Shredded Beef Enchiladas Recipe

My homemade shredded beef enchiladas recipe is truly, off-charts delicious! They’re loaded with tender, juicy, shredded, braised beef, authentic homemade beefy enchilada sauce, and plenty of gooey melty cheese to hold it all together. The enchilada sauce is so delicious, I hate to even call it sauce. Frankly, it’s more like a heavenly chili gravy than it is a plain ol’ sauce!

If the mere thought of Mexican food gets your family giddy with excitement, you’re gonna’ L-O-V-E this homemade recipe! If your family is as crazy for enchiladas as mine, I hope you try these next!! I promise you’ll devour all of these recipes! ♥

• White Chicken Enchiladas
• Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
• Shrimp Enchiladas
• Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Let’s make these!

What Cut Of Beef Is Best For Shredded Beef Enchiladas

I use a beef chuck roast for these enchiladas. It’s an economical cut of meat and when it’s braised, it’s mouth-watering tender and luscious! It braises in a sauce that is infused with beefy goodness and fat so that the sauce turns into the richest, most luscious enchilada sauce on the planet!

Shredded Beef Enchiladas Ingredients

Shredded Beef

• Beef Chuck Roast
• Salt + Black Pepper
• Bacon Grease Or Vegetable Oil
• Onion
• Garlic
• Crushed Tomatoes
• Water
• Chili Powder
• Cumin 
• Oregano
• Bay Leaves
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Granulated Sugar

Enchiladas

• Tortillas
• Shredded Meat
• Sour Cream
• Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• Monterey Jack Cheese
• Fresh Cilantro

Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead

• How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? According to the USDA, your shredded beef enchiladas recipe will stay fresh and yummy for 3-4 days in the fridge. That said, I’ve literally never had leftovers. These things are just so darn delicious they get gobbled up on the serving day!
• Can You Freeze This? Because these are made with flour tortillas and sour cream, these aren’t great to freeze.
• Make-Ahead Tips: The best way to make this meal ahead is to prep all your ingredients, roll up your enchiladas, and store the sauce separately in the fridge for up to four days. When you’re ready to cook, pour the sauce on, and pop it in the oven as usual!

Shredded Beef Enchiladas Tips + Notes

• Braising: Because the meat braises in the oven, it will be succulently tender when done. Remember, the given cooking time is an approximation. Your cooking time can and likely will vary depending on the exact size of your roast, your exact oven temperature (these vary), and how well your Dutch oven seals.
• Beef chuck roast: The best tip for this authentic Mexican beef enchilada recipe involves using a beef chuck roast which adds a ton of tender flavor. Be sure to pat it dry before browning to help create that nice crust that coaxes out layers of yum as it braises in the oven!
  • You’ll also want to toss the beef in your pan sauce (which we’ll now call enchilada sauce) before assembling your shredded beef enchiladas.
• Tortillas: This particular recipe also calls for using flour tortillas instead of corn. They’re tender, versatile, and often blister just a tad when cooked which adds yet another scrumptious layer of complex flavor. Plus, I find them easier to work with. If you prefer corn tortillas, which are admittedly a more authentic choice, feel free to use them!
  • In order to prevent your tortillas from getting soggy, some people recommend frying them until they’re crispy before wrapping up the meat and cheese. If you make this recipe with corn tortillas, frying them is an important step because it also makes them pliable and easy to roll up.
  • Truthfully, I’ve never had an issue with this recipe getting soggy and I do not fry my tortillas. But, if you’d like to try frying the tortillas, I recommend frying them just a little bit. Don’t overdo it they’ll have time to cook in the oven too.
• Sauce: After the beef gets shredded, toss it with one cup of the (spectacular) sauce before assembling the enchiladas. Don’t skip this, the sauce toss is an important step in making the meat taste so good.
  • Don’t forget to add some of the sauce to the bottom of the pan before you assemble the enchiladas. It prevents the enchiladas from sticking to the bottom of the pan and makes sure they don’t get too tough on the underside.
  • If you have leftover sauce do not throw it away. It’s too good to go to waste. Use it for eggs ranchero or toss it in with some rotisserie chicken for quick chicken tacos.
• Cheese: Make sure to note that the cheese mixture is divided. Half of the cheese is used inside the enchiladas—it gets all melty and delicious and blends with that savory shredded beef.
  • The other half is reserved to sprinkle on top of enchiladas once they’re assembled. Believe me, smothering your enchiladas in melted cheese is exactly what you want.
  • Feel free to switch up the type of cheese you use. While the cheddar/Monterey jack combination is excellent with this recipe, I sometimes use cotija and pepper jack cheese instead. Both are wonderful and can be switched out to vary the dish.
• Make it Spicy: Some people (like my son) really like these enchiladas served spicy! In order to heat up the enchilada sauce, you can add the cayenne powder in addition to the chili powder. Alternatively, you can add hot sauce at step 3 of the instructions, along with the crushed tomatoes.
• Sour Cream: There are a lot of things you could use as a sour cream substitute with this recipe (cottage cheese, evaporated milk, etc.), but my favorite has always been plain yogurt. It’s a little less flavorful than having sour cream on the enchiladas, but if you have picky guests that can sometimes be a good thing.

