Description
These easy cheesy ground beef enchiladas are a comforting, crowd-pleasing Tex-Mex dinner made with simple pantry staples. Creamy beef filling, tangy enchilada sauce, and a bubbly cheese topping make this a family favorite for busy weeknights or gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20 recommended)
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 8 small flour tortillas (6-inch, or use corn tortillas for gluten-free)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or Mexican blend)
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce (canned or homemade)
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional, for garnish)
- Sour cream (optional, for garnish)
- Sliced jalapeños (optional, for garnish)
- Diced avocado or guacamole (optional, for garnish)
- Sliced green onions (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef. Break it up with a spatula or wooden spoon and cook for about 4-5 minutes until mostly browned. Drain excess fat, leaving about a tablespoon.
- Stir in chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion is soft and fragrant.
- Add cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika (if using), salt, and black pepper. Stir well and cook for another minute to toast the spices.
- Lower the heat and mix in cream cheese. Stir until melted and creamy, then remove from heat.
- Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or wrap in foil and place in the oven for a few minutes until pliable.
- Spread about 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of an 8×11-inch baking dish.
- Spoon about 1/4 cup of the beef mixture down the center of each tortilla, sprinkle with a little shredded cheese (reserve most for topping), roll up tightly, and place seam-side down in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas, covering all edges. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Tent with foil if the cheese browns too quickly.
- Let the enchiladas rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, avocado, jalapeños, or green onions as desired.
Notes
Warm tortillas before rolling to prevent cracking. Don’t overfill tortillas to avoid bursting. Use plenty of sauce to keep enchiladas moist. For gluten-free, use corn tortillas; for dairy-free, use vegan cheese and omit cream cheese. Leftovers reheat well and can be frozen before baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 enchiladas
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 950
- Fat: 21
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 23
Keywords: enchiladas, ground beef, cheesy, family dinner, easy, Tex-Mex, comfort food, casserole, Mexican, beef enchiladas