The Simple Filling Mistake That Keeps Ruining Your Beef Enchiladas

A tray of savory enchiladas can easily satisfy a sizable group of people. However, with so many different possibilities for sauces and fillings, it's worth noting that, if you choose to use beef, this hearty ingredient can pose something of a structural challenge. One of the biggest mistakes you're making with beef enchiladas is overdoing it on the filling.

This is particularly important to keep in mind in a self-serve situation. If you've set out a batch of overstuffed beef enchiladas, they can easily burst open or spill out of either side when someone goes to grab one. Avoid this mistake by spooning no more than a quarter to a half cup of your beef filling and tightly rolling your tortillas closed. Applying a small layer of freshly shredded cheese can also help bind your enchiladas closed when it melts in the oven.

As far as tortillas, it's up to you to pick between corn or flour, depending on your personal preference and that of whoever else you're feeding. On one hand, corn tortillas are more likely to break during rolling if they haven't been properly prepared first by lightly steaming. Conversely, while Tasting Table's loaded beef enchiladas recipe calls for more pliable flour tortillas, these can also turn soggy under the weight of too much sauce and beef. Time, patience, and care are all crucial to creating the best enchiladas. 

With a homemade recipe and a delicious beef filling, it's tempting to overstuff your enchiladas to the max. Avoiding this mistake will both save you from any serving mishaps while also stretching out the portions of your beefy dish. Keeping each enchilada's filling consistent and thoughtful will make them look as good as they're sure to taste.

Alternatively, you can conveniently adapt a chicken enchilada casserole recipe to swap in a beef filling. This will reformat a tray of enchiladas into a stacked, lasagna-inspired meal that relies on proper layering rather than rolling. Overfilling is still a mistake to avoid here, though it's less of a concern as the portions can be cut into individual squares of your preferred size rather than single-serve rolled enchiladas.

Whether you use ground beef, shredded beef, or chunks of beef, keep fat content in mind too. You'll want to drain any excess grease from your cooked meat to avoid this negatively affecting the taste and texture of your enchiladas. 

Amid a bevy of beef, cheese, sauce, and any of your other favorite fillings and toppings, even a messy portion of enchiladas is nonetheless delicious. Still, there's something to be said for a meal that's both aesthetically pleasing as well as pleasing to the palate.