Cooking On The Ranch

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Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Caramelized Sweet Corn

By 8 Comments

A perfect light Summer meal. Caramelized and charred sweet corn seasoned with jalapeno peppers, rings of shallots and lime juice is a great topping for flank steak. Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Caramelized Sweet corn is an easy, breezy fresh dinner.

Grilled flank steak with mexican street corn.

Yay for fresh sweet corn season. And Colorado delivers top notch kernels.

A short drive northeast of town to the Brighton area to true farmers’ markets like Palombos Farmer’s Market where you can purchase some of the best produce in the state.

Or if you live on the Western Slope near Olathe, you have access to Olathe Sweet Corn, boasting  the best corn in the entire United States of America. They even have The Olathe Sweet Corn Festival  to celebrate their claim to fame.

It seems from anywhere in Colorado that sweet corn hails, I could eat it every single day that it’s in season. Let’s take a look at a way to make a version of Mexican Style Street Corn off the cob.

Sweet Corn sauteed in butter until browned and caramelized. With rings of shallots, jalapeno pepper, and lime juice, this is a great Mexican Sweet Corn Recipe.

Why not turn that sugary fresh corn into a meal along with grilled flank steak? By frying it until it’s caramelized and starting to brown itself into bliss, it may just be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.

And, my attendance at Culinary School has renewed my passion for shallots which worked beautifully in this recipe. Those beautiful little bulbs that are a cross in flavor between an onion and garlic bring a savory flavor to this dish, and the rings of jalapeno a zesty heat.

A squeeze of lime juice brightens it up and brings the flavor level over the top. Topped with a little sprinkle of salty Cotija cheese and some slices of grilled flank steak and you got a complete meal with fabulous flavor. And it’s easy.

Mexican Flavored Corn topped with Grilled Flank Steak is an easy and healthy Summer meal.

Don’t just serve this dish in the Summer months. Keep this one in your back pocket for when the snow is flying. Armed with a grill pan for the flank steak, a bag frozen corn and you can enjoy this easy meal any time of year.

More Easy Grilled Flank Steak Dinner Recipes

Grilled flank steak with mexican street corn.
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5 from 1 vote

Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Corn, Shallot and Jalapenos

Frying the sweet corn in butter until caramelized and starting to brown, brings the flavor to a whole new level. Add shallots, jalapeno and lime juice for a kicked up side dish.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course Beef
Cuisine: Amerian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 248kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 14 ounces sweet corn kernels removed from cob. Or frozen corn
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large shallot peeled, thinly sliced into rings
  • 1 medium jalapeno pepper top, seeds and veins removed and thinly sliced into rings
  • juice from one lime
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 ounces Cotija cheese , crumbled
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems
  • 1 pound Flank Steak

Instructions

  • Heat butter in a medium large sauce pan until it melted and bubbly over a medium-high heat. As soon as the bubbles subside, add the corn. Turn heat down to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the shallots and the rings of jalapeno. Continue cooking until corn starts to brown. 
  • In the meantime, light a grill to 500 degrees. Turn down to 350 degrees. Simply salt and pepper the flank steak and cook on each side for about 5 – 6 minutes. Tent to keep warm.  When ready to serve, slice against the grain.
  • When the corn looks browned and caramelized, and jalapeno and shallots are tender, remove from heat and squeeze on the lime juice. Add a serving of the corn to a dinner plate and top with a slice of grilled flank steak. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese.

Notes

Don’t just save this dish for the Summer months. Armed with a grill pan for the flank steak, frozen corn will work beautifully for this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 272IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg

Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Sweet Corn, Shallots and Jalapeno … It’s what’s for Dinner

Spicy BBQ Brisket Pizza

By 6 Comments

Brisket pizza is a beef lover’s treat. With Sticky Sweet BBQ sauce for the sauce base, just add cheese, onion and chopped tomato. I’ve added a healthy amount of Jalapeno peppers to make this a spicy version and finished with ranch dressing and cilantro. You crowd will be howling for more. A delicious way to use left over beef brisket.

