Celebrate Cinco De Mayo with these super easy ground beef enchiladas made with homemade red sauce, shredded cheddar cheese, and corn tortillas! In just 25 minutes, you can have these Mexican beef enchiladas ready to bake!
No sauce from a can here! Make your very own, tailored to your taste, red enchilada sauce. Spicy or mild, the choice is all yours! These enchiladas are quick and easy and they taste phenomenal!
The ground beef filling
To keep things as healthy as possible, I use 90/10 ground beef, also called ground sirloin. 90/10 is the lean to fat ratio, meaning 90 percent lean and 10 percent fat.
There are fattier cuts such as 70/30 or 80/20 that can also be used. The fattier ground beef will have a softer texture and will be more moist and juicy because of the extra fat content.
To 1 pound of ground beef, add 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp chipotle powder, 1/4 tsp coriander, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook over medium heat until the ground beef is browned, about 7 minutes.
The Red Sauce
In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbsp flour, 2 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, 1/2 tsp coriander, and 1/2 tsp salt.
In a saucepan, over medium heat, heat 3 Tbsp high heat, flavorless oil such as grapeseed oil. When the oil is heated, add the spice mixture. Whisk together and cook for 2 minutes.
This is where you can customize the sauce to your taste. Use more or less chipotle powder to regulate the spice. If you don’t like spice, eliminate the chipotle powder all together.
Add 2 Tbsp tomato paste and whisk until combined. Slowly whisk in 2 cups chicken broth. Continue whisking until there are no lumps, and simmer 7-10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in 1 tsp red wine vinegar.
Building the enchiladas
Add 1 cup of the sauce to the ground beef.
Spread a thin layer of the sauce over the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
Lay out a corn tortilla. Spoon a small amount of the ground beef into the tortilla and sprinkle with some grated cheese.
Roll the tortilla closed and place it seam side down into the baking dish. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled.
Artzy Foodie Tip: Be sure to use just a small amount of the ground beef so that you can roll the tortilla closed. They are easy to over-fill.
Spoon the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with grated cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Artzy Foodie Tip: These can be made up to 2 days ahead of time, covered and refrigerated. Because they will be cold, increase baking time to 30 minutes.
How to Store Leftovers
Store any leftover beef enchiladas in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Turn on the mariachi music and celebrate the Mexican’s unlikely victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla (I bet you didn’t know that)!
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Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 tsp chili powder + 2 Tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin + 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder + 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground chipotle powder + 1/2 tsp ground chipotle powder
- 1/4 tsp coriander + 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp high heat oil such as grapeseed oil
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- In a skillet, put the ground beef, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp ground chipotle powder, 1/4 tsp coriander, and 1/2 tsp salt and cook until ground beef is browned, about 7 minutes
- Set ground beef aside
- In a small bowl, combine 3 Tbsp flour, 2 Tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp chipotle powder, 1/2 tsp coriander, and 1/2 tsp salt
- In a saucepan, over medium heat, heat the oil
- When the oil is heated, add the bowl of spices
- Whisk together and cook for 2 minutes
- Add the tomato paste and whisk until combined
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth
- Simmer over medium heat 7-10 minutes until sauce thickens
- Stir in the vinegar
- Add 1 cup of sauce to the ground beef
- Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish
- Lay out a tortilla and spoon a small amount of the beef on the tortilla
- Top with a small amount of grated cheese
- Roll the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish
- Repeat with remaining tortillas
- Spoon the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese
- Bake for 20 minutes
Notes
- For a milder sauce, use less or even omit the chipotle powder, or for a spicier sauce, use more chipotle powder.
- Be sure not to over-fill the tortillas.
- These can be made up to 2 days ahead of time, covered and refrigerated. Because they will be cold, increase baking time to 30 minutes.
- Store leftover beef enchiladas in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
