Beef Enchiladas with Sauce (Printable)
Savory ground beef rolled in tortillas and baked with rich red sauce and melted cheese for a hearty meal.
# What You Need:
→ Beef Filling
01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 pound ground beef
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
12 - 1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained (optional)
→ Red Enchilada Sauce
13 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
14 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
15 - 2 tablespoons chili powder
16 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
17 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
18 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
19 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
20 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
21 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
22 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
→ Assembly
23 - 8 small (6-inch) flour tortillas
24 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend
25 - Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
26 - 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (optional)
27 - Sour cream, for serving (optional)
# Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add ground beef, breaking apart with a spoon, and cook until browned and fully cooked, approximately 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary. Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Add diced tomatoes and black beans if using. Simmer for 3 minutes, then remove from heat.
03 - In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm vegetable oil. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and salt. Gradually whisk in broth and tomato paste, ensuring the mixture is smooth. Simmer while stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - Spread half a cup of enchilada sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Fill each tortilla with approximately one-third cup of beef filling and sprinkle with cheese. Roll tortillas tightly and place seam side down in the dish.
05 - Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas. Top with the remaining cheese.
06 - Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
07 - Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and red onion. Serve with sour cream if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The sauce is silky and rich without any canned shortcuts—you make it in the time it takes to brown the beef.
- Everything comes together in one baking dish, so cleanup is almost as painless as the eating part.
- It feeds four hungry people and somehow tastes even better the next day when flavors have settled in.
02 -
- Drain both the canned tomatoes and the black beans thoroughly, or excess liquid will make your filling wet and your tortillas soggy by the time they bake.
- Whisk the broth slowly into the roux or you'll end up with little flour balls that refuse to dissolve no matter how much you stir.
- Don't skip letting the assembled dish rest for five minutes after baking—it helps everything hold together on the plate.
03 -
- Make the sauce while the beef filling simmers—this way everything is warm when you assemble, and the enchiladas bake more evenly.
- If you're cooking gluten-free, use corn tortillas and swap all-purpose flour for cornstarch in the sauce, which thickens just as well and tastes neutral.