Beef Enchiladas with Green Sauce
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Get ready for a family favorite that is both easy to make and incredibly satisfying. These Beef Enchiladas are smothered in a zesty green enchilada sauce and melted cheese, creating a comforting and crowd-pleasing meal in less than an hour!
You’ll love the delicious contrast between the savory filling and the bright, tangy sauce. While you could use canned enchilada sauce to make these beef enchiladas, I love the depth of flavor from homemade green enchilada sauce. Luckily, I just added this sauce to my list of recipes which you can find here – it’s so easy and so good!
Prepare your sauce ahead of time for quick and convenient use when making these beef enchiladas or to enjoy with an array of other dishes.
Don’t hesitate to make these enchiladas your own by using ground chicken or black beans for a delicious alternative to the beef. You can also swap the flour tortillas for corn tortillas for a truly gluten-free meal. Check out more recipe variations below!
What are beef enchiladas with green sauce?
These beef enchiladas with green sauce are a hearty and comforting Tex-Mex dish, featuring soft flour tortillas wrapped around a savory beef and cheese filling that’s then smothered in a tangy, vibrant green enchilada sauce.
The assembled beef enchiladas bake in the oven until hot and bubbly with an extra topping of green sauce and gooey melted cheddar cheese. These ultra comforting and meaty enchiladas are best served with fresh toppings, such as cilantro, tomatoes, salsa, and avocado for a perfect, complete meal.
Ingredients needed to make beef enchiladas with green sauce
- Ground beef: I prefer to use 80% lean ground beef to reduce the amount of grease while still being loaded with flavor. You can use regular ground beef if you prefer, but you’ll need to drain excess grease.
- Green enchilada sauce: Use this homemade green enchilada sauce or canned green enchilada sauce.
- Flour tortillas: Flour tortillas are soft and pliable, making them easy to work with when assembling your enchiladas. That said, you can use corn tortillas for a more authentic experience.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Always shred from a block of cheese for the best flavor.
- Toppings: Enjoy each serving with your favorite enchilada toppings, such as a dab of salsa, torn fresh cilantro, a few chopped tomatoes, a few green onions and chopped avocado chunks.
How do you make beef enchiladas with green sauce?
Cook and season the beef:
- Heat the oven to 375°F and spray a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cook the ground beef (preferably in a 10-inch nonstick skillet) over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked. Drain any of the grease.
- Stir 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce into the meat.
Assemble the enchiladas:
- Spread 1/2 cup of the green enchilada sauce evenly in the prepared baking dish.
- Spread 1/4 cup beef mixture down the center of each tortilla, followed by a sprinkle of 1 tablespoon of cheese.
- Wrap the tortillas tightly around the filling, placing them seam side down in the baking dish.
- Top the assembled enchiladas with the remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle over with the remaining cheese.
Bake and serve:
- Bake the beef enchiladas for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Allow the hot enchiladas to stand for 5 minutes before serving with your favorite toppings!
Serving
Enjoy individual servings of these beef enchiladas with your favorite toppings – salsa, sour cream, fresh cilantro, chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions, and chopped avocado chunks are all delicious ideas!
Pair your beef enchiladas with a side of Mexican Rice Salad, Homemade Refried Pinto Beans, Charred Grilled Corn Salad, Easy Corn Pico de Gallo Salad, or Mexican pasta salad.
Complete your meal with a scoop of this mouth-watering Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream as a delicious and fun way to keep to the theme of the main dish.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Once completely cool, store leftover beef enchiladas with green sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For the best results, reheat your leftover enchiladas at 350°F in the oven for 15-20 minutes, covered with foil to prevent drying out.
- Freezing: Leftover enchiladas will last for 2 to 3 months in the freezer. For best results, wrap the baking dish tightly in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or transfer individual portions to airtight freezer-safe containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven.
- Make ahead: Make your gluten free green enchilada sauce 1-2 days in advance and store in a canning jar in the fridge, ready to be used to make these enchiladas or any other recipe that calls for green enchilada sauce! Make sure to give the stored sauce a good shake before using.
- Drain the beef: Make sure to drain any excess grease from the cooked ground beef so that the enchilada filling isn’t overly oily.
- Saucy layers: Adding the enchilada sauce as the first layer in the baking dish not only provides additional flavor to the filled tortillas as they bake, but will also provide just enough moisture so that they don’t harden or crack from drying out. The same applies for topping the assembled enchiladas with this sauce.
- Prevent spillage: Wrap the tortillas tightly around the filling to prevent any leakage while baking. Placing the wrapped tortillas seam down in the baking dish will also help to prevent the filling from escaping.
- Browning too quickly: If your cheesy topping is browning too quickly in the oven, cover the baking dish with foil and then remove the foil 5 minutes before the end of the baking time.
- Don’t overfill the flour tortillas: You will only need ¼ cup of the beef mixture to place down the center of each tortilla. Any more than that and you will find it difficult to wrap the tortillas tightly.
Variations
- Canned green enchilada sauce: You’re welcome to use store-bought green enchilada sauce, but you will need 2 cans (10 oz) to replace the 2 ⅕ cups of homemade green enchilada sauce.