Serving Recommendations

I usually serve these with Mexican corn salad or Southwest salad. Both have plenty of veggies and sweet corn to enhance the authentic South of the Border flavor profile of the main course. Then I serve one of these with it as well: jalapeno cornbread, Mexican rice, and charro beans!

How To Make Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Make The Shredded Beef:

1. In a Dutch oven, add chuck roast and brown on both sides. Remove the roast to a plate and set aside.
2. Saute onion and garlic.
3. Add the roast back to the Dutch oven, along with any pan juices that have accumulated, the crushed tomatoes, water, chili powder, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar. Boil. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 3-3  1/2 hours, or until the roast is falling-apart tender.
4. Remove the roast to a shallow pan and shred with 2 forks. Add 1 cup of the pan sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add 1 cup of water to the pan sauce and salt and pepper to taste (I added 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper).

Assembly:

1. Add 1/2 cup of pan sauce to a 9 X 13-inch baking dish. Fill each tortilla with an equal amount of shredded beef (about 1/3 cup), 1 1/2 tablespoons of sour cream, a layer of cheddar, and a layer of Jack.
2. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in the baking dish. Ladle cooled pan sauce evenly over top of the enchiladas,
3. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake in a 350-degree oven until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted about 20-25 minutes.

***See Full Instructions On the Recipe Card Below

More Authentically Delicious Mexican Recipe

• Chicken Posole
• Pollo Asado
• Enchilada Sauce
• Carne Picada
• Carne Guisada
• Sopes
• Pozole Verde
• Mexican Casserole

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Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Our Shredded Beef Enchiladas are loaded with tender shredded braised beef, an authentic enchilada sauce, and lotsa’ melty cheese that makes you go mmmm!

Prep Time1 hour hr

Cook Time3 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 3 minutes mins

Servings: 6 people

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

The Meat:

• ▢ 3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
• ▢ salt
• ▢ black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons bacon grease or vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion chopped
• ▢ 4-6 large cloves garlic rough chopped
• ▢ 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ 2 tablespoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• ▢ 3 bay leaves
• ▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Enchiladas

• ▢ 8 (8-inch) Flour Tortillas
• ▢ shredded meat
• ▢ 3/4 cup sour cream
• ▢ 2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese shredded~divided
• ▢ 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded~divided
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped

Instructions

Make the Meat and Sauce:

• Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C).
• Pat chuck roast (3 pounds) dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper. In an ovenproof Dutch oven, heat bacon grease or vegetable oil (2 tablespoons) over medium heat until it's hot and begins to shimmer. Add chuck roast and brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the roast to a plate and set aside. Add onion (1 large) and garlic (▢4-6 large), reduce the temperature to medium-low, and saute until soft and translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
• Add the roast back to the Dutch oven, along with any pan juices that have accumulated, the crushed tomatoes (1 can), water (1 cup), chili powder (2 tablespoons), cumin (1 tablespoon), oregano (1 tablespoon), bay leaves (3), apple cider vinegar (2 tablespoons), Worcestershire sauce (2 tablespoons), and sugar (1/2 teaspoon). Bring the mixture to a boil and cover. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 3-3  1/2 hours, or until the roast is falling-apart tender.
• Remove the roast to a shallow pan and shred with 2 forks. Add 1 cup of the pan sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste (I added 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper). Set aside.
• Add 1 cup of water to the pan sauce and salt and pepper to taste (I added 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper).

