Tex Mex Enchiladas with Chili Gravy

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Tex-Mex Enchiladas with Chili Gravy are cheese enchiladas covered with a beef chili con carne gravy, or enchilada sauce, and lots and lots of gooey cheddar cheese!

I literally grew up eating Tex Mex enchiladas every week. Seriously, at school growing up in San Antonio, Texas, every Wednesday was “Enchilada Wednesday” and that was the day when most students wanted to eat the school lunch. It was because of their famous enchiladas. These enchiladas are one of my favorite Tex-Mex Recipes or if you prefer Mexican Recipes.

How famous were they? Famous enough that people all over the world, including in Sweden, have tried these enchiladas. You can read all about these NEISD famous enchiladas here, and read about how “Enchilada Wednesday” was started in San Antonio.

Now that I’m all grown up, I have my own recipe, similar but with a little more spice, less oil, and a streamlined topping that combines the enchilada sauce and enchilada chili, and of course, a smaller batch since I’m making the enchiladas for my family instead of a whole school full of students.

Table of Contents

• Which Mexican Cheese Is Used In Tex-Mex Enchiladas
• How To Make Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas With Chili Gravy
• What To Serve With Tex Mex Enchiladas
• Recipe Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• More Tex-Mex Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Instead of making a separate enchilada sauce and separate chili gravy, I combine the two into one awesome chili con carne gravy, which is basically a beefy Tex-Mex enchilada sauce.

So if you want the best enchiladas in San Antonio, you’ll need to make this recipe! That is saying a lot because if you follow this blog, you know we love our enchiladas, like Enchiladas Suiza and Tomatillo Verde Enchiladas.

Which Mexican Cheese Is Used In Tex-Mex Enchiladas

There are two types of Texans when it comes to cheese in Tex-Mex Enchiladas. One camp prefers cheddar cheese in cheese enchiladas. This is my preference and what I use in my recipe both as the filling of the enchiladas and as a cheesy topping. You will also see cheddar used in enchiladas in Houston and Dallas Mexican restaurants. 

However, other Texans, such as many in the San Antonio area prefer to use American cheese, like Velveeta, for the cheese enchiladas. And other people combine the American and Cheddar cheeses to get the flavor of cheddar and the smooth melting ability of American cheese.

As you can see, neither of these cheeses are truly Mexican cheese. It is definitely a Texas preference. However, whether you prefer American cheese or cheddar cheese, you will love these enchiladas! 

The affiliate links below will allow you to see the product on Amazon.com. If you choose to purchase one of the items, I will receive a very small commission on the product and does not increase the price.

How To Make Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas With Chili Gravy

Ingredients

Below I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions in case you don't have a specific ingredient on hand. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

• Cheese – Use either cheddar or American cheese. My preference is to use cheddar because I like the flavor better than American. However, others like way American cheese, or Velveeta, because it melts smoothly.
• Ground Beef – I like to use 80/20 ground beef because you will need the fat from the ground beef to make the chili gravy. I don’t add a lot of oil or additional fat. I just use ground beef with more fat to provide that flavor for the gravy. If you want to use leaner ground beef or ground turkey or chicken, then you will need to add additional oil to make the enchilada sauce.
• Onion – I chop up a small onion and use part of it in the chili gravy, part of it in the cheese filling, and then I sprinkle a few on top of the enchiladas as a garnish.
• All-Purpose Flour – The flour is used to thicken the chili gravy. If you don’t want to use gravy then you could mix a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch with an equal amount of water to thicken the gravy. It may change the texture of the gravy slightly but would still be delicious.
• Chili Powder – You can use any chili powder, but for a more authentic Tex-Mex, I recommend using Gebhardt’s Chili Powder (You can use the link to purchase it on Amazon.com.) It includes not only chili powder but additional seasoning as well that provides delicious Tex-Mex flavor.
• Cumin – It is not Tex Mex or Mexican food if it doesn’t have cumin.
• Oregano – You will need oregano, preferably Mexican oregano, but if you don’t have that, feel free to use the oregano you have on hand.
• Garlic Powder – I use garlic powder in the seasoning. If you like you could use minced garlic and cook it with the ground beef after you add chopped onions.
• Salt and Pepper – I like to use sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Cayenne Pepper – This is optional. You can add a little cayenne pepper if you want to increase the spicy heat.
• Chicken Broth – You can use water, chicken broth, or beef broth. I like the flavor the chicken broth adds. I find that the beef broth may be too much beef flavor. Chicken broth is what I like to use in the recipe.
• Corn Tortillas – If you can either buy or make homemade corn tortillas, then those are the best. However, you can use store-bought corn tortillas if you don’t have access to homemade tortillas.
• Oil – You will need a little oil to heat the corn tortillas. 

