Cheesy Ground Beef & Rice Enchiladas

Cheesy Ground Beef Enchiladas are an easy dinner recipe that the entire family will love! These easy beef enchiladas are stuffed with seasoned ground beef, Spanish rice, and shredded cheese. Serve with all your favorite toppings like avocado, sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce for a delicious family-friendly dinner. 

My family just loves anything with those yummy enchilada flavors like these Cream Cheese Enchiladas, Green Chili Chicken & Corn Enchiladas, and my Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Tacos. 

Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas Recipe

These easy ground beef enchiladas are easy to make with some convenient ingredients like lean ground beef, Spanish rice mix, and canned enchilada sauce. An easy dinner recipe that is mild enough for the entire family but can also be made as spicy as you prefer!

We always love to top our enchiladas with all the toppings like sour cream, sliced avocado, pico de Gallo, salsa verde guacamole, and some shredded lettuce. 

The addition of rice makes this a hearty meal and adds some delicious texture and flavor inside the enchiladas.

What You’ll Need

This recipe calls for simple, inexpensive ingredients. Here are the ingredients you will need to make this enchiladas recipe and some tips for each one!

• Ground Beef – I use lean ground beef (93/7) but any type can be used. You will end up draining it anyways after it’s cooked, which will get rid of all the grease and oil from the beef. 
• Dried Seasonings – No seasoning packet here! You will need garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, cumin, and salt to flavor the ground beef. 
• Knorr Spanish Rice Mix – Prepare this according to package directions.
• Red Enchilada Sauce – Use a can of mild, medium, or hot depending on your preference. 
• Heavy Cream – It’s best to not substitute this with anything else. Trust me!
• Shredded Cheese – I use cheddar cheese or Colby Jack cheese. I highly suggest that you grate the cheese yourself from a block. 

How To Make Beef Enchiladas With Ground Beef

Preparation : Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Open the enchilada sauce and spread 1/4 cup of it in the bottom of the pan. Set aside. 

Make Rice : Prepare the Spanish rice according to the package instructions. This usually involves boiling water in a saucepan and then adding the ingredients from the bag/box of rice mix. 

Ground Beef : While the rice is cooking, cook & crumble the ground beef along with the dried seasonings, until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the excess liquid and grease from the pan. 

Enchiladas : Add the rice into the ground beef mixture and stir. Add some of this into each tortilla along with some cheese and roll up. Place enchiladas seam side down into a 9×13 pan. 

Enchilada Sauce : Mix heavy cream with the remaining enchilada sauce and evenly pour over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese. Cook for 20-25 minutes. 

Tips For Success

Here are a few tips that will help make this recipe a success in your own kitchen!

• Saucey Enchiladas? : My family prefers enchiladas that are not saucey, more on the drier side. If you want more sauce in your enchiladas then try using two cans of the enchilada sauce. 
• Add Beans : This recipe can easily be adapted to whatever you prefer. Add a can of drained & rinsed beans into the ground beef and rice mixture. Or you can simply replace the rice with a can of beans. I think black beans or pinto beans would be great choices. 
• Shredded Cheese : For best results shred your own cheese from a block of cheese. The pre-shredded cheese in the bag comes coated in a powder (to prevent clumping) which means that it won’t melt as nicely. Of course, you can use it to make this recipe easy but I prefer to grate my own. 
• Toppings : Enchiladas are so much better with toppings! I love to serve this with shredded lettuce, avocado slices, pico de gallo, and sour cream. 
• Warm Up The Tortillas : To make rolling the enchilada easy, place the tortillas (I just put the whole bag thing in there) in the microwave and cook them for about 30-45 seconds, or longer until they’re soft and pliable. 

Variation & Substitution Ideas

There are several ways to switch up this recipe. 

• Make It Spicy! : This is a mild recipe but it can easily be adjusted to whatever you want. Use shredded Pepper Jack cheese. Add some cayenne red pepper in with the dried seasonings. Add additional chili powder. Top the enchiladas with jalapeño. Add a can of diced green chilies in with the ground beef mixture once it is cooked. Use a can of medium or hot enchilada sauce. 
• Enchilada Sauce : If you prefer green enchilada sauce then feel free to use that instead. If you want saucier enchiladas then try using two cans of the enchilada sauce. 
• Switch Out The Meat : You can use ground chicken or ground turkey in this recipe. 
• Rice : I love the addition of rice in these enchiladas but you can easily leave it out if wanted. You can also use some rice that you make yourself. If you would rather not use a packet of rice mix then try my Easy Mexican Rice or my Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice and use that instead. 
• Cheese : Use whatever cheese you prefer! I use either cheddar cheese or colby jack cheese. 

Ground Beef Enchiladas FAQ’s

• Can I Make These Ground Beef Enchiladas Spicy?
  • Yes! It’s so easy to adapt this recipe to the spice level you want. 
    • Add cayenne pepper with the other dried seasonings
    • Add additional chili powder
    • Add a can of diced green chilies (mild, medium, hot) in with the ground beef mixture OR you can add it into the enchilada sauce and cream. 
    • Top enchiladas with jalapeño
    • Use shredded Pepper Jack cheese
    • Use a can of medium or hot enchilada sauce instead of mild
    • Add a can of chopped jalapeños into the ground beef & rice mixture. 
• Can I Freeze Beef Enchiladas?
  • Yes you can freeze enchiladas. I would suggest freezing them unbaked. Prepare the enchiladas according to recipe instructions below. Instead of cooking, double wrap the pan in plastic wrap and then double wrap again in tin foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Let pan thaw in the fridge overnight before baking. 
  • I would suggest taking the pan out of the oven about 30 minute before cooking, that way the pan is warmed up to room temperature a bit before it goes into the hot oven.
• How To Store Leftovers?
  • Store leftovers enchiladas, in a covered container, in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The flour tortilla will get softer the longer they’re in the fridge, but that never seems to stop my family from eating leftovers. 
• What Tortillas Do I Use For Enchiladas?
  • Use the small sized tortillas, about 8″ to 9″ in size. They are called fajita size at the store. I have also seen gluten-free or low-carb tortillas, so use whatever you want that fits into your diet. My family prefers flour tortillas so that’s what I use. 
• What Do I Serve With Enchiladas?
  • Since these enchiladas have ground beef + rice, I usually just serve them with all the toppings and then everyone can make it how they want. 
  • I serve them with shredded lettuce, sour cream, avocado slices, and pico de gallo. 
  • You can also sprinkle some chopped cilantro on top the enchilada for a pretty presentation. 
  • If you want a veggie side dish then try my Southwestern Corn. 

More Ground Beef Dinner Recipes You’ll Love

Ground Beef Stew : Stew made with ground beef and it’s easy to make in the slow cooker. 

One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff : So easy and yummy. Made with convenient ingredients like cream of mushroom soup, egg noodles, gravy mix, and ground beef.

Creamy Beef Noodle Bake : Our favorite casserole with ground beef, cottage cheese, sour cream, and cheese. 

BBQ Beef Pasta Skillet : Made in one pan with yummy stuff like spiral pasta, bbq sauce, ground beef, and corn. Such a unique and different flavor but so good.