These beef enchiladas are filled with a flavorful beef, bean and chili mixture, covered in a delicious homemade sauce and smothered in gooey cheese!
One bite of these beef enchiladas and you’ll be hooked! The filling is super flavorful and the homemade sauce really takes it from great to OMG fantastic!
Mexican food… ahhhhh Mexican food. I just simply do NOT get tired of eating it! Tacos, nachos, burritos, chimichangas, fajitas, and enchiladas. There are so many recipes for enchiladas, but this one is my absolute favorite one. Beef enchiladas with something extra… a homemade enchilada sauce!
Look at that gooey, melted cheese in the photo above!! *drools*
Okay Amanda, let’s focus on the recipe here! Making your own enchilada sauce is super easy! All it takes is 15-20 minutes and a handful of ingredients I bet you already have on hand 🙂
You’re just going to make a roux by heating some vegetable oil in a saucepan, whisking in some flour, and cooking it for a minute. Add your seasonings and whisk in your vegetable or chicken stock to combine and remove any lumps. Now just simmer for 10-15 minutes. That’s it you guys. I had a brain fart the day I was making these and photographing them, so I don’t have many shots of my sauce, apart from this one…
But HERE is where the recipe came from, and she is awesome! Check it out!
Hopefully soon, I’ll be learning to can, and then I plan to make a big batch of this sauce and can it so I can always have a jar ready to go 🙂
Alright, let’s get to the filling! Which do you prefer… chicken or beef? I love them both equally, and what I love about these enchiladas, is that it works perfectly for either chicken or beef! It would also work if you’d prefer a vegetarian bean filling.
I used a ground beef with a higher fat ratio for extra flavor, and browned it in my BIG skillet. Once the meat was most of the way browned, I added in my onion, garlic, and green chiles, to saute for a few more minutes. Then drain the meat mixture and set aside.
Now just set up an assembly area and add a couple of tablespoons of the enchilada sauce to a flour tortilla, add some black beans down the center, top with ground beef mixture, drizzle with a little more sauce, and top with some shredded cheese.
Roll up the tortilla and place in a greased 9×13″ baking pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas, then spread sauce over all the tortillas and cover with shredded cheese.
Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, and broil the last couple of minutes if you want it more of a golden brown. Garnish with some chopped cilantro and green onions, it adds such a great flavor!
I like to serve my enchiladas with some sour cream, extra cilantro and green onions, and with some sweet corn on the side.
That cheese you guys… O…M…G! So cheesy and gooey!
To complete your Mexican dinner fiesta, why not serve up some tortilla chips with a yummy roasted corn and poblano salsa, corn and avocado salsa, or some restaurant style salsa? Can you tell I love salsa? 😉
IF you have any leftovers, (and I say if because let’s face it, once you try one, you won’t be able to have just one, I promise you!) they reheat really well and make a hearty lunch 🙂
These would be perfect for any meal, but will also make a great Cinco de Mayo dinner 😉
Recipe adapted and inspired from Gimme Some Oven
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1.5 lbs ground beef
- salt and pepper
- 4 oz can diced green chiles I used mild
- 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained thoroughly
- 8-10 flour tortillas
- 3 cups Mexican-blend shredded cheese
- 1 batch homemade red enchilada sauce or 1 can store-bought enchilada sauce
- chopped fresh cilantro and green onions for garnish
Instructions
- If you're making homemade enchilada sauce, prepare it.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add oil to a big skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add ground beef and crumble (use a potato masher to make it easier). Once ground beef is about halfway cooked, add onion, garlic, and green chiles and saute for 3-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain beef mixture.
- To make the enchiladas, spread a couple of tablespoons of the enchilada sauce over the tortilla. Add beans in a line down the middle of the tortilla, then add in a spoonful of the beef mixture, drizzle some extra enchilada sauce over the meat, then add one third of a cup of cheese. Roll up tortilla and place in a greased 9 x 13" baking pan. Continue with remaining tortillas.
- Spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the tortillas, and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, broiling the last few minutes if you want the cheese to be a more golden brown. Garnish with chopped cilantro and green onions.
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Chef Tips
Video
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 4 Tbsp chili powder use less if you are afraid of it being too spicy
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cups vegetable stock or chicken
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add flour and whisk together over the heat for one minute. Stir in the remaining seasonings (chili powder through cayenne pepper). Then gradually add in the stock, whisking constantly to eliminate lumps. Reduce to low and simmer 10-15 minutes until thickened.
- Use immediately or refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Brenda says
I rarely rate recipes but had to on this one!!! I have always used a McCormicks enchilada seasoning packet for my enchiladas. But since the world is on lockdown because of COVID19, I searched for a recipe online. Let me just say this, I will NEVER use a packet again! This was simply amazing! I did make a couple small adjustments. I added an 8oz can of tomato sauce to bring some tomatoey goodness to the mix. I also added sauce to the pan of meat instead of spooning over each tortilla roll. Also, I added the green chilis after draining of the hamburger meat so I wouldn’t lose the flavor of the juices of the chilies.
Jane says
How long in advance can they sit before you bake.
These are wonderful…
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve always made them right before baking, but I think they would be okay made a day in advance.
Claude says
I must admit, this recipe was delicious. The only change I made was to use beef broth instead of chicken or vegetable. My daughter mentioned it is now among the best recipes that I made. The enchiladas sauce wasn’t too spicy to my liking.. Just perfect.
