Best Homemade Beef Enchiladas with Enchilada Sauce Recipe

This recipe will teach you how to make the best homemade beef enchiladas with a from scratch enchilada sauce!

You’ll even find links to make the homemade Mexican seasoning blend and sourdough flour tortillas for a homemade feast.

I’m using ground beef in this recipe, but I’ve tried it with shredded chicken seasoned with the Mexican seasoning blend as well as a vegetarian version. See notes in a later section.

What is unique about enchiladas?

Enchiladas are essentially tacos that are rolled in rows, covered in a sauce and baked.

They can be filled with seasoned ground meat, seasoned shredded meat, cheese, sauteed vegetables, or variety of other ingredients.

Enchiladas can be made with a green enchilada sauce made with a tomatillo pepper base or a smoky red enchilada sauce made with Mexican spices and tomato paste.

How to make the best homemade enchiladas from scratch

Let’s go through how I make this crowd pleasing meal. I have a lot of picky eaters among my four kids, but everyone loves this recipe for easy ground beef enchiladas!

It starts with my homemade Mexican seasoning blend that I use to season my meat as well as the from scratch enchilada sauce.

I also make sourdough flour tortillas, but have used store bought flour tortillas with great results as well.

Once you have the filling, enchilada sauce, and tortillas ready, these come together easily for a comforting and satisfying meal.

Optional: Sourdough Tortillas

I love using my own sourdough flour tortillas for these.*

Here are two great recipes for sourdough flour tortillas:

• How to Make Easy Sourdough Tortillas with a Tortilla Press (our go-to lately!)
• The Best Soft Flour Sourdough Tortillas Use Active Starter

And if you love all things sourdough, don’t miss this fun recipe for “chips”: Crispy Sourdough Baked “Tortilla Chips” Using Discard

*You could use store bought flour or corn tortillas for simplicity or preference.

Mexican Seasoning/Taco Seasoning

Having your own taco spice blend in your pantry will make it easy to make really flavorful Mexican food.

Bonus is that it’s much healthier than the store-bought mixes.

This pantry staple makes seasoning the meat and enchilada sauce quick and easy rather than locating and measuring 6-8 individual spices to add.

My blend has an excellent flavor and medium heat. The recipe makes a big bulk batch that your family will enjoy for months!

Find the recipe here: Best Taco Seasoning Recipe (Homemade Mexican Seasoning)

How to Prepare the Meat

I’ll describe both options for the meat that we enjoy.

Note: the recipe widget below only includes the beef instructions.

Seasoned Ground Beef Taco Meat

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef (90-95% lean)
• 1 T. homemade taco seasoning or store-bought packet
• 1/3 c. water

First, find lean ground beef, preferably 90-95% lean. Lean meat ensures that more of the weight will remain after cooking.

You’ll only need one pound for this recipe, but a tip from me to you is to prepare two pounds. I usually do half for taco night and half for enchilada night.

Preheat a large pot over medium heat, I use enamel coated cast iron.

Once the pot is preheated, add the ground beef. Use a spatula to chop and flip the meat every 1-2 minutes so that all the meat is cooked and finely chopped.

When all the meat is browned and no pink remains, turn off the heat and place a metal fine mesh strainer inside a heat safe bowl.

Then, use oven mitts to pick up the pot and carefully strain off most of the fat. It’s okay if there’s a little bit of fat left.

Add 1/3 cup water and one tablespoon of Mexican/taco seasoning for every one pound of ground beef to the pot.

Stir the water and seasoning into the meat until all the meat is coated evenly with the spices. Turn the heat to bring the mixture to a low simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until most of the water has evaporated.

Turn off heat and let the meat cool down for filling enchiladas.

Alternate Filling Option: Seasoned Shredded Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• pinch of salt, to taste
• 1-2 T. homemade taco seasoning or store-bought packet

To make shredded seasoned chicken, I boil one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a pot with enough water to cover the chicken.

First, bring the water to a boil then add the chicken breasts and a pinch of salt. Adjust heat for a high simmer on medium heat for 12 to 18 minutes.

Place a heat-safe medium sized mixing bowl to the side (ceramic, stainless steel, or glass). Take one piece of chicken out and place in the bowl.

If the chicken splits easily in the middle with a fork and there’s no pink inside, remove all the chicken from the pot of water to the mixing bowl. Reserve the broth that was created by setting aside.

Use forks or a mixing paddle (in a stand mixer or hand held mixing paddles) to shred the cooked chicken until finely shredded.

Then, add 1-2 tablespoons of Mexican seasoning (flavor to preference) and 1/4 c. of the reserved broth that the chicken cooked in. Mix the seasoning into the chicken until it is evenly coated.

