April 5, 2022
Vegan Ground Beef Enchiladas
These Tex-Mex style enchiladas are loaded with seasoned ground beef, smothered in homemade enchilada sauce and creamy vegan cheese shreds, then baked to melty, savory perfection! Talk about the perfect meal!
Vegan Ground Beef Enchiladas
I love enchiladas. I particularly love that there are so many variations of them – some more complex than others, some that are simple, some that are kinda fancy with roasted chilies and homemade sauce, some with red sauce, and some with green, some with chicken, some with beef, and some filled with veggies and beans – I even love the enchiladas that have olives dolloped right on top. Have you had those?! My wife’s mom used to make ’em like that and funny enough, when I lived in Louisiana, that’s how they always came when I ordered them at any Tex-Mex restaurant. Up until I moved to California, I assumed all enchiladas had olives, and to this day, I still enjoy them on the side ???? It might sound atrocious to some, but it’s good! Definitely not authentic, but delicious nonetheless.
My vegan ground beef enchiladas are kind of a mashup of the variations of Enchiladas I’ve enjoyed throughout my life. They’re simple, with just a cheesy vegan ground beef filling, but the seasoning really takes it over the top! And the sauce is homemade, with the rehydrated chilies adding a nice complexity in flavor. Yes, I add flour to my enchilada sauce because I really enjoy its gravy-like consistency!
Ya see what I mean … they’re kinda Tex-Mex, but with my own little spin on it ????
Grab a drink and let’s make some delicious Tex-Mex style vegan ground beef enchiladas!
what are enchiladas?
Originally from Mexican cuisine, an enchilada is a corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a savory sauce. They can be filled with different ingredients, including meats, cheese, beans, potatoes, vegetables, or a combination of the ingredients. Enchilada sauces include chili-based sauces, such as salsa roja, green sauces, such as salsa verde, or moles.
Enchiladas originated in Mexico that date as far back as the Aztec times, and today, there are many variations from region to region and even family to family. Varieties include enchiladas con mole, enfrijoladas (my personal favorite), enchiladas verdes, and enchiladas poblanos.
Other countries have their own variations of Enchiladas as well, such as Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Guatemala.
what is tex-mex?
Tex-Mex, comes from the words Texan and Mexican. It is an American and Texan cuisine that was obtained from the culinary creations of the Tejano people of Texas. It developed during the Mission Era, and since then, it has spread from border states such as Texas and others in the Southwestern United States to the rest of the country.
Tex-Mex is most popular in Texas and neighboring areas, especially nearby states in both the US and Mexico. It is a subtype of Southwestern cuisine found in the American Southwest.
Tex-Mex food is identified by its heavy use of shredded cheese, beans, and meat, and flour tortillas. Generally speaking, cheese plays a much bigger role in Tex-Mex food than Mexican cuisine. Some Mexican dishes that have been popularized in Tex-Mex food are chili con queso, wet burritos, and enchiladas.
Furthermore, Tex-Mex has imported flavors such as cumin, which was introduced by Spanish immigrants to Texas from the Canary Islands, but used rarely in significant Mexican recipes.
what goes in vegan ground beef enchiladas (plus substitutions)
Now that we know what traditional enchiladas are, and what Tex-Mex food is, let’s get to what’s in these Tex-Mex enchiladas! Here’s what you’ll need:
for the sauce:
- Dried chilies: Guajillo, California, and Chipotle. I find these pretty accessible at most grocery stores and Mexican grocery stores. You can also purchase them on Amazon. If you’re unable to get all of the dried chilies, you can substitute one out for the others. Alternatively, if you can’t find dried chipotle peppers, you can substitute a can of chipotles in adobo sauce.
- Vegan beef broth: Vegan beef broth typically comes in a cube bouillon form, powder, and as a base, which has a paste like texture. One of the brands I purchase is Better Than Bouillon, which you can find at many health foods stores such as Whole Foods and Sprouts, in the same aisle as the broths. Another brand I love are the Edward & Sons cubes, which I find are more readily available in larger supermarkets as well as health food stores. You can also find artificial beef broth powder at most Asian markets and on Amazon. To make a broth, simply mix the bouillon with water according to directions. If you’re unable to find vegan beef broth, you can sub for vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- Garlic
- El Pato tomato sauce (the yellow can): I can almost always find this in the “international” aisle of my grocery store and Mexican food markets. If you can’t get El Pato, simply sub tomato sauce.
- Ancho chile powder
- Dried Mexican oregano
- Ground cumin
- Avocado oil: sub for any neutral oil such as canola or vegetable
- All-purpose flour: I haven’t tested this recipe with a gluten free flour. You can simply omit this if you want it gluten free!
- Salt, to taste
for the enchiladas & filling:
- Garlic: Minced finely if not using a mortar and pestle
- Bay leaf: minced finely with the garlic if not using a mortar and pestle
- Dried Mexican oregano
- Cumin seeds: while I prefer using whole cumin seeds, you can sub these out for 1 teaspoon of ground cumin. Additionally, if you won’t be using a mortar and pestle, simply season the ground beef with the subbed ground seasonings
- Whole peppercorns: sub 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper.