Slices of bbq brisket pizza drizzled with ranch dressing.

What You Can Expect From This Recipe

Cooking a full brisket will more than likely leave you with BBQ Brisket leftovers. And one of my favorite ways to use up some of that tender meat is to make Brisket Pizza.

I like to make this project as easy as possible, so I purchase pre-made pizza shells. After all, leftovers are supposed to be easy meals … right? Whole Foods has packaged version, King Soopers carries a copy-cat of this idea. And there’s always Boboli. Which I’ve never tried.

Recommended: You can also purchase fresh pizza dough from practically every grocery store. And I’ve even called ahead to my favorite pizza joint and ordered an already rolled out naked pizza shell. And they don’t charge much to do that.

With that said, I think you’re going to love using BBQ sauce for the base of this pizza.

I like to use a rich sticky sweet sauce. Stubb’s brand has a bottle with brown sugar and molasses for an authentic Southern flavor. It was a great base for this BBQ brisket pizza and complimented the toppings perfectly. It’s actually called Stubbs Sticky Sweet BBQ Sauce.

We’ll layer the pizza with cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, and chopped tomatoes. I’m adding jalapeno peppers to spice things up. We’ll finish by adding some of that leftover beef brisket that’s either been chopped or shredded. Smoked or BBQ’d.

Finished with cilantro and ranch dressing, this is a delicious Western style pizza pie. The combination of flavors here are outstanding.

You an finish the pizza with regular ranch dressing, or consider using my recipe for Spicy Ranch Dressing.

Let’s take a look.

Noteworthy Ingredients

Ingredients to make Brisket Pizza.
  • 12″ pizza shell. Use a pre-made shell or purchased raw pizza dough from your grocery store.
  • Tomatoes: I like to use Cherub brand tomatoes. They’re a type of grape tomato available year round. They’re sturdy and easy to slice.
  • Your favorite BBQ Sauce.
  • Jalapeno Peppers make this a spicy Brisket Pizza Recipe.
  • Cheese: I like to use an orange cheese here, just for presentation reasons. The bright orange color looks bold with the deep color of the bbq sauce. You can use any good melting cheese such as cheddar (sharp or extra sharp) , Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or even one of my favorites, Muenster cheese.
  • Red Onion: I do like the bold flavor that red onion brings to this combination of ingredients, however, any variety of onion will work.
  • Brisket: Use leftover shredded or chopped bbq or smoked beef brisket meat.

Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy

Step 1: Spreading bbq on pizza shell to make brisket pizza.
Step 2: Adding grated cheese to make brisket pizza.
  1. Step 1: Use the back of a spoon to coat the pizza dough with bbq sauce.
  2. Step 2: Add the grated cheese.
Step 3: Adding jalapeno pepper and chopped onion to make brisket pizza.
Step 4: Adding chopped. brisket to make brisket pizza.
  1. Step 3: Sprinkle on the chopped red onion and chopped jalapeno pepper.
  2. Step 4: Add the chopped tomatoes.
Step 5: Adding chopped brisket to pizza to make brisket pizza.
Step 6: Cooked Brisket pizza topped with Ranch Dressing and Cilantro.
  1. Step 5: Add the chopped or shredded leftover brisket.
  2. Step 6: Cook the pizza in the oven. When finished, use a spoon to drizzle on the Ranch Dressing and add the chopped cilantro. Slice and serve.

Tips For Success

  • Don’t be tempted to pour on more bbq sauce. It’s a strong flavor that will dominate the other ingredients. If you add too much, it may make the crust soggy and it’s all you’ll tase. Less is more.
  • If using a pizza stone, place the stone in the oven while it pre-heats. A hot stone will help the pizza cook more evenly.
  • Use a large spoon to drizzle on the Ranch dressing.
  • If using fresh pizza dough, once rolled out sprinkle the pizza stone with corn meal before adding the pizza dough. This will add a nice crunch to the cooked pizza.
  • Removing veins and seeds before chopping Jalapeno Pepper will decrease the spicy heat level.

