Easy Slow-Cooked Beef Enchilada Casserole with Cheesy Pepper Sauce

I set out to make classic beef enchilada casserole tonight and quickly realised my spice rack wasn’t exactly enchilada-ready. Instead of the usual chilli powders and Mexican spice blends, I reached for what I had on hand: chuck steak, sweet paprika, and a medley of peppers (capsicum).

Originally, I planned to whip up a separate red passata sauce to pour over the tortillas before baking. But as the beef simmered away in its tomato-pepper base, the sauce turned out so rich and velvety that I couldn’t bear to leave it behind. My initial idea was to cook the sauce down so the beef wouldn’t be too wet when rolling it in the wraps. Halfway through, I realised all that slow-cooked flavour deserved a starring role on top.

This beef enchilada casserole without beans uses my homemade flour tortillas and slow-cooked, fall-apart chuck steak. It bakes under a blanket of mozzarella until golden and bubbling; comfort food perfection.

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Ingredients (Serves 2 generously with a little leftover – makes 6 enchiladas)

• 800 g chuck steak
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red capsicum, roughly sliced
• 1 green capsicum, roughly sliced
• 1 × 400 g can diced tomatoes
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (slurry)
• 6 homemade or store-bought flour tortillas. For a simple homemade flour tortillas recipe click here!
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Method

1. Brown the beef. Season the chuck steak with salt, pepper and sweet paprika. In a heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the beef on all sides. Remove and set aside.
2. Sauté the aromatics. Add onion, garlic, and the red and green capsicum to the pot. Cook until softened and fragrant.
3. Build the sauce. Pour in diced tomatoes, crumble in the beef stock cube, and return the beef to the pot. Add enough water so the meat is mostly covered.
4. Slow-cook. Simmer with lid on and gently for about 2½ hours until the beef is tender and falling apart.
5. Thicken. In the last 10 minutes, stir in the cornflour slurry to lightly thicken the sauce. Keep the lid off.
6. Shred & fill. Remove the beef, roughly chop or shred, then spoon it into the flour tortillas. Roll each one and place seam-side down in a baking dish.
7. Sauce & cheese. Spoon the remaining red pepper sauce over the rolled tortillas and top with mozzarella.
8. Grill. Set oven to grill/broil and cook for about 5 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A beef enchilada casserole with flour tortillas that’s slow-cooked for melt-in-the-mouth flavour.
• No beans required; perfect if you’re after a bean-free version.
• Serves two people generously with a little leftover for lunch the next day.
• Homemade flour tortillas (or store-bought if you’re short on time) make this extra special.

Tips & Variations

• Shortcut: Use ready-made tortillas and pre-shredded cheese to cut prep time.
• Make ahead: Prepare the beef and sauce a day earlier; assemble and grill when ready to eat.
• Spice it up: Add a pinch of chilli flakes or smoked paprika for extra heat and depth.

Slow-Cooked Beef Enchilada Casserole with Bell Pepper Sauce

A hearty, no-beans beef enchilada casserole made with slow-cooked chuck steak and flour tortillas. Instead of a separate enchilada sauce, the rich tomato and bell pepper sauce from the braised beef becomes the perfect topping, finished with a golden layer of melted mozzarella. Comfort food for two with a little leftover: full of flavour and pantry-friendly.

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Prep Time 9 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 800 g chuck steak
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 red capsicum roughly sliced
• 1 green capsicum roughly sliced
• 1 × 400 g can diced tomatoes
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water slurry
• 6 homemade or store-bought flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Method

 

1. Brown the beef. Season the chuck steak with salt, pepper and sweet paprika. In a heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the beef on all sides. Remove and set aside.
2. Sauté the aromatics. Add onion, garlic, and the red and green capsicum to the pot. Cook until softened and fragrant.
3. Build the sauce. Pour in diced tomatoes, crumble in the beef stock cube, and return the beef to the pot. Add enough water so the meat is mostly covered.
4. Slow-cook. Simmer gently for about 2½ hours until the beef is tender and falling apart.
5. Thicken. In the last 10 minutes, stir in the cornflour slurry to lightly thicken the sauce.
6. Shred & fill. Remove the beef, roughly chop or shred, then spoon it into the flour tortillas. Roll each one and place seam-side down in a baking dish.
7. Sauce & cheese. Spoon the remaining red pepper sauce over the rolled tortillas and top with mozzarella.
8. Grill. Set oven to grill/broil and cook for about 5 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

FAQS: Slow-Cooked Beef Enchilada Casserole Recipe