If you’re craving enchilada flavors without spending an hour in the kitchen rolling said enchiladas, you’re in the right place. This Layered Beef Enchilada Casserole is a reader favorite for a reason—it’s comes together with simple, no-fuss steps and ends in a huge flavor payout. Enchiladas are high on the dinner request list in the Mom’s Dinner kitchen, so I’ve made this more times than I can count, I’ve worked out all the little details to make sure it’s easy to make in YOUR kitchen and totally crave-worthy for your family.
You don’t need to spend extended time rolling individual enchiladas- simply layering everything gets you the flavors you want without the extra work. It bakes in just 30 minutes and has delicious layers of red enchilada sauce, seasoned ground beef, corn tortillas, and cheese.
This recipe is made to mimic traditional beef enchiladas without the hassle of frying, soaking or heating the corn tortillas. There are no beans, rice or veggies added to the mix. We keep it simple with authentic beef enchilada ingredients only.
Beef Enchilada Casserole Ingredients
- Ground Beef – I recommend using an 85/15 ground beef for this recipe. It has enough fat to be flavorful, but not so much fat that your casserole will turn out greasy.
- Onion – A white onion will give you a classic enchilada flavor. But if you have yellow or even red on hand, that will work too.
- Garlic – The recipe calls for 3 chopped garlic cloves but if you want to add more, go for it!
- Corn Tortillas – This is the classic tortilla to use with enchiladas, so we are including it in the casserole version. I recommend using a YELLOW corn tortilla. They have more flavor than the white corn tortillas.
- Enchilada Sauce – You will want to use a red or rojo enchilada sauce for this recipe. Use your favorite store bought enchilada sauce or you can make your own. We have a fantastic Red Enchilada Sauce recipe here on Mom’s Dinner.
- Cheese – As with most recipes here on Mom’s Dinner we recommend that you shred your own cheese. Buy a block of cheddar, pepper jack, Monterey jack, Colby jack… any will work, and shred it by hand. It is a grind for sure, but totally worth it. Your cheese will melt creamier than the pre-shredded stuff.
- Seasonings – A mix of kosher salt, cumin and chili powder is all you need to flavor this beef enchilada casserole. The enchilada sauce, garlic, onions, tortillas and cheese do a lot of the heavy lifting in the flavor department.
Corn Tortillas vs. Flour Tortillas
Corn tortillas are definitely more traditional for enchiladas. They have great flavor, however, they are very delicate. If they are not soaked, fried or heated properly before rolling they will tear and crumble, so frustrating.
That is one reason I use flour tortillas in my Chicken Enchilada recipe.
But in this Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole recipe you do not have to roll the tortilla. So there is no need to heat, fry or soak the corn tortillas. Everything is layered flat, making this a super easy dinner recipe!
If you are not a fan of corn tortillas you can sub flour tortillas. However I have not tested it with flour.
Enchilada Sauce
Homemade enchilada sauce takes little to no time to make! The nice thing is you can customize the flavor if you like it spicier, tangier or saltier. This is our go-to Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe.
Sometimes it is nice to use store bought sauce for this enchilada casserole dish. If you want a strong and tangy red enchilada sauce, Target has a great one! It is my go-to.
How to Make Layered Enchilada Casserole
I will take you through step by step how to make this easy beef enchilada casserole. See the photos for step by step how to layer the casserole.
- Start by preheating the oven to 350.
- In a skillet brown and crumble the ground beef. Drain any excess grease. Add the 1 teaspoon salt, diced onion, and garlic. Saute until they are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in 3 tablespoon water, 2 teaspoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon cumin. Remove it from the heat, it’s time to assemble the casserole.
Layer the Casserole
4. Time to layer everything up and get it in the oven. Start by adding ⅓ cup enchilada sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 casserole pan. Layer 5 corn tortillas on top of that- see the photo how I cut the 5th tortilla in half to fit the end of the pan.
5. Layer half the seasoned ground beef across the tortillas. Spread ¾ cup enchilada sauce and then a heaping ½ cup of cheese on top.
6. Next add another layer of 5 tortillas, all the remaining ground beef, ¾ cup enchilada sauce, and a heaping ½ cup of cheese.
7. To finish add another layer of 5 corn tortillas, the remaining enchilada sauce, and all the remaining cheese.
8. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
9. Let the casserole cool for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
What to Pair With Layered Enchilada Casserole
Think about when you visit your favorite Mexican restaurant – start with chips, salsa and guacamole. Then serve this Layered Enchilada Casserole with Refried Beans, Cilantro Lime Slaw and Mexican Rice! Don’t forget to wash it down with a Classic Margarita.
Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe Tips
- Use an 85/15 ground beef for the most flavor without all the grease.
- Choose yellow corn tortillas for the most authentic enchilada flavor.
- Take a shortcut and use your favorite store bought red enchilada sauce
- Hand shred the cheese for the creamiest melt.
- Let the casserole cool before cutting for serving, just like a layered lasagna it needs to congeal a little while cooling.
How to Store Beef Enchilada Casserole
Store any leftover enchilada casserole in the fridge, covered, or in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
To reheat simply place each portion in the microwave and heat for a minute or two until it is warmed through.
Reheating tip: As the casserole is refrigerated the tortillas will absorb the sauce, so if you have extra sauce pour it over each portion before reheating.
Listen To The Recipe
You can listen to the full recipe on the podcast “Let’s Make Dinner”. Susie shares all the tips and tricks and side dish ideas. You can listen by using the audio player below.