Thanks foe sharing!
Kelly Davis says
Absolutely the best recipe by far! My picky Texan husband loves them.
Paula says
These were sooooo gooood!! I used canned enchilada sauce because I’m lazy and it was still amazing. Although I like black beans, I used refried instead as someone else suggested, just cuz I like them better. Worked perfectly. And I will admit, I used far more than 3 cups of cheese, well, because…. CHEESE!! Thanks for the recipe!
Emily says
I’m making this as a freezer meal. Any suggestions on cooking time if it’s frozen ?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never cooked these from frozen, so I can’t say for certain. Your best bet would be to thaw them out overnight the night before you want them for dinner. Set them out on your counter a good 20 minutes before baking. They may take a little bit longer to bake, but just watch for it to be hot and bubbly 🙂
Nick says
These were excellent. I made it exactly as written and they came out perfect. I also made home made enchilada sauce (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/331014641356687916/) and together they rocked.
Jennifer Callison says
These were so easy to make an tasted wonderful
Stacie says
I just plopped these in my oven only to see the directions on the back of the tortilla bag giving directions on heating. I had no idea the tortillas needed heating prior to use. I am a new cook and don’t eat, let alone, cook Mexican dishes very often. I am so afraid I messed up the dish and wasted my money. How horrible will this error affect my enchiladas? I guess chefs assume everyone knows the little nuances when cooking. 🙁
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Stacie 🙂 Most tortillas in the grocery store don’t technically need to be heated. Heating them allows you to roll them up without fear of them cracking, but not heating them won’t effect the outcome of the recipe, I promise. The only tortillas that need heating are the ones that are raw. Then you have to cook them in a skillet first. As long as your bag of tortillas doesn’t say “raw” on it anywhere, you’re good 🙂
Karen Moore says
I added the black beans to the hamburger mixture along with some mexi corn. My family loved this.
Chantal says
Can these be frozen for later?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve never tried it (we always devour them right away lol), so I can’t say for sure.
Adina says
I absolutely loved this recipe! I even made the enchilada sauce and really enjoyed it! Will definitely be making this again next week!
Mama can cook says
These are the best Enchiladas we’ve ever had. I asked my kids what would you like me to make for dinner tonight and first it was homemade meatballs but then it was quickly changed to “can you please make the homemade enchiladas” of course I said yes ….. this is my fourth time making them ?
RossC says
I make enchiladas with some frequency.. Because we are empty nesters and light eaters, I usually freeze half before baking for the next craving. I also freeze the home made sauce.
I’ve been in a chicken, flap steak and even pork rut lately. I came across your recipe and had a “well duh” moment. For some reason I’d never eaten or made enchiladas with ground beef..
The dish is perfect and I’m pleased I found your blog.. I have your FB page saved and look forward to reading your offerings.. :O)
elaine says
My family doesnt like black beans. Can i use refried beans?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Elaine 🙂 Yes, that would be a great substitution!
Terri says
Is this a gluten free recipe.? My friend loves Mexican food, but it has to be gluten free..thank you…Terri
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Terri 🙂 I know white rice is gluten-free, but as we don’t have any gluten allergies here, I don’t know enough about it to say for certain. Your best bet would be to run the recipe by your friend, as she would know what contains gluten and what doesn’t 🙂
Leanna says
Made these tonight for supper. Tasted great. Mine turned out soggy though with a lot of grease on the bottom. I used venison and shredded my own cheese, Any ideas how to prevent this?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Leanna 🙂 I’m happy to hear that you loved the taste, but sorry to hear things got greasy. I’ve never had that problem before… so my suggestions would be to drain the beef (or other ground protein) really well, and to maybe use a bit less sauce. It also could have been the venison, as I’ve only made this recipe using beef, chicken and turkey. Hope this helped!
Sarah Gucciardo says
I just made the tonight. i never eat enchiladas because the chicken and corn tortilla ones i make are very time consuming and that is with using canned enchilada sauce.
I decide to try some ground beef and flour tortilla ones and found this recipe. Boy was it alot easier even with making the homemade enchilada sauce!
My whole family loved it and I will be making these again. The only thing I would do different next time is I would double the enchilada sauce mix. My family loved the sauce and was asking for more sauce and I didnt have any left over after making the recipe.
I think they were perfect just as is, however I would make extra sauce so they can add more to their taste.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe, I will be returning to your website to try other delicious recipes soon!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Sarah! 🙂 I’m SOOOO happy to hear that everyone loved the enchiladas!! Thanks so much for the comment and kind words 🙂
Tendayi Taylor says
These were absolutely delicious!! It is very hard to find a dish that my whole family enjoys, but my 3 year old, 6 year old, 9 year old, and husband cleaned their plates. I’m glad I used your homemade enchilada sauce!! Definitely a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Tendayi 🙂 I’m SO happy to hear that the whole family loved the enchiladas!! I know what you mean about it being hard to find a dish the whole family loves… we have that problem here too lol
Felicia says
The homemade enchilada sauce is a winner! I intend on using it from now on when making enchiladas! I did have to double the sauce. For the meat part, thought it was bland, so I added a jar of salsa to it to flavor it up some more. Used corn tortillas- the enchiladas were restaurant quality! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Felicia 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed the meal and found ways to customize it for you!