If you've never tried New Mexico Stacked Beef Enchiladas, get ready for your new favorite comfort food! Instead of rolling tortillas, we layer them with ground beef, homemade enchilada sauce, and plenty of melty cheese.
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If you've never had New Mexico-style stacked beef enchiladas, you're in for a treat. This family recipe has been passed down for generations, and it's one of those dishes you can always count on at our gatherings in New Mexico served with a refreshing cocktail like Fresh Strawberry Margaritas on the Rocks. Hearty, cheesy, and layered with bold flavor, these enchiladas are pure comfort food.
Unlike the more familiar rolled enchiladas, this version is stacked and layered, almost like a Mexican lasagna. It's a style that's especially popular in New Mexico, where enchiladas are ofter served "flat" rather than rolled.
You can assemble them casserole-style for a crowd or build them on individual oven-safe-plates (the way my family does) for a plated touch. Once baked, we surround them crisp romaine, diced tomatoes, and sliced olives to balance out the spicy, cheesy goodness.
The real secret to this recipe is the homemade red enchilada sauce, made with authentic New Mexico chili powder. It's spicy, smoky, and packed with chili flavor in a way that supermarket blends just can't match.
When I first tested this dish with standard chili powder, the results were bland and disappointing. Later in this post, I'll share tips of choosing the right chili powder so you can capture the true New Mexican flavor.
Stacked enchiladas is the kind of meal that feels special enough for Sunday but is easy enough to pull together on a weeknight. For another bold Mexican-inspired meal, try our Mexican Tuna Salad for a high-protein option.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- No rolling required - Simply layer tortillas, sauce, beef, and cheese for an easier method than traditional enchiladas.
- Pick your protein - Swap the ground beef for chicken, turkey, or grilled vegetables and beans for a vegetarian version.
- Hearty and filling - The ultimate comfort food that is perfect in those colder months, and one of those recipes everyone gathers around the table for.
Recipe Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce Ingredients
- Chili Powder - Use New Mexico Chili Powder when making this red enchilada sauce. If you don't have time to travel to New Mexico , Chimayo Chili Powder is your next best option.
- Flour - Thickens the sauce.
- Water - Add a little water at a time and whisk to avoid clumps.
- Oil - A neutral oil like avocado oil or canola oil is best.
- Garlic Powder - After the sauce simmers for 20 minutes season to taste with garlic powder and salt.
- Salt - Enhances the flavors so the sauce isn't bland.
Stacked Beef Enchilada Ingredients
- Ground Beef - Stacked enchiladas are commonly made with a ground beef filling, but turkey, chicken, and grilled veggie are delicious too!
- Onions - We cooked diced onions with the ground beef for more flavor, and you can also add-in hatch green chilies for more spice.
- Tortillas - To keep your tortillas from getting soggy, lightly fry them in a bit of oil until they're crispy before dipping them into the sauce. This creates a barrier that helps them hold their shape and texture.
- Enchilada Sauce - Made with New Mexico chili powder for a spicy and authentic flavor.
- Cheese - I used a Mexican shredded cheese blend.
- Olives - Sliced black olives are used in between every layer and for a garnish around the plate.
- Tomatoes - Small dice Roma tomatoes for garnish.
- Lettuce - Thinly slice romaine lettuce and scatter it around the stacked enchiladas.
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Cilantro
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Protein Swaps: Use shredded chicken, turkey, or roasted vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, corn, onion, bell peppers, and black beans) for a vegetarian version.
- Choose a Sauce: Salsa verde is great especially if using shredded chicken or turkey. Drizzle with a Pumpkin Seed Crema, or serve alongside a bowl of Roasted Salsa Roja.
- Tortilla Options: Flour tortillas vs. corn tortillas. Some people prefer flour for softness where others like corn.
- Cheese: There are many different cheese types: Mexican blend, Monterrey Jack, Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Queso Fresco. For dairy-free use a vegan cheese, skip the sour cream, and use plant based topping.
- Garnishes & Toppings: Tomatoes, pico de gallo, olives, cilantro, green onions. Add sour cream, my Food Processor Guacamole or sliced avocado for creaminess. Even try a fried egg on top for special occasions.
- Adapt it to dietary needs: To lower the calories us a lower-fat cheese, Greek yogurt, and a low calorie tortilla. Use a gluten-free tortilla, and swap dairy with plant-based alternatives.
How to Pick the Best Chili Powder
The chili powder you use can make or break the stacked enchiladas. Most supermarket chili powders are a blend of spices (paprika, cumin, garlic powder) rather than pure ground chilies.
For the best flavor, look for pure New Mexico chili powder. This chili powder is made from dried New Mexico chilies and has a deep red color, earthy aroma, and a balance of heat and sweetness that's hard to beat.
If you don't have any connections to New Mexico, look for Chimayó chili powder. Grown in the small village of Chimayó, New Mexico, these heirloom chilies produce a powder that's rich, complex, and slightly smoky.
Step-By-Step Instructions
How to Make Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Step 1. Make the roux. In a large saucepan, over a medium heat add-in avocado oil, flour, and New Mexico chili powder. This step toasts the chili powder, bringing out the flavor. Whisk until it forms a smooth paste.
