hi Jenn. I didn’t read all the reviews, but I would like to make this using equal parts ground beef and ground turkey. Has anyone tried this? More importantly, do you think it would work, and would I still use the baking soda tenderizer?
Thx-Gretchen
Hi Gretchen, I think using 1/2 turkey and 1/2 ground beef would work. And I will still add baking soda to the ground beef (just cut the amount to 1/4 tsp). Hope you enjoy!
I made this for my family last night and it was amazing! I used the meat from a small grocery store rotisserie chicken instead of the ground beef and WOW! I would like to make this for a crowd. Can I double and/or triple and should I simply double and/or triple all ingredients? Also the chicken came nicely seasoned should I add anything else?
Hi Nikki, glad you liked this and the chicken sounds like a nice twist! Yes, you can double this and would simply need to double all the ingredients. (I’d recommend assembling them in two separate 9×13-inch baking dishes so they bake evenly.)