- Avocado oil: sub with any neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable
- Red onion: sub white onion
- Vegan ground beef: I prefer Impossible ground beef for this recipe, but any beefless ground will work!
- Vegan cheese shreds: preferably a blend such as Colby-Jack or Mexican-Style shreds
- Corn tortillas: you can sub flour, if you prefer
- Optional Toppings: vegan sour cream, cilantro, radish, jalapeño, olives, and roasted corn — or whatever else you like! The possibilities are endless!
how to make vegan beef enchiladas
While you can most certainly use a can of store-bought enchilada sauce, I highly recommend making your own – it really takes these enchiladas to the next level! Here’s how to make ’em in just 5 easy steps:
1. Sauce:
Rehydrate the dried chiles, drain and place them into a high-powered blender along with the remaining sauce ingredients, besides the oil, flour, and salt. Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt if necessary. Next, make a paste in a skillet with the oil and flour, cook for about a minute, in the sauce, then simmer.
2. Filling:
Start by grinding the spices – while I offer subs for this, I highly recommend grinding them yourself. It really brings out a depth of flavor that ground seasonings just don’t add! Add the ground spices to your vegan ground and onions and cook through. Add some vegan cheese shreds off the heat, and voila! You’ve got your filling!
3. Assemble:
To assemble the enchiladas, smear some of the sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Dip the tortilla in the remaining sauce in the skillet so it’s lightly coated. Then, spoon a couple tablespoons of the meat filling towards the lower half of the tortilla, then gently roll upwards. Place the filled tortilla into the baking dish seam side down and continue with the remaining tortillas and filling.Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, followed by the remaining 1 cup of cheese shreds.
4. bake:
Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted, and the enchiladas are bubbling.
5. enjoy!
Let cool at room temperature for 5 minutes and serve with optional preferred toppings, and ENJOY!
more Mexican and tex-mex inspired recipes to try
- Skillet Cheesy Enchilada-Inspired Chick’n & Rice Bake
- Vegan Pambazos
- Barbacoa-Inspired Tacos
- Mangonada Popsicles
- Chick’n Tortilla Soup
Tex-Mex Vegan Ground Beef Enchiladas: Your new favorite meal?
If you make these vegan ground beef enchiladas for dinner (or lunch), I’d love to see! Snap a photo or a video, share it on Instagram, and tag me at @eat_figs_not_pigs and #EatFigsNotPigs. I love seeing all your recreations of my recipes! Til next time, friends!
XOXO!
Vegan Ground Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce:
- • 2 dried guajillo chilies
- • 1 dried California chili
- • 3 dried chipotle chiles
- • 3 cups vegan beef broth see recipe notes
- • 6 cloves garlic
- • ½ cup El Pato sauce
- • 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- • 3 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano
- • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- • Kosher salt to taste
Enchiladas:
- • 4 cloves garlic
- • 1 bay leaf
- • 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
- • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- • 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
- • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- • 1 cup diced red onion
- • 12 ounces vegan ground beef
- • 3 cups vegan cheese shreds preferably a blend such as Colby-Jack or Mexican-Style shreds, divided
- • 10 corn tortillas
Toppings, optional:
- • Vegan sour cream
- • Finely chopped cilantro
- • Thinly sliced radish
- • Thinly sliced jalapeño
- • Roasted corn
- • Black olives
Instructions
- To make the sauce, first rehydrate the dried chiles in boiling hot water for 15 minutes, drain and remove as many of the seeds as you can (I find it’s easier once they’re rehydrated), and place them into a high-powered blender along with the remaining sauce ingredients, besides the oil, flour, and salt. Pulse until smooth (see recipe notes). Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt if necessary.
- Next, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the flour and mix to combine into a thick paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Pour in the enchilada sauce, whisking to combine. You’ll notice it will thicken quickly. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every so often. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
- Before preparing the enchilada filling, preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, for the enchilada filling, place the 4 cloves of garlic, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano, cumin seeds, and whole peppercorns in mortar and pestle with 1 tablespoon of water and crush until a thick paste forms, 3 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can make this mixture in a spice grinder (see recipe notes). Set aside.
- Then, heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the vegan ground and onions, and cook, breaking the vegan ground meat up with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula. Add the seasoning paste and continue to cook until the meat is browned and fully heated through, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in 2 cups of the vegan cheese shreds. Continue to stir until the residual heat melts most of the cheese.
- To assemble the enchiladas, smear about 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Working one tortilla at a time, carefully dip the tortilla in the remaining sauce in the skillet so it’s lightly coated. Lay the lightly soaked tortilla on a clean flat surface and spoon a couple tablespoons of the meat filling towards the lower half of the tortilla, then gently roll upwards. Place the filled tortilla into the baking dish seam side down and continue with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, followed by the remaining 1 cup of cheese shreds. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted, and the enchiladas are bubbling.
- Let cool at room temperature for 5 minutes and serve with optional preferred toppings. ENJOY!
Notes
2. I have a high-powered blender, which is why my recipe doesn’t call to strain the marinade. If you’re using a regular blender or food processor like I did in the video, feel free to strain it through a fine mesh sieve.
3. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, substitute with powdered seasonings which I’ve detailed within the blog post.
