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Craving authentic Mexican cuisine but not interested in making a whole casserole? Look no further than these Single Serve Beef Enchiladas. Imagine two flour tortillas generously filled with seasoned ground beef, onions, and cheese, all smothered in a zesty enchilada sauce and baked to perfection in just 20 minutes. Perfect for those solo nights or when you just want something hearty without the fuss.
Enjoy your beef enchiladas alongside flavorful sides like creamy guacamole, aromatic Spanish rice, and fresh pico de gallo.
If you have a pound of ground meat, you can make this recipe as well as 3 other meals as shown in 4 Single Serving Meals from One Pound of Ground Meat.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Beef Enchiladas Recipe
- Quick to Make: In around 30 minutes, you’ll have a hot, delicious meal.
- Flavorful: Seasoned beef and zesty enchilada sauce mean every bite is packed with flavor.
- Single Serving: Perfect portion control without waste.
- Doubles Well: Need more servings? This recipe scales effortlessly.
- Customizable: Switch out ingredients to suit your dietary needs.
Ingredients
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is my go-to for its robust flavor and health benefits, but a lighter olive oil works well too.
- Ground beef: Opt for ground turkey if you’re looking for a leaner meat option. If you’ve got leftover ground beef, consider using it in Baked Ziti, Taco Casserole, or a Juicy Lucy!
- Onions and garlic: These are flavor powerhouses in the recipe, so don’t skip them.
- Spices: Chili powder, ground cumin, salt, and black pepper bring warmth and depth.
- Cheese: Shredded cheddar is a classic choice, but feel free to experiment with your favorite cheese. Dairy-free cheese works too.
- Tortillas: Flour tortillas are my favorite for their flexibility, but corn tortillas are a good gluten-free option. Use extra tortillas to make a Southwest Wrap, Breakfast Burritos, or Chicken Tacos.
- Enchilada sauce: To save time, I use pre-made enchilada sauce, which you can easily find in the International or Mexican section of most supermarkets. Brands like La Victoria and Rosarita offer a range of heat levels, from mild to spicy, so you can tailor the dish to your preference.
- Optional toppings: Elevate your enchiladas with green onions, black olives, or a dollop of sour cream.
This section provides a quick rundown of the ingredients used in this single serving Beef Enchiladas recipe. For complete measurements and step-by-step instructions, please scroll to the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Beef Enchiladas
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small batch of beef enchiladas. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- In a 10″ skillet over medium heat, heat oil 30 seconds. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook an additional 1 minute. Add ground beef, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat and transfer cooked ground beef to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce over bottom of a small baking dish.
- Warm tortillas by placing the tortillas on a plate and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high for 10-15 seconds so they are pliable. Place 1 tablespoon of cheese in the center of each tortilla, then divide meat evenly between each tortilla.
- Roll up each tortilla tightly, then arrange in a baking dish.
- Pour 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce over tops of the tortillas and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
- Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Expert Tips
- Spice Up the Filling: Incorporate freshly chopped jalapeños or serrano peppers into the beef mixture for an added layer of heat.
- Double the Fun: For a two-serving meal, simply double the ingredients and use a larger baking dish.
- Toppings Galore: Consider garnishing your beef enchiladas with fresh tomatoes, cilantro, black olives, and sour cream for a burst of flavors and textures.
- Green Twist: Switch to green enchilada sauce for a unique flavor profile, akin to our Enchiladas Verdes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Both flour and corn tortillas work well in this beef enchilada recipe. Just remember to warm the tortillas first to make them more pliable.
Definitely. Prepare the enchiladas according to the recipe, then wrap the baking dish tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. You can freeze them for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, remove the plastic wrap, cover the dish with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are fully cooked.
In the images, we feature a 5×7-inch baking dish. For the best outcome, aim to use a dish of a similar size.
Yes, assemble and store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried these beef enchiladas or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Beef Enchiladas For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- 5-inch baking dish , 5×7 inch baking dish, or 4×6 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces ground beef
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic , peeled and minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce
- Optional: chopped green onions, chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, and/or sour cream.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- In a 10" skillet over medium heat, heat oil 30 seconds. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook an additional 1 minute.
- Add ground beef, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown, about 8 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat and transfer cooked ground beef to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce over bottom of a small baking dish.
- Warm tortillas so they are pliable. Place 1 tablespoon of cheese in the center of each tortilla, then divide meat evenly between each tortilla. Roll up each tortilla tightly, then arrange in a baking dish.
- Pour ⅓ cup of enchilada sauce over tops of the tortillas and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted. Enjoy hot.
Notes
- Spice Up the Filling: Incorporate freshly chopped jalapeños or serrano peppers into the beef mixture for an added layer of heat.
- Double the Fun: For a two-serving meal, simply double the ingredients and use a larger baking dish.
- Toppings Galore: Consider garnishing your beef enchiladas with fresh tomatoes, cilantro, black olives, and sour cream for a burst of flavors and textures.
- Green Twist: Switch to green enchilada sauce for a unique flavor profile, akin to our Enchiladas Verdes.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Joanie, My interior does not like peppers. Therefore commercial enchilada sauce is a no-go. How would commercial spaghetti sauce work?
That would be a delicious substitution, Jane.
I find that canned sauce has either vinager or citric acid which to me changes the flavor. Prefer to make my own but to those who don’t mind this is easy.
One of the first recipes I tried from this site and it was great. My tortillas came out a little thick, will have to try to make them thinner.
I had some left over black beans that I threw in, delicious. So quick and easy. Thank you.
I had some small (4″) corn tortillas I needed to use up. I fit three each in my little 5″ dishes. So cute and so delicious! I’ll be doing a cornish game hen for my stay-at-home Xmas dinner… And I’ll make chicken enchiladas with whatever is left over! Loving your recipes! Thanks Joanie!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the enchiladas and hope you love the cornish hen too. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Really liked how easy this was to make. And it tasted good. 2 were a little too much for me to eat at one time, so I was happy to see that I could make 2 and freeze one for another day.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the enchiladas. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Your recipe is delicious. If There are folks that are watching Carbs or ate diabetic. The mission carb control tortillas are very good. Cost is more but worth it. I only use carb control for all tortilla recipes. Enjoy.
Made this for supper and doubled the recipe. DELICIOUS and EASY! I added some homemade verde sauce to the burger mixture and the flavors were awesome. Served on a bed of crisp lettuce and topped with tomato and black olives and sour cream. This was comparable to my favorite Mexican restaurant without leaving home. Thankyou Joanie.
Thank you so much for your very kind review. I’m so happy you enjoyed the enchiladas!
I doubled the recipe for my husband and me. Very easy and tasty. I will be making these on a regular basis
I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Finally, a recipe that isn’t too much trouble or too involved. As a widow, I no longer wish to cook much or spend time in the kitchen. So only easy, quick recipes work for me. This recipe is doable and tasty. Please make more easy, fast recipes and especially ones that are not too fattening.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the enchiladas, Bridget. Thank you so much for your feedback.
I am also a widow and really disliked cooking for myself until I found this site. I appreciate the nutritional chart too. I’m going to make the enchiladas tomorrow.
I wish Mexican food recipes were more authentic. The true authentic flavor of enchiladas requires corn tortillas which have been par cooked by lightly frying in oil before assembly. This makes the corn tortillas pliable and keeps them from getting soggy. The flavor of the corn is enhanced by the light frying.
Corn tortillas are less expensive than flour and gluten free.
Also, it would be appropriate to use the Mexican Crema instead of sour cream.
Thank you for your feedback, Joni. Did you, by any chance make the recipe?
Muy Beuno!!