Beef Enchiladas made with tender shredded beef cooked in a simple homemade enchilada sauce, then layered in tortillas and cheese to make delectable enchiladas. You’ll never use canned enchilada sauce again! 

I have tons of great time saving slow cooker recipes including slow cooker lasagna, slow cook pork chops, and slow cooker soup.

Beef enchiladas in a pan with a spatula lifting one out.

The best part about these enchiladas is how easy the beef and sauce are to prepare. Just place the beef in the slow cooker and pour the simple sauce on top. Let it slow cook all day long and your house will smell amazing.

How to make Beef Enchiladas:

  • Season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper and place in the bottom of your slow cooker.
  • Whisk together beef broth, salsa, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. Pour over roast.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until beef is tender and shreds easily. Remove to large plate and shred. Pour remaining broth from the slow cooker into a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in cornstarch slurry. Cook for a few minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, or other seasonings, as needed.
  • Assemble enchiladas: Pour ½ cup of sauce over the beef and toss. Fill each tortilla with a spoonful of shredded beef and a spoonful of shredded cheese. Roll up and place in the pan, seam-side down. Pour desired amount of sauce over the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Four process photos for assembling and baking beef enchiladas.

Traditional authentic Mexican enchiladas are made with corn tortillas.  My family loves these with flour tortillas, but both work great! I love to spoon homemade Pico de gallo on top and a scoop of sour cream.

Instant Pot Beef Enchiladas:

Prepare the beef and sauce according to recipe instructions. Add them to the Instant Pot and cook on Manual/High Pressure for 75 minutes, with a 10 minute natural release. Proceed with recipe instructions for assembling and baking enchiladas.

Two beef enchiladas on a plate with a fork.

Serve Enchiladas with:

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Recipe

Beef enchiladas in a pan with a spatula lifting one out.
Prep 20 minutes
Cook 8 hours
Total 8 hours 20 minutes
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 pounds chuck roast
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 cup salsa , your favorite kind, or substitute a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons waters , mixed together to make a cornstarch slurry
  • 10- 12 flour tortillas , or 12-15 corn tortillas (warmed on a dry hot skillet first)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions
 

  • Season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper and place it in the bottom of your slow cooker.  
  • Whisk together beef broth, salsa, cumin, chili powder, oregano, onion powder, and garlic powder. Pour over roast.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or until beef is tender and shreds easily. Remove roast to a large plate and shred.
  • Pour the sauce from the slow cooker into a saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in cornstarch slurry. Cook for a few minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, or other seasonings, if needed. 
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
  • Pour ½ cup of sauce over the beef and toss. Fill each tortilla with a spoonful of shredded beef and shredded cheese. Roll up and place in the pan, seam-side down. 
  • Pour desired amount of sauce over the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.
  • Serve topped with optional garnishes of pico de gallo, sour cream, avocado, chopped cilantro or green onions and a side of Authentic Mexican Rice.

Notes

Instant Pot: Prepare the beef and sauce according to recipe instructions. Add them to the Instant Pot and cook on Manual/High Pressure for 75 minutes, with a 10 minute natural release. Proceed with recipe instructions for assembling and baking enchiladas.
Freezing Instructions: Prepared enchiladas can be frozen for up to 3 months, before baking. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then bake as instructed, or bake from frozen, covered in aluminum foil for about 1 hour 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes or until warm and bubbly. 
*I prefer to freeze the sauce separately, pouring it into a container from the slow cooker, to prevent the tortillas from getting soggy. Assemble the enchiladas but don't pour the sauce on top. Cover with aluminum foil. Thaw sauce and enchiladas overnight in the fridge. Warm the sauce in a saucepan and thicken with cornstarch, then pour over enchiladas and bake as instructed.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 26gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 736mgPotassium: 557mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 385IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 201mgIron: 3.5mg

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Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

I originally shared this recipe March 2016. Updated August 2020 with process photos and improved instructions.

Recipe originally adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe.

