Making cheesy gluten-free enchiladas doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complicated! The ground beef and refried bean filling comes together quickly on the stove top, is rolled with Colby jack cheese into soft tortillas, and topped with enchilada sauce and more cheese. Plus, this easy weeknight dinner casserole includes a pro tip for using corn tortillas without breaking, cracking, or having to dip in sauce first!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get affordable and easy gluten-free recipes delivered each week!
Go-To Gluten Free Enchiladas Recipe
If you thought making homemade enchiladas would be too much effort, these cheesy gluten-free enchiladas won’t do you wrong. They are a family favorite in my entire easy gluten-free dinner ideas collection. Before developing this recipe, I assumed assembling the casserole would take too long for busy weeknights.
Also, although I knew you could make any enchilada casserole recipe with corn tortillas, I questioned how easy they would be to actually work with. Cooking is hard enough, so I always want to avoid over-complicating things!
I would not be gladly sharing this recipe with you if any of these things were true! First, using a store-bought GF enchilada sauce cuts back on prep time. However, I also have a 5-minute gluten-free enchilada sauce using canned tomato sauce, which would also works great.
Also preparing the beef and bean filling comes together in minutes on the stove. This is why ground beef is a delicious and easy choice in other gluten-free Mexican recipes, such as 25-minute walking taco casserole.
It’s seasoned with staple pantry spices, such as cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Although this recipe can easily be adapted into chicken enchiladas using rotisserie chicken. I included many alternative enchilada fillings below to adapt what suits your family.
Through the testing process, I experimented with making homemade enchiladas by dipping the tortillas into warm sauce to make them soft and pliable. However, this process was extremely messy, the tortillas still tore, and I found the casserole to be overwhelmed with sauce.
Instead, quickly warming gluten-free tortillas in a greased skillet made them much more pliable and when the casserole bakes in the oven the crispy corn flavor adds a nice contrast to the gooey filling and sauce.
Free Guide! Receive a Free Gluten Free Dinners Cookbook
TOP 5 Highest Rated Recipes!
Ingredient Tid Bits
- Gluten-free corn tortillas – The ingredients in store-bought corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free – masa harina, water, and salt. It’s always best to check with the manufacturer for possible cross-contamination. There are many GF brands widely available, such as Mission, Guerrero, La Banderita, and El Milagro. But, if you truly want to experience the best homemade corn tortillas, then this recipe is a must.
- Refried Beans – This gives a nice creamy texture to the filling and makes the enchiladas easier to roll and stick together. However, any beans may be used after draining and rinsing, such as black beans or canned pinto beans.
- Cheese – Freshly grate the cheese off the block for best melting. I use Colby jack, but other good melting cheeses would be cheddar cheese or a Mexican blend, such as pepper jack, asadero, or Oaxaca.
- Enchilada sauce -You may use either red or green enchilada sauce. If you make your own, you will need about 1 ½ cups for this recipe.
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
Easy beef and bean filling
Add the ground beef and onions to the skillet. After it’s cooked through, add the garlic, diced green chiles, and seasonings. Stir in the refried beans and your filling is ready!
Best shortcut way to prep tortillas
If I can squeeze in a shortcut, you know I will! That is why I cook three tortillas at once. Add a little oil to a nonstick skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Flip the whole stack, then flip the top one over so the oil side is face down towards the middle one. This distributes the oil to all three without having to cook one-by-one. Easy peasy!
Roll and fill casserole
Once the tortillas have been warmed, it’s time to assemble the enchilada bake. In your casserole dish, spread a little enchilada sauce.
Sprinkle the center of the tortilla with a good amount of cheese and top with a generous amount of beef bean filling. Roll the tortilla and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas so you have two rows of six lined tightly in the baking pan.
Tortilla Prepping Tips
Warming the tortillas in a skillet with a little oil is my preferred way to prep them for assembly. The oil gives a nice sheen so the edges bake crisp in the oven. Plus using the three-stack method described in the recipe means the whole batch can be warmed in less than 5 minutes.
Even though I think the skillet method gives a better taste, but they may also be warmed in the microwave. Wrap half the tortillas in a damp paper towel and warm for 20-30 seconds. Fill and assemble then finish warming the second half to assemble.
If preferred, you may also use gluten-free flour tortillas. Since these are larger you will not fit as many in the casserole dish or may have to arrange them differently.
