Cheesy Ground Beef Pizza Enchiladas Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before beginning the cooking process, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) so it is ready for baking. Measure out the pizza sauce, shred the mozzarella cheese, and slice the pepperoni if using a whole stick. Chop the fresh parsley finely and set it aside for the final garnish.

Organize the flour tortillas and have a 9x13-inch baking dish ready on the counter. Having all these components prepped and arranged nearby ensures a smooth, efficient assembly line once the ground beef is fully cooked.

Instructions

Searing the Beef Filling

1. 1Brown the Ground Beef
   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks. Sauté the meat for 6 to 8 minutes until it is completely browned and no pink remains. Ensure the beef reaches a safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) to guarantee food safety. Carefully drain any excess grease from the skillet.
   Look for The beef should be completely browned with no pink remaining.
   Safe temperature 160°F (71°C) internal temperature (ground meat)
   Tip Use a slotted spoon to help drain the grease easily.
2. 2Mix in the Pizza Sauce
   Pour half of the pizza sauce into the skillet with the cooked ground beef. Stir well over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the beef is evenly coated and the mixture is warm. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside to cool slightly before assembling the enchiladas.
   Look for The beef should be evenly coated with a thick, saucy glaze.
   Tip Warm sauce incorporates much more easily into the warm meat.

At the end of this first phase, the ground beef should be completely browned with no trace of pink remaining, having reached a safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). The meat will smell highly savory and aromatic.

Once the excess grease is drained and the pizza sauce is stirred in, the filling should look rich, thick, and moist, with the sauce evenly coating every piece of beef without being overly runny or watery.

Rolling and Assembling the Enchiladas

3. 3Roll the Tortillas
   Lay the flour tortillas flat on a clean work surface. Distribute the saucy ground beef mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle about half of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the beef filling. Roll each tortilla up tightly around the filling to form a neat cylinder.
   Look for The tortillas should be rolled tightly without tearing.
   Tip Warming the tortillas makes them much easier to roll.
4. 4Assemble in the Baking Dish
   Spread a thin spoonful of the remaining pizza sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place the rolled tortillas seam-side down into the dish, packing them tightly. Pour the remaining pizza sauce evenly over the tops of the tortillas, then cover generously with the rest of the shredded mozzarella cheese and top with pepperoni slices.
   Look for The enchiladas should be completely covered in sauce, cheese, and pepperoni.
   Tip Placing them seam-side down keeps them from opening during baking.

By the end of the assembly phase, all eight tortillas should be snugly packed side-by-side in the baking dish with their seams facing downward to prevent them from unrolling. The top of the enchiladas must be completely covered with an even layer of the remaining pizza sauce, followed by a generous blanket of shredded mozzarella cheese and a neat arrangement of pepperoni slices, ready for the oven.

Baking to Cheesy Perfection

5. 5Bake and Garnish
   Bake the assembled dish in the preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 15 to 20 minutes. The cheese should be completely melted, bubbling, and lightly golden brown. Remove the dish from the oven and garnish immediately with the finely chopped fresh parsley. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.
   Look for The cheese should be bubbling and the pepperoni edges crisp.
   Tip Letting the dish rest makes it much easier to slice.

At the conclusion of the baking phase, the cheese should be completely melted, bubbling vigorously around the edges of the dish, and showing beautiful golden-brown spots. The pepperoni slices will have cupped slightly and become crisp at the edges, releasing their flavorful oils. A final sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley adds a bright green contrast against the rich red sauce and golden melted cheese.

Common mistakes

One common mistake is overfilling the flour tortillas, which makes them difficult to roll tightly and causes the filling to spill out into the baking dish during assembly. To avoid this, distribute the beef mixture evenly across all tortillas, keeping the filling centered.

Another frequent error is omitting to drain the cooked ground beef. Skipping this step allows excess fat to pool at the bottom of the baking dish, resulting in soggy tortillas and a greasy sauce rather than a clean, delicious bake.

How to tell it’s done

To determine if the dish is perfectly done, check that the internal temperature of the beef filling has reached 160°F (71°C) if tested with a food thermometer. Visually, the cheese must be fully melted, bubbling, and lightly browned on top.

The edges of the tortillas should appear slightly crisp and golden. Let the baked dish rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow the sauce to set, ensuring clean slices when lifting.

• Ground meat: 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part