Smoked Brisket Enchiladas

Leftover brisket? Make this recipe for beef brisket enchiladas! Smoky brisket wrapped in tortillas smothered in enchilada sauce and gooey cheese.

As David likes to say, these smoked brisket enchiladas are: “Slap your grandmama good!” – no, not really, but they are pretty damn good.

Cooking a whole beef brisket for just two people results in many leftover brisket. So, each time we have leftover brisket, I think of new ways to use it. I’ve put it in mac and cheese and made a couple of different sandwiches, one with BBQ sauce and the other with a beer horseradish cheese sauce. We have even put leftover brisket in our chili instead of the chuck eye steaks we usually use. Smoked beef brisket is good in any way you want to use it.

Smoked juicy brisket also makes the ultimate enchiladas! I think smoked beef enchiladas may be my favorite way to use leftover brisket. They are easy to make and so versatile!

Ingredients You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

Brisket: about a pound of chopped smoked beef brisket, or you can use leftover braised brisket if that’s what you have.

Tortillas: enchiladas are most often made with flour tortillas, but there is no law that says you can’t use corn tortillas.

Enchilada Sauce: I use a simple recipe for homemade enchilada sauce. It begins with chili puree, mixed with tomato paste, cumin, and Mexican oregano, into a rich, flavorful sauce. You can find the recipe HERE. You can use canned if that’s what you have on hand.

Cheese: You’ll need about 2 cups of shredded cheese – any Mexican blend and/or Queso Fresco

Topping Suggestions:

• sour cream
• fresh cilantro chopped
• pickled jalapenos
• green onion chopped
• lime wedges

How to Make Smoked Brisket Enchiladas

Here’s a basic overview of how to make Brisket Enchiladas. The recipe card at the end of this post provides detailed instructions with times and temperatures.

The smoky brisket is chopped and combined with cheese, wrapped in a warm tortilla blanket, and smothered in an amazing homemade enchilada sauce with bold, beautiful flavor. Before the enchiladas go into the oven, they are drenched with even more sauce and covered with a thick layer of cheese. The enchiladas are baked until all of the flavors have melded, and the cheese is melted and gooey.

How To Serve Brisket Enchiladas

When serving smoked brisket enchiladas, keep the toppings simple with a dollop of sour cream. Then brighten them with freshly chopped cilantro, green onion, and fresh lime juice. For extra spice, toss a few fresh or pickled jalapeno slices on top for extra warmth.

We like enjoying chips and salsa as an appetizer first.

Not enough leftover brisket? No problem!

You can still make this recipe if you don’t have enough leftover brisket. Add black beans or refried beans to make the filling go further. Using a 50/50 mixture will ensure you have enough brisket in every bite!

The Enchilada Sauce

As with everything else I post on this blog, I highly encourage you to eat cleanly with as few preservatives and additives as possible. I highly recommend you make the enchilada sauce for the brisket enchiladas from scratch using THIS RECIPE. However, feel free to use whatever enchilada sauce you like.

There are two methods for the homemade enchilada sauce recipe. You can follow the recipe as is, using the dried chili puree. However, if you don’t have the time, chili powder can be used instead of chili puree (See recipe notes). The enchilada sauce recipe with the puree takes a little longer but is incredibly worth it!

Both of these enchilada sauce recipes are delicious, and they can be made ahead of time. This means you can make it on the weekend when you have more time and store it in the fridge for an extra special weeknight meal.

Recipe Tips

• Soggy Tortillas? Lightly fry the tortillas before filling them to prevent the enchiladas from becoming soggy.
• The Best Cheese: Look for a blend of cheeses for the best flavor, such as Monterey Jack cheese, Cheddar, Oaxaca, and Queso Quesadilla Cheese. Avoid using all cheddar as it can be too oily. Using a blend of other cheeses with cheddar is ideal.
• Watch the Seams: Place the prepared enchiladas into the baking dish seam side down for best results.
• Aluminum Foil: Bake the enchiladas covered in foil, but remove to brown the cheese for the last few minutes.

Reinvent leftover smoked beef brisket by taking your enchiladas to a new level! You only need brisket, enchilada sauce, tortillas, cheese, and any toppings you desire.

Smoked brisket enchiladas are exceptionally delicious! Try them the next time you have leftover smoked beef brisket.