Enchiladas Rojas

Looking for authentic red enchiladas, or enchiladas rojas? Look no further. These enchiladas are full of flavor and the sauce is definitely the star of the show!

Enchiladas rojas are on the top of my favorite foods list. Any time my mom made enchiladas it felt like a special occasion. You know how you don’t make lasagna often because it’s a bit tedious so you really only enjoy it every so often? Maybe not, maybe you’re the type to enjoy it all the time and to that I say more power to you! Anyway, enchiladas are like that. You make the sauce from scratch and take the time to dip each tortilla in the sauce before you fill it with the goods and roll it up. Why dip? Because that is the REAL way to get it done. Trust me, sauce all over those tortillas on every single inch of it is the way to go.

In case you didn’t know, enchilada literally means to be covered in chile or chile sauce. It can also be used to describe when you have eaten something very spicy and your mouth is burning: “estoy enchilada”. Let’s be real, you guys are here for the food though! The enchilada sauce is made with dried chile peppers, garlic, onion, and some seasoning. It is so easy to make and do not let the dried peppers intimidate you. The biggest struggle may be finding the peppers and even that should actually not be a struggle at all. You can find dried peppers at pretty much any grocery store now. I have found them at Walmart, Sprouts, HyVee, Price Chopper, etc. If you have any Mexican grocery stores around that would be a great place. If you still can’t find them locally try ordering them online. You can find some on Amazon here or at this Mexican grocery store online here.

Stuff the enchiladas with anything your little heart desires. Seriously though, the possibilities are endless. Around here we love plain but traditional and delicious cheese and onion enchiladas. However, shredded chicken or ground beef enchiladas always have a special place in our hearts, (and bellies). Oh, and you’re probably thinking about just melting all the cheddar cheese goodness on top. If that’s what you want and need in life, do it! Know that I am 100% with you and love that Americanized version just as much as you do. However, I raise you one and top these babies with some shredded lettuce, queso fresco, onion, and sour cream. After all, we are talking legit, authentic enchiladas and this is how we do it!

Print Recipe

Enchiladas Rojas

Red enchiladas made with authentic red sauce.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: authentic mexican food, enchiladas

Servings: 10 enchiladas

Ingredients

Enchilada Sauce

• 6 dried guajillo peppers
• 2 dried ancho peppers
• 1/2 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds can use ground cumin
• salt and peper to taste
• 2 cups water

Enchiladas

• 10 tortillas
• 2 cups enchilada sauce
• 1 cup filling of choice use cheese, veggies, shredded chicken, ground beef, etc.
• Toppings:
• shredded lettuce
• queso fresco crumbled
• sour cream
• onion thinly sliced

Instructions

Enchilada sauce

• Remove stems and as many seeds as desire from dried peppers. Keep in mind the more seeds are left, the spicier the sauce. These dried peppers tend to be milder.
• Place peppers and water in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.
• In a blender place peppers along with the water and the remaining sauce ingredients. Blend until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• If desired, strain the sauce through a fine mesh stieve. I would recommend only straining about half of the sauce to keep the sauce thicker.

Enchiladas

• Preheat oven to 350
• Heat tortillas by desired method. I recommend quick pan frying with a little oil for extra flavor.
• To make this authentically: place sauce in a large bowl and dip each tortilla in the enchilada sauce and stuff with filling before rolling up. Repeat the process with all tortillas placing them in a baking dish and pour the rest of the sauce on top. Alternatively stuff the tortillas with filling, roll them up, spread some sauce on baking dish, add rolled enchiladas, and pour sauce on top.
• Cover baking dish with foil and enchiladas for 15-20 minutes to warm through.
• Top with shredded lettuce, crumbled queso fresco, onion, and sour cream.