Let the chicken cool down to make easy chicken enchiladas.

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 T. unsalted butter (or use 2 T. of avocado oil)
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 2 T. homemade taco seasoning  (you could use a store-bought packet or combine 1 T. and 2 t. chili powder, 1/2 t. onion powder, 1/2 t. garlic powder, 1/4 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper)
• 4 T. tomato paste
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (you can use water but chicken broth will give the sauce more flavor)
• salt, to taste

To make a flavorful homemade sauce, you’ll need to start with the sauce base with the butter, flour and seasoning mixture.

Melt butter in medium sized pot over medium to medium-high heat.

Once melted, add the flour and taco seasoning. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients into the melted butter to create the base of your sauce.

When the flour mixture is bubbling and fragrant, after about 2 minutes, stir in the tomato paste.

Then, add the broth and whisk the ingredients together until all the tomato paste and flour/spice mixture is evenly distributed in the sauce and you have a smooth sauce.

Reduce heat to a low simmer (bubbles around the edge of the pot) and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce is thicker and reduced a little bit. The consistency should coat a spoon but should not be as thick as gravy.

Remove from heat. Add salt to taste. (I wouldn’t recommend adding salt if your broth was not low-sodium.)

Assembling the Best Homemade Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. of seasoned meat
• homemade red enchilada sauce
• 16-20 flour tortillas
•  8 oz. monterey jack cheese
• optional: sauteed pepper, onions, and/or mushrooms
• optional: sliced olives

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Shred an 8 oz. block of monterey jack cheese into a bowl and set aside.

Prepare an assembly station with two casserole dishes, the cooked seasoned meat, bowl of cheese, pot of homemade enchilada sauce, and any other optional fillings or toppings.

Add about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce to each baking dish.

Take half of the tortillas and dip one side in the sauce and place at the end of the first pan. Continue to dip each tortilla in the sauce on one side then stack them on top of each other.

Repeat with the rest of the tortillas in the other casserole dish. Having each tortilla pre-coated with some sauce makes them more flexible when rolling.

Rolling and Baking the Best Homemade Beef Enchiladas

Take the first tortilla and fill it with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the cooked meat spread down the center of the tortilla. Sprinkle one or two pinches of grated cheese over the meat.

Roll the tortilla over the meat and place seam side down in the pan. Hold the first tortilla in place so it doesn’t unroll while you begin rolling the next enchiladas.

Once you finish filling and rolling the beef enchiladas, adjust the arrangement of the rolled tortillas so they are spaced equally.

Repeat with the second casserole dish.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolled beef enchiladas and spread with a spatula so all the tortillas are covered completely with sauce.

Top with the rest of the shredded cheese and optional sliced olives.

Bake 20 minutes then rotate pans and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Cool for 5 to 10 minutes then serve with sour cream, fresh cilantro, sliced green onion, beans (black beans or refried beans), and/or Mexican rice.

​Storing and Reheating Enchiladas

If you have leftovers, once they are cooled, cover the remaining pan of beef enchiladas with plastic wrap or move them into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To reheat, I prefer to use the oven to bring back the amazing texture and flavor.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake beef enchiladas in the pan or on a baking sheet for 6-10 minutes until internal temperature is 165 degrees F.

Enchilada Filling Variations

​Hopefully you caught my shredded seasoned chicken alternative above for filling your enchiladas.

I love sautéing sliced onions and bell pepper slices in a little butter with a pinch of salt to add some more bulk and flavor to the enchiladas.

Here are some other ideas:

• Seasoned Ground Turkey Taco Meat
• Seasoned Shredded Chicken
• Rotisserie Chicken, chopped with cheese
• Minced Mushrooms seasoned with Taco Seasoning (vegetarian enchiladas)
• Cheese enchiladas and sautéed vegetables (vegetarian enchiladas)

Tips to Maximize Your Cooking

​Probably like you, I’m trying to find ways to cook from scratch but also find shortcuts where I can in the kitchen.

So, what I do is I have a taco night on one night and enchilada night the next night.

On taco night, I make a double batch of seasoned ground beef and a double batch of sourdough tortillas.

The shaping and cooking of the tortillas can be time consuming since I make 32, so if you need to use grocery store ones, do it!

I serve my family half of the meat and tortillas, and make sure to hide the rest because they love the tortillas!!

Then on enchilada night, all I have to do is make the sauce, shred cheese, roll the enchiladas and bake!

The double prep makes this an easy weeknight dinner.

​Ready to make the best beef enchiladas?

I hope you feel excited and equipped to make your own enchilada sauce and make these easy beef enchiladas!

