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Beef Enchilada Casserole makes a perfect weeknight or weekend meal to serve family and friends. Enchilada Casserole is comfort food that feeds those spicy cravings.
Enchiladas make one of my family’s favorite meals. And this Enchilada Casserole just takes it over the top, let me tell you.
Thankfully, it only takes a little bit of time to put together. Here are a few things I’ve discovered over the years of making this enchilada casserole that make it easy as can be.
Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe
For this beef enchilada casserole, you’ll need:
- olive oil – used for crisping the tortillas
- medium tortillas – use your favorite tortilla, flour or corn. We prefer to use corn tortillas in this casserole
- ground beef – we prefer to use a lean ground beef. You can also substitute with ground turkey if you prefer.
- onion
- garlic
- enchilada sauce – I use my homemade enchilada sauce (stovetop or blender method). You can also substitute with store-bought in a pinch.
- sour cream
- cheddar cheese
- Monterrey Jack cheese
You’ll begin by lightly browning your tortillas with olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. This prevents the tortillas from being soggy in the casserole. Once they are browned, set them aside as you prepare the enchilada casserole filling.
Then, brown your ground beef (or turkey) and drain away any drippings. Add your onion and garlic and cook until tender.
Assemble the casserole by pouring ½ cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish that has been lightly sprayed with olive oil or cooking spray. Then, layer 3 tortillas on top of the sauce. Top the tortillas with ½ cup more sauce. Spread the beef mixture on top of the tortillas, followed by sour cream and the cheeses. Repeat with tortillas, enchilada sauce, beef mixture, sour cream, and cheeses, ending with cheeses.
Bake until the cheeses have melted, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.
Make Ahead Instructions
Assemble beef enchilada casserole as directed without baking. When ready to serve, bake until the cheeses have melted and the casserole is heated throughout, about 20-30 minutes.
Here’s my enchilada casserole recipe. I hope your family loves it as much as we do.
Enchilada Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 6 medium tortillas
- 2-3 pounds ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups enchilada sauce
- 1-2 cups sour cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Drizzle olive oil into bottom of 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Once warm, add a tortilla, one at a time, to the skillet. Cook until crisp on each side, remove from the skillet with tongs and set aside.
- Add beef and onions to the skillet and cook until completely browned. Remove from heat and drain away any drippings. Add garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant.
- Spoon about ½ cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with olive oil or cooking spray. Spread enchilada sauce to coat the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Place 3 tortillas on top of the enchilada sauce, overlapping them slightly at the edges to make all 3 tortillas fit lengthwise. Ladle on additional enchilada sauce, about ½ cup. Layer on beef, onion and garlic mixture, making sure to spread mixture evenly over tortillas and enchilada sauce.
- Top with large dollops of sour cream and spread slightly. Sprinkle on a little of both cheeses.
- Repeat layering with 3 more tortillas, enchilada sauce, beef mixture, sour cream, and end with cheeses.
- Bake in oven until cheeses have melted, about 20 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Notes
To freeze: Prepare recipe through baking, wrap tightly with aluminum foil and place into the freezer. To heat once frozen, simply remove from the freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Bake as instructed in the recipe; however, note that baking time may take a bit longer to make sure all ingredients are heated throughout.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
I’m drooling! I love easy weeknight dinners like this!
I love the simplicity of this! I just made enchilada pasta but this casserole is next on my list to make!
I’m curious…do you like it with Corn or Flour Tortillas?
Hi Lynn,
I use whichever type I have on hand. They give it slightly different flavor, but both work perfectly.
True enchiladas use corn tortillas
This sounds delicious! Love that it’s a make-ahead meal!
Yum! I’m going to make this tonight for my family. Just wondering if it’s flour tortillas or corn? I’m new to your site and so glad I came across it. Thanks for the great recipes and ideas.
Hi Sharon,
Welcome!!! So great to meet ya. I use whichever type of tortillas I have on hand at the moment. They do give a slightly different flavor, but I love them both. Hope your family love this as much as mine does!
Robyn xo
Red or green sauce can be used?
Yes, you could use whichever you prefer.
I love how many possibilities there are for making this! I bet it’d be hard to get tired of it with so many variations 🙂
Just thinking this morning about making enchiladas for dinner. Maybe I’ll give this a try instead. Sounds easy and delicious!
Oh my gosh…this looks and sounds amazing! All of that cheese…mmm!
Make ahead and so delicious?!? Count me in! This looks awesome!
Love that you can make this casserole ahead of time! I need more good recipes like this!
Oh girl, this looks AWESOME! And I love how adaptable it is. DOING!
Thank you, Robyn. Have a super-duper week.
This is exactly what I need on this chilly, rainy day! Pinning!
Oh man, enchiladas are a weekly staple in our house but truth be told, they’re getting kind of tired. This would be a great (and yummy) way to mix things up!
Mmmm….I’m drooling!
Oh I love enchilada casseroles! I’m guessing it has something to do with the fact that they are so so soooo cheesy. 🙂
I was wondering if you had to fry the tortillas before cooking it or could I just leave the tortillas soft and pliable? i am totally going to make these this week!
