This Tex-Mex-inspired beef enchilada recipe is richly seasoned, easy to make, and always such a crowd fave! One of my longtime favorite recipes to whip up for a big dinner party, wrap up in a casserole dish to bring to friends, or bake up on a regular old weeknight here with just the three of […]
This Tex-Mex-inspired beef enchilada recipe is richly seasoned, easy to make, and always such a crowd fave!
One of my longtime favorite recipes to whip up for a big dinner party, wrap up in a casserole dish to bring to friends, or bake up on a regular old weeknight here with just the three of us — say hello to my favorite beef enchiladas! ♡
These delicious Tex-Mex-inspired enchiladas are loaded up with with tender ground beef (or we often make ours nowadays with plant-based meat), green chiles, onion, garlic, beans, cheese, your choice of tortillas, and my favorite red enchilada sauce. And when baked to warm and melty perfection, then served up with a few slices of avocado and perhaps a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and crumbled cotija, I can tell you — after a decade plus of serving these enchiladas to loved ones — that they are always, always such a hit.
They’re perfect for prepping ahead of time, making this recipe a great option for easy entertaining or popping in the oven after a long day of work. And they can also easily be made gluten-free with corn tortillas and my homemade sauce, if you’d like.
I’ve made this beef enchiladas recipe more times than I can count and know we’ll certainly be enjoying it in our house for many years to come. So if you have yet to give it a try, it’s time!
Cheese enchiladas are such a simple comfort food. They’re warm, creamy, cheesy, and just all-around amazing. Plus, the combination of tortillas and cheese is just something I never get tired of. 😏 To ramp up the flavor in these simple cheese enchiladas I added some mild green chiles, a few spices, and a little sour cream for extra creaminess, then I drenched them in my homemade enchilada sauce. The result was seriously delicious for something so simple.
What Kind of Cheese to Use
This recipe is super flexible, so it’s a great way to use up any odds and ends of cheese that you may have in your fridge. You’ll need about 12oz. (one and half 8oz. blocks) of cheese for this recipe and you can mix and match cheese types. So today, I used a whole block of cheddar and a leftover half-block of pepper jack that I had in my fridge. Here are some other types of cheese you could use:
Queso Blanco
Monterey Jack
Queso Asadero
Queso Fresca (use in smaller amounts in combination with a creamy-melty cheese)
Chihuahua Cheese
Colby Jack
Enchilada Sauce Options
I used my homemade red enchilada sauce recipe because it’s fast and easy, and it has a really great flavor, but you could certainly used canned if you need something extra convenient. Or, if you want to try something more authentic, try this recipe for Authentic Enchilada Sauce from Isabel Eats.
Are Cheese Enchiladas Spicy?
These cheese enchiladas can be spicy, depending on the ingredients used. If you need to make sure your enchiladas are mild, pay attention to the canned green chiles and enchilada sauce. Canned green chiles can be either spicy or mild (usually indicated on the label) and the same is true for enchilada sauce. Check the label on the can or the ingredients used in the recipe, if you’re making homemade (cayenne pepper is spicy and chili powder can be either spicy or mild).
What Else Can I Add?
Cheese enchiladas are such a simple vegetarian meal, but they can also be a blank template for other ingredients to be added (vegetarian or not). Here are some other ingredients that you can toss into the filling, if you want to try something new:
Beans
Chopped spinach
Chopped cooked chicken
Chorizo
Ground beef
Sautéed zucchini
Bell pepper
Sweet corn
Avocado
Scrambled eggs
What to Serve with Cheese Enchiladas
I topped my enchiladas with a little more sour cream, guacamole, and green onion for extra color on the plate, but those are totally optional. Since an all-cheese enchilada can be a little on the heavy side, I would definitely add some fiber-filled side dishes, like Quick Seasoned Black Beans, Cucumber and Black Bean Salad, or Cowboy Caviar. A little zesty Cilantro Lime Rice on the side would also lighten up the flavors a bit!
Cheese Enchiladas
Cheese enchiladas are a simple and delicious comfort food that never disappoints. These enchiladas are extra creamy and full of flavor!
Toast the tortillas in a hot skillet, one at a time for a few seconds on each side, or just until lightly browned.
Add ¾ of the shredded cheese to a bowl (saving the remainder to top the enchiladas). Also add the drained green chiles, sour cream, garlic powder, cumin, and salt. Stir the ingredients to combine.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add about ½ cup of enchilada sauce to the bottom of a large casserole dish and spread it around until it covers the surface.
Fill each tortilla with about 3 Tbsp of the cheese filling, then roll to close, and place them in the casserole dish. Continue until all of the tortillas have been filled, rolled, and placed in the dish.
