These birria enchiladas are beyond delicious! They’re the ultimate comforting food for you and your family. Tender beef meat tucked into tortillas, drizzled with homemade enchilada sauce, topped with cheese, and baked to perfection.
Birria enchiladas are a mouthwatering fusion of two iconic Mexican dishes: birria and enchiladas. The tender beef meat forms the flavorful core of this recipe while the flavorful enchilada sauce complements it.
This is one of my favorite recipes for using beef birria leftovers! It is not only a practical way to use up excess food but also a creative way to enjoy the flavors of birria in a new form. The already well-seasoned birria meat will infuse the enchiladas with its rich flavors, making for a satisfying and delightful meal.
Looking for more options to use extra birria beef? Try my birria ramen and birria tacos.
Ingredients
- Tortillas: I recommend corn tortillas because they hold the sauce better without falling apart.
- Birria: You will need shredded beef from birria leftovers.
- Enchilada sauce: Make a batch of my authentic enchilada sauce (made with guajillo chilies and other dried chile peppers) or use your favorite brand of store-bought sauce.
- Cheese: Any melty cheese works fine for this recipe.
- Oil: I used sunflower oil.
- Garnish: Fresh onion, cilantro, and radishes.
How to Make Birria Enchiladas
Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Once heated, add one tortilla and lightly fry it for about 5 seconds on each side.
Place the tortilla on a plate lined with kitchen paper towels to remove the excess oil. Repeat with all tortillas and set aside.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°).
Add 1/3 of the enchilada sauce to the bottom of a baking dish and spread with a spoon.
Place one tortilla on a plate and spread a bit of enchilada sauce, then add some shredded birria meat followed by some cheese.
Roll up the tortilla with the fillings and place it in your baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with all tortillas until you fill the dish.
Note: I made 8 enchiladas and used a 9×11-inch baking dish. If you want to double the recipe make sure to use a larger dish as the enchiladas should be placed in one layer.
Spoon the remaining sauce over the rolled tortillas and then top with the remaining cheese.
Tent the enchiladas with aluminum foil (you can also spray the foil with PAM so the cheese won’t stick to it).
Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden on top.
Garnish with diced onion, chopped cilantro, and some sliced radishes. Serve birria enchiladas with your favorite sides like a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, and Spanish rice.
Tips & Recipe Notes
- Fry the tortillas: Don’t skip frying the tortillas, doing so will make them more pliable and less likely to tear.
- Assemble carefully: When rolling the tortillas with the birria filling, handle them gently to prevent tearing. Roll them tightly to keep the filling in place.
- Sauce inside and outside: I recommend spreading some enchilada sauce before adding the meat, so the sauce gets absorbed by the tortilla from both the inside and outside.
- Toppings: White onion and cilantro provide a fresh and zesty contrast to the rich flavors of these enchiladas. They’re a classic topping for birria too so is a good idea to incorporate those flavors on this dish. You can also add sliced avocado.
- Bake covered: When baking the enchiladas, cover them with aluminum foil to prevent them from drying out. This will also help the flavors meld together.
Serving Birria Beef Enchiladas
When serving birria enchiladas as a main course, you can complement the dish with a variety of sides and accompaniments that enhance the overall dining experience. Here are my favorite ways to serve this recipe:
- Sides: Rice and beans are the most popular sides I love serving with cilantro lime rice because the tangy flavor complement wonderful with the enchiladas. As per beans, classic refried beans are a must.
- Soups: If you have also consommé leftovers from birria, serve them along with your enchiladas!
- Salads: Try this crispy & tangy street corn slaw.
- Salsas & dips: Guacamole & pico de gallo are the most obvious choices, but other salsas like this jalapeño salsa or this spicy salsa macha are fantastic accompaniments too.
- Beverages: Don’t forget to serve refreshing beverages such as pineapple agua fresca or strawberry horchata to quench your thirst and complement the bold flavors of the meal.
- Dessert: For a sweet ending, consider serving a traditional Mexican dessert like flan or tres leches cake.
Looking for more ways to serve these delicious birria enchiladas? Check out my What to Serve With Enchiladas post where you’ll find tons of ideas to serve this fantastic dish!
Store & Reheat
Birria enchiladas leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Allow them to cool to room temperature then place them in an airtight container and store them.
To reheat, place individual portions of enchiladas on plates and reheat in the microwave in 1-minute intervals until heated through.
FAQ
What can I do with leftover birria broth?
You use the flavorful broth to serve on the side of enchiladas, tacos, or burritos. Or you can use it as a broth base for soups and stews. The broth has tons of flavor, so recipes that call for beef stock are a good option to use birria broth leftovers.
What cut of meat is used for birria?
Mexican birria is usually made with goat, lamb, or mutton. But recently, beef is most used as it’s cheaper and easily available in many places.
What kind of tortillas are used in enchiladas?
Corn tortillas are a traditional choice for making enchiladas in many parts of Mexico. They have a distinct earthy and slightly nutty flavor.
Flour tortillas are more used in northern Mexico and the United States. They are made with wheat flour, water, fat (such as lard or vegetable oil), and sometimes leavening agents.
More Enchiladas Recipes
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Birria Enchiladas
Equipment
- 1 9×11-inch (22×28 cm) baking dish
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas
- vegetable oil (as needed)
- 2 cups birria meat (shredded)
- 2 cups enchilada sauce
- 2 cups melty cheese (Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, or Cheddar)
Instructions
- Heat ½ inch of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add one tortilla and lightly fry it for about 5-7 seconds on each side.
- Place the tortilla on a plate lined with kitchen paper towels to drain excess oil. Repeat with all tortillas and set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°).
- Add â…“ of the enchilada sauce to the bottom of a baking dish and spread with a spoon.
- Place one tortilla on a plate and spread a bit of enchilada sauce, then add some shredded birria meat followed by some cheese.
- Roll up the tortilla with the fillings and place it in the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with all tortillas until you fill the dish (read notes).
- Spoon the remaining sauce over the rolled tortillas and then top with the remaining cheese.
- Tent the enchiladas with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and lightly golden on top.
- Garnish with diced onion, chopped cilantro, and some sliced radishes. Serve immediately.
Notes
- A 9×11-inch baking dish was perfect to fit 8 enchiladas. If you want to double the recipe make sure to use a larger dish.
- When rolling the tortillas with the birria filling, handle them gently to prevent tearing. Roll them tightly to keep the filling in place.
- Birria enchiladas leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Allow them to cool to room temperature then place them in an airtight container and store them.
I was thinking what else to make with birria leftovers besides tacos and your recipe just came up. Great idea! Loved it and my kids devoured them.
This recipe is a keeper! The enchiladas are really delicious and perfect to use your birria leftovers, I doubled the recipe and it was enough to feed my large family and we got leftovers that we enjoyed next day. So good!