I’m telling you right now, these easy Beef Enchiladas are not your average weeknight dinner. They’re bold, a little unexpected, and ridiculously good. The sweet pineapple with spicy jalapeño, homemade enchilada sauce, and savory beef is the kind of combo that makes you go back for “just one more” every time (I’ve been making this recipe since 2014, so I know this to be FACT). These Mexican-inspired beef enchiladas use budget-friendly ground beef and pantry staples, so you get big flavor without spending a fortune.
Pin this recipe for later!
All recipes are rigorously tested in our Nashville Test Kitchen to ensure they are easy, affordable, and delicious.
“This is one of my absolute favorite recipes! I’ve made this at least 10 times and it has become a regular dish in my rotation. I also will sometimes use store-bought enchilada sauce for speed, or to accommodate a gluten-free guest. Good with and without cheese on top.”
Katie
Sweet and Savory Beef Enchiladas
These super simple ground beef enchiladas are stuffed full of ground beef, black beans, pineapple, and jalapeños, which makes for a completely mouth-watering flavor combination. Even though the filling was already like “POW”, I topped them off with my homemade enchilada sauce just for kicks. The filling is SO good, in fact, that I can imagine just spooning it over a bed of rice (a great gluten-free option), or stuffing it into some flour tortillas to make burritos. Basically, I want to eat this beef and pineapple filling every day, whether it’s in enchilada form or not!
Beef Enchiladas
Servings 6 (2 enchiladas each)Ingredients
FOR THE ENCHILADAS
- 1 jalapeño (65g (⅓ cup diced) $0.41)
- 2 garlic cloves (1 Tbsp minced, $0.12)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- ½ lb. lean ground beef ($2.82)
- 15 oz. can black beans ($0.86)
- ½ Tbsp chili powder ($0.10*)
- ¼ tsp salt ($0.01)
- 7.5 oz. can pineapple chunks (half a 15 oz. can, $0.61)
- 2 green onions (sliced, $0.21)
- ¼ bunch fresh cilantro (roughly chopped, $0.21)
- 12 6-inch corn tortillas ($0.79)
FOR THE SAUCE
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil ($0.08)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp chili powder ($0.40*)
- 2 cups water ($0.00)
- 3 oz. can tomato paste (half a 6 oz. can, $0.43)
- ½ tsp ground cumin ($0.03)
- ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- ⅛-¼ tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)
- 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder (optional, $0.11**)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.04)
Instructions
- Gather and prepare all ingredients.
- Slice the jalapeño lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut off the stem and dice the remaining parts of the pepper. Mince the garlic. Sauté the jalapeño and garlic with cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat for one to two minutes, or until the garlic is soft.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and continue to sauté until it is fully browned. Drain and rinse the black beans, then add them to the skillet along with the chili powder and salt. Stir to combine and heat through.
- Drain the pineapple chunks, then roughly chop them into smaller pieces (save the remaining half of the can for another use). Slice the green onions. Pull the cilantro leaves from the stems and give them a rough chop. Turn the heat under the skillet off, then stir in the pineapple, green onions, and cilantro.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. To make the enchilada sauce, combine the vegetable oil, flour, and chili powder in a medium pot. Turn the heat on to medium and whisk the ingredients together. Once the mixture begins to bubble, continue to whisk and cook for one minute.
- Now add the water, tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne, cocoa, and salt. Whisk to combine and allow the mixture to come up to a simmer, at which point it will thicken. Turn the heat off.
- To make the enchiladas, warm the tortillas in the microwave, 4-6 at a time, covered with a damp paper towel. Fill each tortilla with about 3 tablespoons of the beef mixture, then roll it up. Add a little enchilada sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Now place the filled and rolled enchiladas into the casserole dish, seam side down. Repeat until all of the filling is used (makes about 12 6-inch enchiladas, or 8 8-inch enchiladas).
- Pour the remaining sauce over top and bake in the preheated 375℉ oven for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the tortillas are crispy and the sauce is bubbling.
