Hey there, amigo! Are you ready for a fiesta in your mouth? This easy layered enchilada casserole is the perfect way to spice up your dinner routine without spending hours in the kitchen.
This dish has got it all - ground beef, Tex-Mex spices, enchilada sauce, salsa, and of course, lots of ooey-gooey cheddar cheese. And the best part? You can have it ready in just 30 minutes! Say whaaat?!
No need to stress about complicated cooking techniques or fancy ingredients - just layer those tortillas and cheese and let the oven do the work. Your taste buds will thank you for this easy and delicious meal.
So what are you waiting for? Grab those ingredients and let's get cooking. And be prepared to become the envy of the neighborhood - because everyone will be asking for your secret recipe!
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This easy layered enchilada casserole is made with ground beef and seasoned with classic Tex-Mex spices, enchilada sauce, and salsa. Layered with corn tortillas and cheddar cheese and ready in 30 minutes - so what are you waiting for?
With all the classic flavors of a traditional enchilada but with less prep time, your whole family will want these enchiladas for dinner on a regular basis. Layered enchiladas are the easiest comfort food; just like my Cheeseburger Tater Tot Casserole!
Why You'll Love It
Here in the south, we are all about a casserole! They are the ultimate comfort food. Plus, casseroles are usually enough food to feed a crowd or at least to have leftovers for another day. By the way, the leftovers are fantastic the next day 🙂
They're called layered enchiladas because you don't fill and roll each individual tortilla, and that's OK! Hey, when you are trying to get dinner on the table with little prep time, then this recipe is for you!
Make this super easy layered beef enchilada casserole on Taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo (any time is the right time for these!).
Why This Recipe Works
Recipes for beef enchilada casseroles are sometimes more complicated than they need to be, but this one is a quick and easy meal. It's layered much like a lasagna - tortillas strips, meat sauce, and cheese. Repeat.
The enchilada sauce is blended in with the ground beef, so there's no need to pour sauce over the "filling." In fact, just about all the ingredients are pretty much mixed together for the ultimate easy dinner recipe. Plus, it's amazingly delicious!
After baking, take a big spoonful and plop it on your plate (cutting the tortillas into strips makes scooping out the cooked casserole much easier and less messy). Serve with traditional sides like sour cream, guacamole, sliced jalapenos, or diced tomatoes.
Ingredients
Ground beef - For a change of pace, you could use ground turkey or even shredded beef, pork, or chicken instead of ground beef. Chopped beef brisket is another great option!
Salsa - This adds lots and lots of flavor and great texture if you choose the chunky version. Because we're using salsa, there's no need for diced green chilis unless you just want to use them as a topping.
Corn tortillas - I highly recommend corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas simply because they add such a nice corn flavor and they hold up better (they don't get mushy or gummy).
Red enchilada sauce - This is one of the key ingredient flavors for enchiladas so I don't recommend substituting anything else for this one. As far as the best canned enchilada sauce, we happen to be hooked on Rosarita Enchilada Sauce. Not too hot and not too mild!
Shredded cheddar cheese - Use Mexican cheese blend or colby jack if you prefer. Shred your own cheese for maximum flavor and creamy texture!
Dried seasonings - This recipe uses a combination of classic Mexican seasonings such as cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cilantro, salt, and pepper. It's a delicious seasoning combination, however, if you prefer to use pre-made taco seasoning mix, that's cool. Use 1-2 tablespoons of ready-made taco seasoning mix instead of the homemade mix.
How to Make Them
These enchiladas are super easy to make thanks to layering the tortillas (hence the name - layered enchilada casserole!
Step 1: In a large pan, cook the ground beef and drain off the grease.
Step 2: Add the salsa, enchilada sauce, water, and the seasonings. Stir well. Taste test and add more seasoning, if desired. Simmer 5 minutes.
Step 3: Slice the corn tortillas into 3 strips each. This step is why we may refer to this as lazy enchiladas, if you don't have the time to stuff and roll each tortilla!
Step 4: Spray a 1.5-quart casserole dish with non-stick spray (or 8-inch square pan). Add half the sliced corn tortillas, half the meat sauce, then the cheese.
Step 5: Repeat layer of tortilla strips, meat sauce, and cheese. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
You see my Google Web Story for tips on how to make Lazy Beef Enchiladas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Besides things like sour cream, guacamole, sliced jalapenos, or diced tomatoes, you can also serve with refried beans or Spanish rice. Another side dish idea is corn salad.
Yes, you can use either corn tortillas or flour tortillas. However, I feel corn tortillas hold up better than the flour ones which could get soggy.
Yes, this is a great make-ahead meal! Assemble recipe as directed. Bake, then let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to eat, uncover and bake as directed (may need to add an additional 5 minutes to the bake time since they will be cold going into the oven.
I highly recommend using corn tortillas for casseroles such as this. They stand up better and won't get soggy when they absorb any liquid.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Use an airtight container for best results. I like this 18-piece set of glass food storage containers with locking lids from Bayco. Available now on Amazon.
