Tortilla Chip Enchiladas turns a 12-ounce bag of tortilla chips, seasoned ground beef, red enchilada sauce, green chilies, salsa, cumin, and three cups of cheese into an easy 9x13-inch bake. Chips are broken into pieces rather than crumbs, then mixed with the entire sauce and just one cup cheese before the remaining two cups become the top. The recipe serves eight after fifty minutes at 350°F plus a five-minute stand.
Tortilla Chip Enchiladas Ingredients
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef (can be substituted for shredded chicken or ground turkey); 1 bag tortilla chips (about 12 ounces); 3 cups shredded cheese; 28 ounce can of red enchilada sauce; 4 ounce can of diced green chilies, drained; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; ½ cup salsa.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Creamy Parmesan Garlic Beef Bowtie Pasta.
How to Make Tortilla Chip Enchiladas
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cook meat: Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked. Drain excess fat.
- Add seasonings to meat: Add diced green chilies, salsa, and ground cumin to the cooked ground beef. Mix thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
- Prepare chips: Pour tortilla chips into a large mixing bowl and gently break them up slightly. You want pieces, not crumbs.
- Combine ingredients: Add the seasoned beef mixture to the bowl with the chips. Pour in the entire can of enchilada sauce. Add 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Gently mix everything together until well combined.
- Prepare baking dish: Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Transfer mixture to baking dish: Pour the tortilla chip enchilada mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly.
- Add cheese topping: Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese (or more if desired) evenly over the top of the mixture to completely cover it.
- Cover and bake: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
- Serve: Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy while hot.
For storage details after serving, the USDA leftovers and food safety guidance.
Why the Order Matters
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Brown one pound ground beef over medium heat and drain excess fat. Stir in drained diced green chilies, salsa, and cumin. Gently break tortilla chips into pieces in a large bowl. Add the seasoned meat, all 28 ounces red enchilada sauce, and one cup of the shredded cheese. Spray a 9x13-inch dish, spread in the mixture, cover completely with the remaining two cups cheese, cover with foil, and bake 50 minutes until hot and bubbly. Stand five minutes before dividing into eight servings.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like BBQ Rib Recipe.
Critical Visual and Timing Cues
Break chips enough to make spoonable pieces but not fine crumbs. The sauce is added in full, and cheese is deliberately split: one cup inside, two cups over the top. Fold carefully so chips retain some larger pieces. Foil keeps the casserole moist while the fifty-minute bake heats the center. Letting it stand five minutes improves serving structure.
Serving and Storage
Serve hot after the five-minute rest, dividing the 9x13 dish into eight portions. The base recipe contains no flour tortillas, rice, beans, or sour cream. It contains dairy and may contain allergens in chips or sauce. Use a broad spoon or square spatula to portion without pulverizing the soft tortilla-chip layer. The brief rest lets steam settle and helps the cheese topping remain connected to each serving. The recipe permits more cheese only as an optional topping preference, but the measured base is three cups total. Keep any substitutions for beef limited to the explicitly allowed shredded chicken or ground turkey. Serve immediately for best chip texture and flavor.
Practical Kitchen Notes
The source permits shredded chicken or ground turkey as a substitution for beef, but this verified base uses one pound beef. Keep the bag size about twelve ounces, all 28 ounces of sauce, four ounces drained chilies, one teaspoon cumin, half cup salsa, and all three cups cheese exact. Drain excess fat after browning the beef so the casserole does not become greasy. Drain the green chilies as stated before they join the meat. Spray the 9x13-inch dish before adding the mixture; this supports easy serving without adding another sauce or fat. Cover the dish with foil for the complete fifty-minute bake and check that it is hot and bubbly before removing it. Do not replace tortilla chips with flour tortillas because the chip texture is central to this method.
Details Worth Preserving
New editorial images document the ingredient set and four chronological stages. The original hero is unchanged, the early duplicate is removed, and the last original serving image remains. Responsive WebPs are uploaded alongside originals before article JSON.
Recorded Recipe Tips
- This casserole is a great way to use up slightly stale tortilla chips.
- You can customize this dish with additional toppings such as sour cream, guacamole, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, or chopped cilantro.
- For a spicier version, use hot enchilada sauce or add diced jalapeños.
- This recipe freezes well. Prepare through step 8, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to cook, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed, adding about 10-15 minutes to the cooking time.
Conclusion
Tortilla Chip Enchiladas makes 8 servings in 65 recorded minutes. Preserve every listed quantity, temperature, timing cue, and ordered instruction for the intended result.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How many servings does Tortilla Chip Enchiladas make?
It makes 8 servings and serves 8.
- → How long does Tortilla Chip Enchiladas take?
The recipe records 15 minutes of preparation, 50 minutes of cooking, and 65 minutes total.
- → How is the cheese divided?
Mix 1 cup into the tortilla-chip mixture, then spread the remaining 2 cups evenly over the top.
- → Should the tortilla chips be crushed into crumbs?
No. Break them slightly into pieces; the source specifically says not to make crumbs.