Beef Enchiladas with an extra tasty, saucy filling, smothered with a homemade Enchilada Sauce. My time saving trick is to use one base Enchilada spice mix for both the sauce and filling!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
Beef Enchiladas
I love that there are so many variations of Beef Enchiladas in this big-wide-world.
Simple ones, filled with a plain cooked beef filling then topped with enchilada sauce and (lots of) cheese. Fancy ones with the addition of chillies, beans, corn and even olives, sometimes even bacon. Hidden vegetable versions (don’t ever try that on me, I can pick them a mile away).
Shredded beef enchiladas, short rib ones.
And today I’m sharing mine. 🙂 It’s made with:
A simple homemade Enchilada sauce which is quick to make and so, SO much better than store bought;
A flavour loaded beef and bean filling which is made with ground beef (mince), a load of Tex-Mex spices, refried beans AND black beans. Bean overload? Definitely not! The refried beans add bulk while keeping the filling nice and juicy so we can have nice, big, plump enchiladas!
What you need for Beef Enchiladas
Here’s what goes in my beef enchiladas.
Just a note on a few of the ingredients:
Refried beans – the “secret ingredient” that really fills out the beef mixture so you can big, plump, generously stuffed enchiladas that are nice and juicy. I use this in my Chicken Enchiladas too – works a treat!
Black beans – to fill it out a bit and add a different texture to the filling. Diced vegetables are great to add too – especially red peppers / capsicum.
Homemade Enchilada Sauce – made with either tomato passata or canned tomato sauce (US, I like Hunts), plus a good hit of Tex-Mex spices.
Beef – This is a recipe for beef enchiladas so it’s made with ground beef. But it can be substituted with pork, chicken or turkey!
Here’s my little time saving trick: one spice mix to flavour both the beef filling AND the Enchilada Sauce.
How to make Beef Enchiladas
There’s a good back of Tex-Mex spices in this! Some of it is used for the homemade Enchilada Sauce, and the rest is used to flavour the Beef and Bean Filling.
Try these on the side
Grilled Corn or try this Mexican Corn
Ahhh. These Beef Enchiladas. I really hate using the words “these are the BEST!” for any of my recipes because we all have different palettes, and what I may think is the “best” might not be to someone elses’ taste.
But truly, to me, to this day, even after having consumed more than my fair share of Enchiladas at Tex-Mex restaurants across America, I still think these are better. Way, WAY better than the mainstream chain restaurants!
Hope you had a great weekend! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 1 tsp each onion & garlic powder (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp each cumin powder, paprika and dried oregano
- 1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional, spiciness)
Enchilada Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp flour , plain/all purpose
- 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock / broth , low sodium
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) tomato passata OR US 1 can (8 oz) canned tomato sauce (eg Hunts) (Note 2)
- 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Beef
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped (~1 cup)
- 1 lb / 500g ground beef (mince)
- 400g / 14oz refried beans (1 can, I use Old El Paso)
- 400g / 14oz black beans, drained (1 can, Note 3)
Enchiladas
- 8 tortillas (or burrito wraps)
- 1.5 cups (150g) grated melting cheese, or more (I like Monterey Jack, tasty or cheddar cheese)
- Cilantro/coriander leaves , roughly chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Mix together Spice Mix ingredients. Set aside.
Enchilada Sauce
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and mix to combine into a paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add 1/2 cup chicken broth, whisk straight away then it will turn into a thick smooth paste quite quickly.
- Add remaining chicken broth, passata, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of SPICE MIX. Whisk
- Increase heat slightly to medium high. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, whisking regularly, until the sauce thickens to the consistency of thick syrup (see video). Remove from stove.
Filling
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add beef and cook for 2 minutes, breaking it up as you go. Add remaining Spice Mix. Cook for a further 2 minutes or until completely brown.
- Add refried beans, black beans, about 1/4 cup of Enchilada Sauce + salt & pepper. Mix (Note 4) and cook for 2 minutes then remove from stove (see video).
Enchiladas
- Smear a bit of Sauce on the bottom of a baking dish (stops sliding).
- Place filling on the lower third of a tortilla. Roll up then place in the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat with remaining Filling & Tortillas.
