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Beef Enchilada Casserole is simple, requires no rolling, and is a comforting family favorite—perfect for weeknights!

This casserole is cheesy, delicious beef enchiladas in casserole form! Be sure to check out the chicken version of this dinner dish: Chicken Enchilada Casserole.

Beef Enchilada Casserole scoop from a casserole dish.


beef Enchiladas in Casserole form

Enchiladas are one of my favorite dinner recipes and this Beef Enchilada Casserole is no exception.

How can you not love something that contains tortillas, beans, cheese and SO much flavor?!

So what makes this different than regular enchiladas? Well, really it’s just how it’s assembled. This has all the same elements of regular beef enchiladas but instead of filling and rolling each enchilada, you are layering all the ingredients in a baking dish multiple times.

The result? Layers of delicious ingredients that combine to make a yummy enchilada casserole that is perfect for any Mexican food lover!

How to Make Enchilada Casserole Pics.

How to make Enchilada Casserole

BEEF. Brown ground beef with onions in a large skillet. Drain off any fat. Mix in the taco seasoning, black beans, and frozen corn.

PREP. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with oil and add 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. I prefer (and highly recommend) making enchilada sauce from scratch.

LAYER. Arrange 3 tortillas on the bottom followed by 1/2 of the meat mixture, about 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, and then 3 more tortillas. Repeat and then finish with 3 more tortillas, remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. 

BAKE. Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes until cheese is fully melted and begins to brown.

GARNISH + SERVE. Let casserole sit 5-10 minute before slicing. Garnish with tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream.

Topping Ideas

The options for garnishing this casserole are endless!

  • tomatoes
  • black olives
  • cilantro
  • green onions
  • avocado
  • red onions
  • shredded lettuce
  • sour cream
  • salsa
  • guacamole

What will you put on top of yours? I personally LOVE cilantro so I almost always garnish every Mexican dish with it. It’s refreshing and adds a pretty pop of color.

Layered Enchilada Casserole recipe on plate.

Recipe Tips

Bake Covered or Uncovered? The answer to this question is both and here’s why: You will want to start out cooking your casserole covered with foil for the first 25 minutes to keep it from drying out and to help it to cook evenly. Then you will want to remove the foil for the last 5 minutes so the cheese can get nice and browned and melty.

Tortillas: You may be wondering if flour or corn tortillas would be best when making this recipe, and really it’s a personal choice as to which flavor you prefer.

We used flour tortillas when making this, but corn would also work. We just recommend that you dip corn tortillas in the sauce before layering them to make them more soft and pliable in this dish.

If you are watching your carbs you could even use a “Carb Smart” tortilla as well.

Cook the tortillas? The good news is that whether you choose corn or flour tortillas there is no need to cook them first when making this dish (unless, of course, you use store-bought uncooked tortillas!). They will soften and taste amazing as they bake.

Storing Info + SIDE IDEAS

Make Enchilada Casserole ahead of time: Just make as instructed and cover with foil or saran wrap tightly and place in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking.

To FREEZE: Most casseroles are great to freeze! Just place in a freezer safe dish, cover with foil tightly and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in fridge before baking.

You may need to add a few extra minutes to the cook time and may need to add more cheese on top.

To STORE the already cooked enchilada casserole, just place in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave.

What to serve with enchilada casserole:

Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe served in a baking dish.

FOR MORE MEXICAN DISHES, CHECK OUT:

5 from 32 votes

Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Beef enchilada casserole is simple, requires no rolling, and is a comforting family favorite—perfect for weeknights!
Servings: 8
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 50 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 9 tortillas fajita size cut in half
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained, rinsed
  • 2 cups red enchilada sauce
  • 1 cup onion diced
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded

For the Toppings:

  • ½ cup tomatoes diced
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro chopped

Instructions 

  • Brown ground beef with onions in a large skillet. Drain off any fat. Mix in the taco seasoning, black beans, and frozen corn.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with oil and add ½ cup enchilada sauce. 
  • Arrange 3 tortillas on the bottom followed by ½ of the meat, about ½ cup cheese, ½ cup enchilada sauce, and then 3 more tortillas. Repeat and then finish with 3 more tortillas, remaining enchilada sauce, and cheese. 
  • Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes until cheese is fully melted and begins to brown.
  • Let casserole sit 5-10 minute before slicing. Garnish with tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 287kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 64mg, Sodium: 786mg, Potassium: 446mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 830IU, Vitamin C: 5.7mg, Calcium: 222mg, Iron: 2.8mg

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 Melanie

Melanie is the cook and photographer behind the blog Garnish & Glaze. When she’s not playing princesses with her two little girls, she’s experimenting in the kitchen. She takes simple ingredients and creates everything from healthy dinners to indulgent desserts.

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Recipe Rating




21 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was delicious. I used a low sodium taco packet and I needed to add extra spice to make it a little bit more spicy. Great garnished with diced fresh tomatoes and avocado and sour cream on the side

  2. 5 stars
    We make this about every two or three weeks. It’s such an easy meal and reheats almost better than the first night (if there’s any left!) I have used ground beef and chicken- both work so well for this recipe.

  3. 5 stars
    This was so easy to make and tasted so good. I used ground turkey and 2% cheese. This will definitely be in the rotation!

  4. 5 stars
    This was amazing especially with the homemade enchilada sauce. My family of 3 ATe the whole thing. We just couldn’t get enough.