Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce (Printable version)
Seasoned beef and melted cheese wrapped in corn tortillas with rich red sauce.
# What You'll Need:
→ Filling
01 - 1 lb ground beef
02 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tsp ground cumin
05 - 1 tsp chili powder
06 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
08 - 1/2 tsp salt
09 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
10 - 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
→ Red Enchilada Sauce
11 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
12 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
13 - 3 tbsp chili powder
14 - 1 tsp ground cumin
15 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
16 - 1/2 tsp onion powder
17 - 1/4 tsp dried oregano
18 - 1/2 tsp salt
19 - 2 cups chicken or beef broth
20 - 1 tbsp tomato paste
→ Assembly
21 - 8 medium corn tortillas
22 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend
23 - Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
24 - Sour cream (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, salt, and black pepper, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
03 - In a saucepan over medium heat, heat vegetable oil and whisk in flour to form a roux, cooking for about 1 minute. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and salt. Gradually whisk in broth and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Adjust seasoning as needed.
04 - Lightly grease a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish and spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom. Warm tortillas in the microwave under a damp towel for 30 seconds or briefly on a skillet to make them pliable.
05 - Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the beef filling on each tortilla, sprinkle with some shredded cheese, then roll and place seam-side down in the baking dish.
06 - Pour remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas and top with remaining shredded cheese.
07 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
08 - Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with sour cream if desired.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The sauce is genuinely better than anything from a jar, and once you taste it fresh you'll never go back.
- One pan does most of the work, leaving you more time to relax than you'd expect from a homemade meal.
- It's the kind of dish people ask for seconds on, and the leftovers taste even better the next day.
02 -
- Warming your tortillas before rolling is not optional if you want them to stay intact and not shatter into frustrating pieces.
- The roux is where beginners stumble—whisk constantly and don't skip the step of cooking the spices for thirty seconds in the oil, because that's when they wake up and release their real flavor.
- If your sauce is too thin after five minutes of simmering, you haven't whisked in enough flour; too thick, add a splash of broth, and taste it before you assemble because seasoning is everything here.
03 -
- Make the sauce a few hours ahead if you can, because it actually tastes better the next day when the flavors have time to get to know each other.
- Don't skip the five-minute rest after baking—it keeps everything from falling apart on the plate and makes serving infinitely cleaner and more satisfying.