Stacked Beef Enchiladas
Mexican seasoned shredded beef enchiladas with melted cheese, corn tortillas, and homemade enchilada sauce. An easy beef enchilada casserole!
We are Mexican food fanatics in our home. I am pretty sure I could live on a hefty dose of chips and salsa and homemade chocolate chip cookies for the rest of my life. Ever since I was a little girl, I would order shredded beef enchiladas with red sauce at every single Mexican food restaurant. It has always been my favorite Mexican food dish.
So I wanted to simplify it to make it easier for those weeknight dinners. These Stacked Beef Enchiladas are incredibly easy because everything is layered in a pan. Instead of rolling and stuffing each enchilada, all of the ingredients are basically just thrown in a pan. We are shaving off time right and left here.
The key to make killer beef enchiladas starts with the beef. I found that when cooking beef, low and slow always wins the race. To make these shredded beef enchiladas, I start by cooking a beef roast with Mexican spices in a slow cooker on a low setting. This is what makes it so tender and the meat just fall apart. So this recipe does take a bit of planning ahead of time but it is well worth it.
Another key component to making the perfect machaca beef enchiladas is the enchilada sauce. I am incredibly picky about my red enchilada sauce and have tasted some canned versions from the store that taste too smoky, too bitter, or too blah. Instead of playing the enchilada sauce lottery at the store, I created a homemade enchilada sauce that is easy to throw together and tastes so much better!
The homemade red enchilada sauce is made with a base of tomato sauce, onion, broth, chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, and garlic. It is full of flavor and pairs perfectly with this tender Mexican beef.
To make authentic stacked beef enchiladas, I reach for corn tortillas. You can also use flour tortillas but I prefer corn tortillas with shredded beef enchiladas. These Stacked Beef Enchiladas are made with shredded beef, corn tortillas, homemade enchilada sauce, and a hefty amount of Mexican cheese. Bring on the cheese!
How to make Stacked Beef Enchiladas:
- Start by cooking a beef roast with Mexican spices in a slow cooker on a low setting. This is what is going to create a tender beef which is perfect for enchiladas. I cook my beef roast with beef broth, onion, peppers, and Mexican spices. Once the roast has cooked for about 7-8 hours on a low setting, shred it with two forks to get it ready for the enchilada casserole.
- Make the homemade enchilada sauce. In a medium pot, saute onion in oil over medium heat until onion is soft, about 7-8 minutes. Add tomato sauce, beef or chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, and garlic powder. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes until it starts to thicken and reduce. Carefully puree in a blender. It will be hot so make sure to vent the blender.
- Spread a small amount of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Layer corn tortillas, beef, cheese, and enchilada sauce. Keep repeating. Top with a layer of cheese and bake covered for about 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and let it cook and cheese become bubbly for about 5-10 minutes longer.
- Serve with sour cream or Mexican crema and cilantro.
Stacked Beef Enchiladas. Mexican seasoned shredded beef enchiladas with melted cheese, corn tortillas, and homemade enchilada sauce. An easy beef enchilada casserole!
- (1) 2.5 lb. Beef Roast (approximately)
- 1 large Onion (diced)
- 1 large Poblano Pepper (optional, diced)
- 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 cup Beef Broth
- 2 Tablespoons Oil
- 1 large Onion (diced)
- (1) 15-ounce can Tomato Sauce (no spices added)
- 1 1/4 cups Beef or Chicken Broth
- 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt (more to taste)
- 18 Corn Tortillas
- 6 cups Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
- Sour Cream or Mexican Crema
- Cilantro
In a slow cooker (crockpot), add beef roast, onion, poblano, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and beef broth. Cook on a low setting for 8 hours. After it is done cooking, shred with two forks.
In a medium pot, saute onion in oil over medium heat until onion is soft, about 7-8 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, and garlic powder. Cook for 20 minutes until it starts to thicken and reduce. Carefully puree in a blender or with an immersion blender.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread a layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Layer corn tortillas, shredded beef, enchilada sauce, and cheese. Repeat to make at least 3 layers. Top with a generous amount of cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.
Serve with sour cream and cilantro.
Put a fried egg on top of your stacked enchiladas – that is the New Mexico way!
Looks like a wonderful twist on lasagna.
These are soooo good I’ve made them twice and for a family friend and everyone raved about them. I increased the recipe for the sauce 1.5x because I like my enchiladas a little wetter, and used the poblano when cooking the meat—such great flavor! I also cooked the roast in the instapot and it turned out great. Another fantastic recipe from Modern Honey!
I cubed the roast so it would cook evenly in a shorter time frame and browned it on all sides on a griddle before placing in the slow cooker. I replaced the Poblanos with 4 jalapenos because I like a bit of spice. I also broiled the cheese for the final few minutes to get it nice and crispy.
This was some of the best Mexican food I’ve had. The beef was perfectly tender, the sauce was perfectly balanced and came together easily, the ratio of meat/sauce/tortilla/cheese was perfect, and the seasoning in general was spot on. Will definitely make again soon and check out your other Mexican recipes.