- Garnish with desired toppings.***
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Large 12" skillet
- Medium Pot
- 9×13'' Casserole Dish
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Beef Enchiladas step-by-step photos
Gather all of your ingredients.
Sauté the jalapeño and garlic: Start by removing the seeds from one jalapeño and then dicing it. Mince two cloves of garlic. Sauté both with 1 Tbsp of cooking oil over medium heat for about one or two minutes (until the garlic has softened).
Brown the beef: Next, add ½ lb. of lean ground beef and continue to sauté until it is fully browned (if you are using a higher fat beef, you’ll want to drain it after it is browned).
Make the filling: Rinse and drain one 15-oz. can of black beans, then add them to the skillet along with ½ Tbsp chili powder and ¼ tsp salt. Stir to combine and heat through.
Drain one 15-oz. can of pineapple chunks, then roughly chop about half the pineapple (you only need half a can of pineapple for this recipe, about 7.5 oz before draining). Add half the chopped pineapple chunks to the skillet along with two sliced green onions and about ¼ bunch of fresh cilantro (roughly chopped). Stir it all together, and now you have the most magical, delicious enchilada filling!
Make the enchilada sauce: Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, and 2 Tbsp chili powder to a sauce pot. Whisk it together, then turn the heat on to medium, and let it start bubbling. Once it begins to bubble, keep whisking and cooking for about one minute more. (If you’re good at multi-tasking, you can do this while you cook the filling and save some time.)
Then whisk in 2 cups of water, ½ of a 6-oz. can of tomato paste (3-oz. total), ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp garlic powder, ⅛ to ¼ tsp cayenne (depending on how spicy you want it), 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1 tsp salt. Whisk it all together, then let it come up to a simmer over medium heat, at which point it will begin to thicken. Once it has thickened, turn the heat off.
Assemble the enchiladas: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add a little sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish or coat it with non-stick spray. Warm 12 6-inch corn tortillas in the microwave to make them more pliable (stack 4-6 at a time, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 30 seconds). Fill each tortilla with about 3 Tbsp of the beef mixture, then roll it up.
Bake: Place the filled and rolled tortillas in your casserole dish, seam side down. Pour some of the sauce on top (you might not use it all; add it to your liking) and bake for 30 minutes.
And then you have THIS! YUMMM. Serve your homemade beef enchiladas with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Variations to Try
- Try a different meat! Ground chicken or turkey would totally work in these enchiladas. I also think shredded beef would be delicious (just mix it in with the beans as it’s already cooked). In fact, pulled chicken would also work well and make some bomb chicken enchiladas with the pineapple and bean filling!
- Make it vegetarian. You can easily leave out the ground beef and add more beans, diced bell peppers, leftover roasted sweet potato, avocado (for black bean and avocado enchiladas), or any veggies you like. Your favorite veggie ground meat alternative would also be a good option.
- Got some cheese? Go ahead and sprinkle it on top before baking.
- Use a different enchilada sauce. This recipe is for beef enchiladas with red sauce. I just love the rich, smoky flavor it adds, but you could easily swap in a green enchilada sauce instead.
- Wondering what to do with the leftover canned pineapple? Eat it as a snack or add it to some smoothies…OR if you want really pineapple-licious beef enchiladas, use the whole can.
- Skip the jalapeño and go easy/omit the cayenne pepper if you don’t love spice.
- Try fresh pineapple. I’m betting fresh pineapple chunks would be even more delicious than canned, so go with what you’ve got!
Serving Suggestions
To make these enchiladas a full-on feast, serve them with Spanish rice for an extra hearty meal. Air fryer tortilla chips are perfect for scooping up leftovers from your plate (because no sauce should go to waste), and are a must-have if you’ve also got guacamole on the table. For something fresh, street corn salad has just the right mix of creamy, tangy, and crunchy to make each plate more exciting.
Storage & Reheating
Keep any leftovers in the fridge for 3–4 days. Store them in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through. Just note the tortillas likely won’t be as crisp the second time around!
You can also freeze these baked beef enchiladas for up to 3 months. But for the best texture, I’d freeze them before baking. Assemble the enchiladas in a freezer-safe dish (without the sauce), cover, and freeze. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight, top with the sauce, and bake. Add a little longer to the baking time as the filling will be cold.
