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 love your recipes! I made these tonight and the flavor was delicious however the corn tortillas fell apart. Any suggestions of what I did wrong to prevent this from happening again? Thank you
Hi Julie, Sorry you had trouble with the tortillas! What brand did you use?
Thanks for your reply! I used Mission brand (the super soft ones).
Hmmm, that’s the brand I use so I’m a bit puzzled. They do soften, but they shouldn’t fall apart. Were they fresh? Did you make any changes or use extra sauce by any chance?
They weren’t fresh. Probably a few weeks old. Maybe that made the difference?
I have your cookbook too btw 🙂
Hi Julie, if they were opened, then yes, that makes sense. Hope you have better luck if you make these again!
Just perfection. First-time ever making these. A real effort, but so tasty!
Hi Jenn,
This will be my second time making these but I was wondering if I could make the filling the day before and then assemble the next day? If so, would I need to adjust the cooking time? Im a little worried that the sauce will thicken up too much and then there won’t be enough for the top…
Hi, It’s fine to make it ahead — in fact, you can assemble the whole dish ahead (see the Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions at the bottom of the recipe). Hope that helps!
Sounded so good and had to try. DELICIOUS! So this is the new go to & Favorite. Best yet! Thanks so much
Most Excellent. I am going to make these again, but am going to double the recipe. Hoping double the spices won’t change the outcome. The four men in my family were disappointed there were no leftovers. Served with cilantro rice which was equally popular. I may not cook the sauce down as much, as I had little left for the topping. Added to my make again file.
I made this last night and it was delicious! My kids loved it so much! I am brand new to your blog and can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Oh my goodness, These are delicious!! These turned out better than any I’ve ever had in a restaurant!! I’m telling family and friends to give them a try!!
Thank you so much for the recipe!!
I was making vegetarian enchiladas tonight but I so needed this method for softening the tortillas! It worked brilliantly.
What is the baking soda for?
Trying this today 😁
Hi Ann, baking soda raises the pH of the meat, helping to lock in moisture and making the beef tender. Hope you enjoy the enchiladas!
This is my new favorite enchilada recipe. It’s so flavorful! The sauce is the perfect consistency too. Will absolutely make it again. Thank you for the recipe.
This recipe was DELISH!!! I made a few days ago…and making again for family…Love the flavor!! Thank You for sharring..
This was fantastic! My new go to for enchiladas.
Just made this today. Best enchilada recipe ever. And it was super easy to make!
I made these enchiladas last night for my dad (his favorite meal) and this is hands down, the BEST enchilada recipe ever. Everyone commented on how delicious they were last night and everyone had happy plates (licked their dinner plates clean). So glad I stumbled across your site and recipe. Thanks!!!
Delicious! Wasn’t sure given the ingredient list, but one of the best!
Glad you figured it out without the ingredient list! For next time (or other recipes of mine), if you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe.
This recipe is PHENOMENAL!!! Thank you, Jenn, for another perfect recipe that needs no tweaking!!! Loved by everyone and I am thrilled to know the secret for working with corn tortillas that now don’t fall apart! You’re a culinary genius!!
💗
These were sooo Good! Low sodium. Which is what I need. Enchilada sauce is so high in salt. So this was great. I swapped
Out the jalapeños for green pepper and cut down on the chili powder for the kids. Will go in my rotation. Kids loved it!!
I made these for a group this last weekend. One comment was “these are the best enchiladas I have ever had”. They are delicious, and not difficult to make at all.
I’m making this as we speak. Not sure how they taste but my filling never thickened so i had to add extra cornstarch. Also, 2 rows of 5 in a 13×9 doesn’t work. They’re too long and not full enough.
These are the best enchiladas I’ve ever tasted. I made them as directed except I had a 15 oz can of tomato sauce instead of an 8 oz can and used it all. I topped them with chopped green onions, cilantro, grape tomatoes, a squeeze a lime, and sour cream. My husband added a dab of hot sauce and raved about them! The tip on heating the tortillas was a huge bonus! This recipe is a keeper!!
Love your enchiladas but had an extreme bitter taste. How can I correct it.
