Easy Beef Enchiladas with Homemade Red Sauce is so simple to make! No store-bought red sauce needed for a Mexican entrée that’s ready to serve in just 30 minutes!
Preheat oven to 350ºF, and butter baking pan or spray with gluten-free, high heat spray.
Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef to cook. Using a wooden spoon or high-heat spatula, break up the ground beef while cooking. Cooking time is about 5 to 8 minutes until it is no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until most of the liquid is gone. Add onion, garlic, and spices, occasionally stirring to cook until the onion becomes transparent.
In a medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, chilis in adobo sauce, and tomato sauce over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Transfer tomato and chili mixture to a blender. Pulse and blend on low until it becomes a puree. (Be very careful during the blending because the mixture is extremely hot.) [3]
Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of the baking dish then spread an additional 1/4 cup of the sauce on a clean plate.
Add the remaining sauce to the ground beefmixture and stir in to combine then remove from heat.
Arrange the corn tortillas on a plate, covering with a damp paper towel and microwave for approximately 60 seconds to soften. Doing this will make rolling the tortillas easier and minimize breaking. Keep the paper towel covering the tortillas while completing the following step, so they do not dry out and harden.
One at a time, place the tortillas on the plate with the sauce to coat the surface on one side only. Flip over so that the sauce side is up, add some of the ground beef mixture. Top with a little grated cheese, then roll it up and place in the baking pan with the seam side down. Repeat until the baking pan is full of filled tortillas. Spread any remaining meat and sauce mixture over the top of the tortillas in the pan. End with a generous sprinkle of grated cheese.
Bake the enchiladas for approximately 15 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve.
KITCHEN NOTES
[1] Cotija cheese works well as a substitute for a more authentic southwest taste.[2] For additional flavors, add green chilies, black olives, or sour cream as toppers.[3] (Be very careful during the blending because the mixture is extremely hot.)