These easy & cheesy beef enchiladas are one of my absolute favorite comfort meals! They’re loaded with flavor, warming to the body, and full of cheesy goodness. Beef enchiladas always seem hard to me, but they are actually so quick and easy to make. Also you only need a few main ingredients to make them, which is a plus! Perfect for your next Mexican themed dinner night!
What do you need to make the easy & cheesy beef enchiladas?
- Ground beef- Any ground beef will work just fine here. We usually buy most of our ground beef from Costco or we’ll buy the organic option wherever we’re shopping. Ground turkey or chicken would work here too although we haven’t tried it ourselves.
- Avocado oil- Avocado oil is great for cooking with high heat. We buy the giant Chosen Foods avocado oil from Costco and it’s amazing!
- White onion- This just adds some great flavor to the beef enchiladas.
- Homemade taco seasoning- Our go-to taco seasoning for everything. Tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, etc. It’s super versatile and a great one to keep in your rotation! You can definitely just use a packet as well!
- Red enchilada sauce- This Frontera one is our go-to, but you can use any you prefer or make your own!
- Diced green chilis- They just add some extra flavor and goodness to this meal!
- Flour tortillas- Classic flour tortillas taste the most authentic and are our personal favorite! You can use whole wheat, gluten free, or whatever tortilla you like. The all corn tortillas don’t hold up as well, so they might break if you try to use them.
- Shredded Mexican cheese- Shredded Mexican cheese blend is definitely the easiest option, but you can also just use a shredded cheddar. Feel free to buy a block of cheddar or colby jack and shred it yourself!
- Cilantro- I love cilantro so much, which I know so many don’t but if you do, so I load it on the topping! I forgot for the picture but added afterwards!
Tips for making them:
- If you want fuller enchiladas, use 4 tortillas and load them up. If you’d like them to be a little on the smaller side, use 5-6 tortillas!
- You can double or triple the taco seasoning to have leftover for another meal! That way you have seasoning ready to go and on hand, and you can use it anytime. Just use a couple tablespoons from it for the recipe.
- Enchiladas are a great meal to freeze ahead! The directions on how to do it are below as a well as picture below!
If you love this one, then you may also love:
- Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
- Blackened Fish Tacos with Avocado Cilantro Sauce
- Easy Chicken Fajita Bake
Alright, let’s get to making the recipe! Enjoy!
Easy & Cheesy Beef Enchiladas
These easy & cheesy beef enchiladas are one of my absolute favorite comfort meals! They're loaded with flavor, warming to the body, & full of cheesy goodness. Beef enchiladas always seem hard to me, but they are actually so quick to make.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- 9×9 or 9×13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ white onion chopped
- 1 16oz package red enchilada sauce we used Frontera
- 4oz diced green chilis
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- 4-6 flour or whole wheat tortillas
- cilantro for topping
For the Taco Seasoning:
- 1½ tsp chili powder
- 1½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp oregano
Instructions
To cook now:
- Heat a pan with avocado oil at medium high heat
- Add in diced onion, ground beef, green chilis and taco seasoning. Saute until is browned and just about cooked through.
- Add in about 1/2 the bag (8oz) of enchilada sauce. MIx together and let simmer on low for a few more minutes and the beef is cooked though.
- Use 4-6 tortillas (depending on how full you like yours) and fill each tortilla with the beef mixture. Roll them up and place them seam side down in an oven-safe 9×13 baking dish.
- Once they are all rolled up, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce all over the tops of the tortillas. Cover in cheese to your heart’s content,
- Bake at 350F degrees for 8–10 minutes or until cheese is all melted.
- Serve with a sprinkle of cilantro, and maybe some salsa, avocado, sour cream , and romaine! Make it a party & enjoy!
To Prep Ahead:
- To prep ahead, after you cook the beef let it cool completely before assembling. Pour a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Fill tortillas and lay into the pan. Cover with more enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking. When you decide to bake, preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Cover the dish in foil and bake for 20-25 minutes until everything is warmed throughout. Remove cover & cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until cheese is fully melted!
For Freezing:
- To freezing, after you cook the beef let it cool completely before assembling. Pour a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of your pan. (I just used a disposable aluminum foil pan) Fill tortillas and lay into the pan. Cover with more enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you decide to bake, preheat oven to 350F degrees. Remove plastic wrap and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes until cooked through. Uncover and keep baking an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and everything is cooked through. Enjoy!
Notes
For Storing: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 additional days.
These were AMAAAAZING! I can’t believe how good they were especially because they could not have been easier. Even my picky kids like them. Definitely going into our regular rotation.
This makes me SO happy!!! They are a favorite of ours too 🙂 Happy everyone loved them!
Can this be made vegetarian?
Hi! You could try using something to replace it or just do a bunch of sauteed peppers and onions in the sauce in the tortillas!
Have you ever frozen your enchiladas to heat up later? Baby number 2 will be here in a few weeks and I’m getting meals together to freeze!
Hi! I haven’t personally but I know it’ll work!! Here’s a post on how to freeze them 🙂 Let me know how it works!
http://www.savvyeat.com/freeze-enchiladas/
Loved these enchiladas! Used ground turkey meat and lots of cilantro- Hubby said one of his favorite meals ever!
Great idea! Glad you enjoyed!
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I have done meatless and just done quinoa and veggies before and it is so good!
Good idea! Thank you for sharing!