These simple and healthy green chile beef enchiladas have all the flavor of the original, but are way healthier and dairy free! Made with extra veggies and fresh ingredients, these lighter enchiladas are the perfect clean eating dinner.
Why this recipe works
I love creating dinner recipes that include protein, carbs and fruit/veggies all in one dish! It means less cleaning and less thinking about sides.
This green chile enchiladas recipe is a lighter take on cheesy and heavy traditional enchiladas. I lighten things up by adding extra veggies and omitting the cheese and cream sauce.
While traditional enchilada tortillas are fried in oil and then rolled with the ingredients, this beef enchilada recipe requires no frying!
This recipe is:
- Limited ingredients
- Easy - no chopping!
- Ready in under 45 minutes
- Dairy free
Ingredient notes
A few simple ingredients are needed to make these easy green chile enchiladas.
- Beef - I prefer using a lean 93% lean beef for almost everything, and especially these beef enchiladas! Substitute for lean ground turkey or ground chicken. You will need one half pound of ground beef.
- Tortillas - Although I prefer using corn tortillas on the regular, I like using flour tortillas for enchiladas for a quicker meal. If using corn tortillas it is best to heat them up before filling and rolling them.
- Green Enchilada Sauce - This is available in a can or jar at the grocery store, but is much better if you make your own.. It’s a sauce made from green chiles, and is only mildly spicy. You can also substitute for red enchilada sauce.
- Taco seasoning - You can use store bought, or make your own with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and salt.
- Variations - Feel free to add in extras to these enchiladas. Add in diced onion, diced New Mexico hatch chiles, jalapeños, or melted cheese if you wish. You could also try shredded cheddar cheese, or Monterey jack cheese.
See the recipe card below for a complete ingredient list with measurements.
Instructions
These easy green enchiladas are ready in under and hour!
Heat oven to 425°F. Heat a large skillet on the stove with neutral oil, like avocado or olive oil, over medium-high heat.
Add ground beef to the pan and break up into medium sized chunks. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until mostly browned and then add taco seasoning mix, salt and black pepper.
Mix well to combine and break up ground meat into smaller chunks. Allow beef to cook entirely through, another 1-2 minutes.
Turn off heat and add cooked rice and fresh spinach to the pan. Gently stir to combine and wilt spinach, about 1-2 minutes. To make spinach easier to cook through, gently toss the spinach under the warm beef, and stir often.
Spray a 9x11 or 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add ¼ cup of the green chile enchilada sauce and spread over the bottom of the pan in a thin layer.
Place a tortilla down on the green enchilada sauce, and add one fourth of the ground beef mixture to each flour tortilla, about ½ cup of spinach, rice, and beef filling.
Roll tortilla over, until the seam is facing down. Push the enchilada toward one side of the baking dish.
Repeat with the remaining tortillas, and place seam side down.
Top with the rest of the enchilada green sauce and smooth over with a spoon. If you like extra saucy enchiladas, you can add more sauce. Add cheese and any chili peppers if desired.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the top is slightly crispy, golden brown, and enchiladas are completely cooked through.
For a crispier enchilada, broil for an additional 1-3 minutes, until edges are crisped.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Option to top with guacamole, sour cream, queso fresco, salsa verde, diced red onion, or cilantro.
Serve these enchiladas with black beans and Mexican rice as side dishes.
Expert Tips
- Don’t fill the center of the tortilla, instead add fillings at about ⅓ of the tortilla. This makes it easier to roll the tortilla over.
- Storage Directions: Store leftovers in an airtight container or in a baking dish with cover in the fridge.
- Reheating Directions: You can reheat enchiladas in either the microwave or oven. Reheat the enchilada in microwave for one minute - preference of using a microwave food cover to help steam. OR Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Place enchiladas in a baking dish. Add any extra cheese or sauce before baking. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Typical enchiladas are made with corn tortillas. The flavor of the corn adds to the flavor of the enchilada. You can make these enchiladas with corn or flour tortillas.
The traditional recipe for enchiladas requires briefly frying tortillas in hot oil prior to rolling. You can also broil the enchiladas at the end to add some crispiness. To prevent sogginess, limit wet ingredients.
Yes! You can either heat up the tortillas in the microwave, or use flour tortillas which are less likely to break.
You do not need to cover enchiladas while baking. Most enchiladas are covered with aluminum foil until heated through, to prevent cheese from burning.
Related Recipes
- Chorizo, Kale & Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole
- Turkey Meatballs
- Meal Prep Carnitas Burritos
- Beef Barbacoa Tacos
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below so I know what you think! Follow Elise Tries to Cook on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and Subscribe via email to receive the latest recipes!
📖 Recipe
Healthy Green Chili Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 8 oz Ground beef 93% lean
- 1 teaspoon Neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon Taco seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 cup Cooked rice
- 2 cups Spinach
- 4 Flour tortillas
- ½ cup Green enchilada sauce divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Heat a pan on the stove with neutral oil, until hot.
- Add ground beef to the pan and break up into medium sized chunks. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until mostly browned and then add taco seasoning, salt and black pepper.
- Mix well and break up ground meat into smaller chunks. Continue cooking until beef is cooked throughout, another 1-2 minutes.
- Turn heat off and add cooked rice and raw spinach to the pan. Gently stir to combine and cook until spinach is wilted, about 1-2 minutes. To make spinach easier to cook through, gently toss the spinach under the warm beef, and stir often.
- Spray a 9x11 or 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Cover the bottom with ¼ cup enchilada sauce.
- Place a tortilla down on the enchilada sauce, and add one fourth of the ground beef mixture to each flour tortilla, about ½ cup of spinach, rice, and beef filling.
- Roll the tortilla over, until the seam is facing down. Push the enchilada toward one side of the baking dish.
- Repeat with the remaining 3 tortillas, making sure they are seam side down.
- Top with final ¼ cup enchilada sauce and smooth over with a spoon. Add cheese and any chili peppers if desired.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until top is slightly crispy and enchiladas are completely cooked through.
- For a crispier enchilada, broil for an additional 1-3 minutes, until edges are crisped.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately. Serve with guacamole, sour cream, queso fresco, or cilantro.
Video
Notes
- Storage directions: Store leftovers in airtight container or in baking dish with cover in the fridge.
- Reheat directions: You can reheat enchiladas in either the microwave or oven. Reheat the enchilada in microwave for one minute - preference of using a microwave food cover to help steam. OR Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Place enchiladas in baking dish. If already stored leftovers in a baking dish, move to a separate baking dish. Add any extra cheese or sauce before baking. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Nolan
Really like this recipe, I've made it a few times now! I've used Elise's homemade enchilada sauce recipe with it every time, and it's a perfect combo. I've also added black beans and jalapenos to the enchiladas and they're great. As someone who can't eat cheese, this is a go-to recipe because it's quick, healthy, and easy to meal prep - just keep the filling in a tupperware and when it's time to eat each day, throw it in a tortilla, put it in the oven for 15, and dinner is ready!