Low Carb Enchiladas- Beef & Bean

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!

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.

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.

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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! A salad with Cajun salad dressing is the perfect light side dish to round out this meal. If you feel like a chicken dish instead, try our Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers.

More Mexican & Southwestern favorites