Storage and Reheating

Store any leftover pizza in the refrigerator wrapped in foil. To keep the crust nice and crispy, reheat any leftover for a few minutes in the oven, toaster oven or air-fryer.

Recipe for BBQ Brisket Pizza

Slices of bbq brisket pizza with jalapenos and drizzled with ranch dressing.

And if you’re looking for more recipe using bbq sauce, don’t miss my recipe for Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce. A unique and very tasty version of everyone’s favorite comfort food.

Three slices of brisket pizza on a cutting board.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Spicy BBQ Brisket Pizza

Brisket pizza is a beef lover's treat. With Sticky Sweet BBQ sauce for the sauce base, just add cheese, onion, jalapeno, ranch dressing and cilantro. You crowd will be howling for more. A delicious way to use left over beef brisket.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course Beef
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 130kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 1 12" Pizza shell
  • ½ Cup Stubbs Sticky Sweet Legendary BBQ sauce or your favorite bbq sauce
  • 1 Cup cheddar cheese grated.
  • ⅛ Cup Red onion Chopped
  • ½ Cup Tomato Rough chopped
  • 1 – 2 Jalapeno Pepper chopped.
  • 8 ounces Leftover smoked or BBQ Brisket chopped or shredded
  • Fresh cilantro fine chopped and Ranch Dressing for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 or 425 degrees. Depending on which pizza dough you use and instructions per that product. Sprinkle pizza stone or baking sheet with corn meal. Add the pizza stone to the oven to heat up while you build the brisket pizza.
  • Use the back of a large spoon to evenly coat the dough with the BBQ sauce. Leave about ½ inch from the edge without sauce. Sprinkle on the grated cheddar cheese.
  • Add chopped onion, chopped jalapeno pepper, chopped tomato, ending with the shredded or chopped bbq brisket.
  • Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until everything looks bubbly and cooked. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped cilantro and drizzle with Ranch Dressing.

Notes

Tips For Success: 
  • Don’t be tempted to pour on more bbq sauce. It’s a strong flavor that will dominate the other ingredients. If you add too much, it may make the crust soggy and it’s all you’ll tase. Less is more.
  • If using a pizza stone, place the stone in the oven while it pre-heats. A hot stone will help the pizza cook more evenly.
  • Use a large spoon to drizzle on the Ranch dressing.
  • If using fresh pizza dough, once rolled out sprinkle the pizza stone with corn meal before adding the pizza dough. This will add a nice crunch to the cooked pizza.
  • Removing veins and seeds before chopping Jalapeno Pepper will decrease the spicy heat level.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

BBQ Brisket Pizza … It’s what’s for Dinner

Easy Grilled Chicken Kebabs Recipe, with Ancho Chile Lime Marinade

By 1 Comment

A chicken breast kebab marinade of orange juice, lime juice, chile powder and chipotle peppers gives this easy chicken kebabs recipe a fabulous kick of flavor before it hits that hot grill. This is an easy and healthy grilled chicken recipe for a classic Summer dinner option.

And if you’re looking for more Mexican chicken recipes, don’t miss this one for Baked Chicken Cutlets. Stuffed with Green Chili and Cheese, this is a very popular recipe.

easy grilled chicken kebabs on a platter garnished with lettuce

About This Recipe and Why It Works

Easy Summer recipes are a must for me this year. As I’ve mentioned, I’m attending Culinary School in Downtown Denver.

The alarm announces the beginning of the day at 4:30 a.m. and the clanging of the light rail train announces my departure to downtown at 6:12. Outfitted in my chef coat and hat and industrial non-skid shoes, I’m at my post at 7:30 and learning cooking skills that I never even knew existed. I’m absolutely loving every second I spend at school.

