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The best beef enchilada recipe that is a family-favorite dinner. This Mexican dish is on the table in only 30 minutes!

Beef enchiladas are a great lazy day dinner to make if you have any leftover Pot Roast! If we don’t use leftover roast for these enchiladas, we use it to make Green Chile Burritos. Both Mexican dishes are delicious!

Beef Enchilada recipe topped with sour cream and avocado slices on a white plate.


Filled with Shredded Beef!

Who else loves enchiladas?

If my husband had to choose one food that I make to eat for the rest of his life, he would definitely choose enchiladas like our favorite Red Cheese Enchiladas.

I think we can all agree that they’re delicious and so fun to change up!

I make enchiladas for dinner frequently, with a variety of fillings, and they are always delicious, but these shredded beef enchiladas are some of our favorites and have the best flavor.

They’re the perfect way to use up all of that leftover meat after a Sunday roast, and they taste amazing! We use a canned red sauce to make these beef enchiladas super easy, but you can always try our Homemade Red Sauce too!

Enchilada ingredients measured and set out on a kitchen counter.

Beef Enchilada Ingredients

These enchiladas have only six ingredients, most of which I nearly always have on hand (for enchilada-related emergencies, obviously!).

Corn. I made mine with fresh corn from the farmer’s market, but you could easily use canned corn or frozen corn instead.

Beef. As far as the roast beef goes, this recipe for our famous Pot Roast is my favorite to use for these enchiladas, but really any beef roast recipe should work.

A substitute that you could use for shredded beef is an equal amount of ground beef or even ground turkey. Over medium-high heat brown it in a large skillet, drain excess grease, and combine it with the chiles, corn, and enchilada sauce.

Tortillas. I’m generally a corn tortilla girl, but I used Flour Tortillas for these enchiladas. They will turn out a little different depending on which type of tortillas you use, but they are delicious both ways!

Variations. I love the simplicity of just the beef and corn, but if you’re a fan of extra veggies in your enchiladas, feel free to add some chopped onion, diced bell peppers, grated zucchini, or black beans.

Step by step pictures of how to make Beef Enchiladas.

How to Make Beef Enchiladas

This best beef enchilada recipe makes enough for twelve enchiladas, which will serve six adults. I like to use the fajita-size flour tortillas (or regular-sized corn tortillas). It can be a little messy filling all of the enchiladas, but once you get going, they go fast.

PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

FILLING. In a medium bowl, mix together the shredded beef, green chilies, corn, and ½ cup enchilada sauce. Spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.

ASSEMBLE. Scoop about ⅓ cup of filling into the middle of each of the tortillas, and sprinkle with cheese (reserving about 1 cup of cheese for the top of the enchiladas). Roll each tortilla up and place them seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.

Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled-up tortillas, spreading to cover the tortillas completely. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese.

BAKE. Bake for 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Serve hot.

Top these with your favorites, we like to use tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, shredded lettuce, or fresh cilantro.

A pan full of enchiladas topped with cheese.

Serving + Storing Tips

This beef enchilada recipe is super easy to double or even triple the recipe and keep extra meals in the freezer.

Serving suggestions. Complete the meal by also making:

To freeze ahead of time, prepare as directed, but don’t bake. Use a freezer-safe baking pan and cover it with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. It will keep for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.

STORE. Keep leftover shredded beef enchiladas in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

FREEZE. You can also divide the leftovers into individual serving airtight containers and freeze them. Reheat in the microwave.

Easy shredded Beef Enchiladas in a casserole dish topped with cheese.

Recipe FAQ

Can I make beef enchiladas with corn tortillas?

You can easily use corn tortillas to make these beef enchiladas instead of flour tortillas. Since they are generally smaller you’ll need more than 12. Fresh corn tortillas are best as stale tortillas tend to tear. To help them roll better, warm the stale tortillas up before filling and rolling.

Can I use frozen shredded beef to make enchiladas?

Absolutely, in fact, I will often slow-cook a huge roast just so I can store it in the freezer to use in recipes such as this. I store 2 cups (about 1 lb) in each quart ziploc and then store them all together in a larger freezer-safe container. It will keep for about 3 months.

How is the red enchilada sauce in beef enchiladas different than green enchilada sauce?

The main difference between the two sauces is the type of chili that was used in the recipe. Red sauce typically contains red chilies, chili powder, and often oregano, cumin, and other spices. Green sauce typically contains green chiles and tomatillos and can include jalapenos, bell peppers, and a variety of spices.

For More Enchilada Recipes, Try:

4.91 from 64 votes

Beef Enchilada Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Flavorful shredded beef enchiladas are a family-favorite dinner. This Mexican dish is on the table in only 30 minutes!
Servings: 6
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 3 cups roast beef shredded, cooked
  • 1 4 oz. can green chilies diced
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1 20 oz. can red enchilada sauce (we love our homemade red sauce)
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese divided
  • 12 small flour or corn tortillas warmed

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the shredded beef, green chilies, corn, and ½ cup enchilada sauce. Spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.
  • Scoop about ⅓ cup of filling into the middle of each of the tortillas, and sprinkle with cheese (reserving about 1 cup of cheese for the top of the enchiladas). Roll each tortilla up and place them seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
  • Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the rolled-up tortillas, spreading to cover the tortillas completely. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. Serve hot.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 644kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Cholesterol: 116mg, Sodium: 947mg, Potassium: 486mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 385IU, Vitamin C: 7.4mg, Calcium: 320mg, Iron: 4.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




58 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I can’t wait to get started they all make me hungry.and I just ate supper to I am going to cook cook cook my mouth is tasting that good food. Thanks. Ethel

  2. 4 stars
    We love enchiladas at our house and we definitely have them on cinco de mayo. We have to change up the recipe though. My Dad got sick when he visited south America and cannot have spicy things such as chiles or onions. So the adult kids have never had the spicy version of food and are not accustomed to it. So we take out the spicy and have plain enchiladas. We also have different sauces we put on them….a green sauce, a red sauce, and a creamy sauce. We like to change up the insides also. I rate this recipe a 4 of 5 because it is spicy. It is very close to what we have though.

  3. 5 stars
    I usually do chicken and green chillies but these are great. Now part of our go to. Simple,easy and delicious.ty

  4. 5 stars
    Thanks for giving me a great recipe to use up my left over pot roast. Love the homemade red sauce. My family loves Mexican and a great way to get the kids envolved