Memorable Green Chile Beef Enchiladas: Perfect for a Party

Sneak Preview: These memorable Green Chile Beef Enchiladas are corn tortillas stuffed with ground beef, onions, and Monterrey Jack cheese, then covered with a creamy green chile sauce. Both microwave and stove-top instructions are included for the sauce.

two green chile enchiladas on a plate ready to eatPin

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Whenever we have dinner guests, I rack my brain for a memorable but easy main dish. Are you the same way?

Early in our marriage, my sister-in-law invited my husband and me to their house for dinner one night and did just that. She served these creamy and mildly spiced beef enchiladas that I’ve never forgotten over 40 years later.

I still remember thinking she was an excellent cook. Since then, she has never served a meal that changed my mind.

Happy Cooks Speak Up

I made these with my left over turkey from Thanksgiving ( I had the turkey in the freezer of course) Everyone was impressed with the way they looked and tasted. –SANDY


The Secret to Saucy Enchiladas

The enchiladas are uncomplicated and straightforward to assemble. You can even roll the tortillas ahead of time.

📌Kitchen tip📌: However, wait until you are almost ready to eat before pouring the sauce over the rolled tortillas. Corn tortillas can absorb liquid quickly, making the sauce disappear if they sit too long before heating and eating.

Don’t worry if you aren’t a spice-loving Tex-Mex lover. In my book, these enchiladas are relatively mild, although this can vary with the level of spiciness naturally present in the green chiles.

On the other hand, if you want more spice, garnish the finished enchiladas with jalapeños for more kick.


Ingredients and Substitutions

ingredients for green chile enchiladasPin
  • GROUND BEEF: If you have leftover roast beef, shred it and use it instead of ground beef. Try substituting chicken, ground turkey, or spinach and mushrooms. Go vegetarian and only use cheese and sautéed onions for the filling.
  • ONION: A medium onion is about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chopped onions. Frozen onions could be substituted.
  • GARLIC: Powdered or minced garlic can be substituted for fresh garlic.
  • CHILI POWDER AND CUMIN: These are classic Tex-Mex spices. Your enchiladas won’t be the same without both spices.
  • CORN TORTILLAS: Flour tortillas may be substituted for corn tortillas. Warm them slightly in the microwave before rolling to make them pliable.
  • MONTEREY JACK CHEESE: Monterey Jack is a mild white cheese often used in Tex-Mex recipes. If you want more spice, use Pepper Jack cheese. Cheddar cheese, either mild, medium, or sharp, is another option.
  • GREEN CHILES: Find these in the aisle that displays traditional Hispanic food.

How To Assemble Green Chile Enchiladas

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First, brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic. Drain excess grease. Add seasonings and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add a couple of tablespoons of water and cover. Continue to cook on a low setting while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
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Heat ½ inch of oil in a small skillet and dip each tortilla in the oil to soften.
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When ready to make the enchiladas, use a masher to ensure no large pieces of ground beef remain.
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Place meat mixture and cheese on each tortilla.
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Place enchiladas seam-side down next to each other in a casserole dish.
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Place enchiladas seam-side down next to each other in a casserole dish.

How To Make the Green Chile Sauce in the Microwave

I love to use the microwave anytime I can to save on dirty dishes and time. It might be my favorite secret for saving time in the kitchen. If you want more recipes with microwave shortcuts, check out my Easy Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, and Speedy Microwave Chocolate Cream Pie.

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Melt butter in a microwave-safe Pyrex pitcher–about 1 minute on HIGH.
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Add flour and salt. Whisk until smooth.
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Add milk and continue whisking. Microwave on HIGH for 4-7 minutes or until thick, like a cream sauce. Whisk after the first 3 minutes and every minute after that.
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Stir in the green chiles.
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Pour prepared green chile sauce over the prepared enchiladas.
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Heat until warmed through.

FAQ About This Beef Enchilada Recipe

Are these enchiladas spicy?

I would classify them as mildly spicy. It depends somewhat on how hot the green chiles are.

If you want more spice, garnish the finished enchiladas with jalapeños for more kick.

Can I freeze enchiladas?

If you want to freeze this recipe, assemble the enchiladas, but don’t pour the sauce over them: double-wrap and freeze. Make the sauce fresh and pour it over the top when ready to serve.

Can I make enchiladas ahead of time?

Yes, you can make and roll the enchiladas. Make the sauce ahead of time, too, but don’t pour it over the enchiladas until ready to heat them. Corn tortillas will absorb part of the sauce after they sit in it for a little while, so don’t sauce them until the last minute.

Why do you fry the tortillas before rolling them?

Two reasons:
1. Frying corn tortillas in a little oil makes them pliable. Otherwise, they tend to crack and break once you try to roll them with ingredients tucked inside.
2. Frying seals the tortilla so it won’t absorb the sauce so readily.

What Can I Serve with Green Chile Beef Enchiladas?

Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.