Needless to say, I’m on my feet all day, cooking rich indulgent food all day, so fast easy healthy meals are important for our dinner routine.

Cue this easy chicken kebabs recipe with chili lime kebab marinade.

I can prepare the flavorful chili lime chicken marinade either the night before, or it only takes minutes to whisk together in the morning. Once I’m home, I can toss the cubed chicken into the marinade, enjoy a glass of wine, then light that grill and dinner is ready in about 10 minutes.

The combination of ancho chile powder, lime juice, orange juice and canned chipotle peppers bring a bright and lively flavor to the chicken. Not to mention a little sass in the form of latin spice.

One of my favorite Summer chicken kebab recipes, let’s take a look.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make easy ancho chili lime chicken kebabs
  • 3 – 4 limes. Two for juicing and one to slice and grill alongside the kebabs
  • Canned Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
  • Chicken Breast: boneless, skinless
  • Orange Juice
  • Lime Juice
  • Chile or Chili Powder
  • Garlic
  • Vegetable Oil

Ingredient Swaps or Substitutions

  • Chicken: Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe.
  • Orange Juice: Pineapple juice is a good substitution for orange juice, plus, it’s a great tenderizer for any meat.
  • Chile Powder: Use what ever you have on hand. Ancho chile powder is popular choice due to its medium head factor. New Mexico Chile Powder, Chimayo Chile Powder for example, is usually higher on the heat index scale and beautiful with earthy chile powder flavor. You can also use chili powder (with an i) which is a blend of spices readily sold in grocery stores. The kind you buy to season your chili soup.
  • Garlic: This recipe calls for three cloves of garlic, chopped. You can substitute ½ – 1 teaspoon garlic powder, depending on how garlicky you want the flavor. The garlic powder I buy is pretty strong, so I’d stick with the ½ teaspoon.

How To Make This Easy Chicken Kebabs Recipe

cubed chicken breast in a shallow pan waiting for chicken marinade
Step 1
  • Step 1: Cut the chicken breast meat in about 1 ½ inch chunks. Place them in a shallow bowl or pan.
marinade for chili lime chicken kebabs in a white bowl
Step 2:

Step 2: Whisk together the marinade ingredients

pieces of chicken breast marinating in chili lime sauce for chicken kebabs
Step 3

Step 3: Pour the marinade over the cubed chicken breast. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

ancho chile lime chicken kebabs on a white platter ready to grill
Step 4

Step 4: Thread the marinated chicken breast onto skewers. Use metal skewers or wooden skewers. If using wooden skewers make sure to soak them in water for at least an hour so they don’t burn on the grill.

grilling three chicken kebab skewers
Step 5

Step 5: You’re ready to grill. Place the chicken kebab skewers on an oiled preheated grill. Cook for about 4 – 5 minutes per side.

Tips and FAQ’s

How Do I Keep Chicken Kebabs From Drying Out On The Grill?

Whether using white chicken breast meat or dark meat from the thigh, it's important to not cut the chicken into chunks that are too small. They will dry out quickly on the grill. Larger chunks of 1 to 1½ inches are ideal.

Why Is There Oil In The Chicken Kebab Marinade?

A marinade containing a high oil content will not only flavor the chicken, it will also help keep the chicken from drying out on the grill.

Can I Add Vegetables To These Kebabs?

I like to use separate skewers for meats and vegetables. For meat I keep the pieces very close to each other with a only a small space between for a bit of circulation. For vegetable skewers, I simply make sure the chunks are of equal size. For me, separating the meats from the veggies insures easier control of cooking times. Then the meat and vegetables can be removed from the skewers and combined on a large plate for serving.

Can This Recipe Be Made Ahead of Time?

You can cut up the chicken and mix the marinade ingredients, but don’t marinate the chicken for any longer than an hour. The acid in both the lime juice and orange juice will compromise the texture of the chicken by “cooking” it. It will become tough.