 

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Enchiladas -- tender shredded beef cooked in a simple homemade enchilada sauce. Layered in tortillas, topped with cheese and bake until bubbly! You'll never use canned enchilada sauce again! | Tastes Better From Scratch

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. I love Enchiladas!! My hubby is ok with them but hoping he will really like as this recipe sounds yummy. And he will keep getting them if they are as good as they sound. Thanks for the recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe was amazing!

    Followed the recipe exactly aside from adding an extra garlic clove and a little garlic powder and onion powder to the spice mix.

    10/10!

  3. 5 stars
    So delicious! I had some Carne Asada seasoning and used it instead of chili powder. Going to put leftover meat in tacos and use the leftover sauce to dip them in!

  4. 5 stars
    Unbelievably yummy!!! Just made the beef and have shredded it. It and the sauce is going into the freezer for our Fall Family Feast on Saturday. The beef is so tender and the sauce is out of this world delicious. Followed the instructions to a “T” and wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you for an amazing recipe that I will most certainly be making again (and again….).

  5. Tex Mex enchiladas were always my wife’s favorite and she always loved mine. But I never thought I quite got the seasoning right as I cooked the beef.
    Tomorrow would have been her B-day, so I’m making them for my sons and a few others in her honor. (along with brownies, which she always requested in lieu of a B-day cake).
    Your spice combo is next up to bat, wish me luck :).

  6. 5 stars
    Oh. My. Gosh. These were amazing. Let me start by saying I live in Texas so I’m pretty picky about Mexican food, particularly enchiladas. These honestly tasted as good as I would get in a good quality Tex-Mex restaurant here! I’m a busy working mom with a picky 4 year old and not only were these a breeze to get on the table, my 4 year old ate his whole plate and asked for seconds! (This is an act of God, let me tell you…!) it took me about 5 minutes to get the meat in the crockpot before work, then about 20 min hands on time while the oven preheated after the beef was cooked. I used corn tortillas and cheated, just layered them on the bottom and top instead of rolling each one up. I doubled the batch so I can take a pan to a friend who just had a baby, and I had enough sauce left over to freeze and use another time. I think it’d be perfect on cheese enchiladas.

    This is 100% will go into the standard rotation!! I paired it with your instant pot Mexican rice and I have one happy family tonight!! Thank you!!

  7. 5 stars
    This was incredible! I used some homemade canned tomato sauce and the beef broth had red wine added, otherwise made exactly like recipe and holy crap, I will never make a different beef enchilada recipe.

  8. 5 stars
    Delicious. Made these. In the instant pot and the best part was the sauce made itself. Fastest enchiladas I’ve ever made. Flavor was spot on. Do watch the salt because when you reduce the sauce it can become pretty salty.

  9. 5 stars
    I made this recipe and thought the meat was especially delicious. The sauce was also tasty. When making the enchiladas, I added beans and rice inside the tortillas with meat and cheese and still poured the sauce on top with more cheese. They were more like burritos, enchilada style. Yummy!

    1. 5 stars
      Wow, so delicious! I used leftover beef from another recipe but still made the sauce. Can’t wait to make it again!

  10. 5 stars
    I had to greatly improvise when making this with what I had on hand, so it’s not really the original recipe but it worked great. I had a left over roast that I chopped up. Used salsa sauce, bit of tomato sauce, a few dashes of taco seasoning and healthy sprinkle of cumin in lieu of taco sauce. Also just had green peppers and some frozen chopped yellow ones. The end result was very good. The strip of sour cream across the top was actually a nice touch as well – changed it’s texture so much.
    Made guacamole to have on the side and would definitely recommend that combo. Will do again with the taco sauce next time, but this was a great Friday night easy meal.

  11. 5 stars
    I’m not exaggerating when I say these were the best enchiladas I’ve ever had! The sauce was beyond amazing. My husband’s a hunter so I used a venison roast instead of beef but I don’t think it makes any difference. Cannot recommend this recipe enough! Thanks for sharing it!

  12. 5 stars
    This is really easy turned out perfectly! I made the beef in the instant pot for 60 min with slow release. The sauce is amazing. SO much better than canned. Served with sour cream, salsa, and avocado. I also left the rest of the leftover sauce out for people who wanted more. I served 6 and they all loved it. Definitely a good recipe for a crowd.

