Beef Enchiladas
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Whip up this cheesy, crowd-pleasing beef enchilada recipe in just about an hour, and bring authentic Tex-Mex flavor straight to your dinner table!
Inspired by Sam Sifton’s popular New York Times recipe, this beef enchilada recipe is seriously delicious. It starts with a quick, flavorful chili con carne sauce made with lean ground beef, onions, peppers, warm spices, tomato sauce, and broth. That sauce gets mixed with shredded cheese, then rolled into soft yellow corn tortillas. After that, it’s just a matter of layering on more sauce and cheese, popping them in the oven, and baking until bubbly and irresistible.
The whole thing comes together in about an hour and is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. Serve with cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice for a complete meal, and don’t forget chips and guacuamole on the side!
“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. 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.)
- Baking Soda: Used for tenderizing the beef. It raises the pH level of the meat’s surface, making it more alkaline, which disrupts the protein structure in the meat and makes it more tender. Baking soda also accelerates browning, which boosts the flavor of the dish. A win all around!
- 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: The savory base of the sauce.
- Yellow Corn Tortillas: Look for Mission Super Size “Super Soft” Tortillas, which are ideal for rolling enchiladas. I definitely prefer corn tortillas over flour tortillas, but flour tortillas will work too. FYI: Homemade corn tortillas are super easy to make and a fun DIY project if you’d like to make them yourself.
- 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 beef. Mix the ground beef with baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, then use your hands to mash everything together until well combined. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes so the magic can happen!
Step 2: Prep the aromatics. While the beef is doing its thing, chop the onion, jalapeño, and garlic, and get the rest of your ingredients ready to go.
Step 3: Brown the beef. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, then add the beef. Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beef to a plate and set it aside.
Step 4: Cook the aromatics. Add the onion, jalapeño pepper, and garlic to the skillet. Cook, stirring often, until the onion softens, about 3 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to let it brown—lower the heat if needed.
Step 5: Add the spices and flour. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, oregano, and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for another minute to eliminate the raw flour taste and enhance the flavor of the spices.
Step 6: Finish the filling. Stir in the tomato sauce, then gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring as you go to combine everything smoothly. Add the beef back to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until the sauce thickens, 12 to 14 minutes. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Step 7: Prep the tortillas. Now it’s time to soften the tortillas so they’re easy to roll. Brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with oil, then stack them on a plate and microwave until hot and steamy, about 1½ minutes. This makes them soft and pliable—skip this step, and you’ll likely end up with torn tortillas.
Pro tip: No microwave? Simply wrap the oiled tortillas in aluminum foil and warm them in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes, until they’re heated through and flexible.
Step 8: Assemble the enchiladas. 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 snugly, then place it seam-side down in the pan. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, nestling each one next to the last. You’ll end up with two rows of five enchiladas.
Step 9: Top with sauce and cheese. Spoon the remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas, then sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. I like to sprinkle the cheese down the center of each row rather than covering everything—this way, some of the tortillas stay exposed and get a nice, slightly crisp texture in the oven.
Step 10: Bake and serve. Bake the enchiladas until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Let it sit for a few minutes to set, then grab a plate and dig in!
Video Tutorial
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Beef Enchiladas
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 small (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 (220°C) 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 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) 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.
Notes
- Always wear gloves and/or wash your hands very well after working with jalapeños, and keep your hands away from your eyes.
- For maximum efficiency, prep the onion, jalapeño and garlic and measure out your ingredients while the beef tenderizes in step 1.
- 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).
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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!