A little fun fact about me: sour cream and cilantro are two of my absolute favorite flavors. I love them in salads, chips, dips, and — in this case — steak enchiladas.
About This Recipe
You can’t say you’re a fan of Mexican cuisine if you haven’t tried steak enchiladas yet. These are basically burritos but much smaller and a whole lot saucier.
They’re typically filled with savory meats and a ton of fillings, and they’re often smothered in tomato sauce. However, we’re putting a little twist by incorporating sour cream and jalapeño cilantro sauce.
The Fillings
Instead of going overboard with the fillings, I like to keep mine simple and focus on the essentials, which are steak, caramelized onions, cheese, chopped jalapeños, and sour cream.
For this recipe, I usually use strip loin. After thawing it, I cut the excess fat and slice it into smaller pieces. That way, I can pack a lot of beef into each corn tortilla.
Then, when I cook my steak, I like to stir-fry it with caramelized onions. The blend of aromas really brings out a deep and satisfying taste.
As for the cheese, I prefer to use a Mexican cheese blend. And although it’s available in most supermarkets, here are a few alternatives if you can’t get your hands on this type of cheese:
- A mix of cheddar and monterrey jack with some cayenne, paprika, and ground cumin
- Oaxaca cheese
- A combination of gouda and fontina
These are just a couple of my suggestions. Feel free to experiment with different cheese blends and see which ones you like the most!
The Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce
People are raving about this sauce, and after giving it a try, I can see what the hype is all about. But before we jump into the recipe, I’ve got a few tips for you:
- Produce loses its flavor when left in the fridge for too long. So, use fresh ingredients only.
- You wouldn’t want to burn your taste buds with the blazing heat of jalapeño. So, be sure to remove the seeds and the ribs from the pepper when making this recipe.
- Not all mayos are created equally. While Kewpie or Sir Kensington’s are fantastic store-bought options, I suggest making your mayo from scratch if you have extra time to spare.
Sour Cream Steak Enchiladas With Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce
Nothing beats a steak enchilada that’s filled with sour cream and topped with an indulgent jalapeño cilantro sauce. It’s flavorful, cheesy, and incredibly addicting!
Ingredients
- 2 1-inch thick strip loin (with the fat trimmed and cut into smaller pieces)
- 1 tablespoon of canola oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 large white onion (finely diced)
- 4 large corn tortillas (wheat tortillas are fine, too)
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 4 ounces of chopped jalapeños (optional)
- 3 to 4 cups of Mexican cheese blend
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
For the Jalapeño Cilantro Sauce:
- 3 jalapeños
- 2 ounces of fresh cilantro
- 5 medium cloves of garlic (or around 1 ½ tablespoons)
- ½ cup of mayonnaise of your choice
- 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons of avocado oil
- Salt and ground pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Get a large skillet and add your canola oil and diced onions. Stir continuously until the onions become soft and translucent.
- Then, add in your steak slices and stir-fry until it has browned. Sprinkle some salt and pepper to season before removing the skillet from the heat.
- Now, grab your tortillas, lay them flat on a plate, and divide your beef and onion mixture among them as evenly as you can.
- Sprinkle about ¼ cup of cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and chopped cilantro on top of your beef mixture before rolling each tortilla.
- Place your rolled-up tortillas on a 9x13" baking pan and set aside.
Making the sauce:
- To make the sauce, remove the seeds and the ribs of the jalapeños before roughly chopping them. Note: If you like it spicier, you can leave some of the seeds and ribs in.
- Place your chopped-up peppers into a blender (or food processor) along with the rest of your sauce ingredients.
- Blend for about 30 seconds on high or until the sauce runs smooth and creamy.
Bringing the components together:
- Pour a healthy amount of sauce on top of your tortillas. Use a spatula to spread the sauce evenly before topping it off with the rest of your cheese blend.
- Bake in the oven for around 18 to 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the cheese starts to bubble and melt.
- At that point, take it out of the oven, garnish it with more cilantro and jalapeños, and you’re ready to serve.
Notes
Image credit to @bklyn.bites.
Featured image credit to @thegreeneggeffect.
