Mexican
Beef and Black Bean Enchilada Bake
Corn tortillas, seasoned beef, and black beans are layered with red enchilada sauce and baked until the cheddar on top melts. The tortillas soften in the sauce instead of staying crisp, so the pan eats like a casserole rather than rolled enchiladas.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Beans stay in the meat layer so they do not sink into a puddle of sauce.
- Sauce under the first tortillas keeps the bottom from baking dry.
- Chili and cumin cook with the beef, so the spice tastes toasted rather than dusty.
- Cheddar goes on last and browns while the center stays saucy.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F. Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the diced onion until soft, about 4 minutes.
- 2
Add the garlic, ground beef, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Cook, breaking the meat apart, until no pink remains and the beef reaches 160°F, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain off extra fat.
- 3
Stir in the drained black beans and 0.5 cup of the enchilada sauce. Take the skillet off the heat.
- 4
Spread 0.5 cup sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add half the tortillas, half the beef mixture, and 0.5 cup cheddar. Repeat the tortillas and beef.
- 5
Pour the remaining sauce over the top and scatter the rest of the cheddar. Bake until the sauce bubbles at the edges and the cheese is melted, 25 to 30 minutes.
- 6
Rest 5 minutes, sprinkle with cilantro, and cut into squares.
Pro tips
- Drain the beans well so the beef layer does not water down the sauce.
- Tear the tortillas to fill gaps instead of stacking them only in the center.
- A five-minute rest keeps the squares from sliding apart on the plate.
Easy substitutions
- Ground beef
- Ground turkey, cooked until no pink remains
- Cheddar
- Monterey Jack in the same amount
- Black beans
- One can of pinto beans, drained
Storage and reheating
Storage
Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat covered at 350°F until the center is hot, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 564
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
Moderate · Oven · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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