Beef Enchilada Casserole

Beef Enchilada Casserole is a tasty and filling family favorite! Layers of seasoned taco meat, flour tortillas, and lots of melty cheese make this easy Tex-Mex dinner recipe irresistible, and perfect for taco Tuesday or any day of the week.

Casseroles like this Beef Enchilada Casserole make dinner easy! This recipe combines all of your favorite taco and enchilada flavors in a single baked dish that everyone will definitely love.

Enchilada casserole with ground beef is cheesy, meaty, savory, and delicious!

It only takes about 20 minutes to throw together, and while your casserole is baking in the oven, you can focus on more important things, like spending quality time with your family or whipping up a sweet treat like my Carmelitas Bars.

Serve this filling casserole all on its own, or pair it with a Tex-Mex Salad, Mexican Fruit Salad, or chips and Smoked Queso Dip!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. Easy Ingredients– While you can absolutely make this recipe with homemade enchilada sauce, we’re using the canned version for this recipe to make it that much quicker to put together. Canned corn and canned beans are two other shortcuts that are totally worth it here.
2. Tasty Tex-Mex Flavors – Taco seasoned beef, melty cheese, and zesty enchilada sauce give this meal all the familiar flavors that everyone already loves from taco night!
3. Simple to Make – If you can make beef tacos or ground beef enchiladas you can make beef enchilada casserole! Layer everything together in between soft flour tortillas and pop it in the oven to bake up cheesy and amazing.

Key Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this easy beef enchilada casserole recipe:

• Tortillas: It’s best to use small, taco-sized tortillas to make enchilada casserole since they’re easier to fit in the pan. You can use larger ones, but you will need to cut them in half or quarters first. I like flour tortillas best, but you can use corn tortillas or low-carb tortillas in this recipe too.
• Ground Beef: I like to use lean beef (90/10) when I make tacos. This blend gives you the best flavor without so much grease.
• Taco Seasoning: Use your favorite store-bought brand, or mix up my easy homemade taco seasoning.
• Enchilada Sauce: Canned sauce from Old El Paso or any other brand your grocery store carries works wonderfully in this casserole recipe! If you have a favorite homemade sauce, you can use it here. You’ll need about 2.5 cups.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Beef Enchilada Casserole

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F/180°C, and spraying a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray so that servings are easy to remove from the pan later.

1. Cook the Beef: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, then add the ground beef and onion, and cook, breaking the meat apart with a spoon or spatula. Brown until the meat is fully cooked, and drain away any fat. Add the taco seasoning and water, stir and cook for two minutes to thicken, then add the diced bell pepper and cook for 1 minute.
2. Mix the Filling: Remove the meat from the heat and mix in corn, black beans, and green chiles (for extra heat).
3. Layer Tortillas: Add a thin layer of enchilada sauce to the bottom of the baking pan, then layer tortillas to cover the sauce.
4. Layer the Filling: Top the tortillas with half of the meat mixture, followed by 1 cup of shredded cheese and half of the enchilada sauce.

1. Repeat: Add another layer of tortillas, followed by the remaining meat mixture, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and the rest of the enchilada sauce, minus 1 cup for the topping. For the final layer, top with the rest of the tortillas, the rest of the enchilada sauce, and the last cup of shredded cheese.
2. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool and set for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Garnish with diced tomato, bell pepper, and fresh cilantro.

Recipe Tips

• Canned green chilis add a wonderful mild heat to this dish, but if you’re serving this to young kids or you’re family doesn’t like spice, you can definitely leave them out.
• You can use any kind of tortilla! Try making this casserole with corn tortillas or low-carb tortilla wraps.
• Another easy shortcut: Use shredded Mexican blend cheese. Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby are also delicious in this recipe.
• Try other kinds of beans, like pinto beans or navy beans. This is a great recipe to clean out the canned goods cupboard!
• You can leave out some of the veggies if you like. This easy recipe is just as delicious without the beans and corn.
• It’s important to let the enchilada casserole cool for a bit before cutting it. If you try to serve it too soon, the cheese will melt right out. Waiting allows you to cut nicer slices.

Storing Tips

Keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Servings reheat wonderfully in the microwave.

What To Serve With Beef Enchilada Casserole

Try serving this cheesy casserole with toppings! Anything that you’d add to enchiladas or tacos is fair game here, so try guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, or lime crema.

To make your meal even more filling, serve this casserole with a side of Mexican Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice.

For dessert, try my super fun Piñata Cupcakes, or Easy Churro Bites.

Recipe FAQs

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This delicious and family-friendly Beef Enchilada Casserole is going to be a new favorite at your house! Save the recipe, and be sure to check out all of our easy dinner recipes while you’re here.

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

5 from 24 votes

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Beef Enchilada Casserole

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Author: Diana

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Dinner is easy with our beef enchilada casserole recipe! Layers of seasoned beef, cheese, and tortillas make this dish a family favorite

8 servings

Dinner is easy with our beef enchilada casserole recipe! Layers of seasoned beef, cheese, and tortillas make this dish a family favorite

Equipment

• 9×13″ casserole dish
• Skillet or saute pan

Ingredients 

1/2x1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 pound (450 grams) ground beef lean 90%
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion diced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• ▢ ¼ cup (60 ml) water
• ▢ ½ red bell pepper deseeded and diced
• ▢ 1 14-ounce can (397 grams) corn drained
• ▢ 1 14-ounce can (397 grams) black beans drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1 4-ounce can (113 grams) mild chopped green chiles optional
• ▢ 2 10-ounce cans (560 grams) red enchilada sauce
• ▢ 12 small flour tortillas I used 6-inch, corn tortillas also work
• ▢ 3 cups shredded cheese Colby, Monteray Jack, Cheddar, or Mexican blend

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat, then add the ground beef and onion, and cook breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon as you cook it. Drain fat if necessary.
• Add taco seasoning and water, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes then add the bell pepper and cook for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat, and mix in corn, black beans, and green chiles if using.
• To the casserole dish, add a thin layer of enchilada sauce then layer a few tortillas to cover the sauce.
• Top the tortillas with half of the meat mixture, followed 1 cup of shredded cheese and half of the enchilada sauce.
• Again layer with tortillas, followed by the remaining meat mixture, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and the remaining enchilada sauce (leaving 1/2 cup of the sauce for the top).
• For the final layer, top with the remaining tortillas, and pour the remaining enchilada sauce on the tortillas then finish off with 1 cup of shredded cheese.
• Bake in the oven uncovered for 40 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, and allow to set for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Garnish with diced tomato, diced bell pepper, and fresh cilantro.

Notes:

• Canned green chilis add a wonderful mild heat to this dish, but if you’re serving this to young kids or you’re family doesn’t like spice, you can definitely leave them out.
• You can use any kind of tortilla! Try making this casserole with corn tortillas or low-carb tortilla wraps.
• Another easy shortcut: Use shredded Mexican blend cheese. Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby are also delicious in this recipe.
• Try other kinds of beans, like pinto beans or navy beans.
• You can leave out some of the veggies if you like. This easy recipe is just as delicious without the beans and corn.
• It’s important to let the enchilada casserole cool for a bit before cutting it. If you try to serve it too soon, the cheese will melt right out. Waiting allows you to cut nicer slices.
• To Store: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
• Make Ahead: Bake the casserole fully, then cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw if needed, then reheat in a 350°F/175°C oven for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 569kcal, Carbohydrates: 52g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 1337mg, Potassium: 596mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 1133IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 310mg, Iron: 5mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

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