Hearty Ground Beef Enchiladas Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good enchiladas? ›

Fry each of your tortillas in hot oil before adding in your enchilada filling. This will help keep the tortillas from soaking up too much of your sauce too quickly, which can also cause them to break apart.

To prevent your tortillas from tearing or becoming soggy, quickly fry each corn tortilla in any oil you like for about 10 seconds on each side, until it starts to get crispy but is still pliable. This will add a barrier that will keep the tortilla from absorbing too much sauce, and also adds a little extra flavor.

Add a flavorful liquid: Add a small amount of beef broth, tomato sauce, or red wine to the ground beef while it cooks to add extra flavor. Add vegetables: Finely chop vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, or bell peppers and add them to the ground beef while it cooks.

Enchiladas are laden with sauce and fillings, and you need a tortilla that will hold up to all the moisture, so you should always opt for corn over flour.

Las Palmas makes the best green enchilada sauce at the grocery store. It's a little tangy, super savory, and it tastes very fresh, even though it's canned enchilada sauce. If you're a green sauce lover, you will be thrilled with this premade enchilada sauce.

Use a shredded Mexican cheese blend for the best melting and flavor. A rustic cut blend of 4 cheese is the best all-around cheese for enchiladas. Look for one that includes Montery Jack, Cheddar, Asadero and Queso Quesadilla Cheese. Avoid using all cheddar as it can be too oily.

It isn't necessary to cover enchiladas while baking. All of an enchiladas components are cooked and you are just heating them through when you bake them. Ideally your ingredients will be room temperature, not ice cold, when you assemble the enchiladas.

After you fry the tortillas, dip both sides in your delicious sauce and cover the entire surface. Then stuff and roll.

When baking enchiladas, it is common to cover them with foil until they are heated through. This helps to retain moisture and prevent the tortillas from drying out.

However, by gently tossing a baking soda solution with the meat (about ¾ teaspoon baking soda to 2 tablespoons water for 2lbs of grind) and letting sit for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking, beef loses less liquid, browns faster and tastes better.

What does adding milk to ground beef do? ›

The calcium-rich properties of milk react with enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins. Whole milk (not reduced fat), buttermilk, and yogurt all get the job done – with a special nod to buttermilk and yogurt for their optimal tenderizing acidity levels.

Corn tortillas are seen as more authentic to Mexican dishes, corn has been a staple ingredient in Mexican cooking for thousands of years.

Tortillas: Corn tortillas are traditionally used in Mexican-style enchiladas, but I typically use flour tortillas (which are more commonly used in Tex-Mex and American-style enchiladas) since they are much easier to roll. That said, just about any style of tortillas will work in this recipe.

Chicken enchiladas might just be the most popular type of enchiladas. Even less adventurous eaters usually feel comfortable trying a dish centered around chicken and cheese. Classic chicken enchiladas use shredded or diced pre-cooked chicken as a filling.

Usually when I've made them I just put sauce on top, not on the bottom, and just down the middle so the edges are exposed. And I make the sauce on the thick side so it is not too watery. I bake them in the oven too, and they are never too soggy, but you could just grill to minimise the sauce absorption.

Add seasonings - Cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano, etc. are great ways to punch up the flavor of canned enchilada sauce. You might also consider adding a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.