Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole with Corn Tortillas

Easy Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole with Corn Tortillas may just be the simplest approach to enchiladas you’ve ever encountered. Prepared similarly to lasagna, these stacked enchiladas include delicious layers of corn tortillas, taco seasoned ground beef, gooey cheese, and delicious red enchilada sauce.

If you love authentic beef enchiladas, you may just get a kick out of this beef enchilada casserole recipe featuring corn tortillas. 

Naturally gluten-free and easy to make grain-free or low-carb, this cheesy beef casserole is dreamy for those who love Mexican food. 

What I love the most about this enchilada casserole recipe is it is prepared similarly to lasagna.

Hear me out.

The tortillas, sauce, melty cheese, and ground meat are assembled in layers (as opposed to wraps) and baked to gooey perfection. 

Let’s discuss the simple ingredients for beef enchilada casserole!

Ingredients for Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole:

Ground Beef: The star of the show here, ground beef gets cooked up with sauteed onion, fresh garlic, and chili powder (or homemade taco seasoning) for a deliciously spiced ground beef.

I recommend using lean ground beef (90/10) rather than a fattier blend in order to make the enchiladas less greasy.

Onion, Garlic, Chili Powder, Sea Salt: Used to season the beef, fresh onion, minced garlic cloves, chili powder, and sea salt bring a world of flavor to the delicious ground beef.

Broth (or water): You can use any type of broth or water to cook into the ground beef. This adds flavor and moisture.

Enchilada Sauce: One of the main ingredients in enchiladas is, of course, enchilada sauce! You can use homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought enchilada sauce. I use store-bought organic red enchilada sauce.

Cheese: Colby jack cheese (or any melting cheese you like) gets grated up to sprinkle between the layers of enchilada to form a lasagna-like structure.

Cheddar cheese, Mexican cheese blend, and jack cheese work great here too. If you love cotija cheese (or queso fresco), feel free to add it in, too!

Toppings: Choose your favorite toppings for enchiladas.

I love diced avocado, tomatoes, chopped red onion, green onions, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and/or a little pico de gallo. Guacamole is a great option here too.

Here are some ways you can customize this meal to make it your own.

Recipe Adaptations:

• Use two pounds of ground beef for a more substantial, higher protein meal.
• Depending on your dietary restrictions, use any type of tortillas you like. Low-carb tortillas, grain-free tortillas, cauliflower tortillas, and small flour tortillas are all great options.
• For very saucy enchiladas, buy two (15-oz) cans of enchilada sauce and use 1.5 to 2 full cans, depending on how saucy you like your enchiladas.
• Swap the ground beef for ground turkey if you prefer.
• Add in one (4-oz) can of diced green chiles if you like them.
• Drain one 15-oz can of black beans, pinto beans, or refried beans and add it into the delicious casserole if you love beans.
• Chop up one or two bell peppers and add it into this easy ground beef casserole recipe for more fresh flavor.
• The recipe as written is mild, so feel free to add cayenne pepper, a jalapeno or serrano, or hot sauce to your heart’s delight for spicy enchiladas.

Customize this easy beef enchilada casserole such that the whole family will love them!

How to Make Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly spray a large 13” x 9” casserole dish with cooking spray.

Heat the avocado oil (or olive oil or canola oil) in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped onion. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion begins to soften.

Add the ground beef to the skillet and use a spatula (I use a rubber spatula) to break the beef into small pieces.

Brown ground beef until it is mostly cooked through, then drain the fat (if desired).

Add the minced garlic, chili powder and broth (or water) and allow the mixture to come to a full boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated.

While the beef is cooking, you can grate the cheese and begin preparing the enchilada casserole.

Spread ¼ cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish so that it is evenly distributed.

Layer four tortillas on top of the sauce. It’s okay if they overlap slightly.

Spread half of the spiced ground beef mixture evenly over the tortillas, followed by ½ cup of enchilada sauce and ⅓ of the grated cheese.

Create another layer of tortillas over top of the first layer.

Spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce over the new tortillas, followed by the remaining meat mixture and another third of the grated cheese.

Place the remaining tortillas over top of the second enchilada layer. Spread the remaining sauce over the corn tortillas evenly, followed by the rest of the grated cheese.

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.

Allow the beef enchilada casserole to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Note that the casserole will not slice as well while it is still piping hot, so if you’re looking for clean slices, wait until the casserole has cooled to room temperature. I do

n’t mind if the casserole appears messy, so I serve it about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven.

