Slow Carb Beef and Refried Beans

June 01, 2022 Post a Comment

The key to these low carb enchiladas with beef and beans is the easy homemade red enchilada sauce that is loaded with flavor.

Mexican food is a favorite around our house, but the tortillas, rice, and beans always create problem for those of us who want to go low-carb. In other words, me.

(All of our Mexican inspired recipes are found here.)

This enchiladas recipe offers a guilt-free way to enjoy my favorite cuisine without compromising on flavor. The homemade enchilada sauce is out of this world!

low carb enchiladas with toppings and extra sauce

How to make homemade enchilada sauce

I'll be the first to admit that I usually buy my enchilada sauce in a can. While delicious, canned enchilada sauce has cornstarch or flour and added sugar that make it not a good part of a low carb or keto diet.

I was shocked to find out how easy it was to make my own enchilada sauce! The base is just simple tomato sauce and when you add in garlic, chili powder, cumin, adobo sauce, and smoked paprika it becomes way better than the canned stuff. In just a few minutes of simmering the flavors all come together beautifully.

low carb enchiladas on a plate with toppings

What makes these enchiladas low carb?

First, there's the sauce. Making your own enchilada sauce cuts out the cornstarch or flour that is usually found in the can.

Then, there's the tortillas. I spent years making my sandwiches into wraps thinking a was going low carb, but did you know most flour tortillas have 25 grams or more net carbs? Once I heard that I switched over to the low carb kind for good.

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on an affiliate link and buy something, we may receive a very small commission. It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra. Click here for our full privacy and disclosure policy. As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

For this recipe, I used Mission brand's Carb Balance tortillas. They only have 4 grams of net carbs and taste just like the carby ones. La Banderita makes a Carb Counter tortilla with the same number of net carbs that are also delicious and will work just as well in this recipe.

Can I make this recipe keto?

These low carb tortillas can easily be made keto. Depending on how strictly you follow a keto diet, you may want to eliminate some or all of the beans. Just make up for it by adding more meat and onions or other veggies like spinach to bulk up the tortillas.

Otherwise the recipe is perfectly keto. Just make sure your tomato sauce has no sugar added!

Adding to your low carb/Keto recipe collection?

You'll want to check these out, but there are lots of recipes here on B&B that just naturally fall into the low carb category. We invite you to stick around and browse a bit!

Keto Squash Casserole
Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Dipping Sauce
Keto Breakfast Casserole
Keto Parmesant Crusted Chicken

What topping should I put on my low carb enchiladas?

These low carb tortillas are delicious as is, but we love toppings around here (check out the ones on this Tex-Mex Dutch Baby and you'll see)! Here are some suggestions to jazz up your enchiladas:

sour cream
cotija cheese
diced tomatoes
sliced avocados
lettuce
salsa
guacamole
cilantro
sliced jalapenos
a drizzle of southwestern vinaigrette makes an interesting addition

Skip a step and make them ultra quickly

If you've got shredded Mexican style beef already cooked in the crock pot you can use it instead of the ground beef. You'll be able to skip the step of cooking and seasoning the beef. Just add the beans and you're good to go! If you feel like a chicken dish instead, try our Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers.

low carb enchiladas with toppings

Low Carb Enchiladas with Beef & Beans

The key to these low carb enchiladas is the homemade enchilada sauce that is loaded with flavor.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings 8 people

Calories 481 kcal

Enchilada Sauce

1 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
30 oz tomato sauce
3 Tbsp adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers
1 Tbsp chili power
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Beef and Bean Mixture

1 Tbsp olive oil
½ yellow onion diced
1 lb ground beef
14 oz black beans drained
14 oz refried black beans
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp smoked paprika
salt to taste

Enchiladas

8 low carb tortillas such as Mission Carb Balance
12 oz Monterey Jack cheese
sour cream optional
sliced avocados optional
diced tomatoes optional

Enchilada Sauce

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil on medium heat. When hot, add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Lower heat to a simmer until ready to use.

Beef and Bean Mixture

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium high heat. When hot, add diced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Enchiladas

Pour a little bit (about ¼ cup) of sauce in a large casserole dish and spread around the pan with a spoon.
Assemble each enchilada by using a slotted spoon to spoon beef and bean mixture into the tortillas. Try to use about ⅛th of the mixture in each tortilla.
Roll tortilla and place seam-down in the casserole dish in a row.
Pour enchilada sauce over the enchiladas. If you like your enchiladas less wet, you do not need to use all of the sauce.
Top enchiladas with cheese and put in oven for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown on edges.
Top with sour cream, avocados, tomatoes, etc. if desired.

Serving: 2 enchiladas Calories: 481 kcal Carbohydrates: 27 g Protein: 29 g Fat: 29 g Saturated Fat: 13 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g Monounsaturated Fat: 12 g Trans Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 78 mg Sodium: 2285 mg Potassium: 789 mg Fiber: 9 g Sugar: 7 g Vitamin A: 1195 IU Vitamin C: 9 mg Calcium: 400 mg Iron: 5 mg