Ready to spice up your dinner routine? These easy homemade ground beef enchiladas are just what you need! Perfectly seasoned beef and zesty enchilada sauce are wrapped up in warm tortillas and then layered with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. This recipe is sure to be a total crowd-pleaser and make it onto the regular dinner rotation!

A large casserole dish of ground beef enchiladas topped with sour cream and cilantro.

Welcome to the world of easy ground beef enchiladas, where delicious homemade goodness meets simplicity! If you’re craving a really satisfying meal that’s a breeze to make, you’ve come to the right place. These enchiladas are all about perfectly ground beef, melted, gooey cheese, and YUMMY red enchilada sauce.

We love to keep things as easy as possible without compromising on flavor or ingredients. If youโ€™re looking for more delicious Mexican recipes, check out our carne guisada, picadillo, and beef fajita recipes. 

Ingredients Needed

Ground beef enchiladas donโ€™t have to be super complex. They *can* be an easy option for any weeknight! Below, youโ€™ll find everything you need to make easy ground beef enchiladas, along with any ingredient notes and applicable swaps. Exact ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card!

Ingredients for easy ground beef enchiladas sit in a variety of bowls on a marble countertop.
  • Olive oil – you can also use butter, ghee, or avocado oil.
  • Onion
  • Garlic 
  • Ground beef – we used ButcherBoxโ€™s ground beef here โ€“ itโ€™s the best!
  • Mild chili powder, ground cumin, and dried oregano
  • Corn tortillas – we grabbed white corn tortillas because we find them to be the most pliable, but feel free to use yellow corn if thatโ€™s all you can find.
  • Red enchilada sauce – Siete enchilada sauce is our favorite, but any red enchilada sauce will work great. If youโ€™re feeling up for it, try our homemade version in this recipe!
  • Shredded Mexican-blend cheese
  • Sour cream – for garnish, feel free to skip!
  • Cilantro – for garnish, feel free to skip!

What is the best ground beef to buy?

Our absolute favorite ground beef comes straight to our doorstep via ButcherBoxโ€™s incredibly convenient delivery service. Their ground beef is grass-fed, grass-finished, and delivered to your doorstep every month (or at an interval of your choosing). Click to learn more about why we always choose grass-fed and finished beef.


ButcherBox is our favorite way to get high-quality proteins because it is convenient, cost-effective, and we know we can trust their sourcing. Click HERE to sign up as a new member and get 2 pounds of 100% grass-fed and finished ground beef for FREE in every box for the first year of your membership.

How to Make Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas

Once your ground meat is browned, all youโ€™ll need to do is dip, fill, and roll! The process is so easy. For all the details, find our super easy step-by-step enchilada guide below: 

Sauteed onions in a large pot with raw ground beef (before being browned) on top.
A person spooning ground beef into an enchilada sauce-coated corn tortilla to make ground beef enchiladas.
12 enchiladas lined up in a casserole dish before being topped with enchilada sauce, cheese, and going into the oven.
An enameled cast iron pot with cooked and crumbled ground beef for enchiladas in it.
A person rolling a enchilada sauce-coated corn tortilla around spoonfuls of ground beef to make ground beef enchiladas.
12 enchiladas topped with enchilada sauce and cheese lined up in a casserole dish before going into the oven.
A person dipping a corn tortilla into enchilada sauce to make ground beef enchiladas.
A person placing a rolled enchilada into a casserole dish next to two other enchiladas.
12 baked enchiladas topped with cheese in a casserole dish.
  1. Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF.
  2. Saute the garlic and onion – add the olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and onion to the pot and saute for 4-5 minutes, until translucent and fragrant.
  3. Brown the ground beef – add the ground beef to the pot with the sauteed onion and garlic, and use a potato masher to break apart the ground beef as it cooks (our favorite ground beef kitchen hack). Continue crumbling the ground beef until itโ€™s browned and fully cooked through.
  4. Add the spices – when the ground beef is cooked through, add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Stir to fully combine, and then let the ground beef enchilada mixture cook for 5 more minutes.
  5. Add enchilada sauce to the enchilada dish – spread a ยผ cup of enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish.
  6. Assemble the enchiladas – pour the jar of enchilada sauce into a medium size bowl. Dip a corn tortilla into the enchilada sauce, set the dipped tortilla on a plate, and place a ยผ cup of ground beef onto the middle of the tortilla. Use your hands to roll the tortilla, then place the rolled enchilada seam side-down in the casserole dish.
  7. Add enchilada sauce – once all of the enchiladas are in the casserole dish, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over top.
  8. Add cheese – sprinkle the cheese over top the enchiladas.
  9. Bake – bake the enchiladas uncovered at 375ยฐF for 20 minutes.
  10. Garnish, serve, and enjoy – garnish the enchiladas with sour cream, cilantro, and any other garnishes that you love. Serve and enjoy!

Tips, Tricks, and Variations

Heat up the enchilada sauce – if you notice your corn tortillas breaking as you fill and roll them, try heating up your bowl of enchilada sauce so that the tortillas warm a bit as you dip them. Warmed corn tortillas are significantly more pliable than straight-out-of-the-package corn tortillas!

Use a different protein – ground beef enchiladas are DELISH, but if youโ€™d prefer a different protein, go for it! Ground turkey or chicken would both be delicious (the recipe instructions would stay the exact same).

Omit the cheese – dairy free? No problem! Just skip the cheesy topping!