Pour the remaining 1 cup of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, then top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until they are heated through and melty. Do not overbake the enchiladas, as this can cause the filling to separate and curdle. Serve hot with your favorite toppings* and sides!
Notes
*Optional toppings: green onion, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo.
How to Make Cheese Enchiladas – Step by Step Photos
I highly suggest toasting your corn tortillas before you begin. This takes the flavor of the corn tortilla from bland and raw to deliciously toasty with a more pronounced corn flavor. I just do this in a hot, dry skillet. Once the skillet is nice and hot, it only takes about 15-30 seconds per side to get just a little color on the tortilla.
Shred 12oz. cheese and then set aside about ¼ of it to use as a topping for the enchiladas. Combine the rest of the cheese in a bowl with ¼ cup sour cream, one 4oz. can of diced green chiles (drained), ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp cumin, and ⅛ tsp salt.
Stir the filling ingredients together until well combined.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add ½ cup enchilada sauce to the bottom of a casserole dish and spread it around to cover the surface.
Add about 3 Tbsp of the cheese filling to the center of each tortilla, then roll it closed and place it in the casserole dish. Continue until all of the tortillas are filled, rolled, and in the casserole dish.
Pour another one cup of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. I like to leave some of the tortillas exposed to get extra toasty, but you can cover them completely, if you prefer.
Add the remaining shredded cheese on top of the enchiladas.
Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes, or just until heated through. Make sure not to overbake the enchiladas, as this can cause the filling to curdle.
Serve hot with your favorite toppings and side dishes (I topped them with green onion, sour cream, and guacamole)!
If you are a regular here, you know our family LOVES enchiladas. Our motto, whenever in doubt, make enchiladas for dinner, everyone will be happy! A few of our favorite recipes include: chicken enchiladas, bean enchiladas, easy skillet enchiladas, and …
If you are a regular here, you know our family LOVES enchiladas. Our motto, whenever in doubt, make enchiladas for dinner, everyone will be happy! A few of our favorite recipes include: chicken enchiladas, bean enchiladas, easy skillet enchiladas, and Beef Enchiladas. Beef Enchiladas are just classic. There is nothing fancy about them, which is…
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If you love enchiladas and roasted winter squash, this recipe is a must-try! We loved the filling of our enchilada bake so much we couldn’t help but add it to a roasted butternut squash, and the results were phenomenal!
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These vegan enchiladas are over the top delicious! Stuffed with black beans and guacamole, they’re doused in a zesty homemade red enchilada sauce. WOW is all we can say about this vegan enchiladas recipe! It tops the charts (with our vegan lasagna and shepherd’s pie) as one of our most crowd-pleasing plant based recipes…ever. Tortillas are wrapped around a veggie filling oozing with flavor, and it’s all doused in a zesty homemade enchilada sauce. With the crunchy veggie topping, this dish looks simply incredible. And it tastes even better than it looks! Alex and my goal was a whole food plant based (WFPB) enchiladas recipe with no cheese substitutes or need for vegan cheese. With a few tasty tricks, it turned out even better than expected! Here’s how to make it. What’s in the best vegan enchiladas? Don’t let these vegan enchiladas fool you: they’ll satisfy people of all diets! They’re packed with zingy flavor and full of nutrients. Even better, there’s a lazy version and a version for when you have lots of time. Here’s what’s in these enchiladas (can you see it peeking out?): Veggie filling: The tasty filling features black beans, red onion, bell pepper, and portobello […]
These vegan enchiladas are over the top delicious! Stuffed with black beans and guacamole, they’re doused in a zesty homemade red enchilada sauce.
WOW is all we can say about this vegan enchiladas recipe! It tops the charts (with our vegan lasagna and shepherd’s pie) as one of our most crowd-pleasing plant based recipes…ever. Tortillas are wrapped around a veggie filling oozing with flavor, and it’s all doused in a zesty homemade enchilada sauce. With the crunchy veggie topping, this dish looks simply incredible. And it tastes even better than it looks! Alex and my goal was a whole food plant based (WFPB) enchiladas recipe with no cheese substitutes or need for vegan cheese. With a few tasty tricks, it turned out even better than expected! Here’s how to make it.
What’s in the best vegan enchiladas?
Don’t let these vegan enchiladas fool you: they’ll satisfy people of all diets! They’re packed with zingy flavor and full of nutrients. Even better, there’s a lazy version and a version for when you have lots of time. Here’s what’s in these enchiladas (can you see it peeking out?):
Veggie filling: The tasty filling features black beans, red onion, bell pepper, and portobello mushrooms sauteed with spices
Guacamole! This is the secret ingredient! Instead of cheese, guacamole is what brings the savory, creamy flavor to the inside of these enchiladas.
Red enchilada sauce: Use your very favorite red enchilada sauce here, or the best one is homemade (see below).
