We go to a special little Mexican and Tex-Mex taco joint that serves sanchiladas and it’s my absolute favorite dish on their menu. It recently dawned on me that I needed to figure out how to make sanchiladas at home…..so I did.
My recipe isn’t exactly how my little taco joint makes their sanchiladas, but it’s close, and my boys are super excited to get to eat this Mexican dish as any meal.
I get excited because it’s basic, cheesy, and fast Mexican food!
SANCHO VS BURRITO VS SANCHILADA
A sancho is a beef burrito with cheese and lettuce smothered in cheese sauce.
A burrito is a popular Mexican dish that typically consists of a tortilla wrapped around various fillings. A beef and cheese version of this is part of a Sancho.
A sanchilada is part beef and cheese burrito with all the extra saucy love of enchiladas, including the enchilada sauce!
WHY THIS RECIPE IS A KEEPER
Sanchiladas are very basic beef and cheese Mexican fare. If you’ve got picky eaters in your family, not to worry! All of my picky eaters devour these sanchiladas.
You can dress up these sanchiladas any way you’d like.
My family prefers just beef, cheese, and the sour cream topping. I love to add cilantro, scallions, tomatoes, and fresh pico de gallo on top.
These Maxican Beef and Cheese Sanchiladas are a tasty Mexican favorite that crosses between a sancho and a beef enchilada.
Prep Time: 20minutes
Cook Time: 10minutes
Total Time: 30minutes
Servings: 4 sanchiladas
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 tsp. granulated onion
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
2 – 10 oz. cans mild red enchilada sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped lettuce
1 cup sour cream
4 8-inch flour tortillas, warmed
tortilla chips, for serving alongside the sanchiladas
chopped cilantro and scallions, for garnishing, if desired
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high heat, brown the ground beef with the spices until cooked throughout and no pink remains (160-165 degrees F.); drain any fats that accumulate as the beef cooks.
Stir one can of the enchilada sauce into the ground beef, continuing to cook over medium heat until the sanchilada mixture is hot throughout; remove from the heat.
Place a warm tortilla onto a work surface; place one-fourth of the prepared beef mixture across the center of the tortilla in a 2-inch strip; top with cheese and lettuce, as desired.
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream with 1/4 cup of red enchilada sauce, stirring to combine. Place the prepared sour cream mixture into a sandwich bag, snipping away the corner of the bag.
Press the sour cream mixture through the hole in the corner of the bag, onto the beef mixture over the top of the cheese and the lettuce, making two strips of sour cream the length of the beef mixture, or as desired.
Roll the flour tortilla around the beef filling, placing the sanchilada into a greased elongated and shallow glass baking dish for one, or create all four sanchiladas, placing them side-by-side into a larger baking dish.
Pour enchilada sauce, as desired, over the top of the sanchiladas, then top with more shredded cheese; garnish with scallions or cilantro.
Heat the prepared sanchilada for a few seconds in the microwave until heated throughout; stack tortilla chips alongside the sanchilada and serve at once.
NOTES:
Tips for Making the Best Beef and Cheese Mexican Sanchiladas
Warming the tortillas in the microwave before you roll them around the filling makes them much easier to work with.
We prefer beef for sanchiladas, but you could actually use any ground meat, such as ground turkey, ground pork, or even ground venison.
If you prefer, you can substitute green enchilada sauce for the red enchilada sauce for a new twist on your sanchiladas.
We use mild red enchilada sauce but if you prefer a more spicy sauce and experience, opt for the hot red enchilada sauce, or stir a bit of red pepper flakes into the mild enchilada sauce.
NUTRITIONAL INFO:
Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 476mg | Potassium: 551mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 358IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 4mg