Ground Beef Enchiladas

These ground beef enchiladas are quick, easy, and delicious! Seasoned ground beef, black beans, green chilies, and plenty of melty cheese are nestled inside corn tortillas and smothered with enchilada sauce and even more cheese. The best part is they’re baked on a bed of rice so you’ve got a complete meal all in one pan!

 

Easy Ground Beef Enchilada Recipe

• Comforting. This is comfort food at its finest! Perfectly cooked rice topped with tender seasoned beef enchiladas and plenty of melty cheese. Top with sour cream and green onions for the coziest weeknight dinner.
• Flavorful. Although the ingredient list is short and sweet, the flavors are amazing! Taco seasoning is a quick shortcut that adds tons of flavor along with fire-roasted diced green chilies. Add black beans for texture and some extra fiber and then roll the tortillas on a bed of Spanish rice for an easy weeknight dinner that cooks in one pan!
• Easy. These ground beef enchiladas could not be easier to make! This is the perfect recipe for someone who’s new to cooking or doesn’t feel super confident in the kitchen!

Ingredients for Ground Beef Enchiladas

• Ground Beef: I recommend 85/15 ground beef for these enchiladas. The perfect balance of fat and flavor. Any leaner and you’ll lose some flavor. Any higher fat content and you’ll risk greasy enchilada filling.
• Taco Seasoning: Store-bought or homemade taco seasoning is the fastest way to add tons of flavor to these enchiladas in just minutes.
• Black Beans: Feel free to use pinto beans in place of the black beans if you prefer.
• Green Chilies: I like to use fire-roasted diced chilies. You could also use canned, diced jalapenos. Just make sure you check whether they’re mild or hot!
• Corn Tortillas: I prefer the texture and flavor of corn tortillas for enchiladas. Flour tortillas would work as well.
• Enchilada Sauce: Use your favorite brand of enchilada sauce. Red or green will work.
• Cheese: We usually have Colby Jack on hand so that’s what I use most often. Use your favorite melty cheese.
• Rice: I recommend Ben’s microwaveable Spanish rice for this recipe. It’s pre-cooked so it just needs to be heated through which the oven will do for you! The drizzle of enchilada sauce adds extra flavor throughout too.

How to Make Enchiladas

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, and cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and cooked through. Add taco seasoning, 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce, black beans, and diced green chilies.

Simmer for a few minutes over low heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread Spanish rice in an even layer in the bottom of a baking dish. Drizzle with enchilada sauce.

Warm up corn tortillas in the microwave and cover with a towel as you’re working. Add 1/8 of the meat mixture to a tortilla then sprinkle with a tablespoon or so of cheese and roll them up. Place seam side down on top of the rice. Drizzle with remainining enchilada sauce and top with remaining shredded cheese.

Cover and bake for 25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly around the edges. Remove foil and broil for 1-2 minutes if desired.

Garnish with cilantro, green onions, and sour cream. Enjoy!

Tips for Making Ground Beef Enchiladas

• This recipe makes a pretty big batch of enchiladas – 16 in total. You can either make it in a 9×13 baking dish or split it up into two 8×8 or 9×9 baking dishes.
• I like to split it up into two pans and then freeze one for later. You can also halve the recipe and just make 8 enchiladas.
• Warm the tortillas in the microwave before rolling them! If you don’t they will likely crack and not hold the filling quite as well. That quick zap in the microwave makes them warm and pliable. After you microwave them, cover them with a clean kitchen towel and just remove one tortilla at a time as you’re filling it.
• Spray the tin foil with olive oil cooking spray before covering the enchiladas. This will ensure that the melty cheese doesn’t stick to the foil.

Making Ground Beef Enchiladas Ahead of Time

• You can make the ground beef mixture up to 5 days in advance and store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to bake.
• These enchiladas can be fully assembled up to 2 days in advance. Cover tightly with foil or saran wrap and refrigerate.
• An hour before baking, remove from the fridge and allow enchiladas to come to room temperature.
• Then bake according to the recipe instructions but plan to add an extra 10-15 minutes of baking time.

Storing Leftover Enchiladas

• Store leftover ground beef enchiladas and rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

Freezing Ground Beef Enchiladas

• Wrap enchiladas tightly and seal in a freezer-safe Ziploc.
• Freeze ground beef enchiladas for up to three months.
• Thaw overnight in the fridge.
• Allow enchiladas to sit on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes before baking.1`

Reheating Enchiladas

• Reheat ground beef enchiladas in a baking dish in a 350° oven for about 10 minutes or until warmed through.
• Or microwave them in 30 to 60 second intervals until heated through.

Serve Enchiladas With

• easy blender salsa
• cheesy Rotel dip
• crockpot queso
• Chipotle corn salsa
• street corn dip
• smoked queso dip

Try these enchilada recipes next!

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