Tortillas: Flour or corn tortillas work. See our comparison below!
Veggie garnish: Since there’s no cheese on top, we went for a fresh Mexican-style veggie garnish with romaine lettuce, red onion, radish, and cilantro. It makes the entire dish look stunning!
Homemade enchilada sauce makes the dish!
If you have time, it’s absolutely worth making our Homemade Enchilada Sauce. Turns out, it takes just a handful of ingredients to get huge flavor. This full-bodied sauce is zingy, zesty, and you’ll never want to stop eating it. Here are a few notes on incorporating this sauce into these vegan enchiladas:
It’s cheaper to make homemade. This recipe calls for 3 cups enchilada sauce. Alex and I priced out our favorite brand and it would be $12 to make this recipe! The homemade version weighs in at around $5.
Make it the day before for quick assembly. It takes about 30 minutes to make the enchilada sauce. We recommend making it the day before and refrigerating until serving. Or, you can…
It adds about 15 minutes to the prep time (and a dirty pan & blender). If you make it the day of, it will add about 15 minutes to the recipe, since you can simmer it while you make the enchilada filling. Just know you’ll have a little more to clean up, too!
How to assemble these vegan enchiladas
Assembling these vegan enchiladas is the hardest part. How to make sure you have the right amount of filling so it doesn’t spill out? How to make sure the tortillas don’t split? Here are our tips:
Don’t overfill the tortillas. It’s easy to want to put in way too much filling. All you need is 1/4 cup veggies and 2 tablespoons guacamole. Spread them in a line like you see below.
Roll them tightly and place seam side down. Placing seam side down helps them stay rolled.
If using corn tortillas, use a good brand and cook in oil prior to rolling. Corn tortillas taste great and are gluten-free, but they can easily tear and split when rolling them. See the instructions in the recipe and the section below for more!
Here’s what the inside of one of the tortillas should look like!
Flour tortillas vs corn tortillas: which are better for enchiladas?
Corn tortillas are more traditional in Mexican-style enchiladas. Flour tortillas are more traditional in American style enchiladas. There are pros and cons to both! When we tested this vegan enchiladas recipe, we had a lot of issues with corn tortillas that split open when we went to roll them. Here are some pros and cons to each:
Corn tortillas are gluten-free and more authentic Mexican. But many brands easily split when you go to roll them! To combat this, find the best corn tortilla brand you can. Then brush it with oil and cook it 15 seconds per side before assembling. Doing so can help to make it more supple for rolling (and infuses a little flavor).
Flour tortillas are more authentic to American enchiladas. They’re not gluten-free but they are much easier to roll! We also both loved how gooey they get when soaked in the enchilada sauce.
Homemade vs purchased guacamole
Our homemade guacamole recipe is so good, it’s worth making if you have time! But since storebought guacamole is so easily available, we’d recommend getting your favorite purchased brand to speed up prep time for the recipe. It takes about 15 minutes to make the guacamole. If you’re making of the components at home, we’d recommend the enchilada sauce instead.
But if you do have time, it’s worth making this incredible homemade guacamole, and you can use the extras as a side dish. You could also make it ahead and store it using this storage tip so it doesn’t brown: refrigerate it with 1/2″ of water on top of the guac. This serves as a barrier to the air and works like a charm!
Sides to serve with vegan enchiladas
These enchiladas are a stunning vegan dish that’s perfect for dinner parties or weeknight meals. What to serve with these vegan enchiladas to make it a full meal? We’ve got lots of options. Here are our favorite sides to serve with enchiladas:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the veggies for 6 to 7 minutes until tender. Add the black beans (drained and rinsed), garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, paprika, kosher salt, lime juice and vegetable broth or water. Cook for 2 minutes until the liquid is thickened into a sauce.
Spread 1 cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.
If using corn tortillas ONLY: Brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with olive oil. Heat a large griddle to medium-high heat. Cook the tortillas in batches for 15 seconds per side until lightly browned.
Fill each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the vegetable filling and about 2 tablespoons guacamole, running in a line down the center (see the photo). Roll it up and place it in the baking dish seam side down. Once all of the 12 tortillas are in the dish, pour over the remaining 2 cups of enchilada sauce.
Bake for 5 minutes until warmed through. Top with garnishes and serve. (Leftovers keep well refrigerated.)
Notes
*Prep time listed below does not include time for making enchilada sauce. This adds about 15 minutes to the prep time, since you can simmer the sauce while making the filling.
If you are a regular here, you know our family LOVES enchiladas. Our motto, whenever in doubt, make enchiladas for dinner, everyone will be happy! A few of our favorite recipes include: chicken enchiladas, bean enchiladas, easy skillet enchiladas, and Beef Enchiladas. Beef Enchiladas are just classic. There is nothing fancy about them, which is… 
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