These beef enchiladas really are the best ever! They’re made with an incredibly flavorful and easy enchilada sauce, ground beef seasoned with the perfect blend of Mexican spices, and melted cheddar and monterey jack! Toppings are not optional!
I never ever name recipes “the best” because it seems so extreme, but these really are THE BEST enchiladas I’ve ever had, and they are actually in the top five best meals I’ve ever had in my life. Bold statement I know. I can’t begin to tell you how incredible they are. You just have to make them and see!
One of the main things that makes these so incredible, is the homemade enchilada sauce. It’s SO easy too. You combine everything in a saucepan and let it simmer for fifteen minutes and that’s it. I’m definitely one for buying storebought marinara and barbeque sauce in a pinch, but enchilada sauce is one of those things that is SO much better homemade.
There is really no comparison.
I also use a mixture of cheddar and monterey jack because that is my favorite cheese combo to use for melty Mexican dishes. Otherwise, it’s queso fresco and cotija all the way! But you could totally add some crumbles of either of those on top! Because three cheeses are always better than two!
Gahhh I can’t even stand how good these are.
My Must-Haves For The Best Ever Enchilada Recipe
The toppings make them extra delicious too, obviously. What’s Mexican food without toppings? My favorite combination to use here is sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, lime wedges, and sour cream! I mix a little lime juice and salt with it to make it drizzle-able.
When making the enchiladas, I mix some of the enchilada sauce and cheese into the ground beef while it’s still hot, so it gets all melty and delicious, and then stuff it in the tortillas. It makes them so much more flavorful! I also season the ground beef with Mexican spices instead of relying on the enchilada sauce, so it’s like an extra layer of flavor!
Haha I put a lot of thought and care into these beauties.
I would be the happiest person if these were the only thing I ate ever again. They’re THAT good!
The Best Beef Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce
These beef enchiladas really are the best ever! They're made with an incredibly flavorful and easy enchilada sauce, ground beef seasoned with the perfect blend of Mexican spices, and melted cheddar and monterey jack! Toppings are not optional!
Ingredients
For the enchilada sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo
- 2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the enchiladas
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 6 ounces monterey jack, freshly grated
- 8 of your favorite tortillas
- sliced avocado for serving
- halved cherry tomatoes for serving
- lime wedges for serving
- sour cream for serving
- chopped cilantro for serving
- sliced scallions for serving
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375℉.
Make the enchilada sauce. Bring a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, chipotle sauce, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat slightly and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and cook for 7-8 minutes, until ground beef is browned and fully cooked. Add 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce to the beef, as well as 1/3 of the cheeses. Stir to combine until melted.
Spoon 1 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the beef mixture onto one side of the tortilla, then roll tightly. Place seam side down in the dish and repeat with all 8 tortillas.
Pour 1 1/2 cups of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, spreading evenly. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden.
Serve with sliced avocado, cherry tomatoes, lime wedges, sour cream, and chopped cilantro and scallions.
That’s Tex-Mex not Mexican, but great recipe!!!!!
These are even better than the enchiladas from our best Mexican restaurant. Your presentation was perfect, the appearance is so appetizing it drove me to trying your recipe. and I am so happy I did. Thank you so much for publishing this jewel.
Thank you so much Lloyd!! I’m so happy you tried them!
IHi, These look delicious. I’m making them for dinner tonight. Can you help me out with the totillias? Flour??? And white size ? Like borrito size.
Thanks so much! I like to use flour tortillas – just the regular taco or fajita size..the burrito ones would probably be too big, but anything will work in a pinch! Let me know if you try them!
These were great! Easy and super flavorful and I’m from Texas and quite the Tex mex connoisseur. Don’t cut corners and buy the shredded cheese. Shred it yoself!
Thanks so much Whitney! So glad you enjoyed them! Totally agree – you can’t beat freshly grated cheese!
Made these last night for some friends. They loved them and were no leftovers. The best I’ve ever made and friends said better than the local Mexican restaurants however we do live in Alaska.
We be making again soon! Thanks!
Thank you so much Brent! So happy that they were a hit!!
