What is the secret to good enchiladas?

The most important tip for avoiding soggy enchiladas is to briefly fry your tortillas in hot oil before you fill and roll . This creates a little bit of a barrier so that the tortillas don't soak up too much of the sauce and therefore start to break down.

How do you make beef enchiladas not soggy?

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.

Do enchiladas taste better with corn or flour tortillas?

Corn tortillas go well with Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas, and tamales. They are also perfect for use in tostadas, sopes, and quesadillas. Flour tortillas are often used in burritos, fajitas, and chimichangas. They are also great for making quesadillas, sweet dishes like dessert tacos, and breakfast burritos.

Is it better to cook enchiladas covered or uncovered?

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, until the enchiladas are cooked through and the tortillas are slightly crispy on the outside. Transfer the baking dish to a wire baking rack. Serve. Serve the enchiladas immediately while they're nice and hot and melty, garnished with lots of fresh toppings.

What is the best melting cheese for enchiladas?

Monterey Jack is a mild, creamy cheese that melts easily and adds a smooth texture to the enchiladas.

How do you keep enchiladas from getting hard on the bottom?

Some recipes suggest spreading a little sauce (½ cup for a 3-quart baking dish) on the bottom of the pan before adding enchiladas . This keeps the tortillas from sticking to the pan or getting tough on the bottom.

How to make enchiladas crunchy?

Leave the edges of the tortillas bare . That way, they'll crisp up in the oven, offering a great crunchy contrast to the gooey enchilada middles.

Can you make enchiladas ahead of time or do they get soggy?

If you would like to make a pan of enchiladas in advance, follow the recipe instructions through step 3 (assembling the enchiladas). Wrap the pan tightly with foil. Then you can either refrigerate the enchiladas for up to 3 days , then bake as directed.

How do you make enchiladas crispy and not soggy?

Bake the enchiladas before adding sauce Another thing you can try is baking your enchiladas after filling them until the tortillas are just be-ginning to get brown and starting to crisp. Then, add your cheese and sauce on top and bake them again until the cheese is melted.

How do you know when enchiladas are done baking?

I usually use two cups sauce for eight enchiladas. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is beginning to brown , about 20 to 25 minutes.

When making enchiladas do you cook the tortillas first?

It's important to pre-cook the tortillas because not only does cooking them help soften them for rolling, cooking them in a little fat helps develop the flavor of the tortillas. As the tortillas brown a little, remove them to a plate.

Should enchiladas be with or without foil?

Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. Note: For softer enchilada, bake covered for 10 minutes, then remove the foil for the final 10-15 minutes of baking . Serve enchiladas with minced cilantro, sour cream, avocados, etc.

Should you cover cheese enchiladas when baking?

Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbling. Garnish with sour cream and sliced black olives.

Shredded Beef Enchiladas Recipe - Gonna Want Seconds (2024)

My homemade shredded beef enchiladas recipe is truly, off-charts delicious! They’re loaded with tender, juicy, shredded, braised beef, authentic homemade beefy enchilada sauce, and plenty of gooey melty cheese to hold it all together. The enchilada sauce is so delicious, I hate to even call it sauce. Frankly, it’s more like a heavenly chili gravy than it is a plain ol’ sauce!

If the mere thought of Mexican food gets your family giddy with excitement, you’re gonna’ L-O-V-E this homemade recipe! If your family is as crazy for enchiladas as mine, I hope you try our cheesy chicken nnchiladas, shrimp enchiladas, honey lime chicken enchiladas, and our most popular white chicken enchiladasnext!! I promise you’ll devour all of these recipes! ♥

Let’s make these!

What Cut Of Beef Is Best For Shredded Beef Enchiladas

I use a beef chuck roast for these enchiladas. It’s an economical cut of meat and when it’s braised, it’s mouth-watering tender and luscious! It braises in a sauce that is infused with beefy goodness and fat so that the sauce turns into the richest, most luscious enchilada sauce on the planet!

Shredded Beef Enchiladas Ingredients

Shredded Beef

Beef Chuck Roast
Salt + Black Pepper
Bacon Grease Or Vegetable Oil
Onion
Garlic
Crushed Tomatoes
Water
Chili Powder
Cumin
Oregano
Bay Leaves
Apple Cider Vinegar
Worcestershire Sauce
Granulated Sugar

Enchiladas

Tortillas
Shredded Meat
Sour Cream
Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Monterey Jack Cheese
Fresh Cilantro

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? According to the USDA, your shredded beef enchiladas recipe will stay fresh and yummy for 3-4 days in the fridge. That said, I’ve literally never had leftovers. These things are just so darn delicious they get gobbled up on the serving day!
Can You Freeze This? Because these are made with flour tortillas and sour cream, these aren’t great to freeze.
Make-Ahead Tips:The best way to make this meal ahead is to prep all your ingredients, roll up your enchiladas, and store the sauce separately in the fridge for up to four days. When you’re ready to cook, pour the sauce on, and pop it in the oven as usual!

