Ground Beef Enchiladas with Red Chile Gravy
Browned ground beef and onion rolled into corn tortillas under a from-scratch chili-powder gravy, baked until the edges crisp.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Written
Method
-
Whisk the oil and flour together in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking, until the paste turns a shade darker and smells toasty, about 2 minutes.
-
Whisk in the chili powder and cook another 30 seconds, then slowly whisk in the broth until smooth.
-
Stir in the tomato paste and cumin, bring to a simmer, and cook until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and set aside.
-
Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high, breaking it up, until no pink remains, about 7 minutes; drain excess fat.
-
Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.
-
Off the heat, stir a ladle of the red chile gravy and half the cheese into the beef until the filling holds together.
-
Spread a thin layer of the gravy over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
-
Warm the tortillas until pliable, fill each with the beef mixture, roll tightly, and lay seam-side down in the dish.
-
Pour the remaining gravy over the top and scatter with the rest of the cheese.
-
Bake at 400°F until the gravy bubbles at the edges and the cheese is browned in spots, about 20 minutes.
-
Rest 5 minutes, then finish with scallions and sour cream before serving.
Notes
The gravy is the whole recipe — building it from a roux and chili powder rather than reaching for a can gives it a rounder, less metallic heat, and toasting the flour-and-chili paste before the broth goes in is what keeps it from tasting raw. Don’t skip draining the beef; excess fat on top of a already-rich gravy turns the dish greasy instead of saucy.
Swap in ground turkey for a leaner version, or use the leftover gravy on huevos rancheros the next morning — it keeps in the fridge for a few days and only gets better.