Recipe updated: April 12th, 2024
These beef enchiladas sure taste terrific, and with lots of tasty ingredients in this recipe for beef enchiladas, it’s certain to make your family and guests say… Mmmm!
What’s in this Recipe for Beef Enchiladas?
Our beef enchiladas are loaded with ground beef, minced garlic, diced tomatoes, red bell peppers, onions, and cheddar cheese. The seasonings are cumin, brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. All of this deliciousness is wrapped around and stuffed inside eight corn tortillas. Yep, that sounds like a big Mmmm to me!
Key Ingredients for Beef Enchiladas
- 2 large onions (for 2 different steps)
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (divided)
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes (14 and 1/2 ounces)
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 tablespoon of cumin
- 2 cups of cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 8 corn tortillas
Beef Enchiladas with Red Peppers Instructions
These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.
To begin with, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
1. Slice One Onion and Red Bell Pepper
Slice up 1 of the large onions and then the red bell pepper. You can cut your onions and red bell peppers into chunks, slices, or diced, in other words, whichever way you prefer. You can cut up both of the onions at the same time too but set one onion aside as it will be used for the ground beef mixture that we will prepare later.
Note – Lots of folks like big chunks of onion in every bite, while other folks like their onions cut into smaller pieces. We like our onions cut somewhere in between all of that, so it doesn’t matter what size you choose for this beef enchiladas recipe.
The Onion and Olive Oil
In a deep-frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil (save the other tablespoon for later) together with the chopped onion and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
The Red Bell Pepper
Then add the large chopped-up red bell peppers together with the onion in the frying pan and cook for 5 more minutes on medium heat.
2. Add Minced Garlic and Brown Sugar
Add the 3 teaspoons of minced garlic and the 1 teaspoon of brown sugar together with the onions and red bell pepper mixture, and then cook for 2 more minutes on medium heat.
3. Add Tomatoes, Salt, and Pepper
Put the 14 and 1/2 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon of table salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper together with the onions and red bell peppers, then bring to a boil.
After that, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, turn the burner off, but leave the onion and red bell pepper mixture in the frying pan and set it aside for now.
4. Cut up the Other Onion
The next step is to cut up the other onion, unless you have already cut it up earlier. This is the onion that will be added to the ground beef after the next step below.
In a different frying pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil together with the chopped onion and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
5. Brown the Ground Beef
Add the ground beef together with the onion and cook on medium-high heat until there is no pink showing in the ground beef, about 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Add the Cumin, Cayenne Pepper and Paprika
After the ground beef is browned, reduce the heat to medium, then discard any accumulated liquid grease from the ground beef. Add the cumin, cayenne pepper, and paprika together with the cooked ground beef mixture. After that, cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly.
Transfer the ground beef and onion mixture to a medium-sized bowl, then rinse the frying pan the ground beef was in to be used in the next step.
7. Fry the Tortillas
Put the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil (that was saved) in the frying pan on medium heat and fry one tortilla for 15 seconds on each side, that’s 15 seconds on one side, then flip it over, and another 15 seconds on the other side.
After frying the tortilla on each side for 15 seconds, then dip the tortilla on both sides in the tomato, onion, and red bell pepper mixture that was set aside in the other frying pan. After that, spread a little layer of the ground beef mixture on top of the tortilla.
And then after a layer of the ground beef mixture, spread a layer of cheddar cheese over the top of the ground beef. Then roll it up. A good roll-up method we use is to fold the left side half over, then fold the right side over the top of the left side. Then place it in the baking dish with the folded side down in the next step below.
8. Put them in the Baking Dish
Coat a baking dish or baking pan with a non-stick cooking spray to be sure the beef enchiladas won’t stick. We used a 8×12-inch baking dish, but you can use whatever you have that will hold 8 filled tortillas. Repeat preparing the rest of the tortillas one at a time, then roll them up, and then lay them in the baking dish side by side.
9. Add the Tomato, Onion, and Red Bell Pepper Mixture
Spread the tomato, onion, and red bell pepper mixture (that was set aside in the frying pan earlier) across the top of the rest of the tortillas in the baking dish.
10. Oven Ready Beef Enchiladas
Sprinkle the rest of the cheddar cheese over the top of the tomato mixture, then it’s ready to put into the oven. Bake the beef enchiladas in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Ready-to-Eat Beef Enchiladas
This recipe for beef enchiladas is quick and easy to make. The combination of spices that are added to the recipe makes for one superb tasting enchilada on your plate. Enjoy!
We have refried beans together with Mexican rice as a side dish with our beef enchiladas. Other sides can also be fresh garden salad, veggies, or both.
Final Thoughts
Some toppings for this beef enchiladas recipe can be guacamole, sour cream, or extra cheese. Also, if you love enchiladas, you must try our fantastic chicken enchiladas!
Recipe Card
Recipe for Beef Enchiladas with Red Peppers and Onions
🫕 Equipment
- 2 Large Frying pan 12 inch or 8 inch
- Baking dish (8×12 or 9×13 inch)
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 large onions (for 2 different steps)
- 1 red bell pepper (large)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes (14 and 1/2 ounces)
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 8 corn tortillas
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
👩🍳 Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Chop the onions. Save half of the chopped onions for the ground beef mixture.
- Chop the red bell pepper into chunks.
- Put half of the olive oil (save the other half for later) and half of the chopped onions in a large frying pan. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the chopped red bell peppers to the onion in the frying pan. Cook for 5 more minutes on medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and brown sugar to the onions and red bell peppers. Cook for 2 more minutes on medium heat.
- Add the petite diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper to the onions and red bell peppers. Bring to a boil.
- Then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, turn the burner off. Set the frying pan and the contents aside for now.
- In a different frying pan, add the other half of the olive oil and the other half of the chopped onions. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the ground beef to the chopped onion. Cook on medium-high heat until there is no pink showing in the ground beef, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Then reduce the heat to medium. Discard any liquid grease from the ground beef.
- Add the cumin, cayenne pepper, and paprika to the cooked ground beef mixture. Cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly.
- Transfer the cooked ground beef and onion mixture to a medium-sized bowl. Rinse out the frying pan.
- Put the other half of the olive oil (that was saved) in the frying pan on medium heat. Fry one tortilla for 15 seconds on one side, flip over, then fry the other side for 15 seconds.
- After that, dip the tortilla on both sides in the tomato, onion, and red pepper mixture that was set aside in the other frying pan.
- Then spread a little layer of the ground beef mixture on top of the tortilla.
- Then spread a layer of cheddar cheese over the top of the ground beef.
- Roll up the tortilla. Fold the left side halfway over, then fold the right side over the top of the left side.
- Spray an 8×12-inch baking dish with cooking oil.
- Place the rolled-up tortilla in the baking dish with the folded side down.
- Repeat the rest of the tortillas one at a time, roll them up, and lay them in the baking dish side by side.
- Pour the tomato, onion, and red pepper mixture (that was set aside in the frying pan) evenly over the top of the tortillas in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheddar cheese over the top of the tomato mixture.
- Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
*️⃣ Recipe Notes
- Topping ideas include cilantro, sour cream, extra cheese, more onions, avocado, salsa, or guacamole on the top of beef enchiladas.
- Side dishes can be a garden salad, veggies, Mexican rice, or refried beans.
A wife, a mother to a son and a daughter, and a grandmother to three granddaughters. Flo loves sharing recipes passed down from her own mother, her mother-in-law, and her grandmother as well as new recipes created with her daughter, Tamara Ray.
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