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Cheesy Tex-Mex Beef enchiladas

Cheesy Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex
Servings 4

Equipment

  • Large skillet To brown your beef and cook the onions.
  • Mixing spoon or spatula For combining your filling.
  • 9x13-inch baking dish The perfect size for a beef enchiladas casserole.
  • Aluminum foil To keep things covered while baking.
  • Cheese grater (if using block cheese) Pre-shredded works too, but freshly grated melts better.
  • Alternative If you don’t have a baking dish, a deep oven-safe skillet or large casserole pan will do the trick.

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground beef 80/20 works well for flavor and moisture
  • 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 15 oz can refried beans (for that perfect beef and bean enchiladas feel)
  • 8 flour tortillas 6-inch size; corn can work too, but flour holds up better in a casserole
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 10 oz can red enchilada sauce (or homemade if you’re feeling fancy)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Fresh cilantro chopped (for garnish)
  • Sour cream or Mexican crema for serving

Instructions
 

Preheat your oven to

  1. 375°F (190°C).

Brown the beef

  1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil and sauté onions for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Toss in the ground beef, breaking it up with your spoon, and cook until browned and no longer pink—about 7–8 minutes.
    chopped onions are being sautéed in olive oil

Season the beef

  1. Drain excess grease, then stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Fold in the refried beans until everything is well combined and warmed through. This hearty filling is the soul of your cheesy beef enchiladas.

Fill the tortillas

  1. Spoon about ¼ cup of the beef and bean mixture into each tortilla, sprinkle with a bit of cheese, and roll them up tightly.
    open tortilla is laid flat on a clean surface

Assemble the casserole

  1. Spread ⅓ of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of your baking dish. Place the filled tortillas seam-side down in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the top, making sure to coat every tortilla generously.

Top with cheese

  1. Sprinkle cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese evenly across the top. You want that irresistible cheese pull in every bite!

Bake it

  1. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling.

Garnish & serve

  1. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve hot with sour cream or crema on the side.