Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas | Recipe

The only recipe you’ll ever need for authentic Tex-Mex beef enchiladas. Featuring ground beef enchiladas, a homemade beef gravy, and a freshly grated cheese blend.

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Down here in Texas, we know our way around a good authentic Tex-Mex enchilada, and this home chef is no exception. The key to a perfect beef and cheese enchilada is a combination of multiple factors: A good authentic Tex-Mex sauce, a flavorful ground beef filling, and the cheese. Don’t forget about the cheese.

This recipe was developed with high expectations and seasoned taste buds, and it never disappoints. Quite possibly the most important step to authentic Tex-Mex beef enchiladas is the sauce. So what is that Tex-Mex sauce made of?

HOW TO MAKE BEEF ENCHILADA GRAVY

Well, it is an easy beef gravy that begins like all other gravies: With a roux. After the roux is ready, beef broth is slowly added, and the mixture is then seasoned with dry spices like cumin and chili powder.

The gravy bubbles and thickens, and the end result is that savory and addictively delicious beefy enchilada sauce, perfect for smothering enchiladas, spreading onto rice and beans and scooping up with tortilla chips. Next up, the enchilada filling.

THE BEST BEEF ENCHILADA FILLING

The filling is no time to skimp out on flavor, and if you like a good cheesy beef enchilada, this is the recipe for you. The filling begins with a finely diced onion, followed by the browning of some seriously seasoned ground beef.

Once the beef is ready, it is transferred over to a mixing bowl, along with some freshly grated Cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese. Cheddar for flavor, Monterrey Jack for creaminess.  The filling is tightly rolled in warmed corn tortillas, transferred to a casserole dish and completely smothered with the Tex-Mex beef gravy. Did you know that’s what baked enchiladas are? Essentially a casserole. And, who doesn’t love casserole?

FAVORITE DISH FOR BAKING ENCHILADAS

The only type of casserole dishes I keep stocked in my kitchen cabinets are by Emile Henry. Never heard of ’em? They are a legit French company, specializing in Burgundian clay. What’s Burgundian clay you may ask? Hearty. That’s what.

Y’all, I am rough on dishes. And, these casseroles have made it through, year after year. They retain heat for what feels like forever, keeping the cheese on your enchiladas all warm and ooey gooey, but the best part? Nothing sticks to them. Like, nothing. So that enchilada gravy I was bragging about earlier? It comes out clean as a whistle.

FAVORITE CASSEROLE DISH ON AMAZON.com

Now, back to the enchiladas. For an uber cheesy beef enchilada, the dish is finally topped with a more of the cheese mixture and baked.

This is an excellent dish for entertaining as it can be made ahead up until the point of baking and refrigerated until ready to cook. Plus, this particular recipe feeds a crowd. I’ve served these up on countless occasions, and the feedback is unanimous: These will be the best enchiladas you’ll ever have. Enjoy.

SERVE BEEF ENCHILADAS WITH:

Black Bean Sofrito, Easy Guacamole, Fresh Salsa, or Authentic Mexican Rice

4.28 from 44 votes

Print

Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas

Prep Time

35 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

Authentic Tex-Mex beef enchiladas featuring ground beef, a homemade beef gravy, and a freshly grated cheese blend.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: 16 Enchiladas

Author: Kelly Anthony

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion finely diced
• 1 pound  80/20 ground beef
• 4 tablespoons  TAK's Tex-Mex Blend or a packet of store-bought taco seasoning, if desired
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons  All-Purpose flour
• 4 cups unsalted beef broth*
• 1 ½ teaspoons  Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon  cumin
• 1 teaspoon  chili powder
• Pinch of black pepper
• 16-20 corn tortillas
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese freshly grated
• 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese freshly grated

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° and have ready a 9x13” greased casserole dish.  

2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5-8 minutes until softened. Add ground beef along with TAK’s Tex-Mex Blend, and break apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 10 minutes, or until no more pink shows and completely cooked through. Remove from the heat and transfer meat mixture to a bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

3. Return sauté pan to stovetop over medium heat. Add butter and allow to melt. Sprinkle over the flour and whisk to form a roux. Allow to cook 2-3 minutes. Begin to add beef broth a splash at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition until all of the broth has been incorporated. Season with salt, cumin, chili powder, and pepper. Cook for an additional 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally and allowing to thicken. 

4. Add just enough sauce to the casserole dish to thinly coat the bottom. 

   Add a ¼ cup each Monterrey Jack and Cheddar to the beef mixture and stir to evenly distribute.

5. Dampen two paper towels and wrap half of the tortillas in the towels. Repeat additional paper towels and the remaining tortillas. Heat in a microwave for thirty seconds to 1 minute, until warmed and pliable. 

6. One at a time, add 2 tbsp of beef filling to a tortilla and roll tightly. Place seam-side down in the dish. Continue to roll enchiladas, placing them side-by-side until you can no longer fit any more in the dish. 

   Pour remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese. 
   

7. Bake, covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, uncovered. Allow to cool, serve and enjoy. 

Recipe Notes

*It is extremely important that you use Unsalted Beef Broth for this recipe. Otherwise, the salt content will be overwhelming.

 

MAKES 16 ENCHILADAS.