  13. 5 stars
    Huge hit! Also made the Pico (a must) and served with a dab of sour cream. Oh so good! Very simple and easy with just a little planning ahead to account for slow cooker time. New family favorite I’m excited to have again real soon.

  14. The house smells amazing!! I haven’t gotten to the part to shred the beef, but far enough to taste the beef. So full of flavor. THIS IS GOING TO BE GOOD!! Thank you for sharing a wonderful keeper😃🙏🤤🤤

  15. The Authentic Mexican Rice recipe is one of the best I have ever tasted! I will use this recipe from now on. I used chicken stock instead of water, and I subbed the serrano peppers with cumin. It was a hit! Thank you.

  16. 5 stars
    This meal is absolutely one of our favorites!!!! We just double the sauce because we LOVE sauce. But this is for sure a staple in our house! 🙂

  17. 5 stars
    I made this for super bowl. Wow what a hit. The flavor was amazing. I did mine in the crockpot. My husband who is very picky loved them. Thank you

  18. Sorry but I was disappointed in the flavor. I followed directions and I used a very nice chuck roast. At least i tried it.

  19. 5 stars
    I made a couple things today … first time visiting your page online … girl. You a bomb cook. I just seen this was from Mel’s kitchen. She is a great cook too then. The meals were delicious. (I made the classic French toast) & prepared the shredded beef enchiladas for tomorrows dinner.

    Thank you 😊

  20. I cook for an elderly man, and getting some variety into his diet can be a challenge. He LOVED these! Pleased to add them to the rotation and I’m also excited to make them for my grown family! Thank you for sharing!

  21. 5 stars
    OOOOMMMMGGGG!!!!!
    TH
    IS WAS BETTER THAN ANY MEXICAN RESTURAUNT I HAVE EVER BEEN TOO! and I have been to many since this is my favorite food group. I cut the recipe in half and used some shredded beef I had in the freezer. I made two good size burritos since it was just Hubby & I ( what a mistake). We had no left overs. Thank you for a great recipe we will use it and share your site to many.

  22. 5 stars
    Love this recipe. The sauce was delicious. I put it in The blender to make it smooth since I have one kid who won’t eat anything if they see a chuck of tomato. The shredded beef was great. I had enough sauce to do a second pan of enchiladas so I did cheese in corn tortillas. Both were a huge hit.

  23. 5 stars
    I have made chicken enchiladas for years and this was my first attempt at beef ones. WOW they did not disappoint. Doubled the recipe and followed it exactly and it was delicious!!

  24. We loved it with the shredded beef! My husband was impressed! Can we sub for regular ground beef in this recipe? Hmm? Thanks so much we love all of your recipes.

    1. Sure, but I would cook it first and remove the grease, so you don’t really need the slow cooker…

  25. 5 stars
    These have a great flavor and the meat was very tender. The sauce is a bit too runny so the tortillas were a bit soggy. I might add more cornstarch next time or less broth. My kids gave it 5 stars! Thank you!

  26. Plot twist, I subbed the beef for 3 frozen chicken breasts. Also subbed the broth for chicken. Turned out pretty good and made for an easy meal!

  27. 5 stars
    My husband and I both loved this meal. In place of the crock pot. I cut the roast into 8 big chucks, browned them in a dutch oven and simmered in the sauce for 2.5-3 hrs. And I added a 1/4 tsp of Chipotle Powder for just a tad kick. Sooo good. It’ll be in our rotation for sure. Thanks for sharing!!

  28. 5 stars
    These are so easy and so good! I made the recipe exactly as written, which is unusual for me (something usually jumps out at me as a “red flag”), and I’m so glad I did. We don’t like overly spicy things, and this was just right. I used Herdez mild salsa verde, because that’s our favorite. I left the house for a while during the 8 hours of beef cooking, and when I returned I could hardly wait for it to be done so I could taste it. Next time I’ll use a bit more cheese, as mine didn’t look quite as gooey as the pic.