Made these last night and my husband LOVED THEM! He told me I have ruined his desire to go to a TEXMEX restaurant, since these are better than anything he has ever had at a restaurant! That is saying a lot since we live in Texas! Thank you for the recipe!
Oh my gosh this makes me SO happy!! Thank you so much Ana!! I really appreciate it! So thrilled you both enjoyed them! <3
My son told me these were the best EVER!!!!
Omg thank you!! What a compliment! SO happy he enjoyed them! 🙂
This is by far the best enchilada recipe I have ever tried, so many depths of flavour. Delicious!!!
Oh my gosh thank you SO much Emma! I really appreciate it! So happy you loved it!!
Super good! Made this (x3) for a houseful of teenagers and they all loved it! Really great enchilada recipe and I don’t typically like beef enchiladas!
So happy to hear they were a hit and that you enjoyed them too!! Thank you so much Sarah!
Absolutely delicious! Hubby has been wanting mexican food. Paired this homemade Spanish rice. So happy I found your recipe! Awesome!! Restaurant quality for sure!
Thank you SO much Tracy! I really appreciate it! So happy to hear it was a hit!! 🙂
Taking these to a Super Bowl party today.
Omg – the sauce is fabulous. I added a diced onion and a can of diced green chiles. A little dark cocoa and squirt of
agave syrup balanced the spices. Made a double batch and still have sauce left over for tacos later this week. Great recipe. Thank you!
Thank you so much Tamara!! And I love your additions – yum!! Enjoy the leftovers this week!
100% amazing!!!! You are right! The best! The sour cream drizzle and the cherry tomatoes really kicked it in to high gear!! This is going to be a regular at our house!!! Loved it!
Ahhh thank you so much Wendy!! I really appreciate it!! So happy you loved it! 🙂
I followed the recipe to a T…except I used my Traeger pellet smoker to smoke the beef and sauce separately. Then I finished the beef mixture on the stove and made the enchiladas. They were spectacular.
Omg that sounds AMAZING! I am so happy you loved them!! Thanks Ken!
I followed the recipe to a T…except I used my pellet smoker to smoke the beef and sauce separately. Then I finished the beef mixture on the stove and made the enchiladas. They were spectacular.
This sounds so good and I can’t wait to try it. However, I wondered if I could substitute Adobo seasoning for the chile’s in adobo sauce and if so, how? Thanks!
Thank you!! Yes, I think you could start with 1 teaspoon of adobo seasoning, and taste from there. You just want a subtle smokiness to the sauce! I hope this helps – let me know if you try it out 🙂
Excellent recipe! The flavor is great.
Thank you so much Alice!! I’m so happy you enjoyed them!
Initially I was using the recipe for the sauce. But I made these today for my niece. She’s not a fan of beef enchiladas.. however she loved these. Will make again.
Aw yay!! I am so happy to hear that Renae! Thank you!
These are amazing! I fancy myself a pretty good cook, but my enchiladas are always meh. I tried this recipe today, and they were soooo good! Even my husband who isn’t a huge fan of enchiladas loved them! I will be making these again and again!
Awww thank you SO much!! I am so happy to hear that!! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know 🙂
Best recipe ever! Love the sauce! Thanks for sharing 😃
Aww thank you so much Susan!! I really appreciate that!! 🙂
This was so good! Love the sauce! It’s a keeper!
Thank you so much Suzanne! So happy you enjoyed!!
Very tasty! Big hit for my family Thanks 😀
I’m so happy to hear that Kristi!! Thank YOU!! 🙂
Absolutely amazing flavour! Don’t change a thing!
Aw, thank you so much Sofia!
I have been making Enchiladas for something like 30 years in one form or another and this variation is truly one of the best I have ever tried! I live in the UK so ingredients may differ but my take added kidney beans to the beef mixture and instead of Monterey Jack (which is not widely available here) I substituted Comte as it is one of the finest melting cheeses in the world (think fondue). I also have a farm butcher who gets me local Organic, grass fed longhorn beef so how can you get better than that.
Sounds amazing! Thank you so much David – so happy you enjoyed!!