Prep Time: 2 hrs soaking & 30 mins hands-on | Cook Time: 20 mins | Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins | Yield: 20 enchiladas
This is the real deal – Beef Enchiladas with incredible Homemade Mexican Red Sauce. With gooey, melty cheese on top, the flavorful beef filling in toasted corn tortillas clothed in red sauce sure will blow your mind!
INGREDIENTS
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Mexican Red Sauce:
8 dried ancho chiles (also called California chiles, as I discovered while emergency-googling in the international aisle at Wegmans)
3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
tiny pinch of ground clove (traditional, but optional)
2 tablespoon white vinegar
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. soaking liquid (from soaking the peppers)
¼ c. vegetable oil
Beef Enchiladas:
20 soft corn tortillas
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 medium onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic chopped
4 c. shredded cheese (I like a mixture of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack)
3-4 c. of enchilada sauce
How to make Beef Enchiladas with Homemade Mexican Red Sauce
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 400 degrees. Bring a pot of water or tea skillet to a boil. Meanwhile, tear or snip the stems of the chilli peppers and shake out as many seeds as you can. On a baking sheet, place the peppers and toast for about 5 minutes in the preheated oven. To a large heat-proof container, transfer the peppers. Pour the hot water over the peppers. Allow the peppers to steep for an hour or two until the colour of the water is deep red and the peppers are very soft.
Step 2: In a blender, place the peppers, two cups of the soaking liquid, garlic, and spices. Puree until smooth. Transfer the pureed mixture along with vinegar, and chicken stock in a heated saucepan with oil. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes over medium-high heat until the sauce has reduced and slightly thickened. This makes about 3 1/2 cups. If not yet using, let the sauce cool, then transfer to a container and in the fridge until ready to use.
Enchiladas:
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 375 degrees.
Step 2: Over a gas burner, toast the corn tortillas using tongs until browned in spots. Alternately, you can toast in a hot, dry skillet. Stack the toasted tortillas on a plate. To let the tortillas steam and soften, cover with foil or a clean kitchen towel. This step is important and a must to add flavour to the tortillas and so they won’t crack when rolled.
Step 3: In the meantime, ready the beef mixture. Cook the onion, garlic, and beef, stirring until the beef is browned. Season the beef mixture with salt and pepper. Add in half a cup of enchilada sauce and cook for a couple of minutes until the mixture has slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, then add in half a cup of cheese, and stir well. Allow cooling a little.
Step 4: With nonstick cooking spray, grease the bottom of a large baking dish, then spread a thin layer of the Mexican red sauce. Remember to set aside a cup of sauce for later and place the rest in a shallow dish.
Step 5: To assemble: Line the shredded cheese, beef, tortillas, then sauce. Dip both sides of the tortilla in the sauce, top with 2 to 3 tbsp meat mixture, a pinch of cheese, then gently roll and place in the baking dish seam-side down. Do the same for the remaining ingredients.
Step 6: Over the enchiladas, pour the rest of the Mexican red sauce and cover with loads of cheese. With foil, cover the dish and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Uncover and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese starts to brown in spots.
Step 7: When done, serve with simple white rice, black beans cooked with garlic and cumin, shredded lettuce, sour cream, cilantro, pickled red onions, and hot sauce. If you’d like, serve with a couple of slices of avocado or some guacamole.
Note:
You can use vegetable stock or just use a total of cups of the soaking liquid for a vegetarian version.

Ingredients
- Mexican Red Sauce:
- 8 dried ancho chiles (also called California chiles, as I discovered while emergency-googling in the international aisle at Wegmans)
- 3 whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (or ground cumin)
- tiny pinch of ground clove (traditional, but optional)
- 2 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 c. chicken broth
- 2 c. soaking liquid (from soaking the peppers)
- ¼ c. vegetable oil
- Beef Enchiladas:
- 20 soft corn tortillas
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 4 c. shredded cheese (I like a mixture of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack)
- 3-4 c. of enchilada sauce
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 400 degrees. Bring a pot of water or tea skillet to a boil. Meanwhile, tear or snip the stems of the chilli peppers and shake out as many seeds as you can. On a baking sheet, place the peppers and toast for about 5 minutes in the preheated oven. To a large heat-proof container, transfer the peppers. Pour the hot water over the peppers. Allow the peppers to steep for an hour or two until the colour of the water is deep red and the peppers are very soft.
Step 2: In a blender, place the peppers, two cups of the soaking liquid, garlic, and spices. Puree until smooth. Transfer the pureed mixture along with vinegar, and chicken stock in a heated saucepan with oil. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes over medium-high heat until the sauce has reduced and slightly thickened. This makes about 3 1/2 cups. If not yet using, let the sauce cool, then transfer to a container and in the fridge until ready to use.
Enchiladas:
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 375 degrees.
Step 2: Over a gas burner, toast the corn tortillas using tongs until browned in spots. Alternately, you can toast in a hot, dry skillet. Stack the toasted tortillas on a plate. To let the tortillas steam and soften, cover with foil or a clean kitchen towel. This step is important and a must to add flavour to the tortillas and so they won’t crack when rolled.
Step 3: In the meantime, ready the beef mixture. Cook the onion, garlic, and beef, stirring until the beef is browned. Season the beef mixture with salt and pepper. Add in half a cup of enchilada sauce and cook for a couple of minutes until the mixture has slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, then add in half a cup of cheese, and stir well. Allow cooling a little.
Step 4: With nonstick cooking spray, grease the bottom of a large baking dish, then spread a thin layer of the Mexican red sauce. Remember to set aside a cup of sauce for later and place the rest in a shallow dish.
Step 5: To assemble: Line the shredded cheese, beef, tortillas, then sauce. Dip both sides of the tortilla in the sauce, top with 2 to 3 tbsp meat mixture, a pinch of cheese, then gently roll and place in the baking dish seam-side down. Do the same for the remaining ingredients.
Step 6: Over the enchiladas, pour the rest of the Mexican red sauce and cover with loads of cheese. With foil, cover the dish and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Uncover and continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes until the cheese starts to brown in spots.
Step 7: When done, serve with simple white rice, black beans cooked with garlic and cumin, shredded lettuce, sour cream, cilantro, pickled red onions, and hot sauce. If you’d like, serve with a couple of slices of avocado or some guacamole.
Notes
You can use vegetable stock or just use a total of cups of the soaking liquid for a vegetarian version.