Yield: 6 servings

Green Chile Beef Enchilada Recipe

Green Chile Enchiladas are corn tortillas stuffed with ground beef, onions, and Monterrey Jack cheese, then smothered in green chile sauce.
4 from 11 votes
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Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
 

Filling

  • 1 pound (454 g) ground beef
  • 1 (110 g) medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon table or sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
  • vegetable oil for frying tortillas
  • 1 dozen corn tortillas
  • 2 cups (240 g) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded 4 ounces

Sauce

  • 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter
  • 4 tablespoons (30 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • cups (610 g) milk
  • 1 4-oz can (113 g) chopped green chiles

Instructions

Meat mixture

  • Brown 1 pound (454 g) ground beef along with 1 (110 g) medium onion, finely chopped, 1 clove minced garlic, ½ teaspoon table or sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper. Drain excess grease.
  • Add 1 teaspoon chili powder and ¼ teaspoon cumin powder. Cook for another 2 minutes to bloom the spices.
  • Add 2 T of water to the skillet. Cover and let sit on LOW heat while you prepare the tortillas and cheese.
  • To soften 1 dozen corn tortillas, heat ½ inch of vegetable oil for frying tortillas in a small skillet and dip each tortilla in the oil to soften.

Making sauce on the stove

  • Melt 4 tablespoons (56 g) butter in a medium-sized non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  • Add 4 tablespoons (30 g) all-purpose flour and ¾ teaspoon salt. Stir until bubbly.
  • Whisk in 2½ cups (610 g) milk. Continue stirring until the mixture is slightly thickened. Add green chiles and remove the pan from heat.

Making sauce in the microwave

  • Place 4 T butter in a microwave-safe Pyrex pitcher. Melt in the microwave on HIGH for about 1 minute.
  • Whisk in 4 T flour and ¾ t salt until smooth. Then whisk in 2½ c milk until smooth.
  • Microwave for 4-7 minutes on HIGH. Stir after 3 minutes and every minute thereafter. Keep cooking and stirring until the mixture is thick like a medium cream sauce.
  • Stir in 1 4-oz can (113 g) chopped green chiles.

Assembling the enchiladas

  • Place a generous tablespoon of meat mixture onto a softened tortilla. Add a tablespoon of shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Prepare remaining tortillas in the same manner. Any remaining meat or cheese may be sprinkled on top or sides of enchiladas.
  • Pour sauce over enchiladas and cover with foil. If you have any remaining cheese, sprinkle it over the top of the sauce-covered enchiladas.
  • Heat in a 350˚F (180˚C)oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 683mg | Potassium: 425mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 724IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 426mg | Iron: 2mg

All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com

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4.37 from 11 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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12 Comments

  1. Jules @ Everyday Mommy says:

    You mean you were in Kansas City and you didn’t bring me any Lemon-Pecan Thumbprint Cookies? Pfffft.

  2. I made these with my left over turkey from Thanksgiving ( I had the turkey in the freezer of course) Everyone was impressed with the way they looked and tasted. I had a little larger can of chili peppers than usual and just put in the whole can. My mother started coughing with the first bite and took a big drink of water. She mumbled something about too much pepper but then continued to finish them. We will make a Texan out of her yet. Bob loved them. Thanks so much for your blog.

  3. Ann Hastings says:

    Too cool, so glad you were able to meet Pioneer Woman 🙂

  4. pioneer woman! reading this blog always makes me hungry. not sure if that’s a good thing or not! 🙂

  5. Linda Ashburn says:

    Mary Sue passed on your website to me. Wishing you much success.

    I love green chili enchiladas and am always looking for new recipes. Our daughter keeps us stocked with fresh green chilis from NM. Yum!

  6. Oh man! You’re gonna be a week too late for the pecan pie! I had to make one last week (yes, my first ever…I’ve made lots of pies…but I usually leave the pecan pie to Grandmommy) for the Tri-C dinner…and I don’t think they turned out the best 🙁

  7. This recipe looks amazing! I will definitely make it!! What a great picture of you and Ree! She was just here in Utah, and I watched her on 2 local tv shows. Her new cookbook is on my Christmas list!

  8. Can’t wait to try that sauce. Beats paying $4 for a small cup of it in a restaurant.

  9. I’m definately adding these on my list of dinners I want to make!

  10. These enchiladas look wonderful! My family will absolutly love them. Thanks for your wonderful suggestions of variations. You have a very creative mind. I think you and Ree look like you could be sisters. I plan on going to the book signing on the 1st in Dallas. So glad you and your family were able to go to KC. Did you get your picture with MM???

  11. Christina Lee says:

    That’s REE DRUMMOND! I’m jealous! 🙂
    She is going to be in Dallas at a Borders up by North Park area I believe on December 1st. I’m going to that book signing!

  12. christine says:

    that would be ree drummond, the pioneer woman!

    i don’t even much like enchiladas, but those look dee-licious. thanks for sharing the recipe! 🙂