Description
These Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce are a delicious and hearty Mexican-inspired comfort food featuring a savory ground beef filling seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika, all wrapped in warm flour tortillas, smothered with red enchilada sauce, and topped with melted Mexican blend cheese. Baked to perfection and served with sour cream, pico de gallo, and fresh cilantro, this dish is perfect for family dinners or gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Beef Filling
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (80–90% lean)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup beef broth or water
- 2 (10-ounce) cans red enchilada sauce, divided
- 3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
For Assembly and Serving
- 10 6-inch flour tortillas
- 1/2 cup sour cream, for serving
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo or salsa fresca, for serving
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish to prepare for baking the enchiladas.
- Sauté Onions: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until the onion is softened and translucent.
- Cook Garlic and Beef: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, for 6–8 minutes until there is no pink left. Drain excess grease if necessary.
- Season Beef: Add the tomato paste, chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, kosher salt, and black pepper to the beef mixture. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring so the spices evenly coat the beef.
- Simmer Sauce with Beef: Pour in the beef broth (or water) and one full can of red enchilada sauce. Stir well and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. Turn off the heat and stir in 2 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese until melted and incorporated.
- Warm Tortillas: Warm the flour tortillas in the microwave wrapped in a clean towel for 30–45 seconds or heat them in a dry skillet over medium heat until soft and pliable to prevent tearing during rolling.
- Assemble Enchiladas: Spoon about 1/2 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly over the bottom. Divide the cheesy beef mixture evenly among the 10 tortillas, spooning it down the center of each. Roll up each tortilla and place them seam-side down in the baking dish.
- Add Sauce and Cheese: Pour the remaining enchilada sauce from the second can evenly over the rolled tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese evenly on top.
- Bake: Bake the enchiladas for 20–25 minutes until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is melted and lightly golden brown on top. Once done, let the enchiladas rest for 10 minutes to set.
- Serve: Serve the enchiladas topped with dollops of sour cream, a scoop of pico de gallo or salsa fresca, and a sprinkle of chopped fresh cilantro for garnish and freshness.
Notes
- You can substitute beef broth with water if needed, but broth adds more flavor.
- For a spicier dish, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or use a hotter enchilada sauce.
- Flour tortillas are used here for their softness; corn tortillas can be substituted but soften carefully to avoid tearing.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
- Allowing the enchiladas to rest after baking helps the filling set and makes serving easier.