How to Serve

Enchiladas make for the ultimate one-pan meal! Theyโ€™re loaded with healthy fat and protein (hello, ground beef + cheese!), energizing carbohydrates (looking at you, corn tortillas), and really delicious flavor (from ALL of the things). All of that being said, you donโ€™t actually have to serve enchiladas with anything, if you donโ€™t want to! Simply top them with sour cream and cilantro, and dig in!


If you are looking for a yummy accompaniment, though, chips and guac would be a great pairing!

A plate with two ground beef enchiladas on it next to a fork.

How to Store and Reheat

Below, youโ€™ll find instructions for storing your enchiladas in both the fridge and freezer and reheating them when youโ€™re ready to go in for round two!

How to Store in the Refrigerator

Store any leftover enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How to Store in the Freezer

If youโ€™re looking for a longer storage option, the freezer is your best bet. Store leftover enchiladas in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Another option here is to double your batch of enchiladas when you make them, and then freeze an entire batch for up to 3 months time. Pull out the entire batch the night before a busy day and youโ€™ll have dinner ready to go the night-of!

How to Reheat

Reheat your leftover enchiladas in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a 375ยฐF oven for 10-15 minutes.

If youโ€™re reheating an entire pan of enchiladas from frozen, let them thaw overnight, and then place the pan of enchiladas in a 375ยฐF oven for 30-40 minutes, or until warmed through.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use pre-cooked ground beef for enchiladas?

You can absolutely use pre-cooked ground beef for your enchiladas! Simply saute the garlic and onion until translucent and fragrant, add the pre-cooked ground beef to the pan along with the spices, stir and let cook for 4-5 minutes. Follow the rest of the recipe as written!

Can I prepare ground beef enchiladas ahead of time?

Preparing your ground beef enchiladas ahead of time is a great idea! To do this, make the ground beef enchilada filling, assemble the enchiladas, top with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese, and then cover and put in the refrigerator until youโ€™re ready to bake.

Are ground beef enchiladas gluten-free?

Yes, these ground beef enchiladas are gluten free! In fact, every single recipe on our website was made with gluten free ingredients (some *can* be made with wheat-containing ingredients, but every photo you see was made with a 100% gluten free line-up!).

Two plates, each with two enchiladas sitting on them, next to a large casserole dish of ground beef enchiladas.

Delicious and Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas

4.72 โ€” Votes 7 votes
By Cassy Joy Garcia
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Perfectly seasoned beef and zesty enchilada sauce are wrapped in tortillas and layered with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro. This recipe is sure to be a total crowd-pleaser and make it onto the regular dinner rotation!

Ingredients  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ยผ white onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons mild chili powder
  • ยฝ tablespoon ground cumin
  • ยฝ tablespoon oregano
  • 12 white corn tortillas
  • 15 ounces red enchilada sauce
  • 1ยฝ cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
  • ยฝ cup sour cream for serving, optional
  • Cilantro for serving, optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 375ยฐF.
  • Add the olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and onion to the pot and saute for 4-5 minutes, until translucent and fragrant.
  • Add the ground beef to the pot with the sauteed onion and garlic, and use a potato masher to break apart the ground beef as it cooks (our favorite ground beef kitchen hack). Continue crumbling the ground beef until itโ€™s browned and fully cooked through.
  • When the ground beef is cooked through, add the chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Stir to fully combine, and then let the ground beef enchilada mixture cook for 5 more minutes.
  • Spread a ยผ cup of enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish.
  • Pour the jar of enchilada sauce into a medium size bowl. Dip a corn tortilla into the enchilada sauce, set the dipped tortilla on a plate, and place a ยผ cup of ground beef onto the middle of the tortilla. Use your hands to roll the tortilla, then place the rolled enchilada seam side-down in the casserole dish.
  • Once all of the enchiladas are in the casserole dish, pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over top.
  • Sprinkle the cheese over top the enchiladas.
  • Bake the enchiladas uncovered at 375ยฐF for 20 minutes.
  • Garnish the enchiladas with sour cream, cilantro, and any other garnishes that you love. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Tips, Tricks, and Variations

  • Heat up the enchilada sauce – if you notice your corn tortillas breaking as you fill and roll them, try heating up your bowl of enchilada sauce so that the tortillas warm a bit as you dip them. Warmed corn tortillas are significantly more pliable than straight-out-of-the-package corn tortillas!
  • Use a different protein – ground beef enchiladas are DELISH, but if youโ€™d prefer a different protein, go for it! Ground turkey or chicken would both be delicious (the recipe instructions would stay the exact same).
  • Omit the cheese – dairy free? No problem! Just skip the cheesy topping!

Nutrition

Calories: 641kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1546mg | Potassium: 716mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 2342IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 625mg | Iron: 6mg

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Tex Mex
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 641
Keyword: enchiladas, ground beef enchiladas

Like this recipe?

Leave a comment


About the Author

Brandi Schilhab


More Like This

4.72 from 7 votes (6 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




8 Comments

  1. Excited to try this! Is it only 1lb of beef? The photo looks like 2lb and 12 corn tortillas sounds like a lot for only 1lb. Thank you!

    1. It’s just 1 pound, Jenn! The recipe was adjusted after the photo was taken.

  2. 5 stars
    Iโ€™ve never made beef enchiladas and these were so good! A huge hit with the family. It was even easier to make with my frozen taco meat I dethawed!

  3. Thank you for this recipe. There is beef broth in the ingredients but I do not see it listed in the steps, please advise?

    1. You’re totally right! That should have been removed from the recipe – I’m so sorry for the confusion! No beef broth needed!

    1. No beef broth needed! That ingredient should’ve been removed from the recipe. I’m so sorry for the confusion!