- Type of enchilada sauce: Red enchilada sauce is a great substitute for making these beef enchiladas. You can expect a richer, slightly sweeter, and more chili-forward flavor compared to the brighter, tangier taste of green sauce, though the spice level will depend on the specific sauce you choose to buy or recipe followed.
- Ground meat: This recipe calls for 80% lean ground beef, but you can use ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken instead.
- Gluten-free enchiladas: Instead of flour tortillas, make these beef enchiladas with corn tortillas. That, together with my homemade gluten-free green enchilada sauce, will make a dish that most can enjoy.
- Cheese: Use shredded Queso blanco for a true Mexican cheese, if you prefer.
- Vegetarian enchiladas with green sauce: Replace the beef with beans, lentils, onions, corn, and fresh tomatillos like this Vegetarian Enchiladas with Tomatillos recipe. This Black Bean Vegetarian Enchiladas recipe also shows you how tasty a mixture of black beans, fresh corn, sauteed onions, and peppers can be!
Love saucy and flavorful enchiladas? Then be sure to also try these Crab Enchiladas, Overnight Breakfast Sausage Enchiladas, or Trader Joe’s Red Sauce Enchiladas.
More enchilada-inspired recipes you may want to try:
- Chicken Mole Enchilada Pie
- Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Pasta
- Skillet Veggie Chicken Enchilada Melt
- Cake Pan Layered Enchilada Bake
- Cheesy Enchilada Dip Recipe
Get the Recipe:
Beef Enchiladas with Green Sauce
Beef Enchiladas are smothered in a zesty green enchilada sauce and melted cheese, creating a comforting family-favorite in less than an hour!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, at least 80% lean
- 2 ¼ cups green enchilada sauce , or 2 cans 10 oz Green Enchilada Sauce
- 10 flour tortillas, 8.2 oz Flour Tortillas (10 Count)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 8 oz
Toppings:
- Toppings for individual servings: a dab of salsa torn fresh cilantro, a few chopped tomatoes, few green onions and chopped avocado chunks
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain off any of the grease. Stir in ½ cup of the enchilada sauce into the meat.
- Spread ½ cup of the green enchilada sauce evenly in the baking dish. Spread ¼ cup beef mixture down center of each tortilla: sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese. Wrap tortillas tightly around filling, placing seam side down in the baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce. Sprinkle it with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
- Add toppings to each serving: A dab of salsa torn fresh cilantro, a few chopped tomatoes, few green onions and chopped avocado chunks.
Notes
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Once completely cool, store leftover beef enchiladas with green sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. For the best results, reheat your leftover enchiladas at 350°F in the oven for 15-20 minutes, covered with foil to prevent drying out.
- Freezing: Leftover enchiladas will last for 2 to 3 months in the freezer. For best results, wrap the baking dish tightly in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or transfer individual portions to airtight freezer-safe containers. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven.
- Make ahead: Make your gluten free green enchilada sauce 1-2 days in advance and store in a canning jar in the fridge, ready to be used to make these enchiladas or any other recipe that calls for green enchilada sauce! Make sure to give the stored sauce a good shake before using.
- Drain the beef: Make sure to drain any excess grease from the cooked ground beef so that the enchilada filling isn’t overly oily.
- Saucy layers: Adding the enchilada sauce as the first layer in the baking dish not only provides additional flavor to the filled tortillas as they bake, but will also provide just enough moisture so that they don’t harden or crack from drying out. The same applies for topping the assembled enchiladas with this sauce.
- Prevent spillage: Wrap the tortillas tightly around the filling to prevent any leakage while baking. Placing the wrapped tortillas seam down in the baking dish will also help to prevent the filling from escaping.
- Browning too quickly: If your cheesy topping is browning too quickly in the oven, cover the baking dish with foil and then remove the foil 5 minutes before the end of the baking time.
- Don’t overfill the flour tortillas: You will only need ¼ cup of the beef mixture to place down the center of each tortilla. Any more than that and you will find it difficult to wrap the tortillas tightly.
Variations
- Canned green enchilada sauce: You’re welcome to use store-bought green enchilada sauce, but you will need 2 cans (10 oz) to replace the 2 ⅕ cups of homemade green enchilada sauce.
- Type of enchilada sauce: Red enchilada sauce is a great substitute for making these beef enchiladas. You can expect a richer, slightly sweeter, and more chili-forward flavor compared to the brighter, tangier taste of green sauce, though the spice level will depend on the specific sauce you choose to buy or recipe followed.
- Ground meat: This recipe calls for 80% lean ground beef, but you can use ground turkey, ground pork, or ground chicken instead.
- Gluten-free enchiladas: Instead of flour tortillas, make these beef enchiladas with corn tortillas. That, together with my homemade gluten-free green enchilada sauce, will make a dish that most can enjoy.
- Cheese: Use shredded Queso blanco for a true Mexican cheese, if you prefer.
- Vegetarian enchiladas with green sauce: Replace the beef with beans, lentils, onions, corn, and fresh tomatillos like this Vegetarian Enchiladas with Tomatillos recipe. This Black Bean Vegetarian Enchiladas recipe also shows you how tasty a mixture of black beans, fresh corn, sauteed onions, and peppers can be!
Calories: 535kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 91mg, Sodium: 1445mg, Potassium: 296mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 978IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 353mg, Iron: 4mg
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Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