Shredded Beef Enchiladas Tips + Notes

Braising: Because the meatbraisesin the oven, it will be succulently tender when done. Remember, the given cooking time is an approximation. Your cooking time can and likely will vary depending on the exact size of your roast, your exact oven temperature (these vary), and how well your Dutch oven seals.
Beef chuck roast: The best tip for this authentic Mexican beef enchilada recipe involves using a beef chuck roast which adds a ton of tender flavor. Be sure to pat it dry before browning to help create that nice crust that coaxes out layers of yum as it braises in the oven!
- You’ll also want to toss the beef in your pan sauce (which we’ll now call enchilada sauce) before assembling your shredded beef enchiladas.
Tortillas: This particular recipe also calls for using flour tortillas instead of corn. They’re tender, versatile, and often blister just a tad when cooked which adds yet another scrumptious layer of complex flavor. Plus, I find them easier to work with. If you prefer corn tortillas, which are admittedly a more authentic choice, feel free to use them!
- In order to prevent your tortillas from getting soggy, some people recommend frying them until they’re crispy before wrapping up the meat and cheese. If you make this recipe with corn tortillas,frying them is an important step because it also makes them pliable and easy to roll up.
- Truthfully, I’ve never had an issue with this recipe getting soggy and I do not fry my tortillas. But, if you’d like to try frying the tortillas, I recommend frying them just a little bit. Don’t overdo it they’ll have time to cook in the oven too.
Sauce: After the beef gets shredded, toss it with one cup of the (spectacular) sauce before assembling the enchiladas. Don’t skip this, the sauce toss is an important step in making the meat taste so good.
- Don’t forget to add some of the sauce to the bottom of the pan before you assemble the enchiladas. It prevents the enchiladas from sticking to the bottom of the pan and makes sure they don’t get too tough on the underside.
- If you have leftover sauce do not throw it away. It’s too good to go to waste. Use it for eggs ranchero or toss it in with some rotisserie chicken for quick chicken tacos.
Cheese: Make sure to note that the cheese mixture is divided. Half of the cheese is used inside the enchiladas—it gets all melty and delicious and blends with that savory shredded beef.
- The other half is reserved to sprinkle on top of enchiladas once they’re assembled. Believe me, smothering your enchiladas in melted cheese is exactly what you want.
- Feel free to switch up the type of cheese you use. While the cheddar/Monterey jack combination is excellent with this recipe, I sometimes use cotija and pepper jack cheese instead. Both are wonderful and can be switched out to vary the dish.
Make it Spicy: Some people (like my son) really like these enchiladas served spicy! In order to heat up the enchilada sauce, you can add the cayenne powder in addition to the chili powder. Alternatively, you can add hot sauce at step 3 of the instructions, along with the crushed tomatoes.
Sour Cream: There are a lot of things you could use as a sour cream substitute with this recipe (cottage cheese, evaporated milk, etc.), but my favorite has always been plain yogurt. It’s a little less flavorful than having sour cream on the enchiladas, but if you have picky guests that can sometimes be a good thing.

Serving Recommendations

I usually serve these with Mexican corn salad or Southwest salad. Both have plenty of veggies and sweet corn to enhance the authentic South of the Border flavor profile of the main course. Then I serve one of these with it as well: jalapeno cornbread, Mexican rice, and charro beans!

How To Make Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Make The Shredded Beef:

In a Dutch oven, add chuck roast and brown on both sides. Remove the roast to a plate and set aside.
Saute onion and garlic.
Add the roast back to the Dutch oven, along with any pan juices that have accumulated, the crushed tomatoes, water, chili powder, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Boil. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 3-3 1/2 hours, or until the roast is falling-apart tender.
Remove the roast to a shallow pan and shred with 2 forks. Add 1 cup of the pan sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add 1 cup of water to the pan sauce and salt and pepper to taste (I added 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper).

Assembly:

Add 1/2 cup of pan sauce to a 9 X 13-inch baking dish. Fill each tortilla with an equal amount of shredded beef (about 1/3 cup), 1 1/2 tablespoons of sour cream, a layer of cheddar, and a layer of Jack.
Roll up tightly and place seam side down in the baking dish. Ladle cooled pan sauce evenly over top of the enchiladas,
Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake in a 350-degree oven until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted about 20-25 minutes.

***See Full Instructions On the Recipe Card Below

More Authentically Delicious Mexican Recipe

Chicken Posole
Pollo Asado
Enchilada Sauce
Carne Picada
Carne Guisada
Sopes
Pozole Verde
Mexican Casserole

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