  29. 5 stars
    I just made these for dinner and they were so tasty. We’ll be enjoying the leftovers for the next couple of days too!

  30. 3 stars
    We didn’t care for the sauce on the enchiladas, as it tasted more like Sunday dinner than Mexican fare. If I make it again I’ll use red or green enchilada sauce. The meat was tender and flavorful.

  31. 5 stars
    These taste better than many restaurants we have visited. This dish will be one of your favorite meals. So authentic! Enjoy!

  32. 5 stars
    I planned to make this in my IP but realized the cord was missing! I used my Dutch oven and cooked the meat etc. for about 3 hours and it turned out amazing!!!

  33. 5 stars
    This is a family favorite. This flavorful, savory dish makes the whole house smell delicious as it slow cooks. Easy to make. It’s not spicy. So to please your heat-lovers add jalapenos or serve them as a topping.

  34. 5 stars
    Made these tonight. Couldn’t have been easier…. or more delicious! Thanks for such easy to follow instructions 😊

  35. 5 stars
    I made these and the IP authentic Mexican rice and both were PHENOMENAL. I ate them for dinner and then had leftovers for breakfast and lunch the next day because they were THAT good. The only change I made was making the roast in the instant pot for 1 hour, 10 minutes instead of the crockpot. Thanks for sharing this!!

  36. 5 stars
    I’ve made this and it was delicious. Would I be able to prepare enchiladas in morning and refrigerate for evening cooking?

  37. 5 stars
    Absolutely Awesome! Easy and the sauce is delicious! Such authentic flavor! Wanted to rate it a 5 star but it wouldn’t let me.

  38. 5 stars
    I love this recipe it’s ingenious how everything is set up for you when you are ready to prepare! I have also changed it sub chicken and Verde Salsa works just as good as the beef!

  39. I love this recipe and have been using it for years! It is my go to for enchiladas. Just wondering if you have an adapted recipe or cook times for the instant pot?

  40. I’m trying it now. As is. Sometimes less is more and simpler is tastier. I’m just using my bf’s left over overnight slow cooker roast..he even sets it on a timer w intervals.
    We’re all pot roasted out now…so on w the recipe!

    1. I just have a quick question..
      Do you fry ur tortillas a lil before you stuff em?
      Thanks 😉
      ..I am…btw…
      “)

  41. 5 stars
    My entire family loves this recipe so much that I’m making for out of town guests this week! I love that it is so easy and will allow me time to show them around the town while it cooks. Thank you ?

  42. 5 stars
    The recipe was excellent. Very easy to make. However, I did make a few changes. In the filling, I added some sour cream (about 2 tbs), at least one extra cup salsa and half the corn starch. They were fantastic!

  43. Hi Lauren, my family will love this recipe. One question: Is there any easy way to shred beef, or do you just need to let the roast cool and tear it apart by hand?

    Thanks — Judy

    1. I’ve heard some people use electric beaters, or you can get bbq “meat claws” that great for shredding big pieces of meat. Hope you enjoy the enchiladas!

    2. I just made this and literally the meat just pulled away after 8 hours in the crockpot and 1 on warm. I got lazy and went back to it, using just one fork, and it completely shredded up as I twirled it around. It took less than one minute for three lbs of meat. HTH!

  44. 5 stars
    I found this recipe looking for gluten-free, soy-free recipes and I’ve decided that putting the diet restrictions aside, one of my favorite recipes. I’ve made it a dozen times now and this is now the only way I think enchiladas should be made. Outstanding recipe!

  45. 5 stars
    These enchiladas came out soooo good! I doubled the recipe so that I could make enough to freeze a batch. This rendered a total of 18 enchiladas made with super size corn tortillas. The only thing I did differently from the recipe is I seared the chuck roast in a cast iron before putting it in the crockpot, which I would definitely recommend.

    This recipe is a real keeper. The sauce was so tasty, and paired with refried beans and rice, these enchiladas could have come from any Mexican restaurant in town! Thanks a bunch!

