Name: Easy Beef and Cheese Enchiladas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 15 ounces canned tomato sauce; ½ cup chicken stock or broth; 1 tablespoon chili powder; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon cumin; ½ teaspoon onion powder; 2 pounds lean ground beef (I use 93% lean); ⅓ cup salsa; 8 ounces cream cheese; 1 teaspoon chili powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 8 flour tortillas; 2 cups shredded mozzarella, cheddar, or Mexican blend cheese

Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

These beef enchiladas are easy, delicious, and include an extra yummy beef and cream cheese filling. Plus we’re topping it all with my quick homemade enchilada sauce and melty cheese!

School is back in session here which means I’m back to making dinner as quickly as possible. Let’s be real, I am always prioritizing quick dinners no matter what time of year it is.

Enchiladas are a family favorite and the version I’m sharing today is extra special because of the creamy beef filling. The trick is to stir cream cheese into the cooked ground beef and oh my goodness it does something magical.

Ingredients for Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

Canned tomato sauce: Canned tomato sauce is the base for our enchilada sauce.
Chicken stock or broth: A little chicken stock or chicken broth helps flavor the sauce.
Lean ground beef: I prefer a lean ground beef to minimize the grease and usually buy 93% lean. If you opt to buy beef with 15% or more fat then I recommend draining the grease after browning.
Salsa: Use your favorite store-bought salsa. We’ll add it to the baking dish underneath the enchiladas, inside the filling, and a generous serving on top.
Cream cheese: The cream cheese helps give us a creamy beef filling! Regular or low fat both work great.
Shredded cheese: We’re topping our yummy enchiladas with shredded cheddar, mozzarella, or a Mexican cheese blend. Then we’ll bake it to get that cheese perfectly melty.
Seasonings: Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt add more flavor to the easy filling in these enchiladas.

How to Make Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

A detailed list of ingredients (with measurements) and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and stir.

Spread ½ cup enchilada sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish. Set remaining sauce aside until after enchiladas are assembled.

Add ground beef to a large skillet on the stovetop. Crumble and sauté on medium to medium-high heat until browned. Then add salsa, cream cheese, chili powder, and salt to the cooked beef. Stir until combined.

Add a heaping ½ cup of the beef mixture down the center of one tortilla. Carefully roll it up and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with all remaining tortillas until you have 8 filled tortillas in your dish.

Pour the remaining sauce over your enchiladas.

Spread the shredded cheese over the sauced enchiladas.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil from top and bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. Enchiladas should be heated through and cheese should be melted when done.

Top fresh chopped cilantro before serving. Other optional toppings include sour cream, pico de gallo, sliced jalapenos, and/or avocado.

Can You Freeze Enchiladas?

Absolutely! Once the enchiladas have completely cooled add them to a freezer safe container (a freezer bag works great or wrap each enchilada in aluminum foil). They’ll remain good in the freezer for up to 4 to 6 months.