One-pan Cheesy Beef Enchiladas

If you love Tex-Mex flavours, melted cheese and stress-free cooking, but don’t love washing up, this one is for you! My whole family (especially Hubby!) loves these outrageously flavour-packed, satisfying and comforting One-pan Cheesy Beef Enchiladas. The dish is a twist on classic enchiladas, but with less fuss involved – imagine that enchiladas and nachos had a baby! It has the same flavour profile, but here, instead of having to fill and roll individual enchiladas, you prepare a deliciously seasoned sauce in a large pan, then fold halved tortillas through it, top with cheese and crisp everything up under the oven grill (broiler).

You get the best of both worlds – at the bottom, the tortillas absorb the delicious sauce, and on top they are crunchy and covered in melty cheese. Once cooked, I top everything with avocado, sour cream, red onion and coriander (cilantro). The freshness of this topping is the perfect complement to the cheesy, tomatoey enchiladas.

I also love that this is one of those “hidden veggie” dishes (ideal for little eaters) and I’ve also given ideas for upping the vegetable content even more – try grated zucchini (courgette) or finely chopped mushrooms. You can keep the dish mild or spice it up, and the seasoned beef is great to freeze to keep on hand for using in wraps or on top of rice.

How can I spice these enchiladas up?

My husband and I love spice and there are loads of fun ways to give this recipe a little heat.
Chipotle – Add heat and smokiness by adding 1 finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce at the same time as the spices (step 4).
Chilli powder – Include a pinch of chilli powder, chilli (red pepper) flakes or ground cayenne pepper at the same time as the spices (step 4).
Jalapeño – Include a diced jalapeño when you add the spices (step 4).
Pickled jalapeño – Top the cheesy beef enchiladas with sliced pickled jalapeño.
Hot sauce – Splash hot sauce or Tabasco onto the completed dish.

Can I add even more vegetables to these enchiladas?

Yes. Try corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned), finely diced zucchini (courgette), finely chopped mushrooms or shredded spinach for an extra hit of veggies.

What is the secret to making good enchiladas?

Get a crispy top – For extra crispy tortillas and golden cheese, place the dish under the oven grill (broiler) for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Keep a close eye on it to prevent burning.

What is the best melting cheese to use?

Grating your own cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded cheese will result in a smoother, creamier melt (as pre-shredded cheese has additives that make it grainy). I have suggested cheddar, but you could use colby or Monterey Jack, or whatever melting cheese you prefer.

Watch how to make One-pan Cheesy Beef Enchiladas

What are some other similar quick and easy Tex-Mex/Mexican dishes?

If you enjoyed these One-pan Cheesy Beef Enchiladas, I think you’ll love:

Chicken Burrito Bowls
Chicken Fajita Tray Bake
Beef Burrito Bowl
Quick Mexican Beef Rice Bowls
Taco Bowl

One-pan Cheesy Beef Enchiladas

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5 from 1 review

These One-pan Cheesy Beef Enchiladas are a comforting, family-friendly dinner that’s easy to make and packed with flavour. Just like the classic – but easier! Seasoned beef, capsicum (bell pepper) and black beans are cooked in a delicious rich sauce, before tortillas are folded through the sauce, topped with melty cheese, then baked until golden.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) beef
• 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), diced
• 1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• 400 g (14 oz) canned black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
• 700 g (1 lb 9 oz) tomato passata
• ½ cup (125 ml) water
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 10 x 15 cm (6 inch) flour tortillas, sliced in half (see note 1)
• 1½ cups (150 g) cheddar or tasty cheese, shredded

To serve

• 150 g (51/2 oz) sour cream
• 1 avocado, diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• ¼ cup (15 g) finely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

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Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep ovenproof pan over medium heat.
2. Add the brown onion and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes.
3. Add the minced beef and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until browned, breaking up the beef as you go.
4. Add the capsicum, garlic, paprika, cumin, ground coriander, oregano, onion powder and salt. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
5. Add the black beans (if using) and stir them through, then add the passata, water and apple cider vinegar. Allow to simmer for 2–3 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven grill (broiler) to high.
7. Remove the pan from the heat. Using tongs, fold and push the tortilla halves into the beef mixture, allowing pieces to stick out of the sauce (see photo).
8. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and place in the top half of the oven. Bake under the grill (broiler) for 6–8 minutes, until browned and crisp (keep a close eye so it doesn’t burn!).
9. Serve topped with sour cream, avocado, red onion and coriander.

Equipment

Chef Knife

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Large Wooden Spoon

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Tongs

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Notes

Note 1 – You can use corn tortillas to make this gluten-free. However, you’ll need to heat them in a pan first to ensure they’re soft enough. You can also use large tortillas, but cut them into strips instead of halves.

Make ahead

Refrigerate the beef enchilada mixture for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight before using. Reheat the enchilada mixture in a pan or microwave before adding the tortillas and topping with cheese and baking.

Leftovers

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. The tortillas will soften and take on a texture that is almost like pasta. Although you lose the crisp topping, the leftovers are equally delicious. I like to remove the avocado and sour cream as best I can from the leftovers and store these separately (once reheated, these toppings can be returned to the enchiladas). The enchiladas are best reheated in the microwave. You can eat the leftovers as they are or over rice for a quick and easy lunch or dinner the next day.

• Author: Nicole
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Mains, Beef, One Pan, Quick and Easy
• Method: Oven, Stovetop
• Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex