My husband and I LOVE going out for Mexican food! One of his favorite things to order is enchiladas. So I set out on a quest to make them just as good at home for a fraction of the price, and this recipe is pretty darn close to restaurant quality! Now these are not authentic enchiladas, but more of a Tex-Mex style. Nonetheless, they are amazing and ever since I started making them, my husband loves them! And they’re pretty darn easy, so I don’t mind at all. Although, I will never turn down a date night for Mexican food!
You will start by browning 1.5 lbs of ground beef with a diced onion and 5-6 minced garlic cloves.
Now, you can add a packet of taco seasoning, (which I use all the time!), but this seasoning mix is so easy to throw together and tastes so much better that I recommend using it instead. The exact seasonings and measurements will be listed in the recipe below.
Add the seasonings and a tablespoon of tomato paste. The tomato paste is not essential but I do think it adds a bit more flavor and helps to thicken up the meat sauce.
Then you will stir in 1/2 cup of water.
You want to mix that up really well, put the lid on, and let it simmer on low while you prepare everything else.
For the sauce, you will whisk together 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of oil.
Then you will add your spices to it (which will be listed in the recipe below) and whisk together and cook for about 3-4 minutes.
It should look like this.
This sauce is going to give it a nice kick, so if you don’t like spicy foods, you can use tomato sauce.
Whisk in the chipotle sauce and 4 cups of beef broth until it becomes a nice thick consistency and a beautiful reddish brown color.
Set aside and let cool.
This step is optional but HIGHLY recommended. It brings out the flavor of the tortillas and also helps keep them from falling apart while assembling. If you do not wish to fry them, wrap them in some damp paper towels and microwave for about a minute.
Spread all but about 1.5 cups of the sauce in a 9×13 baking dish. Add a spoonful of the meat mixture and cheese and roll them up. (The cheese I am using is a combination of sharp cheddar and pepper jack!)
Once you have them all assembled, pour on the rest of the sauce1.
Cover with the rest of the cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly!
Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
Meat Filling
- 1.5 Lbs Ground Beef
- 1 Yellow Onion, Diced
- 5-6 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 tbs Tomato Paste
- 2 tbs Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbs Cumin
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 2 tbs Chicken Flavored Bouillon
- 1/2 Cup Water
Enchilada Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil or butter
- 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1.5 tbs Cumin
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 2 tbs Chili Powder
- 4 tbs Chipotle Sauce
- 4 Cups Beef Broth
- 4 Cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided in half
- 4 Cups Grated Pepper Jack Cheese, divided in half
Corn Tortillas
- 16 Corn Tortillas
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil for frying
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic in a skillet over medium heat. Mix in the spices, the tomato paste and the water. Stir really well to combine then simmer on low while preparing everything else.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the vegetable oil. Once it starts to shimmer, quickly whisk in the flour and the spices. Cook for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in the chipotle sauce and beef broth. Whisk until slightly thickened then remove from the heat and set aside.
- Heat up some oil in a skillet. Fry the tortillas for about 10 seconds per side.
- Pour all but 1.5 cups of the sauce into a 9×13 baking dish. Dip the tortillas in the sauce then fill with a spoonful of the meat mixture and cheese. You should be able to fit 16 tortillas in there.
- Once you have them all assembled, pour the rest of the sauce on and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