Sounds like just what I have been looking for. Had to laugh at the variety’s you provided. Every time I read a five star recipe everyone says “this was great but I made these changes.” Turns out they were rating their own recipes and not the one they were supposed to rate. You found a great way around this problem. with all of your variety’s! LOL Thanks for the recipe and your time!
The pictures on this post have me drooling on my keyboard! I can’t wait to try these enchiladas.
Love this!!
I made this for dinner last night, and my family loves it! Thanks so much!
Very easy to make. Delicious!
I made this tonight with chicken instead of beef and Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. It was AMAZING. A perfect family meal! Thanks so much for sharing!
I’m going to make this tonight using chicken instead as well! I’m glad it turned out, I hope mine does too!
Why fry the tortillas first?
This is the second time making the enchilada casserole. It is so delicious!
Big fan of this one! Quick and easy, and it’s really good!
Ben!!! I’m so proud of you!
Love ya!
Thank you for such an easy and customizable recipe!! Perfect! Cooking this today. 🙂
This recipe looks great. I was looking for something to do with some leftover shredded pork. I am participating in a recipe freezer swap and I was wondering if I have to bake this first, then freeze, or is it put it all together, freeze it, then bake? I am new to freezing meals and I was wondering how the sour cream would hold up if you freeze it before baking it?
Hello:
As it is the end of the month I don’t have many “duckie$” This is my game plan:
Simmered green enchilada sauce/prebaked chicken;shredded chicken adding sauteed onion/garlic w/cumin oregano garlic/onion powder and cayenne. Mixed this w/cream cheese and spread over layers of corn tortillas. I didn’t have muchy cheese.
Thank you very much for this recipe….
Cheers
Is the ground beef 2/3 lbs ?? Looks like 2-3 but that can’t be right. Thanks. Looks yummy
Made this last night using my leftovers from my pork roast I made off your site. Was delicious. The only thing I would do differently next time is to add a can of fire roasted chilis. Will even be better with the onion as, for some reason, my hubby bought pearl onions so we just added onion powder. Even my picky 8 year old ate this!
Thanks for recipe! Used corn tortillas, shredded pork, black beans, corn, green Chilis & cheese. My inlaws are coming in, so can’t wait to pop it in the oven. I added everything, but the kitchen sink (:
Thanks for showing me the ropes on a dish I didn’t even know existed! Was frantically praying for something new and mexican to make my family.
“Enchilad Casserole” popped in my head, so I googled it. Two photos later, I knew I had to make it!
Really enjoy your site, thanks for sharing with us.
I saw this recipe and instantly just had to make it (weekend=delicious+easy+quick), but then thought, “Aww. I don’t have any enchilada sauce.” Then, eureka! I saw you had an easy recipe for that, too. Thanks!
Unbelievable I know…but…I’ve never had Enchilada! I read your recipe for the sauce and decided it is something I would like to try. You know I’m pinning it!
I am excited to make this tonight!!! I have leftover pulled pork! Anyway to cook it in a slow cooker??
Thanks,
Marie
My son doesn’t like sour cream, Can you leave out the sour and addition when you eat it?
You can!
I had no beef so I made pulled chicken in a pot with salsa, broth, lime juice, onion, and spices, but then I didnt have enough chicken though so I threw some black beans and corn in with the pulled chicken. Oh my. So so good. Thanks for this recipe! So good, and so easy to improvise on!
Wow! That chicken sounds stupendous, and an excellent match for this recipe. I just ate the beef version (which was a plateful of yum), yet my mouth is watering again for that chicken of yours! Good job ~ and thanks to you too! I’ll be trying your chicken with this recipe next time. Dang!
I made this with leftover pot roast and made the enchilada sauce with the beef gravy (just added spices and garlic to it) I used 10” tortillas in an 8” square pan. I set the pan on them and squared them up so the entire pan got some. I never thought of cooking the tortillas before making the dish. It makes all of the difference in the world. Thank you for this.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Yvonne.
Just tried your recipe tonight, it was excellent! I used 1lb of beef (because that’s what I had already thawed), and 12 “medium” tortillas (my medium tortillas didn’t come anywhere near the pan edges, think they were more of a “small”) and it worked out wonderfully. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this last night and my family loved it! Great meal to feed a family of seven. My children wanted seconds and there’s enough left over for tonight’s dinner. I paired it with sauteed onions,zucchini, and fresh corn mix. Great recipe. Thanks!
I’m trying to take most gluten out of my diet. Do you think I could use corn tortillas instead of flour?
Can’t wait to make this for my family. We love Mexican food so I know they will love this recipe. .
Found this to be too dry and just mediocre. No point spending all that time crisping up the tortillas when they just end up soaking up all the moisture in the dish and end up soggy. 🙁 Enchilada sauce was good and I think it would be much better if you added a can of crushed tomatoes to the cooked/drained ground beef. Will give this a second chance and bump up the chili powder too.
this looks really good and easy! When I make regular enchiladas I mix together cooked white rice into my hamburger mixture. I bet it would be good in the casserole too!
