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Chile con Carne Enchiladas
Hello, Tex-Mex! I lived in San Antonio for years, the home of Tex-Mex, and we devoured a lot of Mexican food while living there. Tex-Mex is basically Texas-influenced Mexican food. These Chile con Carne Enchiladas at the ultimate Texas comfort food.
This is what we ate all of the time while living in Texas for 3 years. They are so unique and unlike any enchiladas, I have ever tried in Arizona. They are all about a flavorful red chile sauce and a lot of ooey gooey cheese! Thank you, Tex-Mex, for embracing the cheese. I wanted to re-create such a popular Tex-Mex dish at home.
What are Chile con Carne Enchiladas?
Cheese enchiladas covered in a rich homemade red chile beef sauce and topped with fresh cilantro and white onions. The star ingredient is the red chile sauce!
The key is to make a homemade slow-simmered Chile con Carne Sauce which is made with sauteed ground beef, dark chile powder, tomato puree, garlic, cumin, paprika, and a touch of cornstarch to thicken it. It is all about the depth of flavor with this sauce. It is basically a rich chili sauce poured over cheese enchiladas. It is ridiculously amazing!
These Tex-Mex Enchiladas call for corn tortillas, which are naturally gluten-free. The corn tortillas are softened in warmed oil which makes them soft and pliable. A generous amount of shredded medium cheddar cheese is placed in the center of the corn tortillas and rolled up. Bring on the cheese! The red chili sauce is ladled all over the cheese enchiladas and baked until melted and bubbly. The tex-mex beef enchiladas are topped with diced white onion and fresh cilantro, which brings a brightness to the dish.
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Chile con Carne Enchiladas
Ingredients
Chile con Carne Sauce:
- 1 lb. Ground Beef
- 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 1 cup Crushed Tomatoes or Tomato Puree
- 1 cup Beef or Chicken Broth
- 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch (mixed with 1 cup of water before adding)
Chile con Carne Enchiladas:
- 3 Tablespoons Oil
- 12 Corn Tortillas
- 3-4 cups Cheddar Cheese (medium or sharp)
Garnish:
- 1/4 White Onion (diced)
- Cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
Chile con Carne:
- Heat a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook for 8-9 minutes, breaking it up into bite-size pieces.
- Sprinkle ground beef, with chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour in tomatoes and let simmer over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Add beef or chicken broth.
- In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 1 cup of water until no lumps appear. Pour the cornstarch mixture into chile mixture. Let simmer and thicken for 10 minutes.
To make Enchiladas:
- Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and let heat up for several minutes. Carefully add each tortilla to oil and let soften, about 5 seconds. Remove and repeat for each tortilla.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Ladle 1 cup of the sauce in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle cheese down the center of each tortilla. Roll the tortilla and place it seam side down into baking dish. Pour the rest of the sauce all over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with any remaining cheese.
- Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until cheese is melted and it is bubbling and hot. Top with chopped onions and cilantro, if desired.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fantastic chili con carne! Made the enchiladas with homemade corn tortillas and they were perfection!
What is served with this dish normally?
I Love, Love, Love, Cheese Enchiladas! This recipe is so fantastic! I could eat these 3X a day! This is the best Chili Con Carne recipe I have ever tried. (And I have tried a lot!) Thank You for this great recipe!!
Linda H
Dallas, TX
Linda what a sweet comment! I am so glad that you found this recipe and that it turned out so great. Thank you so much!
San Antonio native here… I make this recipe at least once every few weeks. Hands down the BEST enchiladas!!!
Black Pepper in Chile con Carne? How many enchiladas in a serving?
Spot on recipe! The flavors and smells took me back to when I was a little girl and we would go to my grandmother’s for Enchilada Sunday’s ! I will be saving this recipe for my own Enchilada Sunday’s!!!
YES!! Real Tex-Mex enchilladas and a super easy way to make them. Would gladly give more than 5 stars. Delicioso!!!!
Loved your recipe, I added minced garlic and onions to the meat while cooking and a tad bit if adobe.
It came out perfect. Thank you