Ground Beef Enchiladas

A dish of enchiladas topped with sour cream, guacamole, and chopped green onions. Lime wedges and a bowl of sauce are on the side.

4.86 from 7 votes

🌮🎉🧀 Seasoned ground beef is rolled into tortillas and topped with red sauce and cheese, before being baked to enchilada PERFECTION! Garnishing these EASY beef enchiladas with guacamole and sour cream makes them next-level! These authentic enchiladas taste like they came straight from your favorite Mexican restaurant! Ready in 45 minutes and do-able on busy weeknights.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Course: Dinner, Mexican

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: beef enchiladas, enchiladas with ground beef, ground beef enchiladas

Servings:

Calories: 501cal

Equipment

large skillet
large baking dish or casserole dish (approximately 9x13-inches)

Ingredients

2 cups red enchilada sauce, divided (I use one 15-ounce can medium/normal enchilada sauce; sub with mild or spicy based on preference for heat)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small white onion finely diced (yellow onion may be substituted)
1 pound extra lean ground beef (I recommend between 90-93% lean)
3 cloves garlic finely minced
1 tablespoon chili powder (1 tbsp = 3 tsp, and I do mean 1 tablespoon here; reduce if you're sensitive to heat)
1 teaspoon ground cumin or more to taste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika may be substituted)
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
¼ cup tomato paste
½ cup beef broth (I use reduced sodium beef broth, you can sub with chicken broth or water in a pinch)
8 10-inch flour tortillas warmed if necessary (corn tortillas may be substituted but are more prone to ripping when rolling)
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese or more if desired
½ cup sour cream or as desired for topping; or omit if desired (Mexican crema is great if you can find it, see below for my Tips)
⅓ cup guacamole or as desired for topping
Other garnishes all optional and as desired (diced red onions, minced cilantro, lime wedges, pico de gallo, sliced chiles or jalapenos, etc.)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray, then add about 2-3 tablespoons enchilada sauce to the baking dish and spread it over the base of the baking dish; set aside.
Beef Mixture - To a separate large skillet, add the olive oil, onion, and saute over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes; stir frequently.
Add the ground beef and cook to brown it for about 5 minutes. Stir and crumble as it cooks to ensure even cooking and browning.
In the last minute, add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, salt, pepper, and stir to combine. Stir nearly continuously and cook for 1 minute to allow the spices to bloom. Tip - If you don't have all the various individual spices, but do have taco seasoning, add it, as desired, to replace what you're missing.
Stir in the tomato paste, add the beef broth, and allow the mixture to simmer for about 4 minutes or until thickened and saucy; stir frequently.
Tortillas - If your tortillas are stiff, warm them wrapped in a moistened (but not soggy) paper towel in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. If you're using corn tortillas, this is mandatory or they will rip upon rolling.
Assembly - The beef mixture makes enough to fill about 8 tortillas. Therefore, divide the mixture evenly among the 8 tortillas. Roll each and place it, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.
Evenly drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled enchiladas, evenly sprinkle the cheese over the top, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is as golden as desired, and the enchilada sauce is bubbly.
Serving - Wait about 10 minutes for the enchiladas to cool (you don't want to melt the sour cream)before evenly adding the sour cream down the center and then the guacamole. If you're not a sour cream person, just omit it.
Tip - If you can find Mexican crema in your local market, I recommend it more so than sour cream. It's a bit thinner and has a nicer consistency in my opinion for enchiladas. You can make a DIY crema by mixing 1/2 cup sour cream with 1-2 tablespoons milk, whisking, and then using that, as desired.
Garnishing - As desired, add any of the optionally recommended garnishes, to taste, and serve.

Notes

Recommended Accompanying Recipes: Guacamole, Chips, Spanish or Mexican Rice, Margaritas, Black Beans, Refried Beans.

Storage: Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave for about 1 minute, or as desired. If you are planning to make this with the intention of planned leftovers, I wouldn't add the sour cream/guacamole to the entire batch. Store them separately and airtight.

Nutrition