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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We love your recipes and you (perhaps along with Ina Garten) are our go to source of inspiration. There are only two of us now so we often make half of the recipe (and still have leftovers) which works well. In this case, we used a pan slightly larger than 8×8 so the layers were fine but probably not quite enough sauce/salsa. Next time I think I’d make 1 1/2 the amount of salsa to avoid a slight dryness at the edges. Otherwise, no complaints, ever. Many thanks.
Really tasty — I only had flour tortillas available to use so fit them into a springform pan instead (layered using only 5 tortillas). Although I thought the meat and sauce combinations would be too lean for my “lasagna”, the consistency was perfect.
So I made these and this recipe exceeded my expectations! I substituted olive for vegetable oil, my sauce was a little skimpy but I think that was me and the bottom level of tortillas was a little hard again maybe that was me too. I did put a light coating of oil on the bottom as per the recipe. I calculated 13.3 quartered tortillas per level so I hope that was correct. Still, I will definitely make them again. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I’m thrilled to have found you. On to another one!!!
I think Louise said it well, there is comfort in your food Jen. And Louise thatnk you for what you’re doing now.
Now to this delicious stacked enchiladas. I love them! They are easy to prepare and are just filled with flavor. Just the right amount of spice and cheesy goodness. Have made these several times and we have always enjoyed them.
My family loved this and it was easy to prepare. I especially liked the sauce- it was fresh and delicious! The leftovers packed nicely for work, too. ( Yes, I’m an essential worker and have been going to my workplace thru out this Pandemic, with my packed lunches) Thank-you, Jenn-there is comfort in your site, your food and recipes during this crummy Pandemic.
This is one of my favorite recipes. My son had four servings the first time i made it. The enchilada sauce with the roasted tomatoes and onions is amazing and can be used in other recipes.
This was a great solution for a group instead of dealing with all the ingredients for tacos with dishes everywhere. All the flavor to satisfy those warm flavor cravings !! I would make it again.
You were right on the money south this recipe. Everyone loved it. The baking soda made such a difference in the tenderness of the ground meat. All the flavors of tacos in a delicious casserole.
Excellent! Always make an extra dish for freezer! Delicious, easy and a family favorite.
Make this at least every couple weeks, easy to throw together after work and the kids wolf it down.
Hubby and I absolutely love enchiladas. The 1st time I had enchiladas was in New Mexico when I was about 7 years old and they were stacked, so I couldn’t wait to try this recipe.
This recipe has become a favorite at my home . Fast, easy and delicious. I love the flavor that roasting the veggies adds to it and I can change the veggies up a bit depending on what’s on hand. Hubby loves it, too and he is always happy to have leftovers. Ground beef, ground turkey and even left over shredded beef or chicken have made their way into these enchiladas and it’s always a hit. This will always be a keeper at my house.
Jenn,
I made this dish for a winter camping trip with friends. I was looking for an easy recipe that I could make ahead of time, then heat up and serve to my friends. Well, this was a winner. Everyone loved it. I will definitely take this on future camping trips.
You are my go to when I need to make a delicious meal or dessert. Thank you!!
(PS I always print the recipe, date it when I made it, and comments from my quests. It is always fun to go back and read my notes)
We get together at a friend’s house on Sundays and everyone brings a dish to share. I use the opportunity to try a new recipe, and Jenn’s recipes are always a hit! This was delicious, and was devoured in no time. So much easier than rolling individual enchiladas.
I have made this recipe several times now – it’s one of our favorite quick meals that results in great leftovers. We easily made it vegetarian by substituting Impossible meat for the ground beef. I did find that I needed more tortillas than suggested to completely cover the mixture.
This has become part of our meal rotation! So easy and yummy! I make something similar with flour tortillas but I have to say that I like this recipe with the corn tortillas better. They add so much flavor!
This is one of my husband’s favorite recipes on your blog! Lots of flavor with a nice kick. We had left over tortillas from taco night the other day and some ground beef in the freezer. Thanks again for another great recipe!
This is one of my go-to recipes when I need to make a meal for a family with a new child. It is easy to make two batches at once and bake one for dinner for my family and send the other one along to the family. The tomato sauce is so good! Would highly recommend!
