Beef Skillet Enchiladas (Printable Version)
One-pan Tex-Mex skillet of seasoned beef, black beans, enchilada sauce and melted cheeses—ready in 40 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 pound ground beef
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 small yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
→ Spices & Herbs
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Sauces & Pantry
11 - 1 can (15 ounces) enchilada sauce, red or green
12 - 1/2 cup tomato sauce
13 - 8 small corn tortillas, cut into quarters
14 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
15 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
→ Toppings (optional)
16 - Sliced green onions
17 - Chopped fresh cilantro
18 - Sour cream
19 - Diced avocado
# How To Make:
01 - In a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef, breaking it apart until fully browned. Drain excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add diced onion, minced garlic, and red bell pepper to the skillet. Sauté until vegetables are softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Stir in drained black beans, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper; mix thoroughly.
04 - Pour in enchilada sauce and tomato sauce, stirring to combine with the beef mixture.
05 - Arrange half the quartered corn tortillas evenly over the beef mixture. Sprinkle with half of the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas and cheeses, creating layers.
06 - Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until heated through and cheese is completely melted.
07 - For a bubbly, golden top, position the skillet under a broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. Monitor closely to prevent burning.
08 - Top with sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, sour cream, or diced avocado as desired. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything cooks in a single skillet so cleanup is practically nonexistent and you can eat on the couch without guilt.
- It tastes like you slow-rolled enchiladas all afternoon but the whole thing wraps up before the kids lose patience.
- The layers of tortilla soak up that saucy, spiced beef mixture and turn impossibly tender under the cheese.
- You can swap proteins, toss in whatever peppers are languishing in the crisper, and it still works beautifully every time.
02 -
- Draining the beef fat matters more than you think because too much grease will make the tortilla layers slide apart and the sauce will taste oily instead of rich.
- Cutting the tortillas into quarters before layering them is the move that changed everything for me because whole tortillas create a rubbery barrier that traps sauce unevenly.
- If your skillet handle is not oven-safe, wrap it in a double layer of foil before broiling or skip the broiler and just let the residual heat do the melting.
- Letting the skillet rest for about 3 minutes after cooking allows the layers to set so your servings hold together on the plate instead of becoming soup.
03 -
- Mix the cheddar and Monterey Jack together before layering so every bite gets both the sharp tang and the creamy stretch instead of uneven pockets of one or the other.
- Use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet if you have one because it holds heat more evenly than stainless steel and gives the bottom tortilla layer a slight, almost crispy texture that elevates the whole dish.