These classic Keto Beef Enchiladas are delicious, come together quickly, and are full of your favorite Mexican comfort food flavors!
These delicious keto beef enchiladas include a quick homemade red enchilada sauce and flavorful ground beef with green chiles wrapped in a soft and flexible keto flour tortilla.
They're then covered in shredded cheese and baked until hot and bubbly.
I love them because they have all my favorite Mexican comfort food flavors and are super comforting and delicious!
And if you're looking for more Mexican food favorites, I think you'll love these crispy keto carnitas, keto chicken ranch tacos, Instant Pot Mexican shredded beef, and guacamole recipes!
Or if you prefer chicken, be sure to check out this keto chicken enchilada casserole or these easy chicken enchiladas from Healthy Seasonal Recipes!
Frequently asked questions
Yes, feel free to use store-bought! I like to make my own sauce so I can have complete control over the ingredients. Plus, it's super easy and takes less than 10 minutes. If you prefer store-bought though, that's fine. You'll need about 2 cups.
Yes, you can! To do this, omit the xanthan gum mixture and add 1 ½ Tablespoons of starch (cornstarch, arrowroot, or tapioca flour) to the spice mixture.
Traditional beef enchiladas can have over 50 carbs per serving, making them NOT keto-friendly. However, this recipe uses keto tortillas, doesn't contain beans, and the sauce is thickened with xanthan gum making them keto and gluten-free.
Enchilada sauce
Step #1: Start by mixing all of the spices in a small bowl.
Also, set out some tomato paste and 2 cups of chicken broth. The sauce goes fast so you need to have everything ready!
Step #2: Heat some oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the spices and cook until fragrant - around 1 minute.
Step #3: Add the tomato paste then slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
Step #4: In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. xanthan gum with 1 tsp. oil or melted butter. Add the xanthan gum mixture to the sauce, whisking constantly until thickened, around 3 minutes.
Step #5: Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, some black pepper, and more salt if needed. Set aside.
💭Tip: To see this recipe more in-depth, be sure to visit my keto enchilada sauce post! It includes substitutions, storage, frequently asked questions, and tips to make the enchilada sauce perfectly!
Ground beef
For the meat, add some oil to a large skillet or Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Once hot, add chopped onion and a pound of ground beef.
Cook until the meat is browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add diced green chiles, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Tortillas
For the tortillas, I use this soft and flexible keto tortilla recipe.
If you're looking for store-bought, my favorite is Maria & Ricardo's Almond Flour Tortillas (they're usually cheaper at your local Sprout's or health food store!)
There are many low-carb tortillas on the market, but many of them contain gluten. And since we are gluten-free, these don't work for us. But feel free to use any keto tortillas you prefer!
Putting it all together
Time for the fun part! Now that you have the meat, sauce, and tortillas done, time to put it all together!
If you are using store-bought tortillas, heat them on the stove over medium heat just until soft, around 15 to 30 seconds per side.
Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and coat them with the keto enchilada sauce.
Add some of the meat and any other fillings you prefer such as cheese, olives, or green onions.
Roll up each tortilla and place seam side down in a baking dish, then spread the rest of the sauce over the top.
There will be a little bit of beef left over. You can either make a few more keto enchiladas in another baking dish or serve them with the remaining meat mixture spooned on top.
If you're a fan of cilantro, add about 2 tablespoon of chopped cilantro to the remaining sauce and pour it over the enchiladas.
Sprinkle the top with cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Serving suggestions
Wondering what to serve with these Keto Beef Enchiladas? Here are some of my favorites:
- cilantro
- sour cream
- green onions
- black olives
- avocado
- diced tomatoes
- sliced black olives
- nacho cheese sauce/paleo nacho cheese sauce
These keto beef enchiladas also go great served alongside keto chips (or homemade keto tortilla chips) with guacamole and/or salsa!
Storage instructions
- Store: Leftover keto beef enchiladas can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for one to two days.
- Freeze: Freeze, tightly covered, for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place in a baking dish and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until heated through. Thaw before reheating, if frozen.
- Meal-Prep: These can be filled, wrapped, and frozen, tightly covered, for up to 2 months ahead of time, or refrigerated up to 24 hours ahead of time WITHOUT the enchilada sauce and cheese. The enchilada sauce can be made and kept in the fridge for up to one week in advance. When ready to bake, top with the sauce and cheese then bake until hot and bubbly.
Variations
These are gluten-free, grain-free, and low-carb. However, here are some substitutions to make them fit more diets:
- Dairy-Free: Substitute the cheese with non-dairy cheese or simply sprinkle the top with nutritional yeast.
- Paleo: Use the dairy-free options above, paleo-compliant tortillas, and omit the xanthan gum and add 1 ½ Tablespoons of starch (cornstarch, arrowroot, or tapioca flour) to the spice mixture.
