Enchiladas Rojas are so satisfying, so delicious. It’s really all about the warm and spicy sauce that seems to go with just about anything – chicken, pork, butternut squash and black beans… Even just a cheese filling would be fantastic, as long as you don’t skimp on the garnishes. The Enchiladas are languorous; the crunchy, fresh garnishes remind us that although we’re being lulled and comforted, Enchiladas Rojas are so, so good for us.
This recipe does entail quite a few steps, which takes time, especially when you consider the time it takes to prepare the garnishes. However, it’s easy to prepare the garnishes in advance. I also prepare the sauce and mix up the filling in advance and just set those elements aside, covered, until I’m ready to assemble and bake the enchiladas. It’s perfect for a cozy gathering of good friends. Enjoy!
Enchiladas Rojas
Equipment
- 9X12 baking dish
- tortilla warmer
Ingredients
- 16 corn tortillas
ENCHILADA SAUCE
- 3 T olive oil
- 3 T King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour
- 1 T chili powder
- 1 t cumin
- ½ t garlic powder
- ½ t dried oregano
- ¼ t salt
- 1 pinch cinnamon
- ¼ t black pepper
- 1 T tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth (replace with vegetable broth for the vegetarian version)
- 1 t apple cider vinegar
FILLING
- 3 cups shredded chicken breast (see notes for other filling options)
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- ¼ cup cream cheese
TOPPINGS
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 8 ounces Lime Crema (see Notes for instructions)
- 14 ounces Guacamole (see Notes for recipe)
- 7 ounces Cucumber Salsa (see Notes for recipe)
- 2 radishes
Instructions
- Make the sauce – Mix the flour and spices together. Heat the oil in a small saucepan until shimmering and then add the flour/spice mixture. It should sizzle! Whisk for about a minute, then whisk in the tomato paste. Once incorporated, whisk in the broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is glossy and has begun to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar.
- Make the filling (Chicken option) – Add the shredded chicken to a medium sized bowl. Dice the tomatoes. Chop enough cilantro (leaves and stems) to measure 1/4 cup. Add the shredded cheese, the tomatoes, cilantro and cream cheese to the bowl with the chicken, stirring until the cream cheese has softened and is well-incorporated.
- Warm the tortillas – Microwave the tortillas in a tortilla warmer for 1 minute to soften tortillas.
- Preheat the oven and assemble the enchiladas – Preheat the oven to 350℉. Pour some of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of your backing dish, enough to just cover the bottom. Working one at a time, lay out a tortilla, add filling along the bottom edge, then roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Top with the remaining sauce, leaving the tortilla edges uncovered so that they become crispy when baked. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese over the enchiladas.
- Bake – Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. While the enchiladas are baking, thinly slice the radishes and assemble the other toppings.
- Finish – Pull the enchiladas out of the oven and let rest for 5 minutes or so. Garnish with the radishes and serve alongside the other toppings.
Notes
P.S. – If you’ve ever made any of my recipes, I’m hoping that you printed them out and you still have them. The backups that my hosting provider maintains were corrupted somehow, so when this blog went into the nether lands while I was trying to migrate to WordPress (long, sad story), my current hosting provider was only able to restore my site from where it was in October 2023, which means I’ve lost nearly a year of content. I’m trying to recreate what I’ve lost, so if you have any snippets of anything from the previous year, please send it to me! For the record, I did NOT cry. There’s no crying in blogging!