These Ground Beef Enchiladas are filled with seasoned ground beef and loads of cheese all in a red sauce. The best part? They are done in about 30 minutes! Yum!

We’ve shared chicken enchiladas, vegetarian enchiladas, and even our own red enchilada sauce on the blog, so it was high time we share one of our family favorites…the ground beef enchilada!

Ground beef is easy on the budget and kid friendly, so you are going to love this recipe! You can file it in your busy weeknight meal folder!

A photo of two ground beef enchiladas sitting on a white plate with two lime wedges sitting next to them.

What Ingredients are Needed for Ground Beef Enchiladas?

Get ready for a super easy enchilada recipe with straightforward ingredients and minimal prep and cook time. Here is your grocery list:

Enchiladas

  • Oil
  • Ground Beef (90/10)
  • Cumin
  • Coriander
  • Smoked Paprika
  • Cayenne
  • Salt
  • Monterey Jack Cheese
  • Cilantro
  • Corn Tortillas (or Flour)

Sauce

  • Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Cocoa Powder
  • Brown Sugar (optional)

All the measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

a photo of a pan of ground beef enchiladas from overhead covered in melted cheese and chopped cilantro with a cup of salsa next to the pan.

How to Make Ground Beef Enchiladas

We are going to start this recipe by getting the enchilada sauce ready. You can make our homemade red enchilada sauce or you can buy some at the store. Combine it with cocoa powder (trust me, SO good) in a saucepan over medium heat and stir it. Bring it to a simmer and then set it aside to use later.

The next step is making the enchilada filling:

  1. Brown the ground beef, spices, and some cilantro in a nonstick skillet.
  2. Once browned, add cheese, cilantro, and some sauce to the meat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Spread some sauce all over the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

Now everything is ready to assemble the enchiladas.

  1. Grab your tortillas, add some sauce to a pie plate, and heat some oil in a clean nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
  2. Take 1 tortilla and coat both sides with the sauce in the pie plate, then place it into the pan and cook it until it’s soft, flipping once.
  3. Remove the tortilla from the skillet and fill it with some filling. Roll it and place it seam side down in the baking dish.
  4. Repeat these steps with all the remaining tortillas.
  5. Pour any extra sauce on top of the enchiladas and cover with cheese.
  6. Bake in preheated over.
  7. Serve and eat!

For more detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.

A photo of a pan of ground beef enchiladas with the first two being removed with a metal spatula.

What to Eat with Ground Beef Enchiladas

Ground beef enchiladas go great with all of your favorite Mexican side dishes. These are a few classics:

Then of course you should finish off the night with a piece of tres leches cake or dulce de leche donuts!

How Do You Keep Enchiladas From Getting Soggy?

The most important thing to do to avoid soggy enchiladas, is to briefly fry the tortilla before filling and rolling it. Definitely don’t skip this step! It fortifies the tortillas to hold up during baking.

A photo of a pan of ground beef enchiladas covered in melted cheese and finely chopped cilantro.

Corn Tortillas vs. Flour Tortillas

We prefer the flavor of corn tortillas with the red enchilada sauce and ground beef filling. There are strong feelings about corn tortillas out there, so you can definitely use flour tortillas if you want. You may offend enchilada purists who insist enchiladas can only be made with corn tortillas.

Using corn tortillas also keep these tortillas gluten free.

Can I Make Enchiladas In Advance?

Yes! You can make enchiladas in advance and store them unbaked in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

How Long Will Cooked Enchiladas Last in The Fridge?

Enchiladas will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.

A photo of two ground beef enchiladas on a white plate with two lime wedges on the side.

Can You Freeze Enchiladas?

These ground beef enchiladas make a great freezer meal! I usually double the recipe and freeze half for a meal down the road. Make the sauce and filling as directed. Fry the tortillas, fill them and roll them. Place them seam side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Let them freeze until hard and then store them in a ziplock bag or air tight container.

When you are ready to make them, spread sauce in a baking dish, top and bake as directed adding 5-10 minutes if your baking from frozen.

How to Reheat Enchiladas

To reheat leftovers, cover enchiladas with foil, and place in a cold oven. Turn the oven to 350 degrees and heat the enchiladas until they are hot in the middle which will take about 20-25 minutes.

A photo of a pan of beef enchiladas covered in melted cheese and finely chopped cilantro.

I crave Mexican food all the time! It’s comfort food for me, and these ground beef enchiladas fill every need of my heart and my belly! It’s a quick and easy meal your entire family is going to love!

More MEXICAN MAIN DISHES You Have to Try:

Cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas

No ratings yet
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 2 Tablespoons Oil
  • 1.5 Pounds Ground Beef, 90% lean
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin, ground
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander, ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon Cayenne
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 2 1/4 Cups Cheese, Monterey Jack
  • 2 Tablespoons Cilantro, chopped
  • 12 Tortillas, Corn, or 8 flour tortillas

Sauce

  • 2 15 oz enchilada sauces, red
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional

Instructions

  • In a saucepan over medium heat, add the enchilada sauce and cocoa powder and stir to combine. Cook until it comes to a simmer, then set aside.
  • Adjust an oven to 400 degrees.
  • Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Once shimmering, add the beef and spices, and 1 tablespoon of cilantro,  cooking and breaking up into pieces until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of cheese, cilantro and 1/4 cup of the sauce. Season to taste and set aside.
  • Spread 1/2 cup of sauce over the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan.
  • In a clean nonstick skillet, add the remaining oil and heat to medium high heat. In a pie plate, add 1/2 cup of the sauce. Add 1 tortilla at a time to the pie plate, coating both sides, and placing into the pan to cook until soft, flipping once about 30 seconds. Remove from the pan to a cutting board or plate and fill with about 1/4-1/3 cup filling, then roll and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat with all tortillas.
  • Pour any remaining sauces from the pan and sauce pan over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
  • Cook for 20 minutes at 400 and then serve!

Notes

To reheat left overs, cover enchiladas with foil, and place in a cold oven.  Turn oven to 350 degrees and enchiladas until they are hot in the middle. about 20-25 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 461kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 22gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 1151mgPotassium: 258mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 724IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 289mgIron: 3mg
Author: Sweet Basil
Course: 100 + BEST Easy Beef Recipes for Dinner, Everyone's Favorite Mexican Recipes
Cuisine: Mexican

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A photo of two ground beef enchiladas sitting on a white plate with two lime wedges sitting next to them.

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