More Easy Enchilada Recipes
Our Beef and Pineapple Enchilada recipe was originally published 4/15/14. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 8/15/25.
Cocoa powder makes such a difference. Love it!
made these for dinner last night, big hit for everyone, including the baby. I would probably reduce the amount of chili power in the beef, bean, and pineapple for the babe, but otherwise it was tasty as always.
I liked it. I added a dash of brown sugar an used fresh pineapple. I think I’ll try taco seasoning or fajita seasoning for even more flavor. I added Monterey Jack cheese on the top.
I haven’t even eaten them yet since they are still in the oven. But after snitching a bite of the enchilada mixture and taste testing the sauce, I can already tell it’s a home run dish! So many of the recipes here on budgetbytes sound so interesting and so good I can’t wait to try more. So glade I came upon this site!
Made this as an enchilada casserole because I’m lazy and get super frustrated rolling enchiladas, even though I love them. Ended up wonderful!! I just put down a layer of tortillas, dumped the filling on top, poured half the sauce on the filling, put another layer of tortillas down, and poured the rest of the sauce on top. Also put a handful of shredded cheese on top. Will definitely be making this one again!
This one was a meh for me, but most of it was my fault. You should definitely use fresh pineapple, the canned tidbits I got from Aldi were pale and flavorless. I also used dry cilantro since we’re limiting grocery trips for obvious reasons. I had to add a lot of extra salt, but still ate 5 in one sitting lol. I will try again next time I have a fresh pineapple!
Okay, I made this again with fresh pineapple (about 9 oz) and left more fat in the ground beef for flavor. It was 10x better.
Just an FYI, when you increase the servings, the amount of black beans needed goes up as follows:
5 servings 143.75 oz
6 servings 172.5 oz
7 servings 201.25 oz
etc etc
Probably just a spacing issue in that line, but I thought you all might want to know.
This is one of my absolute favorite recipes! I’ve made this at least 10 times and it has become a regular dish in my rotation. I also will sometimes use store-bought enchilada sauce for speed, or to accommodate a gluten-free guest. Good with and without cheese on top.
Could I use flour tortillas for this?Â
Yes, you can. :)
Good recipe, but have a tub of sour creme and a bunch of lime wedges at the ready when you serve the dish. I added way more salt and spices than the recipe called for, but it was still slightly bland tasting. After putting the enchilada on my plate, I added some heavy dollops of sour creme on top of each enchilada, along with a generous amount of lime juice, then sprinkled salt on top. SO GOOD. Without those additions the recipe would just be too dry for my tastes.
Thank you for the recipe! The flavor was amazing, but my corn tortillas were very mushy when I took it out of the oven. It slopped onto my plate. I ended up eating it with tortilla chips like nachos! Can anyone give me a tip on how to make sure my tortillas don’t turn to mush next time?
Try toasting them in a dry skillet first until they’re slightly browned on each side. That might help. And make sure that pineapple is very well drained (try to squeeze it a bit with the lid of the can).
I made these this week for my husband and I and we both loved them. He’s very picky, so it’s really hard to find recipes he likes. This one will be going in the keeper file for sure! I used the jalapeño and the cocoa powder, but did not use the cilantro.
My corn tortillas (for me, this used 15 6-inch corn tortillas) got pretty cracked and were sorta falling apart once I got everything in the pan, so it was not a beautiful dish once it was scooped out onto the plate. But that doesn’t matter a bit, to me (and is only a testament to my own poor tortilla-rolling skills, anyway). They were delicious!
Thank you so much for this recipe. My husband is a big salty & sweet kind of guy, so I was excited to spot this recipe. I’ve somehow never made enchiladas before, despite being one of my favorite foods! I made these exactly as the directions mentioned. So, so good!
Just had this for dinner tonight and it was awesome! Thanks, Beth!
Would using fresh pineapple negatively effect this recipe?
Fresh pineapple would work just fine and probably be even more delicious. :)