If you prefer a saucier casserole, another option would be to dip tortillas in warm enchilada sauce before filling. This would require an extra can of sauce for the recipe. Pour 1 can in a saucepan and gently warm, but do not boil. Use tongs to dip the tortilla in, place on a work surface, fill and assemble as directed.
More Yummy Filling Options
- Bean and Cheese – Warm two cans refried beans and season with the simple blend of spices used in these gluten-free bean and cheese quesadillas (double the spice ingredients). Spread on beans, top with cheese, and bake as directed.
- Chicken Enchiladas – Prepare 1 ½ pounds boneless chicken breasts, bake and chop, saute, or simmer in chicken broth and shred. Mix with 1 can of drained black beans, chiles, and spices in recipe. Assemble with cheese and bake.
- Veggie Enchiladas – Mix together the chiles and seasonings with 1 can drained black or pinto beans and 3 cups cooked veggies, such as cubed sweet potatoes, broccoli, onions, bell peppers, or mushrooms. Assemble with cheese and bake.
Save this recipe to your pinterest board!
Let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always sharing great recipes!
Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa
Cheesy Gluten-Free Beef and Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 10 ounce can gluten-free enchilada sauce, see recipe notes
- 12 ounces block Colby jack cheese, divided and freshly grated
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 ounce can green chiles, undrained
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛-¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 16 ounce can refried beans
- ¼ cup water
- 12 gluten-free corn tortillas
- oil, for frying
- optional toppings: cilantro, shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spread ½ cup enchilada sauce at the bottom of a 9X13-inch casserole dish. Grate 8 ounce block of cheese and set aside. This will be used for the filling. Grate the remaining 4 ounces and set aside. This will be used for topping.10 ounce can gluten-free enchilada sauce, 12 ounces block Colby jack cheese
- Filling: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onions. Cook, breaking up with spoon until the beef is cooked through. Drain grease, if necessary.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 small white onion
- Lower the heat to medium. To the beef add the garlic, chiles, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute longer. Add the refried beans and water. Stir until the mixture is smooth and set aside.2 garlic cloves, 4 ounce can green chiles, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, ⅛-¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 16 ounce can refried beans, ¼ cup water
- Warm Tortillas: Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place a stack of 3 tortillas in the hot pan and cook for 30 seconds. Use tongs to flip the whole stack over and then flip the top one over so the oil side is face down towards the middle one. This distributes the oil to all three without having to cook one-by-one. Cook for 30 seconds more.12 gluten-free corn tortillas
- Transfer the warmed tortillas to a large sheet of foil and loosely wrap to cover and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining tortillas in stacks of 3, transferring to the foil.
- Assembly: On a work surface lay one tortilla. Sprinkle the center will a good amount of cheese and then top with a generous amount of beef bean filling, about ¼ cup. Roll the tortilla and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas so you have two rows of six lined tightly in the baking pan.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 4 ounces grated cheese. Bake in a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Notes
Gluten-Free Enchilada Sauces
Many canned enchilada sauces, either red or green, contain wheat in the ingredients so please read labels carefully and double check with the manufacturer. Hatch, Siete, La Preferida, La Victoria, and Frontera are safe to use.Make-Ahead, Freezing, and Reheating
This recipe yields 12 enchiladas, which serves 6-12 people. The recipe may be halved and baked in a 8X8-inch baking dish or assemble all the enchiladas and freeze half for later. The casserole may also be assembled and refrigerated up to 24 hours before baking. Be sure all the components have cooled completely before covering well to store. For best results, let it sit out for 60-90 minutes before baking to come to room temperature. Otherwise, you will need to bake 10-15 minutes longer. To freeze, assemble and allow time for the filling to cool before wrapping to store. Wrap securely with plastic wrap and a layer of heavy duty foil. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to bake thaw overnight and then let it sit at room temp for 60-90 minutes before baking. You may also bake straight from frozen, but it will have to bake 45-60 minutes, and I recommend covering with foil for the first half so the enchiladas don’t dry out.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
The recipe sounds great. I have not had luck with corn tortillas. They break and crack as I try to roll up the fillings. My husband is gluten free, so when I use the corn tortillas I usually stack them and use the filling between layers. Do you have a secret of them not breaking up when rolling. Thanks.
Hi Lilian,
Yes, I do! If you check out the recipe, step 4, I describe how to warm and store the tortillas so they are nice and pliable when they are rolled. Enjoy!
Best,
Melissa
This was great! Thank you.
You bet! Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Best,
Melissa