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This Beef Enchilada Casserole has layers of ground beef, beans, tortillas, and cheese, all smothered in enchilada sauce and baked to perfection.
Serve this easy meal with a fresh tossed salad or a size of cilantro tomato rice for an easy dinner that’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!
A Meal Everyone Will Love
I am a huge fan of enchiladas, who doesn’t love this classic Mexican dish?! This beef enchilada casserole has all the great flavors of traditional enchiladas but in an easy-to-make casserole form.
A simple filling of beef and beans is layered with tortillas and cheese in a casserole dish, then baked to melty and cheesy perfection. Add a few toppings and you’ve got a dinner that the whole family will enjoy.
Start with the Enchilada Filling
To make enchilada casserole, start with the filling.
- Make Filling: Brown lean ground beef, season with taco seasoning and add a can of beans. My family prefers pinto beans, but you can use black beans if you like.
- Optional Veggies: Add some veggies during this step, like onions, corn or peppers; there are so many delicious possibilities.
- Layer: I start my casserole off with a layer of enchilada sauce. I use a mild red enchilada sauce and pair it with corn tortillas.
So Many Amazing Layers
This enchilada casserole can be made with corn or flour tortillas; it’s fabulous either way. If you go with flour tortillas, make sure to buy the smaller soft taco size. The beef mixture gets layered on top of the tortillas along with a healthy dose of cheddar cheese.
After the layers are piled up high in the dish, the enchilada casserole goes into the oven to bake. I like to add some toppings after the casserole comes out of the oven; I typically use diced tomatoes and sliced green onions for a fresh flavor.
After your casserole has cooled for a bit, slice into squares and enjoy!
Got Leftovers?
Refrigerate: Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freeze: This casserole can be frozen in individual portions or as a whole once cooked. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Reheat: Cover the casserole with foil and reheat at 350°F for about 30 minutes or until heated through (time will vary based on how much is left). Optionally, single portions of enchilada casserole can be heated in the microwave.
More Mexican Inspired Favorites
- Easy Ground Beef Tacos – Easy family meal.
- Creamy Chicken Enchiladas – Personal favorite!
- Easy Fish Tacos – Healthy and delicious!
- Taco Soup – Quick and easy!
- Pork Carnitas Recipe – Slow cooker favorite
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers – Flavorful and easy
Beef Enchilada Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 small corn tortillas 6-inch, or flour tortillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 15 ounces canned pinto beans rinsed and drained, 1 can
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce
- 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 ripe tomatoes diced
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 6-8 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon.
- Add the taco seasoning, salt and pepper to taste, and beans; stir to combine.
- Spread ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.
- Layer ⅓ of the tortillas over the sauce.
- Add ½ of the meat mixture, then add ¾ cup of cheese on top of the meat.
- Pour ½ cup of the enchilada sauce over the cheese.
- Repeat the process with ⅓ of the tortillas, the rest of the meat mixture, ¾ cup of cheese and ½ cup of sauce.
- Add the final ⅓ of tortillas on top of the casserole; pour the remaining sauce over the top of the tortillas and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese.
- Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.
- Sprinkle tomatoes and green onions over the top. Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before cutting.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner
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Great dish!! I was going to make a 9×13 but only had ingredients for a 9×9. WOW! Glad I did. So filling and delicious. The leftovers were just as delicious. The only change I made was adding sliced olives in the layers. Topped with crema, cilantro, salsa, jalapeños, lettuce and more cheese!
I’ve made this twice now. It’s delicious! I didn’t make any changes to the recipe; it’s perfect and makes fantastic leftovers.
this is the best recipe ever. I’ve changed it up by adding rice and corn, with sliced olives. A combo of different shredded cheese is fun. Corn tortillas are best. This is much easier than rolling traditional enchiladas.
I followed this recipe ~ except I used a round baking dish & large soft tortilla shells that fit perfectly!
It was like a Mexican Pie ! I used 2 shells on the bottom then 1 + 1 again for the layers ~ then 2 for the top . Was perfect & made 6 large slices !
I also used refried beans in the beef mixture because we love them ! It was easy to just stir them in.
This recipe is so easy to add anything Mexican you love & make it your own :)
I absolutely love this recipe. I like a southwest flavor so I added black beans and corn to meat and onion mixture. It came out great.
This is a fantastic recipe!! My family loved it. I also added some fresh corn from the farmers market..will definitely be making this again!! ❤️
Everyone loved it! I didn’t have any beans and it was still delicious!!! Definitely want to try beans next time! Added olives and onions, then topped with lettuce, tomato and sour cream! Quick, easy and so yummy!!! Thanks!!!
Loved this delicious recipe, thank you!
Subbed ground turkey and it is great! Made it at Christmas for family & this week for friends. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. So much easier than trying to roll up and then dish out traditional enchiladas.
Really good! i did add green pepper and corn. and a little more enchilada sauce( homemade) and a little more cheese. my hubby said i can make it again and i told him thats good cause we have leftovers lol. topped with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro,avacado and sourcream and salsa was wonderful. thank you
Those sound like great additions, Susan! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Very tasty. I used the recipe for taco seasonings, using medium hatch Chile powder and it had a nice mild kick. Next time I will use a bit more sauce.
Delicious! Even my picky kids devoured this. Followed the recipe to a T. Yummy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I also made a vegetarian version with black beans instead of ground beef. Also yummy!
This recipe was definitely worth turning on the oven in the summer! Made it as written, but I’m looking forward to trying different additions to the filling. Beefy, cheesy goodness!
Holly, over the years I’ve tried a few similar recipes. So glad I decided to try yours! I added a cup of frozen corn and half a diced green pepper to ground beef when I was sautéing it, then drained well. Used your Taco Seasoning, as I’ve been doing with your recipes – so much better than the packaged kind! Used corn tortillas. I followed your suggestion, adding chopped tomatoes and sliced green onions to the finished casserole. We really liked that special touch, it added a freshness. I’m gonna toss the similar recipes – this is the one that wins!
Sounds wonderful Lori! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
We were hungry for enchiladas, so this was a simple, tasty recipe for us to use in substitution. Thank you for giving me something I can go to as written or even add a few extra ingredients.
This dish is amazing! Whole family loved it. Definitely will be making this again.