Can These Chicken Kabobs Be Cooked Indoors

These chicken skewers are very versatile and can be cooked on either an out-door grill or indoor grill. Or even in the oven. To use an indoor stove top grill pan, just brush the pan with oil and heat the pan over medium high heat until hot. Add the chicken skewers and cook 5 – 7 minutes per side. If using an oven, the broiler is the way to go. Place chicken kebab skewers on a sheet pan. Place under broiler using the 2nd rack down. Watch them close and broil them about 5 minutes per side.

Tip:

Cut up the chicken in equal sized pieces to insure even grilling.

Ancho Chile Lime Chicken Kebabs, Easy Chicken Kebabs Recipe

Easy Mexican Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe

These grilled chicken kabobs are a great way to bring a delicious and easy entree to your Summer dinner table.

I hope you give this easy chicken kebab recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and leave a message about your experience with the recipe and leave a star rating. And if you have a favorite chicken kebab recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

What to serve with chicken kebabs? How about a simple green salad, Mexican Corn Salad with Citrus Aioli, or Purple Roasted Potatoes with Thyme and Green Chile.

More Grilled Chicken Recipes

And if you’re looking for even more chicken recipes, don’t miss my Chicken Category, you’ll find lots of great recipes, including the most popular chicken recipe on my site for Chicken Mushroom and Spinach Skillet.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

easy grilled chicken kebabs on a platter garnished with lettuce
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Ancho Chile Lime Easy Chicken Kebabs Recipe

An easy grilled chicken kabob recipe that’s kicked up in flavor with an Ancho Chile, Orange Juice, Chipotle Pepper, Lime Juice Marinade. Your new go-to grilled chicken recipe the Summer.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course Chicken
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2
Calories: 544kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts skinless and boneless, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
  • ½ cup orange juice Fresh squeezed
  • ¼ cup lime juice Fresh squeezed
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder or New Mexico Chile Powder, or Chili Powder
  • 3 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce seeds removed, fine diced
  • 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Grilled lime halves for garnish and to squeeze over meal for additional flavor

Instructions

  • Place the chicken pieces in a large shallow bowl or baking dish.
  • Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, chile powder, chopped chipotle peppers in Adobo, adobo sauce and garlic. Pour over the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator 1 hour.
  • Heat a grill to 500 degrees. 
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade and skewer. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper. Turn the grill temperature down to 350 degrees and place the chicken on the hot grates.
  • Cook until each side is golden brown and slightly charred. About 4 – 5 minutes per side.  Close the grill lid and let cook through. About 1 – 2 minutes.
  • Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes. While the chicken is resting, place limes cut side down onto grill. Cook until grill marks appear on the flesh. About 1 – 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skewers and serve garnished with grilled lime wedges.

Notes

Tip: Cut up the chicken in equal sized pieces to insure even grilling.
These chicken skewers are very versatile and can be cooked on either an out-door grill or indoor grill. Or even in the oven. To use an indoor stove top grill pan, just brush the pan with oil and heat the pan over medium high heat until hot. Add the chicken skewers and cook 5 – 7 minutes per side. If using an oven, the broiler is the way to go. Place chicken kebab skewers on a sheet pan. Place under broiler using the 2nd rack down. Watch them close and broil them about 5 minutes per side.
Make Ahead: You can cut up the chicken and mix the marinade ingredients, but don’t marinate the chicken for any longer than an hour. The acid in both the lime juice and orange juice will compromise the texture of the chicken by “cooking” it. It will become tough.

Nutrition

Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 3797mg | Potassium: 1071mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 549IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg

Easy Chicken Kebab Recipe .. It’s what’s for Dinner.

Ground Beef Enchiladas With Red Chile Gravy

By 10 Comments

Ground Beef and a wonderfully rich and earthy red chile sauce come together for this cheesy, Ground Beef Enchilada Recipe. This classic Mexican recipe starts with perfectly seasoned ground beef rolled up in corn tortillas then smothered in red sauce and melted cheese.

