The key to a perfect Tex-Mex Beef Enchilada is a combination of multiple factors: A good authentic enchilada gravy, a flavorful ground beef filling, and melty cheese. Today we’ll cover how to easily get a superior version of this Tex-Mex classic on your table, as well as how to make a perfect, foolproof enchilada gravy, the key to the most flavorful beef enchilada filling, plus, fun ideas for what to serve alongside your enchiladas!
Down here in Texas, we know our way around a good authentic Tex-Mex enchilada, and this recipe is no exception. This recipe was developed with high expectations and seasoned taste buds, and it never disappoints.
BEEF ENCHILADA RECIPE OVERVIEW
- Cook ground beef filling on the stovetop.
- Make the enchilada gravy.
- Heat tortillas in the microwave so they are pliable.
- Roll the enchiladas with ground beef and cheese.
- Add sauce to the casserole dish and line with enchiladas.
- Cover with remaining sauce and cheese.
- Bake.
WATCH THIS! HOW TO MAKE ENCHILADAS {VIDEO}
THE FILLING IS NO TIME TO SKIMP ON FLAVOR
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 enchilada filling begins with a finely diced onion, followed by the browning of some 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 will be tightly rolled in warmed corn tortillas (tips on that to come), transferred to a casserole dish, and completely smothered with the Tex-Mex beef enchilada gravy.
TIPS FOR FILLING AND ROLLING ENCHILADAS
Rolling enchiladas is not difficult work and once you get the hang of it, you’ll find yourself flying through the process. For best results, here are a few pro tips for working with tortillas and enchilada filling.
FOOLPROOF HACK FOR WORKING WITH CORN TORTILLAS
From time to time, corn tortillas can give us a little trouble when rolling enchiladas. If they’re too dry, they may break or tear, allowing that precious beef enchilada filling to spill out. Now we can’t have that, can we?
To make corn tortillas more pliable, wrap a stack of six corn tortillas in damp paper towels. Then, place them on a microwaveable plate and microwave for 1 minute. When you pull the tortillas out, they will be steaming (so be careful), but they will also be bendy and perfectly pliable for stuffing.
FILLING THE ENCHILADAS
As much as we all want to slam each corn tortilla from edge-to-edge with beef and cheese, take care not to overstuff the enchiladas. This will make them difficult to roll closed, and it will likely spill out before you even make it to the casserole dish.
If a little spills out in the casserole dish, there’s no reason to fret, it’s all going to the same place, but we wouldn’t want to leave any of that goodness behind on the prep table. A couple of heaping tablespoons is the perfect amount of filling per tortilla.
Not only does this keep us from wasting the filling, but it also allows more of the flavor for the corn tortilla to come through, which, in combination with the filling and the gravy, is one heck of a perfect bite.
HOW TO ROLL ENCHILADAS
- Place warmed corn tortilla on flat work surface.
- Add 2 heaping tablespoons of filling to the center of a tortilla.
- Roll one side the tortilla over the filling, and tuck the flap under the filling, tightly rolling it over at the same time.
- Place seam-side down in casserole dish.
HOW TO MAKE BEEF ENCHILADA GRAVY
This is an easy beef enchilada gravy that begins like all other gravies: with oil and flour (also known as a roux — but don’t let that scare you, it’s super easy). After the roux is ready, beef broth is slowly added, and the mixture is then seasoned with dried 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.
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 enchiladas are positively stellar and very likely, the best enchiladas you’ve ever had. Please, enjoy!
5 MORE TEX-MEX FAVORITES YOU’LL LOVE
- Homemade Beef Chimichangas are loaded with a savory ground beef filling and topped with a quick and easy stovetop queso! Tips for frying to perfection and more!
- Baked Chicken and Ranchero Sauce is a healthy take on a Mexican classic. Perfectly baked chicken featuring a topping of Ranchero sauce and Monterey Jack cheese. Slice it up and serve it with tortillas and sliced avocados.
- Verde Chicken Enchiladas is a gluten-free dinner recipe featuring shredded chicken, Monterrey Jack cheese, corn tortillas, and a tangy green sauce accented with sour cream!
- King Ranch Casserole may be a Texas-born casserole, but it’s most definitely earned its ranking amongst Mexican food favorites. A stacked enchilada casserole featuring shredded chicken, corn tortillas, hearty vegetables, cheese, and a creamy Tex-Mex sauce to bring it all together. This recipe feeds a crowd and is guaranteed to be a new dinnertime favorite!
- Easy Taco Soup is a quick fix dinner perfect for chilly weather. This family-friendly soup features taco-seasoned ground beef, kidney beans, fire roasted tomatoes, corn and more!
SERVE BEEF ENCHILADAS WITH:
Black Bean Sofrito, Easy Guacamole, Fresh Salsa, or Authentic Mexican Rice
Authentic Tex-Mex beef enchiladas featuring ground beef, a homemade beef gravy, and a freshly grated cheese blend.
