Enchiritos

These tasty enchiritos layer refried beans, seasoned ground beef with onions and garlic, and cheese, then smother them in red enchilada sauce and more melted cheese. They combine the best flavors of a burrito and an enchilada.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients.

• Ground beef: Use ground beef with a little fat. Fat gives the beef flavor. You can substitute ground turkey, pork, or chicken, but again, use ground meat with some fat.
• Taco seasoning: Use your favorite store-bought or homemade taco seasoning.
• Flour tortillas: 8-10 inch flour tortillas are best for enchiritos.
• Refried beans: Either canned or homemade.
• Mexican blend cheese:  I like to use a blend, but you can use Monterey Jack, cheddar, or queso quesadilla.
• Red enchilada sauce: I strongly recommend making homemade enchilada sauce. It is a game-changer. However, I understand the need for shortcuts; we love Smash Kitchen’s red enchilada sauce.

How To Make Enchiritos

This is a summary; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.

1. Brown the ground beef, adding the onion about halfway through the browning process. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic.
2. Add the taco seasoning and water and simmer.
3. Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish.
4. Add a layer of refried beans across the center of each tortilla. Top with a layer of the seasoned beef and about half the cheese.
5. Roll the tortillas tightly and place them in the prepared baking dish.
6. Pour the enchilada sauce over the enchiritos. Top with the remaining cheese.
7. Bake until the cheese melts and the enchiritos are heated through. Top with chopped fresh cilantro.

Cook’s Preparation Advice

• Make the seasoned beef mixture up to 24 hours ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Remove it from the refrigerator 45 minutes before making the recipe to bring it to room temperature.
• Homemade Enchilada Sauce takes less than ten minutes to make and tastes much better than canned sauce. The fresh spice blend really pops, adding authentic depth of flavor. We love Smash Kitchen enchilada sauce, but it is very thick. I buy the 15-ounce jar and thin it with about 5 ounces of chicken broth.
• Serve these enchiritos promptly. The tortillas soak up the enchilada sauce and get a little soggy if you store them as leftovers and reheat them.

Serving Suggestions

• Starch: cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice.
• Beans: borracho beans, ranch style beans, or charro beans.
• Salad: Doritos taco salad, black bean and corn salad, or avocado salad

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