Beef Enchiladas
Seasoned ground beef and two kinds of beans rolled into tortillas, smothered in a homemade spiced enchilada sauce and melted cheese, then baked until golden and bubbly.
- Spice Mix
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional, for spiciness
- Enchilada Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups / 500 ml low-sodium chicken stock
- 1½ cups / 375 ml tomato passata (or 1 can / 8 oz tomato sauce)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 lb / 500 g ground beef
- 400 g / 14 oz can refried beans
- 400 g / 14 oz can black beans, drained
- Enchiladas
- 8 tortillas (or burrito wraps)
- 1½ cups / 150 g grated melting cheese, such as Monterey Jack or cheddar
- Cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, optional garnish
- In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper if using. Set the spice mix aside — you'll use portions of it in both the sauce and the beef filling.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to form a smooth paste, then cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to cook off the raw flour taste.
- Whisk in ½ cup of the chicken broth right away — it will thicken into a smooth paste almost immediately. Add the remaining chicken broth, the tomato passata, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the spice mix, whisking to combine.
- Increase the heat slightly to medium-high and cook, whisking regularly, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of a thick syrup. Remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Heat the oil for the filling in a skillet over high heat, add the minced garlic and chopped onion, and cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, breaking it up as it browns. Stir in the remaining spice mix and continue cooking for another 2 minutes, or until the beef is completely browned.
- Add the refried beans, black beans, about ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well — the refried beans should loosen up and stir in easily as they heat, adding a splash of water if they seem too thick. Cook for 2 more minutes, then remove the skillet from the heat.
- Smear a little of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of a baking dish to keep the rolled tortillas from sliding around. Spoon some of the filling onto the lower third of each tortilla, then roll it up and place it seam side down in the dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas and top with the shredded cheese. Cover the dish and bake for 10 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot.
Chef's Note: Making the enchilada sauce from scratch with a quick flour-based roux is what sets this apart from a jarred version — it comes together in under ten minutes and lets you control the spice level completely, since the same spice mix seasons both the sauce and the beef filling for a cohesive flavor throughout. Combining refried beans with black beans in the filling adds both creaminess and texture, and stretches a pound of beef into a genuinely hearty filling for eight tortillas.
If you can't find tomato passata, canned tomato sauce is a very close substitute and works just as well. To get ahead, you can roll and assemble the enchiladas in the baking dish, keep the sauce separate, and refrigerate both — just pour the sauce over and add the cheese right before baking. Black beans can be swapped for red kidney beans or another bean you prefer without changing the method.
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