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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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4.94 from 367 votes

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Author: Lauren Allen
Beef Enchiladas made with tender shredded beef cooked in a simple homemade enchilada sauce, then layered in tortillas and cheese to make delectable enchiladas.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 10

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Ingredients  

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: 371kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 736mg, Potassium: 557mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 385IU, Vitamin C: 0.5mg, Calcium: 201mg, Iron: 3.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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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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About The Author

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.

4.94 from 367 votes (298 ratings without comment)
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Sophia
11 months ago

5 stars
Oh my Lord these are so good!!!! I’m not even a fan of enchiladas, but I decided to try out this recipe to try a new dish in our dinner rotation. The only thing I added was a generous tablespoon of tomato paste, as was suggested in a previous comment. This is definetly a keeper!!! Thank you Lauren for this recipe!!!

alexis willmann
4 months ago
Reply to  Sophia

hello! I was wondering.. did you add the tomato paste in step 4 ?

Heidi
7 years ago

Hello!!

I”m wondering if ground beef could be substituted in this recipe? Thanks!

Bobbi
7 years ago

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!

Travis M.
7 years ago

5 stars
Amazing… I substituted chopped beef pieces and boiled for 2 hours. I love this recipe, thank you.

Amanda Zamara
7 years ago

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!

Brett Randle
7 years ago

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.

Ashlie
7 years ago

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

Ashlie
7 years ago
Reply to  Lauren Allen

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?

Bonnie
7 years ago

Has anyone tried this with shredded chicken?

Lorraine
8 years ago

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!

Mari Beth
8 years ago

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!

T. Watson
8 years ago

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.

Judy
7 years ago
Reply to  T. Watson

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.