Beef Enchiladas with Green Chili (Printable)
Tender beef enchiladas smothered in zesty homemade green chili sauce and melted cheese.
# What You Need:
→ Beef Filling
01 - 1 lb ground beef
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 tsp ground cumin
05 - 1 tsp chili powder
06 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 tsp salt
08 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
09 - 1/4 cup beef broth
10 - 1/4 cup canned diced green chilies
→ Green Chili Sauce
11 - 2 tbsp olive oil
12 - 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
13 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
14 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
15 - 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
16 - 1 cup canned or jarred tomatillos, drained and chopped
17 - 1 cup canned diced green chilies
18 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
19 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
20 - 1/4 tsp salt
21 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
22 - Juice of 1 lime
→ Assembly
23 - 8 medium flour tortillas (6-inch)
24 - 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
25 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
26 - Sour cream, for serving (optional)
# How-To:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until beef is browned and onion softens, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
03 - Add ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir in beef broth and diced green chilies, then simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until liquid is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat.
04 - In a saucepan over medium heat, warm olive oil. Add diced onion and garlic; sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
05 - Gradually whisk in broth, then add tomatillos, green chilies, ground cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until sauce thickens.
06 - Blend the sauce until smooth with an immersion or standard blender. Stir in lime juice.
07 - Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread 1/2 cup of the green chili sauce evenly on the bottom.
08 - Warm tortillas slightly until pliable. Place approximately 1/4 cup beef filling into each tortilla, roll tightly, and arrange seam-side down in the baking dish.
09 - Pour remaining green chili sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas and sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
10 - Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
11 - Optionally garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with sour cream.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The homemade green chili sauce tastes like a restaurant secret but takes less time than ordering delivery.
- Everything comes together in one baking dish, which means less cleanup and more time actually enjoying dinner.
- It freezes beautifully, so you can make two batches and save one for a night when you need comfort food but not the effort.
02 -
- Don't skip warming the tortillas, or they'll crack and your filling will spill out into the sauce.
- The sauce needs to be blended smooth, or you'll get little chunks of tomatillo that feel weird on your tongue instead of that restaurant-quality creaminess.
- If you make this ahead and refrigerate it, add 5 to 10 extra minutes to the baking time since you're starting from cold.
03 -
- Keep the beef filling seasoned boldly because it needs to stand up to the sauce and cheese, so taste it and be generous with salt.
- If your sauce breaks or looks too thick, thin it with a splash of broth, and if it's too thin, simmer it a little longer without the lid.