Yes, this is a great freezer-friendly meal and great for meal planning! After baking the casserole, let it completely cool off (or freeze before you bake it).
Wrap the casserole dish with plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil.
Label it so you'll remember when you placed it in the freezer (freeze for up to 3 months).
When ready to eat it, thaw the frozen enchiladas overnight in the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap and re-cover with the foil. Bake as directed although you may need to bake longer since it's cold and maybe still partially frozen. Plan on at least 30 minutes of bake time!
Recipe Tips
Layered Beef Enchilada Casserole is very easy to make! Here are some of my best tips for success!
- Cutting the tortillas into strips before preparing this layered enchilada casserole makes it much easier to scoop and serve. Stack the tortillas and use a pizza cutter to slice them.
- To double the recipe, use a 9" x 13" baking dish, and bake as directed.
- Use shredded pork, chicken, or brisket for an amazing change of pace.
- Add in more ingredients! Try a layer of drained corn or black beans.
More Tex Mex Recipes to Try
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Recipe
Layered Beef Enchilada Casserole
Equipment
- Large Saute Pan
- measuring cup(s)
- measuring spoons
- Casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¾ cup salsa
- 10 ounces red enchilada sauce
- ½ cup water
- 1-2 tablespoons Taco seasoning mix (such as Old El Paso) Or use the homemade seasoning mix below
- 8 white corn tortillas, divided
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided use more cheese if desired
Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix (only use this if you are NOT using the packet of taco seasoning mix.
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 1.5-quart round casserole dish with non-stick spray (or 8-inch square pan).
- Slice the corn tortillas into 3 strips each. TIP: stack the tortillas and use a pizza cutter to slice them. This step is why we may refer to this as lazy enchiladas if you don't have the time to stuff and roll each tortilla!
- In a large saute pan, cook and break up the ground beef until no longer pink. The texture should be finely ground (no big chunks of meat). Drain off the fat.
- Add the salsa, enchilada sauce, water, and the pre-made taco seasoning mix OR the homemade taco seasoning. Stir well. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Taste test and add more salt if desired.
- To the casserole dish, add half the sliced corn tortillas, half the meat sauce, then half the cheese. Repeat layer of tortilla strips, meat sauce, and cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.
Notes
- Use restaurant-style chunky salsa. Serve with traditional sides like sour cream, guacamole, sliced jalapenos, or diced tomatoes.
- Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days.
- Cutting the tortillas into strips before preparing this layered enchilada casserole makes it much easier to scoop and serve. Stack the tortillas and use a pizza cutter to slice them.
- To double the recipe, use a 9" x 13" baking dish, and bake as directed.
- Use shredded chicken or brisket for an amazing change of pace.
- Add in more ingredients! Try a layer of drained corn or black beans.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2020 and was updated in 2023.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy to my readers. I'm not a nutritionist and I don't guarantee the accuracy of this data. The data may differ according to the brands I used versus the brands you use. To calculate the data yourself using your brands, try using an online nutrition calculator or app.
Debbie
I just found your site, very much liked what I see. I was wondering if this could be frozen. Thank you, Deb
Anne Clark
Hi Debbie! Thank you SO much for visiting my site. I went ahead and added the freezing instructions to my recipe, and I've provided them here, too:
(1) After baking the casserole, let it completely cool off (or freeze before you bake it).
(2) Wrap the casserole dish with plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil.
(3) Label it so you'll remember when you placed it in the freezer (freeze for up to 3 months).
(4) When ready to eat it, let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap and re-cover with the foil. Bake as directed although you may need to bake longer since it's cold and maybe still partially frozen. Plan on at least 30 minutes of bake time, however, it could take a little longer to get it hot and bubbly.
I hope you enjoy it - let me know what you think if you decide to try it. I do recommend sticking with corn tortillas - they'll hold up better than the flour tortillas.
Stella
This isn't really anything new. It's what my Mama made but called Chilaquiles. There are all sorts of variations of Chilaquiles. Both corn and flour variations are super simple and basically are just an Enchilada pie/casserole.
Anne Clark
Yep! A very popular dish that's been around for years.
Janice
Great recipe
Will be making again. Added some refried beans and onion. Want catch me rolling again.
Anne Clark
Thank you, Janice! I'm so happy you liked the enchiladas. No more rolling is a great time saver; I love it!
Amy Verngren
This was amazing. My 92 year old father said I have to definitely make it again. I added onion and a small can of corn and used yellow corn tortillas. Thank you for such an easy and delicious meal! ❤️
Anne Clark
This makes me so happy, Amy!! Thank you for letting me know! And I love the addition of onion and corn…yumm!
Jennifer Turner
Hi Anne, just saw your recipe for the enchilada casserole. I made it and my husband and I loved it. I used yellow corn tortillas with Macayo's red sauce also added onion to the gr. beef. Great recipe. Thanks, Jennifer. 4/7/2023
Anne Clark
Hey Jennifer! Thank you so much for letting me know. I'm glad you and your husband enjoyed the casserole; I love your additions, too 🙂