Top tips
- I prefer to make homemade red enchilada sauce because I can control the ingredients and it only takes around 10 minutes, but feel free to use 2 cups of canned red enchilada sauce if you prefer.
- For the tortillas, I use this keto tortilla recipe or Maria & Ricardo's Almond Flour Tortillas for store-bought.
If you’ve tried these Keto Beef Enchiladas or any other recipe on the blog please let me know in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Keto Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce:
- 3 Tbsp. Avocado Oil - butter, or oil of choice
- 2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- ¾ tsp. Garlic Powder
- ¼ tsp. Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt - + more to taste
- ¼ tsp. Coriander
- Pinch Ground Cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth - + more as needed
- ½ tsp. Xanthan Gum
- 1 tsp. Oil Or Melted Butter
- 1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
- Ground Pepper - as needed
The Meat:
- 2 tablespoon Avocado, Coconut, or Olive Oil
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- .5 Medium Onion
- 8 oz. Diced Green Chiles
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
The Rest
- 8 Keto Tortillas
- 2 tablespoon Cilantro - chopped, optional
- Chopped Green Onions - optional
- ½ Cup Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
Instructions
Enchilada Sauce:
- In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt, coriander, and cinnamon. Set aside. The recipe goes fast, so get the tomato paste and chicken broth ready and place near the stove.
- In a medium saucepan, add the oil and heat over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the spice mixture, whisking constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then, whisk in the tomato paste and slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Increase heat to medium.
- In a small bowl, combine the xanthan gum and oil or melted butter. Pour into the sauce and whisk constantly until thickened, around 3 minutes. If the sauce seems too thick, add additional chicken broth as needed to thin. Remove from heat. Add the vinegar and season with freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. If the sauce tastes "flat" it needs more salt.
Enchiladas:
- Prepare the enchilada sauce as instructed above and set aside. If making homemade tortillas, prepare them and set those aside as well.
- Prepare the meat: Finely chop the onion. Then, in a large skillet heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add the onion and beef. Cook until beef has browned, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain off fat if desired, then add the green chiles, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Turn off heat and set aside.
- If needed, slightly heat the tortillas on the stove until softened. For most tortillas, this is 15 - 30 seconds per side over medium heat. Heat them just until soft. If you over-heat them, they will become hard.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and spread the sauce over the top. Then, spoon some of the meat mixture into each tortilla. You can also add in black olives, green onions, and cheese if desired. Try not to over-fill the tortillas.
- Roll up each tortilla and place seam side down in a baking dish. Pour the remaining enchiladas sauce over the tortillas. There will be a little bit of beef leftover. You can either make a few more enchiladas in another baking dish or serve the remaining meat mixture spooned on top of the enchiladas.
- Stir about 2 Tbsp. of cilantro into the remaining sauce, if desired, and pour over the enchiladas.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until hot.
- Sprinkle extra cilantro, green onions, and any left over meat mixture over the top and serve with sour cream if desired.
Add Your Own Notes
Notes
- Nutrition Facts use the keto tortillas, shredded Mexican cheese blend, and are for 1 enchilada with the extra meat spooned on top.
- Leftovers: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for one to two days or frozen for up to two months.
- Making in advance: These can be filled, wrapped, and frozen, tightly covered, for up to 2 months ahead of time, or refrigerated up to 24 hours ahead of time WITHOUT the enchilada sauce and cheese. The enchilada sauce can be made and kept in the fridge for up to one week in advance. When ready to bake, top with the sauce and cheese then bake until hot and bubbly.
- I prefer to make homemade red enchilada sauce because I can control the ingredients and it only takes around 10 minutes, but feel free to use 2 cups of canned red enchilada sauce if you prefer.
- If you prefer to thicken the sauce with starch (arrowroot or tapioca) instead of xanthan gum, simply omit the xanthan gum mixture and add 1 ½ Tablespoons of starch to the spice mixture.
- Store-Bought: Maria & Ricardo's Almond Flour Tortillas
- Homemade: Soft & Flexible Keto Tortillas (*note- this recipe makes 6 tortillas, so you may need to make a double batch)
Nutrition
NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber - Allulose - Xylitol
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols, xylitol, and allulose are included in the total carbs and fiber.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my
The sauce is adapted from this Enchilada Sauce Recipe from Cookie & Kate.
Tessa Simpson says
I made these with your low carb tortillas and some leftover pastor pork I made...they were super yummy! Whole family loved them!! Thanks Cassidy!
Cassidy Stauffer says
Oh YAY Tessa, I'm so happy you liked them!!! I bet they were good with pork, I'll have to try that next time 🙂
-Cassidy
CassidyS says
tabtaylor2007-
mmmm... I'm sure the shredded chicken will be just as good 🙂
tabtaylor2007 says
thanks so much for sharing we are having these next week but i am going to use shredded chicken instead. we are GFCf beef and pork free household.
r.mcnatt says
I love mexican food as you know so I can't wait to try these, they look really good!