Beef Up Your Enchiladas

A Robust Mexican Beef and Tomato Filling for Enchiladas

45 minutes
Serves 6
DinnerMexican
Herb's take

Let’s take a trip down Tex-Mex lane with this beefy, tomato-rich enchilada filling. Along the way, you’ll learn why blooming your spices makes a difference and how to tame a can of whole tomatoes into a deeply savory sauce.

Ingredients

Yield
6

Instructions

  1. 01
    Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  2. 02
    Add the diced onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft and just beginning to brown.
  3. 03
    Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
  4. 04
    Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until fully browned and no pink remains, about 8 minutes. Drain excess fat if desired.
  5. 05
    Sprinkle in chili powder, ground cumin, chipotle chili powder, dried oregano, smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
  6. 06
    Pour the entire can of whole peeled tomatoes with juices into the skillet. Crush the tomatoes roughly with a spoon or potato masher.
  7. 07
    Bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and flavors meld.
  8. 08
    Taste and adjust seasoning with extra salt or a pinch more brown sugar if desired.
  9. 09
    Once thickened, remove from heat and let the filling cool for 10 minutes before using in enchiladas.

Want your own batch?

I don't run a recipe search engine—I invent dishes from what you tell me. Toss me some ingredients on the home page.