More Like This Easy Enchilada Casserole
If you are looking for a different type of enchilada, I have a few options:
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Enchirito
- Veggie Enchiladas with Chili Lime Crema
- Enchilada Zucchini Boats
- Creamy Verde Enchiladas
I obviously love enchiladas- LOL!
Enchilada Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef - prefer 85/15 for flavor and less grease
- 1 medium yellow or white onion - diced
- 3 garlic cloves - chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3 tablespoon water
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro **OPTIONAL - chopped
- 20 oz red enchilada sauce - If you make your own red enchilada sauce you will need about 2 ¼ cups.
- 15 corn tortillas
- 8 oz block of cheddar cheese, shredded - If you use pre-shredded you will need about 2 ¼ cups. You could also use pepper jack or monterey jack
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°
- In a large skillet brown and crumble the ground beef, drain any excess grease.1 lb ground beef
- Add the onions, garlic and salt saute for about 5 minutes until the onions are slightly softened. Stir in the 3 tablespoon water, 2 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin.1 medium yellow or white onion, 3 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoon chili powder, 3 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon cumin
- If using the cilantro, stir it in now. Remove the pan from the heat.⅓ cup fresh cilantro **OPTIONAL
Layer the Enchilada Casserole
- In a large 9×13 casserole dish pour ⅓ cup enchilada sauce across the bottom, spread it so it coats the bottom of the dish.20 oz red enchilada sauce, 15 corn tortillas, 8 oz block of cheddar cheese, shredded
- 5 tortillas (the last one split in half at the end of the pan (see photo)Top with half the beef Pour ¾ cups enchilada sauce over topSprinkle with a heaping ½ cup cheese5 tortillasremaining beef¾ cups enchilada sauceheaping ½ cup cheese5 tortillas Remaining enchilada sauceRemaining cheese
- Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
Cindy Sanders says
Can you make the enchilada casserole a day ahead & bake the next day?
Susie Weinrich says
You can! If you make it a day ahead I would recommend lightly pan frying the corn tortillas in a little oil so they don’t get too soggy in the sauce.
Tina says
I’m giving it 5 because, I love the simplicity. I love the ingredients. It is in the oven right now. I could wait and tell you it is delicious, but I can tell. If you cook at all, you know! Thank you so much for the this recipe! Cannot wait to eat it 😋
Kim says
I made the enchilada casserole for book club and potluck at church. Delicious! Lots of compliments. Next I’m going to make it for my family.
Cora says
I made this for dinner but put it in two 8×8 dishes and froze one for later( minus the cheese). There is only two of us and a 9×11 is more then we need. My son ate two servings. When I make it again, I’ll add a can of drained black beans. Very good.
Kathy G says
Great recipe. Taste almost like my mom used to make it. Great for gatherings. Even better the next day.
Vicki Henyon says
Cost effective. Tasty. Relatively easy to make. These are 3 pillars of a staple meal in the dinner rotation and this recipe has them! I sent it to my daughter and her and her husband liked them too. Definitely recommend this recipe. Thank you for putting it on the internet!
Patricia says
I love it I don’t know I just go to recipes and it always let me know what to do abd can put my spent on it too, so I love it. Thank you.❤️
Janine Bachelor says
This is now one of our faves! My (flour) tortillas are bigger, so I just used 3 per layer. And I threw in some green chilis, rotel tomatoes, corn, and black beans to make it a full meal deal. The flavor is great!
Angela Jones says
Did not work with corn tortillas. They fell apart .
Doris says
I read on line if you use corn tortillas to fry them in oil before you put them in your casserole. It worked. Also added a nice bit of crunch 😊
Melissa says
Love this for my new way of making enchiladas! I didn’t add much of the spices to the ground beef, just used a all-purpose seasoning on it and let the homemade enchilada sauce do its thing and it was really good. Loved the ease of this recipe and once it was set, super easy to feed the whole family. I prefer corn tortillas and this recipe made it so easy.
Denise says
Very good! I added a can of Mexicorn to hamburger mixture and I had to use one can of red enchilada sauce and one green enchilada sauce. When I went to get the sauce, I realized I had picked up one of each, but I don’t think we could tell the difference! Quick & easy too, so I’ll definitely be making again!
Cindy says
I cut the recipe in half because it’s just me here. It was so easy and delicious. Next time I will add some sliced olives.
Caitlin says
This is an easy and delicious recipe, we have this on rotation now. You can try different enchilada sauces for different taste, probably can even try diff types of cheese too.
We buy a 30 pack of corn tortilla so usually eat red sauce one week and then next week a green sauce and it taste very different but both yummy
CR says
Pretty good base, but 1 pound of ground beef and 20 ounces of sauce was not nearly enough for that many corn tortillas. If I do this recipe again I’ll use 2 pounds instead and maybe 30 ounces of sauce. I’m eating it right now and all I taste is tortilla.
Marj says
I agree that the ratio of meat to tortillas was not enough for a 9×13″ pan. My fix was to cut out the middle layer of tortillas. Next time I’ll use a smaller pan since there are just 2 of us. Delicious.
Janine Bachelor says
I don’t use near as many tortillas… I think mine are maybe bigger. But I just use 3 per layer, cutting one in half and putting the flat sides against the short edges of the pan.
Christine Tatsch says
Agreed, my son and I just made this and 1lb was only enough for 1 layer in a 9×13. We did the next layer with Spanish rice and black beans 🙂
Pamela says
I just made this for myself for my Birthday. I used 2lbs of ground beef and extra sauce and cheese. Cooked for 15 minutes longer. Came out perfect! Thank you!
Barbara says
This is wonderful and a new family favorite. I use your recipe for the homemade sauce and use up leftover pork or chicken. Thank you for posting this!