This was really good. Even the picky eaters enjoyed it. Perfect for fall weather.
This casserole was really good, but a little sweet for my taste and I don’t know why. I need to try them again. Other than that we really enjoyed them.
I made this for Christmas Day and make it frequently to share with friends. It’s SOOOOO GOOOOD!!! With Jenn’s rice and her salsa recipe…perfect combination! Always impressed with every recipe I try!
This recipe is a regular in our house. There are only two of us, so I usually split the recipe into two 8×8 pans, either freezing one for later (I’ve had great luck freezing this, just as the make ahead instructions state!), or sharing with family nearby. Otherwise, I wouldn’t change a thing!
Thank you, Jenn!
This looks so good! I have made a version of this over the years, but I never thought to roast the vegetables for the sauce first. I will definitely do this next time.
This recipe is definitely a keeper! I’ve made this several times, so easy to layer the sauce, torn tortillas, meat sauce, cheese. It’s also great with shredded chicken or pork, and I always look for recipes that use corn tortillas rather than flour for more authentic Mexican cuisine. I like Jen’s method to broil the tomatoes, garlic and onions for the home-prepped sauce. This makes a delicious dinner with additions of sliced avocado and a dollop of low-fat sour cream on the side.
I’ve made this a few times and it’s a family favorite. Have to admit I sometimes use Frontera tomatillo sauce instead of making it fresh. We top it with cilantro, red onion and sour cream.
This is recipe is easy to put together, is substantial and delicious!
So good! Your recipes are so easy to follow. I love the weekly emails that inspire me to make something new.
The flavors are fresh and vibrant. Dividing into individual servings made it easier for leftovers and not drying out the casserole.
Yummy! And such a bonus to be able to double the recipe and save one for a quick meal in the future!!
Love love love. My family is a bit picky, but this meal was a home run. I love how the salsa thickens with the tortillas and brings the whole dish together. Such a great addition to our comfort food lists of dinners. Thanks for such a great twist on enchiladas that the whole family loves.
I live in Texas and we’re particular about our Mexican food. Your recipe is a perfect addition to our table! I add some fresh jalapenos or ancho chilis to the tomatoes and onions when roasting because we like a little heat. But I don’t change anything else.
Another recipe that gets 5 stars from me!
This is one of my husband’s favorites! It’s very decadent, so we don’t make it regularly, but I have not made any adjustments to the original recipe because everyone loves it that way.
Easy to prepare, did it with my grandson( 14) and the complete family loved it. Gripping the vegetables adds flavor and the baking soda does make a difference. Good comfort food on a budget!
I love this recipe. I live in South Texas and the taste is authentic. I have your book and have followed you for years. I have never had a failure with your recipes. Thank you so much for sharing.
This is one of my family’s favorite Mexican dishes! Super easy to make, and layering the ingredients is so much easier than rolling. I serve with yellow rice and a big salad. Delicious!
Can I substitute canned tomatoes or Roma tomatoes for the vine-ripened tomatoes?
Hi Veronica, Though 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!
My challenge is I cook for my 92 year old dad that does not eat red meat, so I substituted ground chicken in this recipe. My husband is a bit fussy about chicken but he loved this dish so this is a keeper! The spices didn’t make the dish bland because I used chicken so it was really delicious. My dad loved it, too.
Excellent recipe: I’m a huge fan of Mexican food and this recipe is great, and we usually make one to freeze. We had a debate about corn vs flour tortillas–I prefer the corn as it melts into the recipe like tortilla soup/polenta. Reliable and excellent.
Wonderful Recipe. I made it tonight for the family and everyone loved it. Even my picky 10 year old – he cleared his plate.
I served it with Spanish rice and cilantro, avocado and sour cream on the side.
My married daughter and husband come in once a month to spend the weekend, and this is always requested for breakfast. Best Mexican casserole I have found. Thank you.
Hi Jenn!
My girlfriends and I get together every Christmas to feast and gift each other our favorite things, but since we can’t celebrate together we decided that we’d deliver a dish and eat together over zoom. Your meals are my favorites and I’ll be making this stacked lasagna, but don’t have 5 glass baking dishes to bake this in and distribute. Would I be able to use aluminum pans? Would I have to adjust my bake time?
