Beef Enchiladas (with Beef Barbacoa!)

Beef Enchiladas bursting with unbelievably tender, flavorful, beef barbacoa, loaded with cheese and smothered in rich, tangy shortcut enchilada sauce!

 These shredded Beef Enchiladas are out of this world delicious and come together super quickly by using Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa.  You can make the beef ahead of time and even assemble the enchiladas completely ahead of time and refrigerate for an easy make-ahead dinner that everyone will LOVE! 

I am slightly obsessed with my Beef Barbacoa Recipe. I love it more than my Carnitas, Carne Asada, Mexican Chicken and Chipotle Pork. It is hands down my favorite Mexican meat/chicken and so I knew it belonged as the star in these easy Beef Enchiladas – because after all Beef Enchiladas are only as good as the beef- so it better be goooooooood!

How to Make Shredded Beef for easy Beef Enchiladas

What I especially love about Beef Barbacoa is that the shredded beef makes your beef enchiladas not only unbelievably delicious but SO easy!   You can even make the beef days in advance and warm it with the beans and enchilada sauce or dump and run to let it braise all day while your home fills with the chipotle aroma.

To make the shredded Beef Barbacoa, simply sear the meat to create the Maillard reaction resulting in rich, deep, complex flavor, then add 1/2 cup mild enchilada sauce, chopped green chilies, minced chipotles in adobo sauce, lime juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, Worchestershire sauce, liquid smoke and our bevy of handpicked fiestalicious spices and then let the meat cruise to flavor exploding tenderness.

One thing to note is to use a 10 oz. can enchilada sauce in your Beef Barbacoa recipe because although you only use ½ cup in the slow cooker, we will use the remaining approximately ¾ cup in our Enchilada Sauce.

How to Make Easy Enchilada Sauce

This Enchilada Sauce couldn’t be any easier – or more flavorful.  It only uses 4 ingredients:

• remaining enchilada sauce from the 10 oz. can used in Beef Barbacoa (as previously mentioned above)
• one 15 oz. can enchilada sauce
• ½ cup juices from slow cooker after the Beef Barbacoa is cooked
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Whisk the ingredients together in a small saucepan, simmer for a few minutes and that’s it lusciously rich and tangy Enchilada Sauce!

If you have a homemade Enchilada Sauce you love, feel free to use that and consider replacing some of the chicken broth with the slow cooker juices.

Tips and Tricks for Beef Enchiladas

• Cook your beef until it is fall apart tender. If it isn’t tender, your beef just needs to cook longer.  Even an hour can make the difference between tough meat and melt-in-your-mouth beef.
• You can use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas although I find corn tortillas fall apart more easily.
• If you make your beef in advance and refrigerate it, then add it to the skillet at the same time as your black beans so it can reheat.
• Black beans are optional.  If you omit the black beans then add 1 cup additional shredded beef.
• By nature, Barbacoa is quite tangy.  For less tangy Enchilada Sauce, replace part or all of the Barbacoa slow cooker juice with enchilada Sauce.
• Garnish! Garnish! Garnish!  These Best Beef Enchiladas are rich so I loooooove them with lettuce and sour cream to cut through and balance the richness.

Now whip up some Cilantro Lime Rice and open wide for epic Barbacoa Beef Enchiladas AKA Mexican comfort food at its most obsessive worthy.

Looking for more Enchilada Recipes?

• Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
•  Salsa Verde Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
•  Jalapeno Chicken Enchiladas
•  Chipotle Mango Black Bean Chicken Enchiladas
•  Breakfast Ham and Cheese Enchiladas

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Print Recipe

Barbacoa Beef Enchiladas

Beef Enchiladas bursting with unbelievably tender, flavorful, Beef barbacoa, loaded with cheese and smothered in rich, tangy shortcut enchilada sauce! These shredded Beef Enchiladas are out of this world delicious and come together super quickly by using Slow Cooker Beef Barbacoa.  You can make the beef ahead of time and even assemble the enchiladas completely ahead of time and refrigerate for an easy make-ahead dinner that everyone will LOVE! 

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Rating: 0

Rate this recipe!

Cuisine

Mexican

Prep Time

25 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes plus Barbacoa Recipe

Servings

8 servings

Ingredients

Enchilada Filling

• 3 cups Beef Barbacoa (Slow Cooker)
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
• 1 15 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained
• 8-10 flour tortillas

Tangy Enchilada Sauce

• 1 15 oz. mild red enchilada sauce
• Remaining enchilada sauce from Barbacoa Recipe approx. ¾ cup
• 1/2 cup reserved juices from slow cooker (in directions)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Garnish (your favs!)

• sour cream
• lettuce
• Tomatoes
• avocado
• Guacamole
• salsa
• hot sauce
• chips

Cuisine Mexican Prep Time 25 minutes Cook Time 25 minutes plus Barbacoa Recipe Servings 8 servings Ingredients Enchilada Filling 3 cups Beef Barbacoa (Slow Cooker) 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided 1 15 oz. can black beans rinsed and drained 8-10 flour tortillas Tangy Enchilada Sauce 1 15 oz. mild red enchilada sauce Remaining enchilada sauce from Barbacoa Recipe approx. ¾ cup 1/2 cup reserved juices from slow cooker (in directions) 1 teaspoon cornstarch Garnish (your favs!) sour cream lettuce Tomatoes avocado Guacamole salsa hot sauce chips

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Instructions

1. Prepare Beef Barbacoa according to directions, using a 10 oz. can enchilada sauce in Barbacoa Recipe – you will use the rest for our Tangy Enchilada Sauce. Reserve 1/2 cup of the juices from the slow cooker after the Barbacoa is cooked, also for the Enchilada Sauce.
2. Whisk together the Tangy Enchilada Sauce ingredients. Simmer until thickened.
3. Heat black beans with 1/4 cup Tangy Enchilada Sauce. Stir in 3 cups Beef Barbacoa.
4. Spread 1/2 cup Tangy Enchilada Sauce on the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish (layer will be very thin). Add the enchilada filling to the center of each tortilla, top with cheese (approximately 2 cups total) roll up tightly and line (seam side down) in baking dish. Top enchiladas evenly with remaining Tangy Enchilada Sauce and remaining cheese (approximately one cup).
5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and center is hot. Broil until cheese is golden (optional). Top or serve with desired garnishes.

Recipe Notes

• You will only use 3 cups Beef Barbacoa for this recipe.
• Cook your beef until it is fall apart tender. If it isn’t tender, your beef just needs to cook longer.  Even an hour can make the difference between tough meat and melt-in-your-mouth beef.
• You can use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas although I find corn tortillas fall apart more easily.
• If you make your beef in advance and refrigerate it, then add it to the skillet at the same time as your black beans so it can reheat.
• By nature, Barbacoa is quite tangy (which I love).  For less tangy Enchilada Sauce, replace part or all of the Barbacoa slow cooker juice with enchilada Sauce.
• Black beans are optional.  If you omit the black beans then add 1 cup additional shredded beef.
• Garnish! Garnish! Garnish!  These Best Beef Enchiladas are rich so I loooooove them with lettuce and sour cream to cut through and balance the richness.

 

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