These easy skillet venison enchiladas are a simple, one-pan twist on a classic favorite. Ground venison is browned with bold spices, then layered with tortillas, enchilada sauce, and shredded cheese for a comforting meal. It’s a perfect weeknight dinner with minimal cleanup and maximum flavor!
Recipe Highlights
Quick and Easy: Cooks in under 30 minutes!
One-Pan Wonder: Everything cooks in a single skillet, making cleanup a breeze. Try my skillet venison lasagna for another easy one-pan meal!
Full of Flavor: Bold spices, savory venison, and melty cheese in every bite.
Ingredients
- Ground Venison: Any ground meat can be used in place of ground venison.
- Taco Seasoning: Homemade taco seasoning works great for adding flavor to the meat. I like to use it for lots of other recipes like ground elk quesadillas, ground venison tacos, venison Spanish rice, and more! You can also use your favorite taco seasoning.
- Enchilada Sauce: A good quality enchilada sauce makes all the difference in flavor for this dish. I like to use Hatch organic red enchilada sauce.
- Corn Tortillas: I prefer the flavor and texture of corn tortillas for enchiladas, but you can use flour tortillas as well.
- Toppings: I like to add a few fresh toppings to my enchiladas to liven them up. Some favorites are sour cream, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, and pickled jalapeños.
See recipe card for quantities.
Equipment
Recommended
Large Enamel Cast Iron Skillet
Cast iron skillets are ideal because they can double as a baking dish. Just be sure to use an enameled skillet, as the acidity in the enchilada sauce can strip the seasoning from a regular cast iron skillet.
How to Make Venison Enchiladas in a Skillet
These enchiladas come together in just a few steps!
- Step 1: Heat oven broiler on low. Mix taco seasoning into ground venison.
- Step 2: Heat a large enamel cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add lard to the pan and let it melt. Add seasoned venison into the pan and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the meat is mostly cooked through, stirring occasionally.
- Step 3: Add diced onions and bell peppers to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened.
- Step 4: Lower heat to medium. Add enchilada sauce to the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.
- Step 5: Add tortilla strips to the pan and stir to coat. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the tortillas don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Step 6: Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top.
- Step 7: Broil on the middle rack of the oven for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
- Step 8: Add toppings, if desired, and serve hot. Enjoy!
Pro Tip
Make sure you use the middle rack of your oven for broiling to ensure the cheese gets good and melted before it browns too much.
Serving Suggestions
Skillet venison enchiladas are even better with your favorite toppings—think sour cream, avocado, fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes, etc. A spoonful of your go-to salsa adds just the right kick. Serve straight from the skillet for a cozy, crowd-pleasing meal.
Recipe FAQs
Ground venison is super versatile! You can use it in chili, tacos, spaghetti, meatballs, burgers, enchiladas, or even stuffed peppers—basically anywhere you'd use ground beef.
Mild, melty cheeses like Monterey Jack, cheddar, or a Mexican cheese blend work best for enchiladas. They melt smoothly and add creamy richness to every bite.
Soggy tortillas are often caused by too much sauce or baking too long. Try making skillet enchiladas where the enchiladas only bake for 20 minutes!
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Thank you!
Annie
📖 Recipe
Easy Skillet Venison Enchiladas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground venison
- 3 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon pork lard (or other cooking fat)
- ½ cup yellow onion, ¼" diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper, ¼" diced
- 2 15 oz cans red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar jack cheese
- 12 corn tortillas, cut into approximately 1" x 3" strips
Optional Toppings:
- sour cream
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- sliced avocado
- diced tomatoes
- pickled jalapeños
Instructions
- Heat oven broiler on low.
- Mix taco seasoning into ground venison.
- Heat a large enamel cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add lard to the pan and let it melt. Add seasoned venison into the pan and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the meat is mostly cooked through, stirring occasionally.
- Add diced onions and bell peppers to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened.
- Lower heat to medium. Add enchilada sauce to the pan and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer.
- Add tortilla strips to the pan and stir to coat. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the tortillas don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. Broil on the middle rack of the oven for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese is browned and bubbly.
- Add toppings, if desired, and serve hot. Enjoy!
Notes
- Any ground meat can be used in place of ground venison.
- Homemade taco seasoning works great for adding flavor to the meat. You can also use your favorite taco seasoning.
- A good quality enchilada sauce makes all the difference in flavor for this dish. I like to use Hatch organic red enchilada sauce.
- I prefer the flavor and texture of corn tortillas for enchiladas, but you can use flour tortillas as well.
- I like to add a few fresh toppings to my enchiladas to liven them up. Some favorites are sour cream, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, and pickled jalapeños.
- Make sure you use the middle rack of your oven for broiling to ensure the cheese gets good and melted before it browns too much.
Annie Weisz says
This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. We love it with lots of fresh toppings!