Beef Enchiladas Green Chili (Print Version)
Shredded beef wrapped in tortillas with zesty green chili sauce and melted cheese.
# What You Need:
→ Beef Filling
01 - 1.5 lbs beef chuck roast or flank steak
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
06 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
07 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
09 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 0.75 cup beef broth
→ Green Chili Sauce
11 - 2 tablespoons butter
12 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
13 - 2 cups chicken broth
14 - 1 cup canned diced green chiles
15 - 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
16 - 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
17 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
18 - 0.5 cup sour cream
→ Assembly
19 - 12 small flour tortillas
20 - 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
21 - 0.5 cup chopped fresh cilantro
22 - 0.5 cup diced red onion (optional)
23 - Lime wedges for serving
# How to Prepare:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sear beef on all sides until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Add onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper; sauté for 2 minutes. Pour in beef broth, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 1 to 1.5 hours until beef is very tender. Shred beef with two forks, return to pot, and mix with cooking juices. Set aside.
02 - Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth until smooth. Add green chiles, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in sour cream until blended smoothly. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
03 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread 0.5 cup of green chili sauce evenly on the bottom. Fill each tortilla with shredded beef and a sprinkle of cheese, roll up, and place seam-side down in the dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
04 - Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
05 - Sprinkle fresh cilantro and diced red onion over enchiladas if desired. Serve hot with lime wedges.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The beef becomes so tender it practically melts on your tongue, and there's something deeply satisfying about shredding it yourself.
- That green chili sauce is tangy, creamy, and comforting without being heavy—it's the kind of thing you'll find yourself scraping off the edges of the dish.
- You can have these in the oven in under an hour total, but they taste like you've been cooking all day.
02 -
- Don't skip the searing step on the beef; it's what gives the whole dish its deep, savory backbone, and rushing through it means missing out on real flavor.
- The sour cream must go in after you remove the sauce from heat, or it will break and turn grainy—I learned this the hard way when I was impatient and proud.
- If your sauce seems too thin, you can always make a slurry of a little cornstarch and water and whisk it in, but it's better to start with the right flour-to-broth ratio and avoid the fix altogether.
03 -
- Brown the beef hard and deep—that caramelization on the surface is where real flavor lives, and it's worth taking the extra few minutes to get it right.
- Taste your green chili sauce and adjust the salt before you pour it on the enchiladas; it's your last chance to season properly, and canned green chiles can vary in how salty they are.
- Don't overload each tortilla with filling or it'll burst open as it bakes; less is more, and they actually hold together better when you're judicious with what goes inside.