Hi Lynette, the only thing that could make the dish taste bitter is the baking soda. Is there a chance you mis-measured it and used more than the recipe calls for?
These would be perfect for my family during our vacation but I have no microwave (on an island) so is there another way I can heat the corn tortillas to soften? And, we are a family of 6, so don’t really want to double the recipe…..could you help with serving size for 8? (Because who doesn’t love leftovers! Thanks Jenn!
One of your biggest fans!
Hi Lucia, So glad you like the recipes! See here for an alternative to the microwave for warming your tortillas. And to make enough for 8 servings, I’d recommend making 1.25 times the recipe (or you could even double it and have leftovers throughout the week). Hope you enjoy and have a great vacation!
Made them tonight for Cinco de Mayo. Excellent. I did find I was a little short on sauce and I followed the recipe pretty much exactly ( or at least I thought I did). I would increase the sauce by half next time, but they were excellent in any event!
Hi, a few steps to making this, but I KNEW it was going to be delicious, and it sure did not disappoint! I’d like to say I’m a bit picky when it comes to cooking as I love to cook and appreciate GOOD food. This is so amazing and will definitely make this again! I don’t have Instagram, and wish I could attach a pic here, as it turned out so beautiful and did I say delicious? Yes, DELICIOUS! Thank you for yet another recipe that I am so happy I tried. This was the centerpiece meal for my Cinco de Mayo food spread.
We are usually chicken with salsa verde enchilada people but made these recently and they were a big hit. Simple and delicious
My partner and I made these enchiladas this week and have been eating them as leftovers for several days now. I’m not even exaggerating when I say that every single time I bite into these I’m like “these are soooooo gooooood!” I love them. I love how easy the recipe was to throw together. Definitely saving this recipe and making these again.
So good! Never buying canned enchilada sauce again. 😇
These were the best enchiladas I’ve ever made. And I have tried many very elaborate, kitchen-destroying recipes. The oil tortilla trick is genius! The only thing I altered was using local corn tortillas. They are miles better than mass market brands, but I’d use those in a pinch.
Made for dinner tonight! It was delicious !!!
Very flavorful and authentic! It will be my go to enchilada recipe from now on. I didn’t think I could get it done on a week night so I made it Sunday and baked Monday. Perfect!!
My family are not corn tortilla fans. I searched thru the reviews and didn’t see anyone try flour. Has anyone tried them with flour? Thank you 🙂
Hi Veronica, Corn tortillas are better for enchiladas but if you don’t like them, flour tortillas should work. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I need them tonight and used flour tortillas low-carb ones and it was absolutely delicious!
This is bar none the best enchilada dish I have ever made, and I’m always looking for a good one.
And honestly, I’ve never had a bad outcome from any of your recipes. You’re my go-to when I’m looking for something new to do with the ordinary. Thank you, Jenn.
Delicious!! Made this recipe tonight and my family loved it.
Do they reheat well?
Yes, I think they should.
Hi Bev, you could wrap them in foil and reheat at 350° until heated through; then to crisp them up, you can pop them under the broiler for a minute or two – just keep a close eye on them
Absolutely delicious. EVEN with some mistakes on my part, we all loved these! Served with the Mexican rice and crème caramel (from Jen) it was a perfect Mexican meal to chase away the bad weather and make us all feel warm. And happy. Thank you so much once again, Jen. You make my life so easy. And fun!! Ole.
These are hands down the best enchiladas I’ve ever tasted, and I’ve tried a lot of recipes! Only change I made was to double it but only do 1 1/3# ground beef and one can drained black beans (to cut costs and add fiber). Thank you so much Jenn!
Very good recipe that was simple to make. I’ve made enchiladas before but I’ve always flash fried the corn tortillas. That is time consuming and I always rip some tortillas while they’re in the pan. Your way of brushing them with oil and microwaving them- mind blowing! It saved so much time with the same result.
My favorite thing about your recipes is that you don’t just tell me what to do but why. This doesn’t just give me a good meal but it makes me more competent and confident in the kitchen.