Top the enchilada casserole with any of your favorite toppings, such as sour cream (or Greek yogurt), diced avocado, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and chopped red onions. Guacamole is an excellent topping option too.

Wrap the casserole dish in aluminum foil and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. After 3 days, move any remaining enchilada casserole to an airtight container and store for up to an additional 4 days. 

And that’s how you make the easiest corn tortilla enchiladas! If you love traditional beef enchiladas, you’re bound to enjoy ground beef enchiladas! 

Here are some tasty options for serving alongside enchiladas.

What to Serve with Enchiladas:

• Avocado Salad 
• Instant Pot Black Beans
• Homemade Spanish Rice
• Black Bean Corn Salad 

Whip these up the next time you’re craving classic enchiladas, or for any gathering necessitating delicious comfort food.

If you love enchilada recipes, also check out these gems!

More Enchilada Recipes:

• Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce
• Carnitas Enchiladas
• Chicken and Rice Enchilada Casserole
• Roasted Vegetable Stacked Enchiladas
• Small Batch Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas 

Layers of enchilada lasagna is what’s for dinner!

Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole

4.84 from 30 votes

Easy beef enchiladas made with corn tortillas, red enchilada sauce, ground meat and cheese! These stacked enchiladas are an easy method for preparing this Mexican classic.

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Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

Ground Beef:

• 1 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
• ½ small yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef*
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• ½ cup broth or water**
• ½ tsp sea salt to taste

For the Enchiladas:

• 1 15-oz can red enchilada sauce
• 12 corn tortillas***
• 8 ounces colby jack cheese grated

Optional Toppings:

• Fresh tomatoes chopped
• Ripe avocado diced
• Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• Fresh cilantro

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly spray a large 13” x 9” casserole dish with cooking spray.
• Heat the avocado oil (or olive oil or canola oil) in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped onion. Sauté for a few minutes, until the onion begins to soften.
• Add the ground beef to the skillet and use a spatula (I use a rubber spatula) to break the beef into small pieces. Brown ground beef until it is mostly cooked through, then drain the fat (if desired). Add the minced garlic, chili powder and broth (or water) and allow the mixture to come to a full boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• While the beef is cooking, you can grate the cheese and begin preparing the enchilada casserole.
• Spread ¼ cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish so that it is evenly distributed.
• Layer four tortillas on top of the sauce. It’s okay if they overlap slightly.
• Spread half of the spiced ground beef mixture evenly over the tortillas, followed by ½ cup of enchilada sauce and ⅓ of the grated cheese.
• Create another layer of tortillas over top of the first layer. Spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce over the new tortillas, followed by the remaining meat mixture and another third of the grated cheese.
• Place the remaining tortillas over top of the second enchilada layer. Spread the remaining sauce over the corn tortillas evenly, followed by the rest of the grated cheese.
• Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.
• Allow the beef enchilada casserole to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Note that the casserole will not slice as well while it is still piping hot, so if you’re looking for clean slices, wait until the casserole has cooled to room temperature. I don’t mind if the casserole appears messy, so I serve it about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven.
• Top the enchilada casserole with any of your favorite toppings, such as sour cream (or Greek yogurt), diced avocado, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and chopped red onions. Guacamole is an excellent topping option too.
• Wrap the casserole dish in aluminum foil and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. After 3 days, move any remaining enchilada casserole to an airtight container and store for up to an additional 4 days.

Video

Notes

*Use any fat content you like here. I recommend using lean ground beef (90/10 or leaner) so that the enchiladas don’t turn out greasy. You can also drain the fat if using a fattier ground beef like 80/20 or 85/15. You can increase the amount of ground beef you use to two pounds if you’re looking for a more substantial meal with higher protein content.

**Use beef broth, chicken broth, chicken stock, vegetable broth, or water.

***Small flour tortillas work here too. For a low-carb meal, use low-carb tortillas. You can also use grain-free tortillas.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving (of 8) · Calories: 464kcal · Carbohydrates: 35g · Protein: 22g · Fat: 25g · Saturated Fat: 12g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g · Cholesterol: 89mg · Sodium: 490mg · Fiber: 5g · Sugar: 5g

Author: Julia

Course: Beef Main Dishes

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: beef enchilada casserole, enchiladas with corn tortillas, ground beef enchiladas, stacked enchiladas

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