Step 2. Whisk in water. Slowly pour in water, whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken. Cook for 20 minutes over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, cook out the flour taste, and thicken the sauce.
Season with salt and garlic powder to taste. Sample the sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed. You can add more chili powder for spice or a pinch of sugar for a sweeter balance.
How to Make Stacked Beef Enchiladas
Step 3. Cook the beef and onions. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with chopped onions over medium heat. Break up the beef with a spatula as it cooks.
Step 4. Drain the fat. Once browned, drain the mixture in a colander to remove excess grease.
Step 5. Toast the tortillas. Heat a skillet over medium-heat heat and spray generously with cooking spray. Toast each flour tortilla until golden brown and crispy. This step prevents sogginess once the tortillas are layered.
Step 6. Dip in sauce. Using tongs, dip each toasted tortilla into the warm homemade enchilada sauce, coating both sides. I like to dip all of the tortillas and set them on a sheet pan until assembly time.
Step 7. Assemble the first layer. Place one sauced tortilla on a oven-safe plate. Top with a spoonful of the beef and onion mixture, a few olives, chopped onions, a sprinkle of cheese, and a small ladle of enchilada sauce.
Step 8. Repeat the layers. Add a second tortilla, repeating the same process (beef, onions, olives, cheese, sauce). Do this once more, finishing with the third tortilla. You should have a total of three stacked layers.
Step 9. Bake. Transfer to a preheated 375°F oven. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly around the edges.
Step 10. Garnish and serve. Carefully remove from the oven and garnish with thinly sliced romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, and extra olives around the plate. Add a dollop of sour cream (or guacamole, if you like) on top. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro before serving.
Expert Tips
- Toast tortillas first - Toasting flour tortilla in a bit of oil keeps them from getting soggy.
- Dip, don't soak - Quickly dip the tortillas in the enchilada sauce, so they don't fall apart.
- Bake in the oven - Bake stacked enchiladas in a 375°F oven for 10-15 minutes on a oven safe plate, until the edges are crispy and the sauce is bubbly.
- Use the right chili powder - New Mexico Chili Powder like Chimayo is a must, when testing out this recipe I used a mild chili powder from the local grocery store and it was missing flavor and spice.
- Enchilada sauce - It's important to slowly cook the sauce for 20 minutes to remove the flouriness of the roux.
- Garnish after baking, not before - Fresh items like lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes are added after baking so they stay crisp.
Recipe FAQ's
Stacked enchiladas were made popular in New Mexico, where tortillas are layered flat, lasagna-style, with sauce, cheese, and filling. Rolled enchiladas are made by rolling the filling inside the tortilla. While both are delicious, the main difference are their assembly.
If you want to go the authentic route, use corn tortilla. Flour tortillas are softer and more pliable, just make sure to fry them in a bit of oil so they don't get to soggy.
Grab a large cast-iron pan and give it a generous amount of cooking spray and fry your tortilla on both sides until golden-brown and crispy.
You can serve enchiladas with rice, beans, salad, guacamole and chips, or my Sous Vide Corn.
For the best results, I recommend assembling stacked enchiladas right before you bake them. You can save a lot of time by making the red chili sauce ahead of time.
Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Stacked Beef Enchiladas
Equipment
Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce
- 8 tablespoons New Mexico red chili powder Chimayo
- 8 tablespoons flour
- 8 tablespoons avocado oil any neutral oil will do
- 8 cups water
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder or to taste
Stacked Beef Enchiladas
- 1½ pound ground beef
- 2 white onion diced 1 onion to be cooked and 1 onion left raw
- 12 6-inch flour tortillas or corn
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce homemade or store-bought
- 2 cups shredded cheese Mexican blend
- 1 head sliced romaine lettuce
- 1 can sliced black olives
- 2 diced roma tomatoes
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
Enchilada Sauce
- In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together avocado oil, flour, and New Mexico chili powder until smooth. Cook for 2-3 minutes to toast the chili powder.
- Slowly whisk in water, stirring to prevent lumps. Simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flour taste is cooked out. Season with salt and garlic powder.
Stacked Beef Enchilada
- In a skillet, cook ground beef and onions over medium heat until browned; drain excess grease.
- Toast tortilla in a lightly oiled skillet until golden and crisp. Dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce (for a couple seconds) and set aside.
- On an oven-safe plate, layer 1 tortilla, beef mixture, olives, onions, cheese, and a small ladle of sauce. Repeat for 3 total layers.
- Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes, until cheese melts and sauce is bubbly. Garnish with romaine, tomatoes, olives, sour cream (or guacamole), and cilantro.
Notes
- Enchilada sauce makes 4 cups of sauce so you'll have leftovers.
- Use New Mexico chili powder (Chimayo) for best flavor; supermarket blends can be bland.
- Toast tortillas in a bit of oil to make them crispy before stacking to prevent sogginess and avoid falling apart.
- Substitute ground beef for other proteins like shredded chicken, turkey, or grilled vegetables for a vegetarian option.
Nutrition
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Cinda Lou RAUPE-HULTNER says
I have made these dozens of times. They are the most requested birthday dinner in my tool box. You won't be disappointed!
Mike Cleavenger says
I love being able to stack these enchiladas instead of rolling them, and they're so delicious!