My Favorite Beef Enchiladas don't come from a Mexican restaurant.
These from-scratch Beef Enchiladas are amazing.
My Favorite Beef Enchiladas make my mouth water.
Happy Cinco de Mayo! Think you have to go to a Mexican restaurant for Beef Enchiladas? No way! It's a great time to make my favorite Beef Enchiladas at home. I make them even though I'm not Mexican. And they are awesome. Enchiladas are tortillas rolled or folded around a filling, usually made with meat or chicken and then baked in a spicy sauce. They are one of my favorite Mexican dishes. Beef Enchiladas (or chicken) do take a good bit of time and effort, but the are worth the trouble!
When I make my favorite enchiladas, I make everything, including the tortillas, from scratch. Personally, I like my enchilada tortillas a bit thicker than the ones you can buy at the grocery store. This recipe came from Betty Crocker's International Cookbook (affiliate link), one of my favorite cookbooks.
What You Need
You will need a knife, cutting board, measuring cups and spoons, frying pan, and casserole dish. I make my flour tortillas by hand and I buy ready-made corn tortillas, but many people use a tortilla press, which makes the whole process simple.
My Favorite Beef Enchiladas Recipe
My Favorite Beef Enchiladas
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Ingredients
Filling
- 1½ pounds lean ground beef
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese substitute dairy free cheese for dairy free recipe
- ¾ cup sliced green onion or chopped onion
- ¾ cup dairy sour cream substitute vegan sour cream for DF
- 3 tablespoons fresh snipped parsley
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Sauce
- 3 15- ounce cans tomato sauce
- ½ cup chopped green pepper
- 3 teaspoons chopped green chilies or more to taste—I use jarred jalapeños
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅓ cup sliced pitted ripe olives drained
Tortillas
- ⅓ cup Crisco
- 3 cups all-purpose flour use gluten-free flour for GF or don't make your own and use premade corn tortillas
- 1½ teaspoon salt use sea salt for corn free recipe
- ¾ cup water
Instructions
Filling
- Fry the ground beef until light brown; drain.
- Remove from heat.
- Stir in 1½ cups cheese, onion, sour cream, parsley, and pepper.
- Cover and reserve.
Sauce
- Heat tomato sauce, green peppers, chiles, chill powder and cumin to boiling; reduce heat.
- Simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
Tortillas
- Mix salt and flour.
- Cut Crisco into mixture thoroughly.
- Add water; stir until dough almost cleans the side of the bowl.
- Add a little more water if necessary.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured board.
- Knead until smooth, 15-20 times.
- Divide dough into 10-12 equal parts.
- Shape each part into a ball.
- Roll into 7-inch circle.
- Cover remaining balls of dough with damp cloth to prevent drying.
- Cook each tortilla on an ungreased hot griddle until golden brown, turning once, 1-2 minutes.
To Assemble
- Spoon about ¼-cup beef mixture onto each tortilla. (I do this as soon as each tortilla is cooked. I don't wait to do all the tortillas and then assemble.)
- Fold tortilla around filling.
- Place in an ungreased baking dish.
- Pour hot sauce over enchiladas.
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Cook uncovered in a 350F degree oven until bubbly, about 20-30 minutes.
- Garnish with olives about 5 minutes before removing from oven.
Notes
Recipe Nutrition Information
This recipe is NF, SF, EF, CF*
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
Beef Enchiladas Nutrition Label. Each serving is about 4" x 2".
Nourish Your Body & Soul
I encourage you to care of yourself by eating satisfying, nourishing food that is good for your body and makes you feel healthy. Protect your spirit by living authentically, moving your body, and taking time to replenish and rest. I think you might also like these recipes & posts from Recipe Idea Shop:
- Tortilla Casserole
- Black Beans Tortilla Chips Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Soup
- Vegan Mexican Red Rice
- Mexican Layered Dip
- Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake
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Awesome Homemade Beef Enchiladas. Pure bliss.
Homemade Beef Enchiladas? Yes please!
There's no reason to go to a Mexican restaurant to get Beef Enchiladas. Make your own. These are SO good. #beefenchiladas; #homemadebeefenchiladas; #cookathome; #Mexicanfood; #cincodemayorecipes; #recipes; #recipeideashop
*Allergen Key
GF = Gluten free | DF = Dairy free | NF = Nut free | SF = Soy free | EF = Egg free | CF = Corn free | V = Vegetarian | VG = Vegan
Note: If you have serious allergies or sensitivities, to be considered free of these allergens, you need to use products specifically marked "gluten free," etc. There can be cross-contamination in facilities.
This post was first published on Recipe Idea Shop December 30, 2016 and updated May 5, 2021.
Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.