Enchiladas Rojas (or Red Enchiladas)

Serve me a plate of Enchiladas Rojas, or Red Enchiladas, and I’m one happy gal!

This is how my mom, my grandma, and everyone I know in my family makes them.

Fried corn tortillas, then dipped in a tasty and rich chile sauce, stuffed with cheese…. Mmm! Deliciousness in every bite!

More Recipes You’ll Love:

Chicken Mole Enchiladas
Enchiladas Suizas
Enchiladas Dulces
Entomatadas

Ingredients

Making enchilada sauce from scratch is easier than you think!

Above are the ingredients you need to make this recipe.

Missing ingredient: WATER! You’ll need water to rehydrate the chiles and to blend the chile.

How to Rehydrate Dried Chiles

• Cut off the stem.
• Cut lengthwise.
• Remove seeds and veins.
• Repeat with all the chiles.
• Place in a stockpot.

From here, cover with water. Bring to a boil. Immediately turn off the heat, but leave the chiles covered for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, the chiles will be pliable.

If they are not, leave them in the hot water for another 5 minutes. Sometimes older chiles take longer to rehydrate.

How to Make The Sauce

• Add all the rehydrated chiles and sauce ingredients into a blender.
• Add water and blend until smooth.

Look for a thick, red sauce. Some people will use chicken bouillon instead of salt, or chicken broth instead of water. Either of these substitutions will help enhance the flavor of the sauce.

Pro Tip

Make this sauce ahead of time. It lasts in the fridge for up to 7 days and up to 6 months in the freezer.

For a runnier sauce: Add a splash of water or ¼ cup tomato sauce until you reach the desired consistency.

• Heat oil in a stock pot.
• Place the strainer over the stock pot.
• Strain the sauce.

Using a cooking spoon, push the sauce into the pot. Discard any bits that remain in the strainer.

Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

• Fry the tortillas. 1-2 minutes on each side.
• Place on paper towels to drain any excess oil.

Cover with aluminum foil so they can stay warm.

Stiff tortillas do not fold easily. If they get cold, put them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

FYI: Authentic enchiladas are made with corn tortillas not flour tortillas.

• Dip the fried tortilla into the sauce.
• Place on a plate.

The oil from the frying helps the sauce stick to the tortilla.

Even if the tortillas are cold, as long as the sauce is hot, the enchiladas will be warm.

Should enchiladas be crispy?
Enchiladas made with flour tortillas are soggy. With corn tortillas, though, frying the tortillas will make them crispier. Once they are smothered in the sauce, they will lose some of the texture. The frying is not to make them crispy. It’s for them to pick up oil which will help the sauce stay on the tortilla.

• Add the cheese to the center of the tortilla.
• You can also add chicken and diced onion.

There’s no way around it. Making enchiladas is messy.

Great Idea!

Have one plate that is just for assembling, and a second plate for serving. That way it won’t look so messy.

• Fold the tortilla in on one side.
• Fold the other side of the tortilla in.
• Repeat until done.

How to Keep Them Warm

• Cover them with aluminum foil while assembling.
• Or, place them on a sheet pan. Put in the oven 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

How Long Do They Last?

In the fridge, Enchiladas Rojas last up to 5 days. In the freezer, they last up to 5 months in an airtight container.

What to serve with it?

Refried Beans
Mexican Rice
Pickled Jalapenos
Ensalada de Nopales

Every tortilla dreams of being Enchiladas Rojas. Simply delicious and simply irresistible.

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