- 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
- Preheat oven to 350° and have ready a 9x13” greased casserole dish.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 Video
*It is extremely important that you use Unsalted Beef Broth for this recipe. Otherwise, the salt content will be overwhelming.
MAKES 16 ENCHILADAS.
This looks really simple to make and I can make them on a Sunday and serve them all week long!
I really love Mexican food and this would make a good dinner option. Thanks for sharing.
You are so welcome, Shernell!
Delicious! This is the ultimate comfort food. Great for potlucks too since it’s easy to make!
I love a good enchilada recipe. That cheese on top is making me salivate right now!
Thank you so much! We adore enchiladas over here as well 😉
We just happen to be having Mexican food this weekend for my daughter’s birthday. Maybe I can add one more delicious recipe to the mix. I am already making homemade tortillas. Perfect for this recipe.
You got me at enchiladas, I am Mexican and love a good comfort dish like an enchilada casserole. These enchiladas look so tasty now I am craving enchiladas will have to make them this week!
Thanks, Adriana! These are some of our absolute favorites!
perfect comfort food now that the temperatures are cooling – looks so scrumptious!
I love how you used two different cheeses to get the desired effect! I am drooling over this recipe, it looks so good!
Enchiladas are one of my favorite meals. Anything saucy, spicy and cheesy is for me. Can’t wait to make this ASAP!
What makes this dish a winner for me is the fact that I can make the enchiladas ahead of time and refrigerate them until the party day. That works for me perfectly.
I love meals like this! They’re so packed full of flavor and look like you spent all day but actually come together so easily! The protein source can easily be swapped out too for other options… perfect for potluck dinners. Thanks for sharing!
So true and a GREAT point! Thanks, Catherine!
Oh wow! I’m down for a good cheesy casserole any day! This dish looks easy to make and looks like it will feed a hungry crowd. Pinning for future parties. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, Sharon! It’s perfect for entertaining!!!
This sounds and looks so good! My kids love enchiladas but I haven’t made them in so long. I have all the ingredients I think I may just make it this week. Delicious, satisfying comfort food. My fav!
Look at that cheesy goodness! Now this is my kind of meal. Perfect fall comfort food!
Hands down the best enchiladas I’ve ever had! This was such a helpful tutorial. Thank you so much!!
Thank you, Melissa!
I grew up in San Antonio and LOVE Mexican food. Yummy sauce recipe! I added chipotle seasoning, oregano and paprika. Yummmmmmmmm
I apologize Kelly. No offense to you at all, but I should have waited till I ate the enchiladas to post the review. This sauce recipe is quite different from traditional authentic sauce recipes but I decided to give it a try. I was actually quite disappointed and could barely get through one enchilada. 🙁 This is coming from someone who LOVES enchiladas and makes them all the time. I usually devour a whole pan by myself over 2 or 3 days. I have no desire to eat any more of these. 🙁 Such a waste of time and food.
I actually completely agree. This is not the traditional enchilada sauce and the color was weird. I didn’t like the flavor either. I ended up putting some garlic, more chili and tomato paste to try and salvage. It was better with the additions but I won’t be using this recipe again
Hey ladies! Sounds like you may be looking for Enchiladas Rojo (enchiladas with red sauce), not Tex-Mex style beef enchiladas. Here is a recipe that might better suit your needs: https://www.mylatinatable.com/best-red-enchiladas-recipe/
My husband loved these. He’s asked for us to have them weekly now! Thanks for a great recipe – we’ll be making it over and over again!
This looks so full of flavor and a perfect weeknight dinner option! Great job!
Beef enchiladas are my husbands favorite and I have never tried to make them I love the ease of this recipe
Yum! What a tasty idea! I’m a huge enchilada fan!
I haven’t made enchiladas in at least a year, but I definitely want some now. Great step by step directions and love your tips, too.
Shauna Guymon you can’t say that her recipe is horrible if you didn’t follow as instructed. Now if after you followed her directions then you will have a valid comment. You added all of the additional items that wasn’t called out in the recipe. I haven’t tried the recipe, but will be tonight.
Growing up, my mom made enchiladas at least once a month and we loved them. It’s been way too long since I have had homemade enchiladas. Your recipe looks very tasty and I would love to make these for my next family function.
Hey, Yolanda! Good to hear from you 🙂 Thanks so much! These are perfect for feeding a crowd. Hope your family loves them!
The best Mexican food I have ever had!! I was hesitant to make these because most of the comments were just people saying they looked good and there were not many comments from people who actually tried it except for one glaringly bad review. But I decided to try them anyway and I am so glad I did! I followed the recipe exactly with one exception – I used flour tortillas instead of corn because I just don’t like corn tortillas. I made a side of Allrecipes Spanish rice and it was delicious! Seriously the best Mexican food I have ever eaten. My son who is a little picky even tore through it and told me it was the best thing I had ever cooked (and I’m a good cook!). I can’t say enough good things about it. It has tons of flavor, lots of cheese and was a big hit with the whole family. Try it. You won’t be sorry!
