Loaded with chili con carne and cheese, these enchiladas con carne are Mexican comfort food 101. It doesn't hurt that they're simple to make.
When I think of Mexican food, one of the first dishes that comes to mind is enchiladas - from green chicken enchiladas to veggie enchiladas to chicken mole enchiladas.
But I haven't made any with beef until these and I'll be honest, I've been missing out. By making a quick chili sauce, aka chili con carne, and adding a ton of cheese, it is one of those dishes that makes you go "yum" as you eat it.
And don't be fooled by the short cooking time for the chili. Trust me when I say it is a flavor bomb!
Since I don't live in Texas where this Tex-Mex dish became popular, I figured I'd try to bring it home and it didn't disappoint.
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Ingredient Notes
- Beef - lean ground beef works perfect for the chili sauce.
- Veggies - every chili has some base vegetables and this one includes onion, jalapeño and garlic.
- Spices - while you get some spice from the jalapeño, this is the combinations of spices is where a lot of the flavor and heat comes from.
- Tomatoes - I like to use crushed tomatoes for the base.
- Stock - helps thin out the sauce and adds some flavor/saltiness.
- Cornstarch - helps slightly thicken the chili sauce so it holds up better.
- Pepper jack cheese - can't have enchiladas without some cheese on top and in the middle which creates that gooey factor.
- Corn tortillas - what encases the yummy filling and soaks up the sauce.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can mix and match your ingredients. Some variations include:
- I love the flavor of jalapeños, but others like poblano or Anaheim peppers can be used.
- If you don't have sweet onions, white, yellow, red onions or shallots will work too. They all high slightly different flavors.
- I use chicken stock because I always have that on hand, but beef stock works well.
- Cornstarch is my go-to to thicken sauces but flour works fine.
- While I use pepper jack cheese for most Mexican dishes, Monterey jack or even cheddar are good substitutes.
- I like the flavor of corn tortillas, but flour tortillas work just fine.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Cook the beef and veggies in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes before adding in the spices and crushed tomatoes, simmering for another 10 minutes.
Mix stock with cornstarch before adding to chili and simmering for 10 minutes. Set aside and start heating the tortillas in a skillet so they are pliable.
Add 2 tablespoon of the cheese and chili to a tortilla and roll up.
Add ½ cup of the chili to a pan before adding the enchiladas. Top with some sauce and cheese. Bake at 425°F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
FAQs
It is a Tex-Mex dish comprised of cheese enchiladas topped with a chili sauce. I like to add the chili sauce to the filling as well.
Corn tortillas are more traditional for enchiladas, but flour tortillas will work as well. Choose 7-8" flour tortillas or 6" corn tortillas as they fit best in most pans.
I highly recommend it as it makes them more pliable when adding the filling and rolling. There are a few different ways you can accomplish this:
• Heat individual tortillas in skillet for 20 to 30 seconds per side
• Wrap a stack of tortillas in foil and place in 325°F oven until warm
• Moisten a paper towel and wrap stack of tortillas and place in microwave for 30 seconds or until warm
Yes. You can prepare all of the way up to baking the enchiladas and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. Just bake for 30 minutes instead.
You can also place in the freezer for 3 months and place the frozen enchiladas in the oven. You'll need to bake for an hour to cook through.
These enchiladas con carne can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
These enchiladas are great on their own, but you can always add some delicious toppings or sides. Some options include:
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Skillet/Dutch oven - you want something large enough to cook the chili sauce.
- Spoon - you want a good wooden spoon to break up the beef and stir everything together.
- Baking pan - you want a 9x13 pan which is big enough to fit the enchiladas.
- Cheese grater - I mentioned multiple times but use cheese blocks and grate yourself.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- If you don't want to make a chili sauce, just cook the beef and add some taco seasoning.
- Heat corn tortillas in small skillet for 20 seconds per side so they are pliable. If you skip this step, the tortillas will break apart is you roll them up.
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has addition ingredients that you don’t need. Just buy blocks of cheese and grate yourself.
- Add some fresh avocado to give the dish some healthy fat.
Similar Recipes
If you’ve tried these enchiladas con carne or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Enchiladas Con Carne
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup white onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
- 3-4 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded and divided
- fresh cilantro, chopped onion and avocado for serving
Instructions
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, jalapeño and garlic and cook for 7-10 minutes, browning the beef and breaking up with a spoon.
- Add the chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper, oregano and crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Mix the chicken stock with the cornstarch in a measuring cup until no lumps appear. Add to the chili mixture and simmer for 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Heat small skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tortilla and cook until just pliable, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Pour ½ cup of the chili sauce into a 13x9 pan to completely coat it. To assemble the enchiladas, add 2 tablespoon of the cheese and chili. Place seam side down in pan and repeat with remaining tortillas. Add the rest of the chili sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until it is bubbling and cheese is golden brown. Top with some garnishes if desired.
Notes
- If you don't want to make a chili sauce, just cook the beef and add some taco seasoning.
- Heat corn tortillas in small skillet for 20 seconds per side so they are pliable. If you skip this step, the tortillas will break apart is you roll them up.
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has addition ingredients that you don’t need. Just buy blocks of cheese and grate yourself.
- Add some fresh avocado to give the dish some healthy fat.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
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