  46. 5 stars
    This recipe is fantastic. Everybody loves them. I have been looking for a good enchilada recipe for a while, and now I’ve found it. Thanks Lauren, next time I’ll try your rice as well.

  47. Hi,
    Could I make this with shredded chicken but just switching out the roast for boneless skinless chicken breasts?
    Thanks!
    Ashlie

      1. 5 stars
        Thanks! I made this after commenting and it turned out great, and so easy! I want to try making it again in an instant pot. Do you know if this is possible?

  48. Hello there! When you mention sauce, do you mean marinara sauce or which type of sauce? Sorry I’m completely new to cooking but NEED to make these! They look so good!

    1. Hi Lorraine, when the meat is finished cooking in the slow cooker there will be a lot of sauce in the pot as well. You pour the sauce into a saucepan (step 4) and you thicken it with cornstarch. Then you use that sauce to make the enchiladas in the following steps. Enjoy!

  49. 5 stars
    This has become a family fave! Every time my daughter and her family come to visit her first food request is for these enchiladas. And we LOVE this enchilada sauce! Thank you so much!

  50. So looking forward to trying this. One question for you…have you ever prepared these and frozen them to bake later? I’m just curious if this could be done.

    1. I have not tried this! I generally have success freezing food, but I am not sure how these would turn out.

    2. 5 stars
      I think for sure you could freeze the filling, and then roll in tortillas when you have defrosted it for a meal. Freezing the entire thing will take up more freezer space and may leave the tortillas mushy.

  51. Actually I made one change – that is, I left out the onion powder (husband can’t tolerate onions) but I added a little extra garlic powder.

  52. 5 stars
    My poor husband is from California, but we live in Canada, and man does he miss Mexican food. I’ve tried making (and eating) enchiladas before as a treat for him, but honestly I never liked them. Decided to try this recipe exactly as you have listed it, and we both LOVE these enchiladas. So happy it turned out to be a treat for both of us 🙂

    Fair warning though, If you, like myself, don’t have your gallbladder try to take it easy with these or you might have some trouble (I’m writing this at 3:30 am due to digestion issues, lol)

    1. Look up “no gallbladder natural enzymes”. You might find some awesome help. I still have my gallbladder, but have some issues and take some myself. In the process of making this recipe, smells delicious.

  53. 5 stars
    I made these for friends and will make them again this weekend. Everyone loved them!! The best thank you!!

  54. I made this recipe with corn tortillas and served it to the men at work for a birthday celebration. I put out sour cream, sliced avocado and chopped cilantro for toppings. It was loved by all and was so easy to make! I’ll make it again and again! I love that it can be changed with the salsa you choose – thank you!

  55. Love this shredded beef enchilada dish. Making it for the second time tomorrow. You can use the shredded beef in tacos or eat it as a main stand alone beef dish. I use corn tortillas as we prefer them to flour. The sauce is 1000 times better than can sauce. Thank you for this recipe. It is becoming a family favorie and will be handed down for generations to come.

    1. Jennilou, thanks so much for sharing this! I am so glad you and your family have come to love the recipe!

    1. Hi Vanessa, I usually use Kirtland signature salsa from Costco but honestly any variety of salsa will be delicious.

  56. I have made enchiladas with ground beef for years. But always had the beef pieces in them when I eat out. I finally decided to try putting a roast in the crock pot with seasonings. But of course wasn’t sure what seasonings, so I got on my tablet and started looking. I found your blog. So far I have done all that your recipe called for, except, I used corn tortillas, added some peppers and onions and green chilies. The sauce, I have already decided, this will be my sauce for every enchilada I make! The rest, well It will have to wait, because I prepped them for church, I will let you know how they were received. But I’m thinking after years of looking, I found the enchilada of my dream!!
    Thank you! Now if you could find me a Mexican rice recipe…….?
    Thanks, Denise

  57. These were so yummy!!! I wasn’t sure st first with the sauce but over the enchiladas it is so good!! I served it with corn and black beanssnd that topped it off!! Thankyou!!

    1. Hi Bonnie, yes you could. They make not hold together quite as well as the flour, but they will taste delicious!