Thanks,
Tswb Tsab
What a nice way to maintain your tradition in this scary time! ❤️
I haven’t made this in aluminum pans, but I think it should work. Just be sure to support the bottom when transporting to and from the oven. Hope everyone enjoys!
Hi Jenn,
The aluminum pans (sturdy ones from Costco) worked just fine! I made 6 trays of stacked ground turkey enchiladas and followed your recipe. I also made my favorite black bean corn salad with chipotle lime vinaigrette! So happy to share these favorites with my girlfriends! Thank you again for your amazing recipes!
So glad it worked out – thanks for the follow up!
Hi Tswb…
I loved to hear how you were able to maintain those important traditions that make life sweet (especially during Covid).
And, thanks for sharing info about the aluminum pans from Costco! I often give baked/cooked food during Christmas gifts.
Will be picking the pans up for sure.
Thanks!😊
Lisa
Always love your recipes, and I want to make this but have two questions…I HATE cilantro what can I sub? Hubby not fond of corn tortillas, can flour be used?
Hi Doreen, It’s fine to just leave the cilantro out, and flour tortillas will work. Enjoy!
Hello,
I’ve had this recipe bookmarked for a while and this week I finally made it. My only regret is waiting so long to make this dish. I followed the recipe as written and it came out awesome! It’s difficult to only eat a single serving, a second serving is almost required for this recipe. Can’t wait to make it again next month. Thank you!
Wil
Loved it. So easy to make. I increased the spices a bit and will increase a bit more next time as we like our enchiladas spicy. Made a lime creama (sour cream, lime juice, a pinch of sugar & some chopped cilantro) to serve with it. A great comfort food dinner.
This is delicious!
I love enchiladas but they take a lot of work to assemble and can get really messy. This is the perfect solution: all the same awesome flavors but assembled much faster and with way less enchilada sauce dripping everywhere!
Regarding the concerns about the texture of the tortillas: the enchiladas I’ve had (in restaurants and made at home) always have a very soft tortilla from all the sauciness of the dish. To me, the tortillas were the perfect texture in this casserole!
I couldn’t find 8 inch corn tortillas at my local store so I used about 15 5-inch ones which seemed like the right amount.
My grandson enjoyed this recipe so much that he even telephoned me to say that he had two helpings. Very savoury and great tasting. A winner for sure.
Every recipe has a story and I always enjoy your introductions. I’m patiently waiting for your next cookbook.
💗
The dish was tasty- it was reminiscent of Mexican picadillo. Perfect meal to take to work the next day.
I changed things up a bit because I read reviews about the tortillas getting too soggy. I ended up lightly oiling each tortilla and heated them until warm on a comal (cast iron griddle). Then followed the rest of the recipe as stated. The tortillas held up well.
Question..wondered if I can roll the filling in the tortilla and place the sauce over top instead of layering?
Hi SV, I haven’t tried it but I think it would work. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it! 🙂
Another fabulous recipe! My sister made earlier in the week and said she’d use a smaller pan because she’d like a little thicker; so I used an 11 x 7 x 2 pan. I made 1 1/2 recipe of sauce (3 cups) and increased beef to 1 3/4 1b. My pan was full, but worked. So if following recipe exactly, no worries on using smaller dish.
Thanks for another stellar recipe!
Anxious to try this! Can I use ground turkey instead?
Sure, Wanda, that should work. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hi Jenn,
This was absolutely delicious but the tortillas were a bit soggy. I baked it for 35 min. Should I try not baking as long next time?
Hi Mary, The tortillas definitely do get soft because of the moisture from the beef/sauce, so it doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong. 🙂
Maybe I missed something, but we found it to be too salty. Normally we love your recipes, but this took me over 90 minutes to make and was just not worth it 😔
Another hit with the entire family. I made exactly as directed, and it was fabulous. I doubled the sauce–and everything else except the ground beef–and made a second pan with meat from two shredded rotisserie chickens–I tossed in a non-stick pan with a little olive oil and the same seasonings to give it the same profile. Both were delicious.