Beef Enchiladas Red Sauce (Printable)
Ground beef and cheese wrapped in corn tortillas with a rich red sauce, baked to golden perfection.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beef Filling
01 - 1 lb ground beef
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tsp ground cumin
05 - 1 tsp chili powder
06 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
09 - 1/2 cup beef broth
→ Red Enchilada Sauce
10 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
11 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (substitute gluten-free flour for gluten-free option)
12 - 2 tbsp chili powder
13 - 1 tsp ground cumin
14 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
15 - 1/2 tsp onion powder
16 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
17 - 2 cups chicken or beef broth
18 - 1/2 tsp salt
19 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
20 - 1 tsp tomato paste
→ Assembly
21 - 8 corn tortillas (6-inch) or flour tortillas
22 - 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
23 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
24 - Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
25 - Sour cream, for serving (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef and onion until beef browns and onion softens, approximately 6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
03 - Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper; cook for 1 minute. Stir in beef broth and simmer until most liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.
05 - Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano; stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
06 - Gradually whisk in broth, then add tomato paste, salt, and black pepper. Simmer while whisking for 5 to 7 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
07 - Lightly warm tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave wrapped in a damp towel to make them pliable.
08 - Spread 1/2 cup red sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of beef filling and a sprinkle of both cheeses in the center of each tortilla. Roll tightly and arrange seam-side down in the baking dish.
09 - Pour remaining red sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining cheese.
10 - Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.
11 - Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve warm with sour cream if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The beef filling is seasoned boldly enough that you taste every layer, but the sauce does the heavy lifting so nothing feels overdone.
- You can have dinner on the table in an hour, which means it's practical enough for a weeknight but impressive enough for guests.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day when everything melds together.
02 -
- Don't skip warming your tortillas—cold ones will crack and fall apart, and warm ones roll like silk.
- If your sauce seems too thin after simmering, keep whisking and give it another minute or two; it thickens more as it cools slightly.
- The seam of each enchilada must face down in the baking dish, or they'll unroll slightly and the filling creeps out into the sauce.
03 -
- Make your sauce a day ahead if you want—the flavors actually deepen, and you'll have less to do when you're assembling everything.
- Don't crowd the baking dish; the enchiladas should be snug but not overlapping, so they bake evenly and the cheese on top gets golden.