This Easy Pork Enchilada Recipe is the perfect weeknight meal or meal to prep on the weekends for the week ahead. Ground pork is mixed with warm spices, salsa and cheese and added to tortillas. The tortillas are rolled and topped with enchilada sauce and cheese. They are baked until warm and gooey. Top with fresh cilantro, red onion and tomatoes and chopped jalapeños.

EASY PORK ENCHILADA RECIPE

We love enchiladas in my house.

There is something so comforting and delicious about a plate full of Pork Enchiladas topped with fresh cilantro, red onion and diced tomatoes.

I love how easy they are to meal-prep for the week ahead and they make great leftovers.

Today’s Easy Pork Enchilada Recipe uses a ground pork mixture for the filling which is packed with protein. I love how satisfying these enchiladas are.

You can modify these by putting in black beans, pinto beans or red beans, more spice and different enchilada sauce options like green enchilada sauce or mole.

I also love adding extra spice like smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder or Mexican oregano.

When it comes to pork recipes we rotate between a variety of recipes like these BBQ Baked Pork Chops, Air Fryer Pork Taquitos, Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin, Easy Ground Pork Tacos, Slow Cooker Pork Pozole and these Slow Cooker Cuban Pork Rice Bowls.

If you like enchiladas you might want to try these Chicken Enchiladas, Beef Enchiladas , Beef Enchilada Casserole, One Pot Chicken Enchilada Pasta or Vegetarian Enchiladas.

WHY YOU WILL LIKE THESE PORK ENCHILADAS

EASY TO MAKE: Enchiladas are so easy to make and a meal the whole family will love.

You start by cooking the pork and creating the filling mixture, fill the tortillas, assemble the enchiladas and bake. You can have these on the table in under 45 minutes and it is the type of meal that can last your family all week long. 

PACKED WITH PROTEIN: Pork is packed with protein to keep you feeling satisfied. Eating 20 – 30 grams of protein per meal helps fuel your body and may help you feel fuller.

That being said, every 3 ounces of pork is packed full of 22 – 24 grams of protein depending on the cut.

GREAT FOR MEAL-PREP AND LEFTOVERS: I love meal-prepping enchiladas for an easy dinner. I make a big batch and portion them into smaller containers. They hold up nicely all week and you can pop them in the microwave to quickly reheat and eat.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS 

TORTILLAS: I used 8 flour tortillas for this recipe. Sometimes if I use less of the pork mixture or add a can of drained black beans then I will use 10 tortillas.

You can use corn tortillas but I find them harder to work with and often break. Flour always works better for me.

GROUND PORK: I use ground pork in this recipe. I like how easily it cooks and how it tastes in enchiladas. You could also use pulled pork in place of ground pork.

ONION & GARLIC: Sweet or red onion is used in this recipe but you don’t have to. I also added garlic for flavor but once again not necessary if you want to skip that.

SPICES: The pork mixture is spiced with cumin, chili powered, oregano, paprika and cayenne red pepper

SALSA: I added salsa to the pork mixture to add a bit of flavor. Don’t use too much of it creates a lot of extra juices that can create a soggy enchilada. You could use this Homemade Salsa or Salsa Verde.

ENCHILADA SAUCE: You can make a homemade enchilada sauce or use your favorite store-bought enchilada sauce.

CHEESE: I used a combination of cheddar cheese and mozzarella or pepper jack. Any cheese you enjoy will work.

HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY PORK ENCHILADA RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

HEAT SKILLET: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté for 2 minutes. 

COOK THE MEAT: Add the ground pork, cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika and cayenne pepper and cook until the pork is browned.

ADD SALSA: Add the salsa and mix well. Drain any excess juices. 

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. 

Put 1/2 cup cheddar cheese into a small bowl next to the pork mixture. 

ASSEMBLE THE ENCHILADAS: Place tortillas on a large plate. Using a spoon place 2 tablespoons of the pork mixture into the center of the tortilla then sprinkle with a small amount of the cheese and roll it until closed.

PLACE IN THE BAKING DISH: Place seem side down in the dish in a casserole dish. Continue to do all of the tortillas laying them side by side in a large baking dish. 

ADD ENCHILADA SAUCE AND CHEESE: Slowly pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas followed by sprinkling the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and the 1 cup mozzarella or pepper jack cheese. 

BAKE ENCHILADAS: Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the enchiladas are cooked through and the tortillas are slightly crispy on the outside. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. 

Garnish with your favorite toppings.

MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS PORK ENCHILADAS RECIPE

BEANS: Beans can be a nice addition to the meat mixture. Try black beans, refried beans, red beans, pinto beans or white beans. I would make sure to drain the beans.

VEGETABLES: You can add other vegetables to the pork mixture like corn, bell peppers, poblanos, jalapeños, zucchini or mushrooms.

SPICES: Other spices that would work in this dish is Mexican oregano, crushed red pepper, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika or coriander.

GRAINS: You could stir in Mexican rice, brown rice, quinoa or white rice to the pork mixture.

HEAT: You can add heat to these enchiladas by adding hot sauce, green chiles or habaneros.

SAUCE: I used a red enchilada sauce but you could use a green sauce or even a mole.

CHEESE: Other cheese options that work are queso fresco, cotija cheese or monterey jack cheese.

TOPPINGS: The toppings are always my favorite finishing touch. Some good options are avocado, green onions, cilantro, diced tomatoes, diced red onion, jalapeños, pickled red onion, quick picked vegetables, curtido, Jalapeños coleslaw or this cowboy caviar.

WHY ARE MY ENCHILADAS SOGGY?

I often have questions from readers as to why their enchiladas are soggy or mushy. 

There are a few reasons and ways that you can prevent this from happening. 

SAUCE: If there is too much sauce on top of the enchiladas before baking or the sauce is too thin it can lead to sogginess.

I suggest not putting too much sauce on the enchiladas but just enough to cover most of the tortillas with a thin layer. 

FILLING: Make sure the filling doesn’t have excess sauce, or juices. I cook the meat and mix everything together and then drain the excess juices. This helps to prevent those juices from soaking through the tortillas. 

OVERFILLING: If you overfill the enchiladas with cheese, sauce or soft vegetables this could lead to a soggy enchilada.

I suggest just adding a small amount of these ingredients and keep the filling more meat and beans. Make sure to drain the meat of any extra juices along with the beans.

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

STORAGE: Leftover enchiladas can be kept in a sealed container and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Once frozen let them defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then bake once thawed.

MAKE AHEAD: If you want to make enchiladas ahead of time you can assemble the enchiladas without adding the enchilada sauce and cheese.

Wrap the pan with aluminum foil and you can keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

When you are ready to make the enchiladas add the sauce and cheese and bake. You also can freeze the prepared enchiladas for up to 3 days, thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator and then bake.

OTHER PORK RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

PARMESAN CRUSTED PORK CHOPS

SLOW COOKER HAWAIIAN PORK RIBS

PORK MEATBALLS

EASY SAUSAGE GNOCCHI SOUP

GRILLED HAWAIIAN PORK CHOPS

EASY PINEAPPLE PORK CHOPS

Head to Ohio Pork to get more pork recipes!

Today’s post is sponsored by the Ohio Pork Council. As always, opinions are 100% my own.