Mexican ground beef enchiladas with sliced radishes.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times. If someone makes enchiladas for you it means they love you.

Enchiladas are a skill and a process that truly is a labor of love. From preparing the filling, making the red chile sauce, to frying and dipping the corn tortillas … not difficult, but a process that can take at least a couple of hours.

It’s a leisurely way to spend an afternoon, with a delicious authentic result.

Mexican Ground Beef Enchiladas Mountain Mex Style.

I was having lunch with my friend Gracie a couple of weeks ago and of course the conversation eventually turned to food.

Gracie is from Texas and was telling me about her family’s traditional ground beef enchiladas recipe. What peaked my interested is that Gracie started the gravy process by toasting flour.

This new to me idea sent me running to the kitchen to give it a try.

how to toast flour for a Mexican Gravy.

These enchiladas begin with making a beautiful gravy starting with toasting the flour. But how to toast flour?

Easy enough to do, just heat a fry pan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stirring constantly, the flour will start to a light caramel color and take on a nutty aroma.

Toasting flour is a fabulous and quick thing to do to make enchiladas even more wonderful.

Remove the toasted flour to a plate and use the same fry pan to finish the meal. The rest of the process is pretty standard.

  • Browning the ground beef
  • Sauteeing the poblano peppers, onions and garlic
  • Adding the tomatoes and red chile sauce (or canned enchilada sauce)
  • Then thickening with the toasted flour
  • Frying, dipping and filling the corn tortillas
  • Baking into a cheesy, beefy, red-chile-y wonderful treat

A few weeks ago, I made Rosa’s Red Chile Sauce. Rosa is my former neighbor and tamale guru.

I’ve been to a couple of her tamale class/demonstrations and always try to garner as much authentic Mexican cooking knowledge as I can possibly pry out of her.

This is the sauce recipe Rosa uses for Pork Tamales, and can also be used for Enchiladas.

I froze the sauce, to wait for the perfect enchilada making day.  This sauce makes these this recipe the most authentic beef enchiladas recipe that I know.

If you don’t want to take the time to make homemade red chile sauce, you can make this quick enchilada sauce, which will work just fine for this recipe.

How to make ground beef Mexican enchiladas with red chile sauce.

Nothing like a casserole dish full of cheesy ground beef enchiladas to gather friends and family around the table.

How to make ground beef authentic Mexican Enchiladas

A fresh batch of homemade Pico de Gallo and some sliced radishes is a perfect garnish and topping for these authentic ground beef enchiladas wrapped in corn tortillas.

Ground Beef Enchiladas with red chile sauce

More Enchilada Recipes

And don’t forget the Mexican Pickled Red Onions. They would make a great topping for these beef enchiladas.

And don’t miss my category for Mexican Food Recipes. You’ll find lots of South of The Border ideas, including the most popular on site for this Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef and Corn Tortillas. And these for New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas and Slow Cooker Barbacoa.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

Mexican ground beef enchiladas with sliced radishes.
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5 from 3 votes

Ground Beef Enchilada Recipe

Ground Beef and a wonderfully rich and earthy red chile sauce come together for these cheesy, Mountain Mex Ground Beef Enchiladas. Give this easy beef enchilada recipe a try.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time35 minutes
Course: Mexican
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 10
Calories: 4478kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • ½ cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 pound ground beef (20% fat)
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 4 poblano chile roasted, seeds and stem removed, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 cups crushed tomatoes canned
  • salt
  • 1 cup Red Chile Sauce or enchilada sauce
  • 5 cups chicken broth
  • 10 corn tortillas
  • 1 pound cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