Made this tonight…just delicious! You will never use canned enchilada sauce again! The corn tortillas were perfect. I sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro- lime juice and a dollop of sour cream. Everyone loved it-
Total restaurant quality (actually better!) Thanks for sharing your tried and true recipes! I ate this for dinner last night and lunch and dinner today!
My husband tries to sneak this recipe into our rotation every few weeks because he loves it so much. We try to have only a few recipes we make often because we love making new dishes. These enchiladas this one pushed another meal out of our rotation because it is so good. I think my husband would lick the plate if we were not watching.
I made these enchiladas for a family birthday dinner. They smelled good, looked restaurant quality, and tasted amazing! I adjusted the seasoning as suggested after the sauce had a chance to thicken but this recipe was spot on! Leftovers are even better. The tip on how to soften the tortillas was so helpful. I’ve since used it in making other recipes.
This turned out very well but next time I’ll make another 1/2 batch of sauce as I could have used a bit more to cover the enchiladas. I’m in Canada so can’t get the Tillamook cheese but I made a mix using 2 types of very old cheddar. The Mission tortillas are not readily available here either. The tortillas I used are apparently a gourmet brand made in Canada to a traditional Mexican recipe but they tasted doughy and didn’t look at all like the Mission tortillas. We seem to have lots of brand options in a wheat/corn blend – would those work?
In spite of the tortilla challenge the recipe is a home run. Thanks Jenn!
Hi Liz, Glad you liked them! I’ve never had/used tortillas that are a wheat-corn blend, but I think it should work. Please LMK how it turns out with these.
If you have a Sobey’s close by they sell corn tortillas (white or yellow) in their bread aisle that work perfectly for this recipe.
This was a little more labor-intensive than I originally expected, but the results were worth it. It seriously tasted like enchiladas from a Mexican restaurant! Be sure to use the corn tortillas. To me, thats what made the flavor authentic.
This is a superb recipe for old Mexican-style enchiladas. Gracias!
Accidentally bought slices of cheese instead of blocks or grated and wondered if it’s OK if I just layer the slices🤔😨
Hi Diana, it’s not optimal but it should work. Hope you enjoy!
I live in Canada and cannot find the Tillamook cheese.
Please suggest a substitute.
Also, can I use hot chilli powder in this recipe?
Hi Diana, Any good quality brand of shredded Mexcian blend cheese should work, and yes, if you’re good with heat, you can use hot chili powder (just keep in mind that it calls for 3 tablespoons so you may want to swap out 1 or 2 to ensure it’s not too spicy). Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Fantastic! My family rated this a FAVORITE 🙂
I was worried about the 3 tbsp chili powder and did not level measure on this round (first time) because my daughter is not a fan of spicy food. Next time I will use all 3 tbsp as they did not come out too spicy at all. Thank you for another fabulous recipe!
Substituted beef with chicken mince, as we don’t eat beef.
What a lovely meal we’ve had this evening. Not complicated, ingredients easily accessible. Two teens & hubby very happy. Thanks
I followed this recipe exactly, minus the onions due to dietary restrictions. The first problem I had was that it took me nearly 2 hours to get these in the oven, not 20 minutes (though it was my first time and I was quite exhausted). The next thing I ran into was that the tortillas fused into one massive block when microwaved. At first I was impressed how soft they were and not dried out (as flour tortillas would be if microwaved without a damp paper towel). Most of them tore when I rolled them. After all that work, everything in the pan came out dark brown or black. I was hopeful, but this made for a frustrating evening and dinner ruined for the family.
They will always tear if they are not hot enough or you let them cool down.
I’ve made these a few times, and my family loves them. Due to diet restrictions, can I use almond flour instead of regular flour?
Glad you like them! Yes, I think almond flour should be fine here.
Could this be made with the ‘stacked’ style rather than rolling the enchiladas? Hopefully the oil treatment of the tortillas would help keep their integrity and keep them from becoming too mushy.
Hi Carol, Yes I think it would work. I also have a stacked beef enchilada that you could try instead. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
These are phenomenal enchiladas, they have an authentic flavor that is superb. They are now on the regular menu for our house.
Thank you for sharing