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Home » Recipes » Beef

Easy Beef Enchiladas

Published: Feb 23, 2016 Last Updated: Feb 20, 2021 by Marye 947 words. | About 5 minutes to read this article.

Everyone's favorite beef enchiladas made easy with ground beef and a flavorful homemade enchilada sauce that you'll want to keep on hand.
Total time 35 minutes
Jump to Recipe

This easy Mexican dinner has all the flavor! It can be assembled ahead of time and baked when needed or freeze for later.

These super easy ground beef enchiladas with homemade sauce are our favorite! <3 From Restlesschipotle.com

It shouldn't be a big surprise that I love enchiladas. I don't even care what kind they are -- beef, chicken, cheese, bean, vegetable... Just put it on my plate. I think a lot of  people don't realize just how easy (and yummy!) homemade enchiladas are. You can assemble them ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for a couple of days or you can make them and freeze them to keep things even easier.

I like to make the sauce ahead of time and keep it in the fridge (or make a batch and freeze it). For one thing it mellows out when it has a chance to sit for a while, and for another it makes the process of making dinner lightening fast. If you thought you could only get good Tex-Mex at the local restaurant chain then you are going to have to admit that you are wrong. So wrong.

Now, there is some debate on what kind of tortillas are correct in enchiladas. Personally, I prefer corn tortillas because they give texture and flavor to the dish. Saying that, I have to admit that much of my family are culinary plebeians and prefer the flour tortillas which is why you see those in the images. Make them whichever way you prefer but for authenticity go with the corn.

Please. If it was good enough for the Mayans it is good enough for you.

Foods like these easy beef enchiladas have been around since these ancient Mayan temples were built! Why? Because they're DELICIOUS! from Restlesschipotle.com
No clue who this lady is. She moved in front of the camera as I took the shot.

In 2010 my husband took me on my very first cruise. It was the inaugural year for the Norwegian Epic and it was a magical week for me. We had a fantastic vacation sailing to Honduras, Belize, and Mexico -- I'd never seen ocean water so uniquely blue. When we were in Costa Maya we went on a shore excursion and toured one of the ancient Mayan temples. I love history and am totally fascinated by it. The idea that I was touching something that someone's hands had built 1,000 years ago was kind of overwhelming and awe inspiring. I get kind of crazy about food in the same way. It's almost like food is a message to us from the past -- a touch from someone who lived long ago. When you are putting together enchiladas for your family you are carrying on a ritual that isn't that different from how someone did it a thousand years ago. It's a tradition of love and nurturing that fast food and chain restaurants can never-ever replicate.

Anyway, once you've made that all important decision about the type of tortillas you'll need to decide how much sauce to use. I hate the way that enchiladas absolutely drown in sauce at the restaurants. I prefer a drier beef enchilada with much less sauce so that I can taste all of the ingredients together. You can add more or less to your own preferences.

And... let's talk sauce. Please. Some people add tomatoes and some don't. I have another enchilada sauce recipe (link at the bottom of this post) that has them in it but this one doesn't. You can use either one. The main thing enchilada recipes have in common is chiles of some sort. After all, Enchilada is the past participle of enchilar which means, seasoned with chile. 

This sauce is super easy. Beef enchiladas need a strong sauce or the flavor of the enchilada will overwhelm the flavor in the sauce. I like this particular sauce because it's reminiscent of a mole without the week long investment of preparation time. Here's another area you'll need to experiment. I like the Mexican chocolate in this but you can use unsweetened or dark chocolate if you like. Try it with the Mexican chocolate at least once! I also use my homemade chili powder but you can use your favorite.

OMG so good! Easy beef enchiladas with homemade sauce. From restlesschipotle.com

The following are affiliate links. If you click through and buy something I get a small commission which is used to keep the blog up and running smoothly. Thank you for being a part of Restless Chipotle!
Los Chileros Whole Ancho Chile
Taza Chocolate Mexicano Chocolate Disc

May 5 is officially National Enchilada Day so you have plenty of time to perfect this super easy beef enchiladas recipe before then. I suggest lots and lots of practice.
Here's that easy beef enchilada recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do.

easy beef enchiladas feat
4.67 from 3 votes

Easy Beef Enchiladas

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Everyone's favorite beef enchiladas made easy with ground beef and a flavorful homemade enchilada sauce that you'll want to keep on hand.
Course Main
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings:6
Calories:667
Author:Marye Audet-White
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Equipment Needed

  • Iron Skillet
  • 13x9-inch pan

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups Enchilada Sauce
  • 18 corn tortillas, or 2 flour tortillas
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 ½ pounds ground beef
  • ¼ cup canned chiles
  • 3 cups grated Cheddar cheese or a combination of Cheddar and Pepper Jack

I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350.
  • If the sauce is not warm heat it up in a large frying pan.
  • Spray a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray then spoon a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.
  • Set aside.
  • Season the ground beef with the salt and pepper.
  • Brown it until cooked through.
  • Add the chiles and stir to incorporate evenly.
  • Dip one of the enchiladas in the sauce, scraping off excess.
  • Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the beef into the tortilla.
  • Top with 2 tablespoons of the cheese.
  • Roll tightly and add to the 13x9 inch pan.
  • Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
  • Spoon the remaining sauce over the tortillas and top with the remaining cheese.
  • Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 667kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 1004mg | Potassium: 542mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 975IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 490mg | Iron: 4mg

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    About Marye

    With a 40 year focus on the importance of family and a passion for southern comfort food, Marye Audet-White is an expert in melding the two together effortlessly. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda

      June 26, 2022 at 3:59 pm

      I prefer corn tortillas too.

      Reply
    2. Marye Audet

      February 26, 2016 at 11:12 am

      Thanks Julie!

      Reply
    3. Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen)

      February 25, 2016 at 10:15 am

      4 stars
      That trip sounds like a dream! How lucky to get to do something so awesome. :o) And as for enchiladas, I have a hard time turning down a good one. We have a favorite restaurant here that has Enchiladas Divorciadas (divorced enchiladas) that has 2 different sauces. Delish! But when I can't get down there for a great meal, this recipes looks like it will win me over in no time!

      Reply
      • Marye Audet

        February 26, 2016 at 11:13 am

        It was so much fun. I loved it. I told him he created a monster. 😉

    4. Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet

      February 24, 2016 at 9:54 pm

      The cruise sounds fantastic and those enchiladas look scrumptious! I agree, I prefer corn tortillas, too. I like the texture of flour tortillas but corn just has a much better flavor and are particular good in enchiladas.

      Reply
      • Marye Audet

        February 26, 2016 at 11:12 am

        They handle the sauce better without soaking it up, I think.

    5. Emily

      February 24, 2016 at 12:39 pm

      Definitely just pinned these to make later! They look so delicious and I am a huge fan of enchiladas- I make them all the time because my whole family loves them and they are great leftovers too.

      Reply
      • Marye Audet

        February 24, 2016 at 4:09 pm

        These are some of my favorites!

    6. Catherine

      February 24, 2016 at 7:57 am

      Dear Marye, your enchiladas look fantastic! I know my family would enjoyed these. xo, Catherine

      Reply
      • Marye Audet

        February 24, 2016 at 7:59 am

        🙂 thanks Catherine!

    7. Melissa

      February 24, 2016 at 7:05 am

      I love a good enchilada. These look delicious.

      Reply
      • Marye Audet

        February 24, 2016 at 7:58 am

        Thank you so much Melissa!

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