Baked Enchiritos: a cozy home-cooked favorite with big flavor, practical prep, and servings worth fighting over—in a friendly way.
Casserole-Style Enchiritos for Busy Nights
A pantry-friendly bake that transforms tortillas, refried beans, and seasoned beef into a melty, saucy dinner the whole family will fight over (politely).
These enchiritos exist to solve the same nightly problem: you need something fast, filling, and made from things already in the cupboards. Ground beef, flour tortillas, a can of refried beans and enchilada sauce come together without fuss, so you can get dinner on the table in about an hour with only a few hands-on minutes. It’s the kind of recipe that rewards a messy skillet with a saucy, cheesy finish the whole family recognizes and digs into.
What you get is contrast — creamy refried beans folded with spiced beef, the tangy lick of enchilada sauce, and a golden blanket of cheddar that bubbles and browns at the edges. The tortillas soak up just enough sauce to stay tender while their rims crisp up where they peek through the cheese. A hit of diced green chiles and a little cumin-chili powder warmth keeps things cozy without demanding hard-to-find ingredients.
Practicality is part of the charm: assemble in a 9x13, bake until bubbly, and you’ve got easy leftovers that reheat beautifully. It’s forgiving to swaps — use ground turkey, canned black beans, or a mix of cheeses — and scales well when you need to feed a crowd or meal-prep for the week. If you like, make it a day ahead and bake from chilled (add a few extra minutes), or freeze before baking for a no-brainer future supper.
Ingredients
How to Make Baked Enchiritos
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick spray.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and break up with a spoon; cook until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3–4 minutes; drain excess fat if the pan is very greasy.
- Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper until fragrant, then add the refried beans and diced green chiles; pour in 4 oz of the enchilada sauce (reserve the rest) and simmer 3–4 minutes to combine and thicken.
- Warm the tortillas so they are pliable (30 seconds covered in the microwave or 20 seconds per side in a dry skillet).
- Spoon about 1/3 cup of the beef-and-bean mixture down the center of each warm tortilla, add a small handful (about 2 tbsp) of cheddar cheese, then roll the tortilla tightly and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled enchiritos, then sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top so the dish is well covered.
- Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted and lightly browned at the edges.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving to set, then slice into portions; leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days and reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Recipe Card
Baked Enchiritos
Baked Enchiritos: a cozy home-cooked favorite with big flavor, practical prep, and servings worth fighting over—in a friendly way.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish or spray with nonstick spray.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and break up with a spoon; cook until no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes.
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook until softened, about 3–4 minutes; drain excess fat if the pan is very greasy.
- Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper until fragrant, then add the refried beans and diced green chiles; pour in 4 oz of the enchilada sauce (reserve the rest) and simmer 3–4 minutes to combine and thicken.
- Warm the tortillas so they are pliable (30 seconds covered in the microwave or 20 seconds per side in a dry skillet).
- Spoon about 1/3 cup of the beef-and-bean mixture down the center of each warm tortilla, add a small handful (about 2 tbsp) of cheddar cheese, then roll the tortilla tightly and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled enchiritos, then sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top so the dish is well covered.
- Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted and lightly browned at the edges.
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving to set, then slice into portions; leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days and reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 53
- Saturated Fat
- 18
- Sodium
- 920
- Fiber
- 7
- Unsaturated Fat
- 26
- Protein
- 46
- Fat
- 44
- Cholesterol
- 130
- Trans Fat
- 0.2
- Calories
- 840
- Sugar
- 6