For a comforting meal or appetizer, try these creamy Cheesy Beef Enchiladas in Green Sauce. Made with tortillas, seasoned beef, black beans, and green sauce, then topped with scallions, queso fresco, and crema.
Lets talk about enchiladas! Specifically beef enchiladas! Yum!
I know they may not look the prettiest but these Cheesy Beef Enchiladas in Green Sauce are just the perfect comfort appetizer or meal.
Whether you use ground beef, shredded beef, chicken or shrimps, all enchilada recipes are delicious! Especially amazing when wrapped within a warm tortilla, then topped with gooey melted cheese and a delicious savory sauce.
Different Enchiladas Sauces
Enchiladas date back to Mayan times, maybe longer. Tortillas were wrapped around different foods, such as fish and a variety of meats.
The same way there are a variety of enchiladas, there are also a variety of enchilada sauces.
For example:
Enchilada con Chile Rojo (traditional enchiladas topped with a red enchilada sauce made from dried red chili peppers).
Enchilada con Mole (mole comes in a variety of flavors and ingredients) Check out this recipe of Chicken Mole Enchiladas by Muy Bueno Cookbook.
Enchiladas Suizas (made with a cream based sauce).
Enchiladas Verdes (made with tomatillos, garlic, onion, serrano peppers and fresh cilantro, hence, Salsa Verde) these are just a few of the amazing enchilada sauces that cover and smother your already delicious savory enchilada.
So this here enchilada beef recipe coming straight to you is?
Yes, you guessed it “Enchiladas Verdes” or Enchiladas in Green Sauce!
Now I know I have mentioned here on the blog a time or two, that I’m not a lover or fan of ground beef but done right, seasoned right, it’s perfect for me too!
How you ask?
I add onions, black beans, bell pepper, jalapeno, and spices to the ground beef and it slowly becomes magical.
Then I add a delicious homemade Mexican salsa verde (green sauce) to the ground beef, cheese and I suddenly have created one of the best concoctions of ground beef you can imagine, then I top with more cheese, more sauce and bake for 20 minutes.
then…
I take it out of the oven and top with Mexican crema (crema Mexicana), queso fresco and chopped fresh cilantro and yes I may have just fallen into heavenly bliss. 😋
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Beef Enchiladas in Green Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 corn or flour tortillas (I used floured ones, cause that’s what I had available, other wise I would have used half of each
Optional Toppings
- mexican crema cream or sour cream (for topping)
- queso fresco for topping
- chopped fresh cilantro for topping
- 3 sprigs chopped scallions for topping
Beef Enchiladas
- 1 Pound ground beef
- ½ a large onion or one small one chopped
- ½ green bell pepper or one small one seeds removed and chopped
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced (or leave seed for extra heat
- 1-2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 8 ounce package Mexican blend cheese or monterey cheese
Salsa Verde
- 1 Pound tomatillos husk removed, rinsed and roasted
- ½ onion roasted
- 1 serrano roasted
- 2 garlic cloves roasted
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Salsa Verde
- Remove husks from tomatillos. Rinse. Place tomatillos, onion, garlic and serrano pepper on a roasting pan.
- Roast for 15-20 in the oven at 400 degrees or over stove top for 10-12 minutes.
- After removing stem from serrano pepper, add all ingredients to a chopper or blender. Pulse. Add cilantro and pulse again.Add salt and pepper to taste.
Note: Can add a little bit of water if you would like to the salsa to make a little thinner. (a couple of tablespoons is good)
Beef Enchiladas
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until no longer pink.Drain if necessary (has to much grease, we don’t want oily enchiladas)
- Add bell pepper, onions, jalapeños and black beans. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes. Add about ½ cup of salsa verde to mixture and cook for another 2 minutes.Add garlic and spices. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Note: I also like to add about ⅓ cup of fresh chopped cilantro to mixture but this is totally optional…I really like the flavor.
- Take one tortilla at a time and fill with ground beef mixture in center.
- Repeat with all other tortillas and top each with cheese.
- Roll tortilla snuggly and place in a casserole or baking dish with seam side down.
- Top all tortillas with more cheese and pour salsa verde over all tortillas.Note: You may need to spray pan with non stick spray if you are using a non stick baking pan or dab vegetable oil along pan with a napkin.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or broil until golden brown and bubbly.
- Top with chopped cilantro, sprinkle mexican crema or sour cream and queso fresco.Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Are you planning on making beef enchiladas this weekend?
Michele D says
Made this last night and everyone loved it. I added in 1/4 tsp of Smoked Paprika and half a small can of diced green chiles into the ground beef mixture as I don’t like cilantro. I also omitted the bell peppers and black beans, per my family’s request. The filling was still nice and moist due to the salsa verde. Then I topped it with quesadilla cheese and cheddar cheese, along with salsa verse, before baking. It was delicious. Will be making again.
Cathy says
Thank you Michele! So happy you and your family really enjoyed this dish! Smoked paprika and green chiles sounds absolutely perfect and delicious! Excellent choices! YUMMMM! Thank you for letting me know!!
Delaine says
Can I make this a day ahead and warm it up?
Cathy says
Hello Delaine! Yes absolutely you can. Just make sure the ground meat is drained of oil so the wraps do not become soggy. You can even freeze it in a disposable tray and just pop it in the oven when you’re ready to cook it. Hope this helps! Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. Thanks for stopping by Delaine!
Cookilicious says
I would love to create a vegetarian version of this recipe! Saving it.
Cathy says
Yes great idea!
Laura | Wandercooks says
Ooooh, we’ve been experimenting with green sauce lately, now I know just what to use it with! Thanks, this recipe sounds delish!
Cathy says
Wonderful Laura!! 🙂
Danielle says
Yum! This looks like perfect comfort food! I love that you used salsa verde instead of the traditional red enchilada sauce.
Cathy says
Yes Danielle! With salsa verde these are sooo yummy!!
Erica Schwarz says
Oh dear Lord this sounds so good. I love the twist of salsa verde with beef – this sounds and looks fantastic.
Cathy says
Thank you Erica!! 🤗
Valentina says
Oooh yum! I love salsa verde and this looks like such a delicious and hearty meal for my whole family! And quick, all in one pan. Perfect. :-)v
Cathy says
Thanks Valentina!