How To Make Tex Mex Beef Chile Gravy Enchilada Sauce

1. Brown the 80/20 ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. When browned add chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes. (If you use leaner ground beef, you will need to add a couple of tablespoons of oil.)
2. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano (Mexican oregano preferably), garlic powder, salt, and pepper and stir until seasoning covers all of the ground beef. (See the recipe card below, just above the comments, for the specific amounts of each ingredient.)
3. Add the flour and stir in with the seasoned ground beef. 
4. Pour in the chicken broth and bring it up to a boil. Then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. When it thickens up, then it is ready to pour over the cheese enchiladas.
6. Meanwhile, heat the corn tortillas in a little oil in a hot skillet or griddle over medium heat. You want to just heat the corn tortillas for about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side, just until the corn tortillas are soft but not long enough to fry them. When the corn tortillas are soft and pliable, then remove them, drain any excess oil, and place either in a tortilla warmer or on a plate with paper towels.

Assemble The Tex Mex Cheese Enchiladas

1. Ladle about a half cup of the chili gravy into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
2. Add about 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese on the lower third of the corn tortilla.
3. Then tightly roll the corn tortilla and place seam down in the 9×13 baking dish. Repeat until you have rolled all enchiladas.
4. Pour the remaining chili gravy over the enchiladas, and sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded cheese evenly over the top of the enchiladas.

Bake The Enchiladas

1. Bake the enchiladas in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are hot and bubbling.

Serve The Enchiladas

• Top the enchiladas with chopped onions or chopped cilantro just before serving. 

What To Serve With Tex Mex Enchiladas

• Mexican Rice – Serve with a side of this Mexican Rice recipe.
• Pico De Gall0 Salsa – Use as a topping or as a side of fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalapeños with lime juice.
• Guacamole – This avocado dip is made with fresh avocados, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalapeños is creamy, spicy, and perfect for a fiesta!
• Mexican Street Corn Salad – This recipe deconstructs the popular Mexican street food and serves it in a bowl, instead of as corn on the cob, and covers it with a fantastic chili lime cream sauce and cotija cheese.

Recipe Tips

• Change the filling to beef and make Tex Mex Beef Enchiladas. Use my Picadillo recipe without the “papas” or potatoes as the filling for the enchiladas. Otherwise, follow the instructions in this recipe to top with the same chili gravy and cheese.
• Buy the block of cheddar cheese and shred it yourself, (or get your significant other or kids to shred it), instead of buying pre-shredded cheese. It will melt much better and have better flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• How do I store the enchiladas?
  • Cover the pan with the remaining enchiladas with foil or plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Don’t leave out on the counter for more than 2 hours.
• Can I freeze the enchiladas? 
  • Yes! Place in an airtight, freezer-safe container and place in the freezer. You can even bake the enchiladas from frozen. You will just need to add a little more time to the cooking time.
  • You can bake two pans of enchiladas at once and then freeze one to serve later, or to take to a friend.
• Can I make the enchiladas ahead of time?
  • Yes. You can make the enchilada sauce and assemble the enchiladas with the sauce ahead of time. Then cover and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before you are ready to serve.  Then top with the shredded cheese and bake per instructions.

More Tex-Mex Recipes

• Tex Mex Beef Fajitas
• Picadillo Con Papas
• Enchiladas Rojas de Queso
• Migas

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