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This cheesy Beef Enchiladas recipe will be a firm favourite with the whole family. It’s budget-friendly, healthy, easy to make and so delicious.
This easy Beef Enchiladas recipe includes rolled tortillas packed full with delicious chilli, topped with cheese and baked in the oven for a simple but oh-so-good family dinner.
It contains hidden veggies that no-one will even realise they’re eating, and you get to introduce the kids to some new flavours along the way.
Plus it’s made with minced beef and other great value ingredients. A simple winning midweek dinner all round!
Why you’ll love this Homemade Beef Enchiladas recipe
⭐️ A new mince beef recipe for the weekly meal plan
⭐️ Cheap, easy and soooo tasty
⭐️ Make ahead for the freezer for extra busy evenings
Sarah’s Notes
⭐️ This is a Mexican-inspired dish. It’s not authentic Mexican cuisine, which usually includes a red sauce made with a roux (flour and stock or fats), plus spices or roasted peppers, blended. This is my own humble take on these flavours, having enjoyed lots of enchiladas. For a more authentic recipe and to learn more, you could visit: My Latina Table.
⭐️ I use tomato-based sauce because it’s easy for midweek, plus it adds to the vegetable and nutrient count, which you know I’m always on the look-out for.
⭐️ I often double this recipe and make one extra for the freezer. Prepare to the end of step 7 and then cover and freeze. Then when you want to eat, allow to defrost and bake in the oven as normal. Check it’s hot through before serving.
Easy Beef Enchiladas Ingredients
- Minced beef – I use 5% for this recipe, but go for whatever you like. If there’s surplus fat in the pan when you brown it, drain a little off
- Onions and garlic – Go for fresh or frozen is fine too
- Spices – A mix of paprika, cumin, oregano and chilli flakes
- Passata – This is a good tomato base as it’s smooth
- Kidney beans – The tinned kind. Make sure you drain them and rinse thoroughly
- Tortilla wraps – I like corn tortillas as I think they go really well with the flavours and taste slightly more like the real thing, but this will work with any kind you like
- Peppers – Choose your favourite colour. You will need x2, chopped and deseeded
- Cheese – You’ll need a kind that can be grated and melts well, like Cheddar, Red Leicester or Mozzarella. If you’re in the US, Monterey Jack is good
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – Season generously
How to make Beef Enchiladas
1. Brown the mince in hot oil in a large saucepan.
2. Add the onions, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano and chilli, follow by the passata, kidney beans and peppers.
3. Put a lid on the pan and cook as per the recipe below.
4. Lay the tortillas out and share the mixture evenly between them.
5. Put half of the remaining passata on the base of a baking dish and spread out. Roll each tortilla up and place on top of the thin layer of sauce.
6. Spoon the remaining passata over the top and sprinkle on the cheese. Bake as per the recipe instructions below.
Substitutions
- Gluten free – Make sure you use gluten free wraps to make this a fully gluten free meal
- Vegetarian – You can follow my Vegetarian Enchiladas recipe here for a meat free alternative
Storing
In the fridge Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days if you want to reheat for lunch or dinner another day.
In the freezer You can freeze this dish but the tortilla wraps can go a little bit softer than when cooking immediately. I am more than fine with that considering the time I’m saving, but if it bothers you, just freeze the chilli sauce/filling and assemble the tortillas from fresh on the day you serve again.
Recipe Tip
You can make enchiladas in the slow cooker AND air fryer too!
See these methods in my Slow Cooker Beef Enchiladas and adapt from my Chicken Enchiladas recipes.
More Mexican-inspired recipes…
Under 15 minutes
Halloumi Fajitas {15 Minute Meal}
Under 30 minutes
Easy Salmon Tacos {30 Minute Meal}
Under 30 minutes
GIANT Baked Chicken Quesadilla {One Pan}
Air Fryer
Air Fryer Mexican Chicken Traybake
FAQs
If you like to double up on your carbs now and then (like me), then you could go for Homemade Potato Wedges or a Mexican Salad.
If not, how about a green salad or Coleslaw? You can also use the chilli beef sauce for another day and another recipe altogether to give you a variation.
Instead, serve with rice, pitta breads or as a pasta sauce.
I would say this recipe had a low to moderate spiciness – just a nice warm heat, which is OK for children but it does depend on their tastes.
Leave out the chilli flakes if you’d rather keep it mild. On the flip side, if you want more spice, add 1 or 2 deseeded and chopped red chillies while frying your onion and garlic.
In traditional enchilada recipes the wraps are pan fried on each side in a little hot oil to keep them crisp when sitting next to the sauce. Feel free to try that method next time if the wraps are too soft for you.
⭐️ Lay the tortillas out flat then add your mixture.
⭐️ To fold, first bend over the ends at the same time.
⭐️ With the ends tucked in, tightly roll up with tortillas, making sure to keep the mixture firmly inside.
⭐️ Tightly pack your rolled enchiladas into your baking dish, one at a time, to stop them from unrolling.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Beef Enchiladas {Easy Cheesy Recipe!}
Ingredients
- 400 g Minced beef, I use 5% fat
- 1 Medium onions, Peeled and chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves, Peeled and chopped, or frozen ready prepared
- 1.5 tsp Paprika
- 1.5 tsp Ground cumin
- 1.5 tsp Dried oregano
- 0.5 tsp Dried chilli flakes
- 700 g Passata
- 2 Peppers, Deseeded and chopped into small cubes
- 240 g Canned kidney beans, 1x tin, drained and rinsed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 Small soft tortilla wraps
- 100 g Cheese, Grated
To serve, optional:
- Spring onions, Chopped
- Red chillies, Chopped
- Avocado, Chopped
- Natural yoghurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan/200℃/Gas Mark 6.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the minced beef. Cook for about 5 minutes until the beef has browned.
- Add the onions, garlic, paprika, cumin, oregano and chilli. Cook for about 5 minutes on a low heat until and the onions are almost cooked through, coloured and fragrant.
- Pour in 500g of the passata, add the kidney beans and peppers, and turn up the heat to medium. Put a lid on the pan and cook for a further 15 minutes. (You may need to add a splash of water as it cooks if it's getting too thick, but you don't want it to be too wet.)
- Lay the tortillas out and share the mixture evenly between them. Put half of the remaining passata on the base of a baking dish and spread out.
- Roll each tortilla up and place on top of the thin layer of sauce, being sure that the open end is at the bottom, so the weight of the tortilla keeps them shut.
- Spoon the remaining passata over the top and sprinkle on the cheese.
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the inside of the enchiladas is hot and the cheese has melted.
Notes
⭐️ Lay the tortillas out flat then add your mixture
⭐️ To fold, first bend over the ends at the same time
⭐️ With the ends tucked in, tightly roll up with tortillas, making sure to keep the mixture firmly inside
⭐️ Tightly pack your rolled enchiladas into your baking dish, one at a time, to stop them from unrolling
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Not really a recipe rating, just that your video reassuring parents that kids avoiding new foods does end was exactly what I needed. I’ve made these, they will probably not go down well with my five year old, but – maybe?! – one day they will. Thank you!
Easy
Tasty
Mmmmmmmm
I used tinned tomatoes as that was all I had
Made the beef enchiladas tonight and it was delicious. Thank you very much.
Could we have more slow cooker recipes please.
Thank you.
A firm fave in our house!!!
I made this last night. It was absolutely scrumptious. It will now be a go to recipe for the cold nights ahead.
Made this tonight ! Amazing – thumbs up from all the family! I boiled the chicken (first time I’ve done this) and it was perfect and not dry 😉 Thank you for sharing x