Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas are filled with taco-seasoned ground beef and cheese, then topped with red enchilada sauce and even more cheese!
Ingredients
1 ¼PoundsGround Beef
1Taco Seasoning Mix1 Ounce
1CupWater
3CupsShredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend CheeseDivided
8EachFlour Tortillas7 to 8" in Diameter
19OuncesMild Red Enchilada Sauce
4Green OnionsGreen Tops Finely Chopped
Instructions
Heat a large 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is well heated, add the ground beef. Stir the ground beef with a large spoon, breaking the ground beef up and turning it frequently until the meat is well browned on all sides. Drain the meat if needed.
1 ¼ Pounds Ground Beef
Add the contents of 1 taco seasoning mix and continue to stir the meat until it is coated with the seasonings. Add the water, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let the meat filling cook for 10 minutes.
1 Taco Seasoning Mix, 1 Cup Water
Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the seasoned ground beef to cool.
Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C and spray a 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
Spread ½ of the enchilada sauce evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.
19 Ounces Mild Red Enchilada Sauce
Add 2 cups of the shredded cheese to the seasoned ground beef and stir well to combine.
3 Cups Shredded Cheddar or Mexican Blend Cheese
Place the 8 tortillas on a parchment-covered work surface. Spread ½ cup of the seasoned beef and cheese mixture down the center of the tortilla. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place it seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
8 Each Flour Tortillas
Top the enchiladas with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle them with the remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil.
Bake the enchiladas for 45 to 50 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let them stand for 5 minutes. Then garnish them with the finely chopped green onions. Serve and Enjoy!
4 Green Onions
Video
Notes
My Top Tips♡ Brown the Meat Well. The meat will be so much more flavorful if the ground beef is browned with a dark brown sear. You don't want to burn the meat, but you do want to get caramelization to form to add depth to the flavor of the meat.♡ Toast the Taco Seasonings. When you add your taco seasoning packet to the meat, let it cook into the meat and let the spices "toast". This will bloom the spice and make your filling tastier.♡ Create an Assembly Line. Layout all of your tortillas at once and place the filling on each tortilla before you begin rolling the tortillas around the meat. This will let you divide the meat and cheese mixture more evenly and every enchilada will be similar in size.Can You Freeze These Enchiladas?You can freeze enchiladas of all types including this recipe for ground beef enchiladas. Simply, prepare them up to the point of baking them, and be sure to use a freezer-proof casserole or baking dish. Aluminum baking pans are great for freezing and often come with a cardboard lid to make sealing the enchiladas easy. If using a casserole or baking dish, be sure to tightly cover your dish of enchiladas with heavy aluminum foil.My best pro tip for freezing is to not put any enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking pan and to put it only over the top of the enchiladas. This helps keep the bottom of the enchiladas from getting soggy.Substitutions & VariationsSubstitute Corn Tortillas. Corn tortillas are flavorful and delicious. It just happens that my family prefers flour tortillas for this dish of ground beef enchiladas.Add Whole Kernel Corn. If you need to stretch your budget and use less ground beef, add whole-kernel corn to the filling. The sweetness of the corn is a perfect partner to the mild spice of the seasoned ground beef.Use Smaller Tortillas. This recipe uses a "fajita" sized tortilla, which is between 7" and 8" in diameter. But you can use a tortilla that is "street taco" sized and about 4" in diameter. The smaller enchiladas are perfect for potlucks and gatherings!GarnishesDo Not Use Sour Cream. Although some people like sour cream as a garnish, I do not recommend topping these enchiladas with sour cream. To me, sour cream reduces the rich flavor of this dish that has only a little heat. However, if you cannot buy mild enchilada sauce and substitute a "hot" variety, a dollop of sour cream will cool the heat.Make it Delux. Most nights I use a garnish of just thinly sliced green onions. But for special occasions, I garnish these enchiladas with tomatoes, avocado, or a combination of tomato and avocado.