  • Toast flour in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown and smells like toasted nuts, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and wipe out skillet.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in same skillet over medium-high. Add ground beef and cook, stirring to break up clumps, until browned, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove beef and reserve drippings in skillet.
  • Cook onion, poblano chile, in same skillet, stirring and scraping up any browned bits, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomatoes, season with salt, and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to stick to the skillet, about 8 minutes. Add red chile sauce and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Add reserved beef and toasted flour and toss until coated.
  • Whisking constantly, add broth, bring to a boil, and continue to whisk until no lumps remain. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until chili gravy has thickened and beef is tender, 30 minutes; season with salt. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; set beef and gravy aside separately.
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Heat remaining 1 cup oil in a medium skillet over medium-high until oil bubbles immediately when edge of tortilla touches the surface. Working one at a time, fry tortilla, turning once, until just starting to brown and crisp, about 10 seconds per side. Transfer tortilla to paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  • Spread 1 cup gravy lengthwise down the center of a 13×9″ baking dish. Dip both sides of each tortilla in chili gravy just to coat, then transfer to a plate. Working one at a time, spread ¼ cup beef mixture down the center of tortilla and fold one side over filling, then continue to roll enchilada onto itself. Place seam side down in prepared baking dish as you go (enchiladas should be nestled right up against each other). Top with cheese and remaining gravy. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is beginning to brown, 20-25 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
  • Garnish with pico de gallo and sliced radish.

Notes

This recipe can be made with red chile sauce or homemade enchilada sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 4478kcal | Carbohydrates: 265g | Protein: 235g | Fat: 282g | Saturated Fat: 155g | Cholesterol: 798mg | Sodium: 10279mg | Potassium: 5608mg | Fiber: 41g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 8948IU | Vitamin C: 525mg | Calcium: 3887mg | Iron: 30mg

Ground Beef Enchilada Recipe, It’s what’s for Dinner

Homemade Red Chile Sauce for Tamales and Enchiladas

By 11 Comments

Homemade Red Chile Sauce for tamales is made from dried chile pepper pods. Earthy and wonderful with warm spices, this red chile sauce is our go-to recipe to blend with shredded pork to make Red Chile Pork Tamales.

And if you’re interested in another version, take a look at this recipe for Red Chile Sauce from Powder.

Red chile sauce made from dried chile pepper pods.

I’ll never forget when our new neighbor, Miguel, popped up over the fence and offered us fresh grilled Carne Asada. Grilled steak that was simply placed in a warmed flour tortilla alongside a grilled jalapeno. Heaven.

That’s when the food conversations started. Miguel and wife Rosa became excellent resources for authentic Mexican food recipes. Including the invitation to attend several of their homemade tamale demonstrations.

Which is where I learned to make her homemade Red Chile Sauce she used for Tamales.

Made dried chile pepper pods, this tamale sauce can also be used for other recipes like this one for Ground Beef Enchiladas. Or for recipes like Huevos Rancheros.

Dried Chile Pepper Pods You Can Use

Dried Guajillo Peppers is what Rosa uses to make her sauce. Guajillo are the most commonly used peppers in Mexican Cuisine and readily available on the Mexican aisle at your local grocer. They are dried Mirasol chiles. The heat is considered to be mild to medium. PepperScale outlines the flavor profile perfectly.

I’ve also used a variety of New Mexico grown dried chile peppers. Including the most famous, Hatch Chile, a variety of peppers grown in the Hatch Valley. Dried Chile Peppers can come from anywhere in New Mexico. I like to describe the heat of a New Mexico chile as crisp and clear, and the flavor earthy and sweet.

The last time we visited Taos and Santa Fe, I brought home a passel of dried chiles.

Dried Chile Pepper Varieties You Can Use:

An assortment of dried chile peppers to make red chile sauce
  • Guajillo peppers are readily available and are mild in flavor.
  • New Mexico Dried Chile Peppers are a good choice and are available in mild, medium or hot.
  • Pasilla peppers are a good choice as they have a fruity flavor. They are mild to medium on the heat scale.
  • Nora peppers (Spanish paprika peppers)  are nice.
  • I’ve used Mulata dried peppers, which are hot spicy.
  • Nora Peppers: Are a Spanish dried pepper pod. I found them at a spice market in Taos. They’re not spicy.
  • Chile de Arbol peppers are readily available are are spicy hot.

