This easy ground beef enchilada recipe is simple to make, incredibly flavorful, and always a crowd favorite!
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These absolutely delicious, easy ground beef enchiladas are one of my favorite go-to meals to whip up for a dinner party, bake in a casserole dish to take to a family or friend’s house, or just make on a regular weeknight for dinner for Will and I.
These incredibly easy ground beef enchiladas are loaded with tender, juicy ground beef, the most flavorful, homemade enchilada sauce, and creamy, melted cheese. Once baked to perfection and topped with your favorite toppings, I can assure you after years of making these, they are ALWAYS a hit! These easy ground beef enchiladas are simple, easily customizable to your preferences, and incredibly delicious!
They’re the perfect dish to prepare ahead of time- this dish makes for easy entertaining or throwing in the oven after a long day. Plus, they can be made dairy-free or gluten-free, depending on your dietary needs!
I have made this dish countless times over the last several years, and I am confident we will enjoy this recipe for many years. So, if you have yet to try my easy ground beef enchiladas, what are you waiting for?
Easy Ground Beef Enchilada Ingredients:
Complete instructions on how to make these easy beef enchiladas are step-by-step in the recipe box below. Here are a few quick notes on the ingredients needed to make this recipe:
Ground beef: I used 85/15 ground beef that I purchased from a local farm because the fat content is a bit higher, I did drain my ground beef on a paper towel-lined plate, but if you’re using leaner beef, you may skip this step.
Onion: I typically use a large yellow onion for this recipe. You can use any onion you have on hand or skip the onion and add more onion powder to the spices.
Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:
Ghee: I prefer the flavor of ghee over regular butter, but you can use them interchangeably according to your preference.
Arrowroot powder: This is another preference of mine. I have been using arrowroot powder over cornstarch for years and would never return to using cornstarch. This is also a naturally gluten-free thickener if you are gluten-sensitive!
Tomato paste: Tomato paste gives this enchilada the depth of flavor it needs to create this rich, flavorful, sauce we all love.
Beef broth: The flavor of beef broth makes the sauce richer. Although chicken broth is lighter in color and flavor, you could easily switch them out.
Spices: Chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, and oregano. These spices are what make the enchilada sauce so flavorful.
Cayenne: This spice is optional but adds some heat to the sauce we enjoy.
Tortillas: Corn tortillas would traditionally be used in a Mexican-style enchilada. I typically use flour or my favorite Siete tortillas for a grain-free option. Any type of tortilla would work, so this is all based on preference.
Toppings: Some may say the best part! Any combination of fresh chopped cilantro, pico de gallo, avocado, sour cream, fresh lime juice, pickled jalapenos, or extra cheese would all be delicious toppings for the easy ground beef enchiladas.
Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas – Optional Variations:
Like I said before, these easy ground beef enchiladas are customizable to your preference! For example…
Use a different ground meat: If you don’t eat much red meat, you could easily swap the ground beef with ground chicken or even ground turkey!
Green sauce: You could swap homemade red enchilada sauce for your favorite green enchilada sauce!
Add fillings: Add black or pinto beans to the ground beef filling for a heartier meal.
Gluten-free option: To make these gluten-free, all you need to do is make sure you’re using a gluten-free tortilla. Siete makes my favorite gluten-free tortillas!
Dairy-free option: You can easily swap the ghee for dairy-free butter and use a dairy-free shredded cheddar to accommodate your needs!
Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
Ingredients:
Homemade Enchilada Sauce:
- 3 Tbsp Ghee or butter
- 3 Tbsp Arrowroot powder
- 3 Tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 Tbsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 2 cups Beef broth
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Back pepper
Ground Beef Enchiladas:
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 1 Onion diced
- 8 Tortillas more if using corn
- 2 cups Cheddar Cheese for filling and topping
Instructions
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Enchilada Sauce:
- Melt the butter in a saucepan.
- Add the arrowroot starch and whisk to combine.
- Add the tomato paste and spices. Saute for 20-30 seconds to toast the spices.
- Add in the broth and whisk to combine everything.
- Simmer on low.
Ground Beef Enchiladas:
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet.
- When the ground beef is almost cooked through, add the onion. Saute until the onion is translucent.
- Add a 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce to the ground beef mixture.
- Add enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the baking dish.
- Assemble the enchiladas: I like to warm my tortillas over a direct flame or in a pan so they are easier to roll. Fill one tortilla with 2-3 tbsp of the ground beef mixture and a pinch of cheese. Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Continue until you have filled 8 tortillas.
- Once all of the tortillas are filled. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the filled tortillas. Spread the sauce evenly over all tortillas. Top with as much cheese as you prefer and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.
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The tool I use to break up my ground beef!
I used this cast iron skillet to bake my enchiladas.
The Siete tortillas I love to use!
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