Just put mine together for dinner tonight. I added green chilis and even cold amazing flavor! Thanks for this recipe
Robyn: I ran into your site because hubs and I picked up some crema and other Mexican cheeses at a Mexican cheese shop near us, and I wanted to find a recipe for specifically using the crema. Hello Add A Pinch and this recipe! It’s the first I’ve made from your site, but I have a couple more recipes awaiting for when these left-overs are gone. Thanks a million for a seriously tasty dinner (Hubs said it’s simply bada$$ — I agree), and I’m looking forward to more meals with you!
Welcome to the Add a Pinch community! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it! xo
I’m sure it eould be o.k.to use tortilla chips,instead of the tortillas,wouldn’t it? Because,I forgot to buy those! They’re made with corn,too! Anyway,maybe I might start a new recipe that way,right? Lol
Yum! These were delicious & the leftovers were excellent too… the only tweak I made was adding a can of corn, black beans, and green chilies… thank you for a winner!!!!
Oh that sounds like delicious additions, Heather! So glad you enjoyed it!
True Mexican enchildas use Red Corn Tortillas!
Enchiladas aren’t even Mexican. They are Tex Mex if you want to get technical.
Excuse me? Mayans invented enchiladas. Tex Mex are bigger and baked, but most definitely not the original.
My family loves enchiladas and this looks good!
Are you using corn tortilla or flour tortilla?
Thank you! I made this for dinner last night and the family loved it. It is absolutely delicious!
Robyn, Loved making this recipe! Thanks
Love your recipes
We Texans take our Tex-Mex very seriously and I have to say this was beyond good! I tweaked it just a bit by adding a can of chopped green chilis & a few chopped jalapeños for some heat. Southern comfort food at it’s best! Thanks for sharing!
Just made this tonight. Followed the recipe exactly and the sour cream curddled. I had a feeling it might so I wasn’t going to add it but decided to just follow the instructions. From what I understand it’s still safe to eat. I would have like a little more sauce also. May try again without sour cream and extra sauce. No one in my house will eat it this one..:(
We always add our sour cream after baking as a garnish along with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes.
Looks yummy. Question: corn or flour tortillas?
Can you use shredded cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack rather than grated? If so does the cooking time ect, need to be adjusted ?
I prepared this as a make ahead, and baked it the next day. It had a nice flavor. But the tortillas were completely disintegrated. It was still fine for just us, but I was glad I had not made it for guests.
This may be considered a dumb question. Which is best to use…flour or corn tortillas?
Hi Darrell,
It depends on your particular preference. My family enjoys corn tortillas most of the time, so I use those a lot. Enjoy the casserole! Thanks so much!
Where is the recipe for the enchilada sauce?
Hi Teresa,
There is a link to the Enchilada Sauce in the recipe, but you can click on this one to get to it as well. Thanks! Hope you enjoy it! xo
This was so good! And easy too! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it! Thanks so much, Susie!
This was delicious! I made the enchilada sauce with half the chili powder, flour tortillas without the first frying step and precooked shredded chicken. I didn’t measure the sauce, sour cream, cheese or chicken; I just eye-balled it. Topped with chopped green onions, quartered grape tomatoes, sliced black olives and chopped avocado in lime juice.
This is now my favorite meal to cook and eat. Thank you for this! It is very easy, customizable and flavorful.
Awesome, Kelly! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe!!! Thanks!
Wow! I can’t believe how close this recipe is to my own. I use a bunch of chopped green onions/scallions instead of white or yellow onions but I’ve used those too when I’ve been out of green. And I also throw in 2 or 3 chopped fresh Roma tomatoes because one year we had a bumper crop and I put them in just about everything and now we like it that way. Adds just a touch of freshness. The only other thing I do is use more enchilada sauce and more tortillas. I usually buy a large pack of the smaller corn tortillas and I use about 12 of those because I just do 2 layers, a bottom and a top with the meat filling in between. That makes enough for 6 to 8 people.
I can tell you without hesitation that this is a great recipe. I’ve been making it for years and I always get tons of compliments.
I made this casserole this afternoon and it turned out very nicely! I might add a chopped little green chilies though next time. Also, I made the enchilada sauce and it was amazingly easy (however I put way too much sugar in the sauce by accident! But my picky husband loved it anyway!).
The homemade enchilada sauce is not highlighted in recipe like it was in your answer to Teresa. Right now you have to seek it in “search”.
Hi Leighe,
Thank you for mentioning that to me. There was a system update and I’ve corrected it now so that the link to the enchilada sauce should be active. I appreciate you taking a minute to let me know and hope you enjoy the casserole! Thanks!
When you say, make recipe THROUGH baking then freeze, do you mean to bake it and the freeze, or stop at the baking step, freeze, thaw overnight in fridge the day prior to serving, then bake it a smidge longer than the 20 minutes noted in recipe?
Thanks for the post, look forward to making this for church.
Just made this and it is amazing. Writing in my recipe book now. Hubby wanted tomatoes and lettuce to top it and decided it only needed more enchilada sauce on top of it, none of the extras!
I’m so glad you and your husband liked this casserole, Serra. Thanks!