Each combo will add a different nuance of flavor to your sauce. Find a dried chile pepper or a mix of pods that you like, and make it yours.

Rosa’s Expert Tip

Since this sauce is typically made alongside traditional Red Pork Tamales, there’s a good chance you’ll have a pork roast cooking in the oven. Instead of using chicken broth, you can enhance the flavor by substituting some of the liquid from the bottom of the pan from the roasted pork.

Homemade Red Sauce For Tamales

A family recipe used for the tradition in making red sauce for tamales, Rosa’s tamale sauce is amazing. The flavors of the dried chiles amaze the palate and bring ground meat to life, and the color is a vibrant brick.

This tamale sauce alone is a very strong flavor, but once combined with your tamale ingredients or drizzled on enchiladas, it’s a beautiful thing.

More Mexican Sauce Recipes

And speaking of condiments, a homemade recipe for Green Chile Sauce is a must have in any Southwestern kitchen. It's easy and simple with ingredients. Check it out.

And if you love South of The Border Cuisine as much as we do, don’t miss my Mexican-Southwest Category. You’ll find tons of fun recipes, including the most popular on my site for Hatch Green Chili. Enjoy.

And if you love making homemade Mexican seasonings and sauces, don’t miss my recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning. It’s easy and so much better in so many ways than those store-bought packets.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

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Red chile sauce made from dried chile pepper pods.
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Homemade Red Chile Sauce for Tamales

Earthy and Wonderful with flavor. Homemade Red Chile Sauce made from dried chile peppers Perfect sauce for Tamales or Enchiladas.
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Mexican
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 36kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces Dried Red Chile Peppers 20 – 25 dried chile pods
  • 1 Tablespoon whole cumin seed toasted, or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 cup Chicken broth or water
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion rough chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano or marjoram
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

Instructions

  • Wear a mask and gloves! The particles emitted from breaking the dried chile pods are spicy and could be very irritating to eyes and throat. Handling of the pods could cause your hands to burn depending on the heat of the chile.
  • Heat a large fry pan over medium heat. Dry roast the chile peppers in batches, until they release fragrance, about 1-2 minutes per side.
  • Once the chile peppers have been toasted and removed from pan, add cumin seeds. Shaking the pan, toast until fragrant. This should take about 1 minute.
  • Once the chiles are cool enough to handle, break the tops off and shake out the seeds.
  • Place chile peppers in a blender and pour in half of the chicken stock (or water) and toasted cumin seed. Puree until smooth but with a few specs of the pepper remaining.
  • Warm oil in a large saucepan. Cook the chopped onion until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Pour in the blended chile mixture.
  • Puree remaining chiles with remaining chicken broth and pour the puree into the sauce in pan. Add Mexican oregano and salt.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for for 20 – 25 minutes. After about 15 minutes taste the sauce and adjust seasonings to your liking.
  • When sauce is ready it will be cooked down enough to coat a spoon thickly but still drop off easily.
  • Use the sauce warm or refrigerate for later use. The sauce keeps for 5 – 6 days and also freezes well.

Notes

Chile Pepper ideas:
  • Guajillo peppers are readily available and are mild in flavor.
  • New Mexico Dried Chile Peppers are a good choice and are available in mild, medium or hot.
  • Pasilla peppers are a good choice as they have a fruity flavor. They are milk to medium.
  • Nora peppers (Spanish paprika peppers)  are nice.
  • I’ve used Mulata dried peppers, which are hot spicy.
  • Chile de Arbol peppers are readily available are are spicy hot.
  • Each combo will add a different nuance of flavor to your sauce.
If you’re not using right away, divide into 1 cup servings and freeze. This will last for nearly a year.

Nutrition

Calories: 36kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 631mg | Potassium: 244mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1468IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

Homemade Red Chile Sauce for Tamales … It’s What’s for Dinner