Beef Enchiladas Red Sauce (Printable Version)

Soft tortillas filled with seasoned beef, rich red sauce, and melted cheese for a warm Mexican dish.

# What You Need:

→ Beef Filling

01 - 1 lb ground beef
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tsp ground cumin
05 - 1 tsp chili powder
06 - ½ tsp smoked paprika
07 - ½ tsp salt
08 - ¼ tsp black pepper
09 - ½ cup beef broth

→ Red Enchilada Sauce

10 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
11 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
12 - 3 tbsp chili powder
13 - 1 tsp ground cumin
14 - ½ tsp garlic powder
15 - ½ tsp onion powder
16 - ¼ tsp dried oregano
17 - ¼ tsp salt
18 - 2 cups chicken or beef broth
19 - 1 tsp tomato paste

→ Assembly

20 - 8 medium flour tortillas
21 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
22 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
23 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned. Drain excess fat if needed.
03 - Add onion and garlic to the beef. Sauté 3 minutes until softened. Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and beef broth. Simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
04 - Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and salt. Stir for 30 seconds.
05 - Gradually whisk in broth and tomato paste. Simmer 5–7 minutes until thickened.
06 - Spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
07 - Warm tortillas briefly to soften. Spoon beef filling down the center of each tortilla, add a sprinkle of cheese, roll up, and place seam-side down in the dish.
08 - Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
09 - Bake 20–25 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.
10 - Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The homemade red sauce puts canned versions to shame and comes together in under ten minutes
  • These reheat beautifully for lunch the next day, arguably tasting even better
  • You can customize the filling with whatever protein or cheese you have on hand
02 -
  • Warm your tortillas or they will crack when you try to roll them
  • The sauce thickens as it cools so do not panic if it seems thin
  • Let the enchiladas rest for five minutes before serving or they will fall apart
03 -
  • Fry your tortillas in hot oil for ten seconds per side for restaurant texture
  • Mix pepper jack cheese into your blend for extra kick
  • Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the sauce for deeper flavor

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