Rachel! Thank you for your kind words. THRILLED you and your family loved the enchiladas! These are always a hit in our home as well 🙂 Thanks again!
All you have to say is Tex Mex and I am in. We love Mexican food, and often have themed dinner nights. This would be a welcome addition and a crowd pleaser for sure.
No taco Tuesday for me tonight! It’s going to be enchilada Tuesday!!
This looks utterly delicious! I think I may need to make this VERY soon!
Now this is comfort food at its best! I can definitely see myself making these next time I have some friends over – yum!
Thank you, Sylvie!
There’s nothing like simple but tasty beef enchiladas! It’s truly a classic and a recipe I’m happy to make any night of the week.
The homemade “gravy” made all the difference! Amazing authentic taste. I’ll never buy red sauce in a can again !!!
That is awesome! Thank you so much, Lisa!
I have been trying to duplicate an enchilada dish served at a local restaurant here in Indiana for years. This dish came very close to it. Thanks ! I did tweek the recipe a little to suit my own preferences like adding a sprinkle of cilantro with the ground beef mixture with only salt pepper and a touch of other seasonings. Thanks again.
Hi Todd! That is wonderful. Glad to hear you enjoyed the dish and even made it a little bit of your own 🙂
The sauce makes this a winner! Traditional canned red enchilada sauce never appealed to me – too acidic and tinny tasting. Love that this a gravy with tex mex spices. It really enhances the ground beef flavor. Will definitely make this again
Thank you so much, Becky!
Delicious! I added cliantro to the beef mixture. Family loved it.
Wow! Just wow. I had never made my own enchilada gravy, and it seemed really intimidating, but I think that’s what made the recipe. My fam loved it.
Thank you so much, Jen!
You convinced me! I’m trying your recipe next week. We had a friend from Texas here in South America, and she would make enchiladas every time we came to visit. She left for good a few months ago, and I really don’t know how to make them.
I’ll come back next week to report how we like them!
Ha! Ok, can’t wait to hear about it 🙂 Thanks, Lizet!
We made these last week and cannot wait to make them again already – thank you!!
Oh yay! That’s awesome, Tawnie! Thank you!
WOW, you just got me hungry for TexMex food. Nothing like some melted cheese on top of an enchilada to get the mouth watering.
I wonder if adding some black beans and corn would be good in this recipe? I’m definitely making it today, regardless! One day late for Cinco de mayo!
Have you tried freezing the casserole to make later in the week? I’m just wondering if it will come out alright. Thanks!
Best homemade enchiladas we’ve had. I’ll keep this one for future use also, thanks!!
That is AWESOME! Thank you!
I followed the recipe exactly as directed and I am in love! I have been searching for a good enchilada recipe for 4 years now and have found the winner. I will be making this recipe from now on! It had all the flavors I love in an enchilada but without the acidity of a red sauce. A++
Thank you so much, Kelly! That’s such a treat to know! 🙂
Made these last night and they were SO good! They taste just like the enchiladas from my favorite little Tex-mex spot here in Austin. I love the gravy instead of a red sauce, thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much, April! They are OUR favorite!
Do we know if this recipe can be a freezer meal??
Yes! This would be an excellent freezer meal 🙂
Would you freeze before or after baking?
After, Lindsay! 🙂
Made this tonight for the first time, based on how good the pictures looked. Flavor was there, but it was more like a casserole than actual enchiladas. Not sure if I used too much gravy or what, but the corn tortillas didn’t stand up to the gravy. Maybe lightly frying the tortillas would help (I microwaved per the directions). I only used 12 tortillas and tried to adjust proportions accordingly. Thanks for the recipe and website!
I’ve made this a few times now and I love it!! I haven’t tried a “red sauce” enchilada meal before since I couldn’t find a red sauce that was as good as any of the Mexican restaurants here (Houston) without being an all-day affair, but this is SO EASY and DELICIOUS! I have been craving it since the first time I made it, and it was just as good!
Two things I’ve learned:
– this is great with shredded chicken too, but keep the beef broth (it makes the “red sauce” have that flavor).
– if you don’t have unsalted beef broth (which I often use bouillon cubes, so they’re very salty) use UNSALTED butter and omit the kosher salt in the recipe. It will be plenty flavorful, but not salty tasting at all.
O.M.G. I just made these, and I feel like I’ve been to a restaurant. They were so good, and my belly is so full I ate so much. I’m not messing around with any other beef enchiladas again!
Super soggy, VERY disappointed. Such a waste.
These are absolutely delicious!!! They will be replacing the recipe I have made for years!!