Beef Enchiladas

Close overhead image of the best beef enchilada recipe served on a blue table with a side of chips and salsa

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Easy beef enchiladas are a perfect weeknight dinner!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword beef enchilada recipe, beef enchiladas, easy enchiladas, ground beef enchiladas

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings - 8 people

Calories 314kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
½ of a small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 (19 ounce) can red enchilada sauce, divided (about 2 ¼ cups total)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (11 ounce) can Mexican-style corn with red and green peppers, drained
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon chili powder
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Optional toppings: sliced green onions; chopped fresh cilantro; chopped red onion; diced avocado or guacamole; sour cream; lime wedges

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Spread about ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan; set aside.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion; cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Remove from heat; drain off excess grease.
Stir in ¾ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of the cheddar, ½ cup of the Monterey Jack, beans, corn, cumin, and chili powder. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Place a heaping ½ cup of the beef mixture in the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.
Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes (or until the enchiladas are heated through and the edges of the tortillas are a bit crispy). Garnish with desired toppings and serve warm.

Notes

Substitute pink beans or pinto beans for the black beans.
Make chicken enchiladas with 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken instead of the ground beef. Ground turkey or ground chicken also work well.
Omit the beans and substitute with about 1 ½ cups of additional ground beef or corn. You can also replace the beans with 1 ½ cups of cooked rice.
Use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas. You'll need to warm the corn tortillas before rolling them (so that they don't fall apart). To do so, wrap a stack of tortillas in damp paper towels. Microwave for 30 seconds - 1 minute, or until the tortillas are soft and flexible.
Swap out the Mexican-style corn and use regular canned corn or frozen corn that's thawed before adding to the skillet.
Use green enchilada sauce instead of the red enchilada sauce.
If you have some extra time, prepare a batch of homemade enchilada sauce for this recipe. You'll need a total of about 2 ¼ cups.
For an extra kick and flavor, add a can of diced green chilies to the beef mixture.
Make the enchiladas spicy with some jalapenos on top or some cayenne in the filling.
Bake the enchiladas just until warmed through (this takes about 20 minutes, but every oven is slightly different). The sauce should be hot and bubbly, and the edges of the tortillas should be crisp. Keep an eye on them, because you don't want them to burn.
Set out an enchilada toppings bar and let your family members garnish their plates with all of their favorites! There are so many delicious options, including onions, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and lime.

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