These Cheesy Beef Enchiladas are Tex-Mex comfort food at its finest! Perfectly seasoned ground beef, cheese and sour cream rolled up in corn tortillas and smothered in a delicious cheese sauce. Perfect for busy weeknights and make ahead friendly.
When it comes to enchiladas, these cheesy beef enchiladas are a family favorite. I can confidently save these cheesy beef enchiladas are requested more than any other Tex-Mex dish in my house. And we LOVE our Tex-Mex.
If you love a good red sauce for enchiladas, you should give these Chicken Enchiladas a try.
While these cheesy beef enchiladas are made completely from scratch, they are really easy to make. Little effort is needed to make these delicious enchiladas, and they can even be made a day or two in advance.
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Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Meat – Ground beef is my go-to for these enchiladas, but you can easily swap it for shredded chicken, shredded beef, or ground turkey.
- Cheese – Shredded cheddar, colby jack, or a Mexican blend work well for both the filling and the cheese sauce.
- Sour Cream – Adds a creamy richness to both the meat filling and the cheese sauce.
- Tortillas – I love using corn tortillas, but flour tortillas are a great option too.
- Chicken Stock – Enhances the flavor of the cheese sauce. Chicken broth can be substituted if needed.
- Milk – Use whole or 2% milk to create a smooth and creamy cheese sauce.
- Rotel – Canned Rotel adds a kick of flavor to the cheese sauce. If you don’t have Rotel, use diced tomatoes instead.
- Stir in black beans or pinto beans for extra protein.
- Add sautéed peppers or canned chiles to the filling for more flavor and spice.
How To Make Cheesy Beef Enchiladas
The full recipe is in the recipe card below.
Make the filling – Begin browning the meat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions and all of the seasonings and continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked. Drain off fat and stir in the shredded cheese and sour cream.
Make the cheese sauce – In a saucepan, melt the butter, then add the onions and sauté until translucent. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock, milk, and sour cream. Cook until thickened, then stir in the shredded cheese, Rotel, and spices.
Assemble Enchiladas – Fill each tortilla with about 3 tablespoons of the filling and roll up. Place them seam-side down in the baking dish. Top with cheese sauce, sprinkle with extra cheese, and bake for 45 minutes.
Top your finished cheesy beef enchiladas with cilantro, Pico de Gallo or your favorite hot sauce. Enjoy!
💡Expert Tip
To soften the corn tortillas, heat each one for 30 to 45 seconds on each side. Just long enough to make the tortillas pliable. Place in a damp towel to keep warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret to good enchiladas is to add sour cream to the filling. The sour cream not only adds flavor, but it adds moisture to the filling, ensuring that the enchiladas do not dry out.
Corn tortillas are traditionally used in making enchiladas. However, flour tortillas can be used to make delicious enchiladas.
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📖 Recipe
Cheesy Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
Enchilada Filling
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- ½ medium onion small diced
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 pinch chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 17 soft corn tortillas
Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons onion finely diced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- ¼ cup milk
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ cup canned rotel drained
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- To Taste salt
- To Taste pepper
Instructions
- In a small non-stick pan over medium heat begin warming up the tortillas. Cook each tortilla for 30 to 45 seconds on each side. Just long enough to make the tortillas pliable. Place them in a damp towel to keep warm.
- While you are warming up the tortillas, begin browning the meat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onions and all of the seasonings, and continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked.
- Once the meat is done, drain the grease off and set aside while you make the cheese sauce.
- In a saucepan over medium heat add in the butter and onions and sauté until translucent. Add in the flour to make a roux. Allow to cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly add in the chicken stock, stirring vigorously to ensure all of the roux gets mixed in.
- Once the sauce starts to thicken add in the milk and sour cream. Allow the sauce to thicken a bit more, continue whisking to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
- The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add in all of the cheese and continue whisking until the cheese has completely melted. Stir in the rotel and seasonings. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with some of the cheese sauce. Add the ¼ cup of sour cream and 1 cup of shredded cheese to the meat mixture and mix well.
- Begin filling the tortillas with about 3 tablespoons of filling and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish.
- Top with the remaining cheese sauce and remaining shredded cheese. Place uncovered in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly. If you are prepping this ahead of time, cover with foil and bake and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes uncovered.
- Garnish with Cilantro and Hot Sauce if you like. Enjoy!
Tayler says
I made these enchiladas for dinner last night and they were delicious! So easy to make too!
Charah says
Love this recipe. Looks tempting! thanks for sharing
Katherine says
Loved the big bold flavor of the cheese sauce in these enchiladas!
Sky Pilgreen says
Thank you!
Sheila says
These enchiladas are amazing! And that cheese sauce—so so good! Mexican food is my favorite cuisine and these definitely hit the spot when I’m craving Mexican. 🙂
Simply Scratch Made says
So glad to hear you like them!