This has become a family favorite recipe and I hope you can add it to your meal rotation for a fun, flavorful, and comforting meal.

​Share this with a friend who loves making things from scratch!

I would love to hear from you if you make this meal, comment below or tag me on facebook or instagram @livingbreadbaker.

Curious about sourdough?

​If you came for the enchilada recipe, but are curious about sourdough, I’d love to guide you from sourdough starter 101 through baking your first loaf!

A competent guide transforms sourdough baking from overwhelming to uncomplicated and fun!

Get My Free Quick Start Sourdough Guide: Learn the key terms and concepts in sourdough baking, including the differences between active sourdough starter and sourdough discard, and how to care for your starter.

Living Bread Baker posts mentioned

Best Taco Seasoning Recipe (Homemade Mexican Seasoning)

How to Make Easy Sourdough Tortillas with a Tortilla Press (our go-to lately!)

The Best Soft Flour Sourdough Tortillas Use Active Starter

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3-quart size casserole dish

Living Bread Baker Intro. to Sourdough course

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5 from 2 votes

Beef Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Author: Jenny Prior

Ingredients

Seasoned Ground Beef (Taco Meat)

• 1 lb. lean ground beef 90-95% lean
• 1 T. homemade taco seasoning or store-bought packet
• 1/3 c. water

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

• 3 T. unsalted butter or use 2 T. of avocado oil
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 2 T. homemade taco seasoning you could use a store-bought packet or combine 1 T. and 2 t. chili powder, 1/2 t. onion powder, 1/2 t. garlic powder, 1/4 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper
• 4 T. tomato paste
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth you can use water but chicken broth will give the sauce more flavor
• salt to taste

Beef Enchiladas

• 1 lb. of seasoned meat
• homemade red enchilada sauce
• 16-20 flour tortillas
• 8 oz. monterey jack cheese
• optional: sauteed pepper onions, and/or mushrooms
• optional: sliced olives

Instructions

Making the Seasoned Ground Beef

• Preheat a large pot over medium heat.
• Once the pot is preheated, add the ground beef. Use a spatula to chop and flip the meat every 1-2 minutes so that all the meat is cooked and finely chopped.
• When all the meat is browned and no pink remains, turn off the heat and place a metal fine mesh strainer inside a heat safe bowl. Then, use oven mitts to pick up the pot and carefully strain off most of the fat.
• Add 1/3 cup water and one tablespoon of Mexican/taco seasoning for every one pound of ground beef to the pot.
• Stir the water and seasoning into the meat until all the meat is coated evenly with the spices. Turn the heat to bring the mixture to a low simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until most of the water has evaporated.
• Turn off heat and let the meat cool down for filling enchiladas./

Making the homemade enchilada sauce

• Melt butter in medium sized pot over medium to medium-high heat.
• Once melted, add the flour and taco seasoning. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients into the melted butter to create the base of your sauce.
• When the flour mixture is bubbling and fragrant, after about 2 minutes, stir in the tomato paste.
• Then, add the broth and whisk the ingredients together until all the tomato paste and flour/spice mixture is evenly distributed in the sauce and you have a smooth sauce.
• Reduce heat to a low simmer (bubbles around the edge of the pot) and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce is thicker and reduced a little bit. The consistency should coat a spoon but should not be as thick as gravy.
• Remove from heat. Add salt to taste. (I wouldn't recommend adding salt if your broth was not low-sodium.)/

Assembling and Baking Enchiladas

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
• Prepare an assembly station with two casserole dishes, the cooked seasoned meat, bowl of shredded cheese, pot of homemade enchilada sauce, and any other optional fillings or toppings.
• Add about 2-4 tablespoons of the enchilada sauce to each baking dish.
• Take half of the tortillas and dip one side in the sauce and place at the end of the first pan. Continue to dip each tortilla in the sauce on one side then stack them on top of each other. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas in the other casserole dish.
• Take the first tortilla and fill it with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of the cooked meat spread down the center of the tortilla. Sprinkle one or two pinches of grated cheese over the meat. Roll the tortilla over the meat and place seam side down in the pan. Hold the first tortilla in place so it doesn't unroll while you begin rolling the next enchiladas. Once you finish filling and rolling the enchiladas, adjust the arrangement of the rolled tortillas so they are spaced equally.
• Repeat with the second casserole dish.
• Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolled enchiladas and spread with a spatula so all the tortillas are covered completely with sauce. Top with the rest of the shredded cheese and optional sliced olives.
• Bake 20 minutes then rotate pans and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
• Cool for 5 to 10 minutes then serve with sour cream, fresh cilantro, sliced green onion, beans (black beans or refried beans), and/or Mexican rice.

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