Assemble Enchiladas:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°F).
• Add 1/2 cup of pan sauce to a 9 X 13-inch baking dish.
• Set aside 1 cup of the cheddar and 1 cup of the Jack for the top of the enchiladas.
• Fill each tortilla with an equal amount of shredded beef (about 1/3 cup), 1 1/2 tablespoons of sour cream, a layer of cheddar, and a layer of the jack. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in the baking dish.
• Ladle cooled pan sauce evenly over top of the enchiladas, then sprinkle with cheese. (You'll probably have extra sauce)
• Bake in the preheated oven until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted about 20-25 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Fans Also Made:

• 
  Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats
• 
  Easy Carne Picada Recipe
• 
  Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
• 
  Shrimp Enchiladas

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Notes

1. Braising: Because the meat braises in the oven, it will be succulently tender when done. Remember, the given cooking time is an approximation. Your cooking time can and likely will vary depending on the exact size of your roast, your exact oven temperature (these vary), and how well your Dutch oven seals.
2. Beef chuck roast: The best tip for this authentic Mexican beef enchilada recipe involves using a beef chuck roast which adds a ton of tender flavor. Be sure to pat it dry before browning to help create that nice crust that coaxes out layers of yum as it braises in the oven!
   • You’ll also want to toss the beef in your pan sauce (which we’ll now call enchilada sauce) before assembling your shredded beef enchiladas.
3. Tortillas: This particular recipe also calls for using flour tortillas instead of corn. They’re tender, versatile, and often blister just a tad when cooked which adds yet another scrumptious layer of complex flavor. Plus, I find them easier to work with. If you prefer corn tortillas, which are admittedly a more authentic choice, feel free to use them!
   • In order to prevent your tortillas from getting soggy, some people recommend frying them until they’re crispy before wrapping up the meat and cheese. If you make this recipe with corn tortillas, frying them is an important step because it also makes them pliable and easy to roll up.
   • Truthfully, I’ve never had an issue with this recipe getting soggy and I do not fry my tortillas. But, if you’d like to try frying the tortillas, I recommend frying them just a little bit. Don’t overdo it they’ll have time to cook in the oven too.
4. Sauce: After the beef gets shredded, toss it with one cup of the (spectacular) sauce before assembling the enchiladas. Don’t skip this, the sauce toss is an important step in making the meat taste so good.
   • Don’t forget to add some of the sauce to the bottom of the pan before you assemble the enchiladas. It prevents the enchiladas from sticking to the bottom of the pan and makes sure they don’t get too tough on the underside.
   • If you have leftover sauce do not throw it away. It’s too good to go to waste. Use it for eggs ranchero or toss it in with some rotisserie chicken for quick chicken tacos.
5. Cheese: Make sure to note that the cheese mixture is divided. Half of the cheese is used inside the enchiladas—it gets all melty and delicious and blends with that savory shredded beef.
   • The other half is reserved to sprinkle on top of enchiladas once they’re assembled. Believe me, smothering your enchiladas in melted cheese is exactly what you want.
   • Feel free to switch up the type of cheese you use. While the cheddar/Monterey jack combination is excellent with this recipe, I sometimes use cotija and pepper jack cheese instead. Both are wonderful and can be switched out to vary the dish.
6. Make it Spicy: Some people (like my son) really like these enchiladas served spicy! In order to heat up the enchilada sauce, you can add the cayenne powder in addition to the chili powder. Alternatively, you can add hot sauce at step 3 of the instructions, along with the crushed tomatoes.
7. Sour Cream: There are a lot of things you could use as a sour cream substitute with this recipe (cottage cheese, evaporated milk, etc.), but my favorite has always been plain yogurt. It’s a little less flavorful than having sour cream on the enchiladas, but if you have picky guests that can sometimes be a good thing.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 1076kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 71g | Fat: 66g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Cholesterol: 249mg | Sodium: 1221mg | Potassium: 1132mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1785IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 744mg | Iron: 19mg

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