- Pour Sauce over the Enchiladas, top with cheese, bake for 10 minutes covered (Note 5) then 10 minutes uncovered. Serve hot!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published June 2016. Updated August 2019 with new photos, new video, new process photos and refreshed writing – no change to recipe, I wouldn’t dare!
Mexican Mania
Life of Dozer
Rain, hail or shine, Dozer blasts through the dog door out into the backyard to chase rabbits and bark at birds.
Luckily, he has a raincoat to help keep him dry(ish) on wet days!
Evelyne CulturEatz says
A Dozer raincoat, love it. I nenver really prepare TexMex food but everytims I see it I salivate, I am droling now big time.
Nagi says
It is VERY practical, that rain coat!!! I don’t know why people MOCK IT! 😉
Felicity Beadle says
Hope that you are safe over there in Sydney – we watched in horror at the footage on the TV news of the storms and devastation to homes, especially those on coast. Take care and stay safe Nagi and Dozer (who looks mighty handsome decked out in that rain jacket.)
Nagi says
Thank you Felicity! I must admit, my house is up on a cliff and is an old beach shack so I was rather concerned about how it would fare, so I actually left my house for the weekend and stayed at my mother’s! Her house is much more protected. 🙂 Returned home to some minor damage, I can’t complain, it is still standing!
Felicity Beadle says
Must have been very scary. Sorry to hear your home suffered some damage. Seeing some of those homes on cliff tops just destroyed was a strong reminder of nature’s power and fury. Have to wonder with Global warming issues if we are going to see a lot more of this?
Nagi says
I fear you are right Felicity. 🙁 The world has certainly changed from even 30 years ago when I was a kid!!
Norma says
Can’t wait to try these. Last night laying in bed I realized I’d not had an email from you in quite a while. Somehow I was unsubscribed, so I’m back and looking forward to the recipes. Can’t wait to try this one. They look yummy.
Nagi says
Hi Norma! I hope you do try these, they really are fantastic! Glad you’re back on my email list! 🙂
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
My tastebuds are at attention and I’m having a very difficult time NOT drooling. I do prefer making my own sauces – they taste so much better. Wish you could send an enchilada or two on over 🙂
Nagi says
Honestly Marisa, it baffles me why people don’t make their own Enchilada sauce!! So crazy easy! 🙂 N x PS What’s your address? I’ll shoot a couple over!
Beth says
Oh my goodness that really wakes up my taste buds and will be making this very soon. Your pictures are awesome and Dozer is so adorable.
Nagi says
Oooh, I hope you do Beth! I look forward so much to hearing what people think when they make my recipes – it’s validation! PS You should just pop round and give Dozer a cuddle!!! 😉
Peter Block says
Great zing to your sauce. I make enchiladas all the time but struggle with the pic. Of course you nailed it. Nice job.
Nagi says
I hear you Peter! Enchiladas, lasagna, cannelloni – they are HARD to shoot!!! Wouldn’t say I nailed it, I wasn’t entirely happy with them but they’re so yum I had to share!!!
Victoria of Flavors of the Sun says
Lovely version of a Mexican classic. Thanks! And Dozer in his raincoat…makes me smile!
Nagi says
Glad to hear you didn’t LAUGH!!! 😉
Muna Kenny says
Hey Nagi! I just had lunch but craving this dish, is this normal? Please let me answer, No, it’s not normal but I love your food Nagi, and I love to try it. It is raining here today and we may have a storm too, this dish can keep me warm, looks so yummy 🙂
Nagi says
Muna – you’re in Sydney too, aren’t you?? I do hope you and your family weathered the storm ok??
Muna Kenny says
I’m in New York 🙂
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Nagi! I have ground beef in the frig and was thinking about what to make with it…now I know what’s for supper! I don’t even have to go to the store, I have everything on hand! It has been raining here, but that’s a good thing for the garden, plus it has cooled things off a bit! It was too hot to make the blueberry bread yesterday, so that’s up for this afternoon. 🙂 I think Dozer looks quite dashing in his raincoat!
Nagi says
Oooh, looking forward to hearing what you and Gary think! 🙂 Makes me so happy the you try my recipes!! PS I think he looks dashing too! Can’t believe people MOCK him! 😉