Beef enchiladas

Indulge in authentic Mexican food with our recipe for beef enchiladas – spicy and filling Mexican comfort food where juicy ground meat meets an intense red chili sauce and melted cheese in perfect harmony.

Enchiladas have a rich history stretching back to Mesoamerica, where corn was a dietary mainstay and tortillas were used in many everyday dishes. Originally, enchiladas were a simple dish: corn tortillas dipped in chili sauce and eaten with modest fillings like beans or cheese. The name comes from the Spanish enchilar, which means “to season with chili” – and the chili and red sauce are still central to the dish today.

In modern Mexican cuisine, enchiladas come in a multitude of variations, and one of the most beloved is undoubtedly the beef version. Here’s a heavier and more filling version where ground beef is fried with onions, garlic and hot spices like cumin and paprika before being rolled into soft tortillas and baked with a homemade enchilada sauce and cheese.

It’s a dish that combines the best of Mexican street food with the kind of comfort food that warms your belly – perfect for cold evenings, cozy dinners, or just when you want something with lots of flavor and texture.

How to make beef enchiladas

With our recipe, you can make delicious beef enchiladas at home and enjoy the taste of a classic and beloved Mexican dish.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp wheat flour
2 tbsp chili powder
500 ml vegetable stock
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt (or to taste)

For beef enchiladas:

8 corn tortillas
300 g ground beef
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
1 handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
2 tbsp vegetable oil
200 g grated cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)

Procedure:

1. Make the sauce:

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the wheat flour and stir welluntil the mixture is smooth and slightly golden. Stir in chili powder and fry for 1 minute. Add the broth a little at a time while whisking. Stir in the cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes until it thickens.

2. Make beef filling:

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry until soft. Add the ground beef and brown well. Season with cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. When the meat is cooked through, add the chopped coriander and remove from the heat.

3. Prepare the tortillas:

Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the tortillas briefly – about 10 seconds on each side – to make them more flexible. Place them on paper towels to remove excess oil.

4. Fill the tortillas:

Place some beef, red onion and coriander in the center of each tortilla. Add cheese and roll them up.

5. Assemble the enchiladas:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with a little sauce. Place the filled tortillas with the closure facing down. Pour over the rest of the sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

6. Bake enchiladas: