Enchilada Pie Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

Enchilada Pie is layers of seasoned ground beef, veggies, beans, cheese, enchilada sauce, and corn tortillas; all baked together until perfectly cheesy and golden. This casserole recipe is an easy twist on enchiladas without the hassle of rolling!

This Enchilada Pie is packed with bold, delicious flavor! Pair it with roasted tomato salsa, and/or thisclassicguacamole with tortilla chips. And don’t forget Tres Leches Cake for dessert!

What is Enchilada Pie?

Enchilada pie is a delicious one-pan casserole version of classic beef enchiladas. It’s perfect for serving a crowd, making it a great option for potlucks or family dinners. It’s also so much easier than making enchiladas because there’s no fussing with spooning ingredients into, and rolling each separate tortilla. Instead, in this recipe, the tortillas are layered with the meat, veggies, cheese, tortillas and enchilada sauce. While baking the cheese becomes melty and the enchilada sauce adds moisture and flavor.It comes out of the oven, irresistibly steamy, cheesy and gooey.

This Mexican dishis a complete meal with plenty of protein from the ground beef, carbs from the tortillas and beans, and veggies, too! It’s one of my family’s favorite regular weeknight recipes. It’s super easy to put together, leftovers are delicious and it can even be assembled ahead of time. It doesn’t get much better than that! Your whole family will go crazy over it.

Ingredients Needed

This enchilada pie recipe includes bold spices, other common enchilada ingredients and plenty of cheese. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all of the exact measurements.

Enchilada sauce

• Olive Oil: To help roast the flour and chili powder.
• Flour: To thicken the sauce.
• Spices: A blend of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper adds the perfect bold flavors.
• Tomato Sauce: Creates the color and adds a bit of acidity.
• Vegetable Stock: For a nice consistency with a neutral flavor.

Filling

• Lean Ground Beef: You can also use ground turkey instead, if you prefer.
• Salt & Pepper: To bring out all of the flavors.
• Vegetables: Sautéed white onion, green peppers, and minced garlic adds texture and a wonderful savory taste.
• Black Beans: Use canned black beans ormake yourownquickly in the instant pot.
• Corn Tortillas: I prefer corn tortillas for this pie, however, feel free to use flour tortillas instead. Use gluten-free tortillas, as needed.
• Cheese: You can use cheddar cheese or Colby Jack cheese, but I really love a mix of pepper jack cheese and monterey jack cheese in this enchilada casserole recipe.

How to Make Enchilada Pie

This enchilada pie recipe is so simple and such a crowd pleaser that you will want to make it again and again! I can’t wait for you to try it!

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, prepare a 9 by 13 inch baking dish by spraying it with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Enchilada sauce

1. Mix Roux: In a medium sized skillet add the olive oil, flour and chili powder. Whisk until it starts to brown and is fragrant.
2. Add Seasonings: Slowly whisk in the tomato sauce, vegetable stock, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin. Whisk until it starts to thicken.
3. Remove: Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste, set aside.

Filling

1. Brown Ground Beef: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add the ground beef, season it with salt and pepper. Cook the ground beef until it is browned.
2. Sauté Pepper and Onion: To the skillet add the onion and green bell pepper, cook until the onion is transparent.
3. Add Garlic and Beans: Add in the garlic and black beans and cook for just about 2-3 minutes, stirring well. Remove the beef and vegetable mixture from heat.
4. Mix Cheeses: In a medium bowl, mix together the pepper jack and monterey jack cheeses.
5. Begin to Assemble Pie: To the prepared baking dish, pour a little of the enchilada sauce in the bottom, about ¼ cup. Line the bottom of the pan with 6 tortillas, they will slightly overlap.
6. Layer Beef, Tortillas and Cheese: Add half of the beef mixture in an even layer on top of the tortillas, spread half of the cheese mixture on top of the meat.
7. Add Tortillas and Sauce: Place a layer of the remaining 6 tortillas over the top of the cheese, pour half of the enchilada sauce evenly over the tortillas.
8. Add Beef, Cheese and Sauce: Spread the remaining beef mixture over the tortillas, and the remaining cheese over the beef. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the whole dish.
9. Bake: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the cheese begins to color and bubble.
10. Cool and Serve: Remove the enchilada pie from the oven and let it rest at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.