Cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce

This ground beef enchiladas recipe with homemade red sauce is easy to make and so very flavorful! They have seasoned ground beef with chopped onions, jalapenos, and black beans, all wrapped in a flour tortilla covered in homemade red sauce and melty cheddar cheese.

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This is an easy, delicious, and comforting meal that is perfect for weeknight dinners and leftover ground beef enchiladas make the best leftovers! This dinner is one of our favorite Mexican recipes and it’s sure to be your family’s favorite as well!

Recipe Ingredients

• Ground beef or bison – You will need 1lb of lean organic ground beef or bison. They taste pretty much the same so use whichever you have!
• Chopped onions, garlic, jalapenos, and spices – These are the aromatics that make these ground beef enchiladas the best, don’t skimp on the seasonings!
• Shredded cheddar cheese – Add lots of shredded cheese on top for maximum goodness! A mix of white cheddar and pepper jack cheeses would be delicious as well!
• Black Beans – The black beans make these ground beef enchiladas more hearty and filling! You could also make this recipe vegetarian by replacing the meat with more black beans and cheese.
• Flour Tortillas – There’s nothing like flour tortillas made from scratch! Make your own or use store-bought if you prefer.
• Homemade Enchilada Red Sauce – The one thing I wouldn’t recommend using store-bought is the enchilada sauce. It’s quick and easy to make and is so full of flavor!

How To Make Ground Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Making the Homemade Enchilada Red Sauce

1. Melt butter or oil in a medium saucepot on medium-high heat. Once hot mix in the flour to make a roux. Cook the flour mixture for 1 – 2 minutes or until it starts to smell like pie crust while stirring constantly.
2. To the roux, add the minced garlic, tomato paste, and seasonings. Cook while whisking for another 1 – 2 minutes or until the spices and garlic smell fragrant.
3. Next, slowly whisk in the cold broth into the roux. Allow your enchilada sauce to cook for 10 minutes or until it starts to thicken slightly. Make sure to stir it occasionally so your red sauce doesn’t burn on the bottom.
4. Remove the enchilada red sauce from the heat then stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust for seasoning, then set aside.

Making the Cheesy Beef Enchiladas

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat a large cast iron skillet with a little bit of oil, then add chopped onions. Cook for 5 minutes or until they start to soften and turn translucent. Next, add the ground beef and spices. Mix until everything is combined then cook the meat until it is well browned, another 10 minutes.
3. Make a hole in the middle of the meat mixture with your spoon then add minced garlic. Allow it to cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute so the garlic can cook and become fragrant. Mix to combine it with the meat mixture then remove the skillet from the heat. Lastly, stir in the chopped jalapenos and drained black beans. Set aside.
4. To the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan add 1/2 cup of the enchilada red sauce, making sure to spread it out evenly. Take a tortilla and add 1 tablespoon of enchilada sauce to the middle, then add a little bit of shredded cheese, and the meat and bean mixture. Roll the tortilla up then place it seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
5. After all the enchiladas are in the baking dish cover them with the rest of the enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.
6. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Serve your ground beef enchiladas hot served with more black beans or rice, and topped with sour cream and cilantro. Enjoy!

Recommended Tools

9×13 baking dish

Medium sauce pot

Large cast iron skillet, my favorite for cooking anything.

How To Store/ Reheat

Storing. Store any leftover enchiladas in an air-tight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for several weeks.

Reheating. Reheat ground beef enchiladas in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 – 15 minutes or until heated through. If you are reheating from frozen cover enchiladas with a lid or aluminum foil so they stay soft and not dry out.

Frequently Asked Questions  —

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Ground Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce

This ground beef enchiladas recipe with homemade red sauce is easy to make and so very flavorful! They have seasoned ground beef with chopped onions, jalapenos, and black beans, all wrapped in a flour tortilla covered in homemade red sauce and melty cheddar cheese. 

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Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 828kcal

Author: Tonya Fowler

Equipment

• Large Cast – iron skillet
• 9×13 inch baking dish

Ingredients

Homemade enchilada red sauce

• 4 tablespoon vegetable oil can also use ghee or unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 – 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ – ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 ½ cup chicken broth cold*
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Ground Beef Enchiladas

• 4 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 lb ground beef or bison
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground paprika
• 3 – 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 – 3 jalapenos ribs and seeds removed, chopped
• ¾ cup cooked black beans
• 16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 6 flour tortillas

Serving suggestions

• Sour cream
• Sliced avocado
• Salsa
• Hot sauce
• Chopped cilantro or parsley
• More black beans
• Steamed rice

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Instructions 

How To Make Homemade Enchilada Sauce

• To a medium sauce pot on medium-high heat add vegetable oil. Once hot whisk in the flour to create a roux. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes or until the flour mixture starts to smell like pie crust. Make sure to stir constantly so the roux doesn’t burn.
• Next, add in minced garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, ground cumin, oregano, ground paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and ground black pepper. Whisk to combine then allow everything to cook for another 1 – 2 minutes so the garlic and spices can become fragrant.
• Next, slowly whisk in the chicken broth to the roux. Allow the enchilada sauce to cook for 10 minutes or until it starts to thicken slightly. Make sure to stir occasionally so the enchilada sauce doesn’t burn on the bottom.
• Finally, after the sauce has thickened remove the pot from the heat then stir in the apple cider vinegar. Set aside. 

How To Make Ground Beef Enchiladas

• Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet with oil, then add the chopped onions. Cook until the onions just start to soften and turn translucent, 5 minutes.
• Next in the ground beef or bison and all the spices – salt, pepper, dried oregano, ground cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and ground paprika. Mix until everything is well combined. Cook until the meat is brown, 10 minutes.
• Next, make a hole in the middle of the meat mixture with your spoon to add in the minced garlic. Cook it for 30 seconds – 1 minute to allow the garlic to become fragrant. Remove the skillet from the heat, then add in the chopped jalapenos and the drained black beans. Mix then set aside.
• To the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish add ½ cup of the enchilada sauce. To one tortilla add 1 tablespoon of enchilada sauce, a few tablespoons of shredded cheese, and some of the meat and bean mixture. Roll the tortilla up and place it seam-side down in the pan. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
• Once all the tortillas are rolled up, cover them with the rest of the enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. 
• Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly. 
• Serve with sour cream, black beans, and fresh cilantro! Enjoy!

Notes

*Use cold broth to avoid having lumps in your enchilada sauce.

Storing. Store any leftover enchiladas in an air-tight container or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for several weeks.

Reheating. Reheat ground beef enchiladas in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 – 15 minutes or until heated through. If you are reheating from frozen cover enchiladas with a lid or aluminum foil so they stay soft and not dry out.

Nutrition

Calories: 828kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 1687mg | Potassium: 568mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1602IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 638mg | Iron: 5mg

All nutrition information is automatically generated and should be only used as a rough estimate. This recipe card may contain affiliate links.