How to Create the Perfect Enchiladas

How to Craft Enchiladas

Delicious fillings wrapped in warm tortillas, nestled in a baking dish, drenched in sauce, topped with melted cheese, and baked to bubbly perfection — what's not to adore? Pair it with a dollop of sour cream or a spoonful of guacamole, and you have a guaranteed family favorite. Let’s break down the ingredients and explore some top-rated Enchilada recipes.

Start Cooking: Nicole's Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Supreme

Enchilada Filling Ideas

Enchiladas are a quintessential Tex-Mex dish, born from the fusion of Mexican, Native American, Texas cowboy, and Anglo traditions. This rich culinary heritage makes enchiladas incredibly adaptable. You can fill them with a variety of tasty ingredients, from shredded meats like beef, pork, and chicken to vegetarian options like beans, sour cream, or cheese.

VIDEO: Master the Art of Making Shrimp Enchiladas Suizas

These highly-rated enchiladas combine a flavorful blend of shrimp, spinach, and cheese, all smothered in a creamy sauce with a kick from jalapenos, tomatillos, and cilantro. According to cheeziekt, "This variation offers a zesty twist on the usual red chile enchiladas." Feel free to get creative with your fillings and spice levels!

Popular Enchilada Fillings to Try:

Spicy Shredded Beef
Charley's Slow Cooker Mexican Style Meat
Mexican Style Shredded Pork
Shrimp Enchiladas Suizas
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Enchilada Sauce Varieties

In American cuisine, enchilada sauces generally fall into three main categories: red, green, and white. If you're already preparing a homemade filling, it’s totally fine to save some time by grabbing a pre-made sauce from the store, but making your own enchilada sauce can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

Red sauce has a rich and robust flavor, thanks to its blend of dried and fresh chiles, often enhanced with tomato puree. Many red enchilada sauce recipes will call for chili powder, which is not just one spice, but a mix of dried red chiles, cumin, oregano, garlic, and salt.

Green sauce offers a bright, fresh flavor, with its foundation in fresh green chiles. Both red and green enchilada sauces are typically flavored with garlic, onions, cumin, salt, and pepper.

The white sauce enchilada, the most distinctly American of the trio, is often made simply with sour cream. It can also be jazzed up with diced green chiles, fresh herbs, lime juice, or even condensed soup for added richness.

Image courtesy of Meredith.

Top-rated Enchilada Sauces to Try:

Enchilada Sauce
Red Enchilada Sauce
Mrs Espy's Enchilada Sauce
Ten Minute Enchilada Sauce
Green Sauce Enchiladas

Choosing Tortillas for Your Enchiladas

There are two main types of tortillas used for enchiladas: corn and flour. Both are staples in Tex-Mex cuisine and can be found just about anywhere. But if you're feeling adventurous, making your own tortillas at home is surprisingly simple!

Corn tortillas are made with just water and masa harina, a special corn flour. On the other hand, flour tortillas are made from wheat flour and usually contain ingredients like baking powder and shortening or lard. They tend to be larger and thinner than corn tortillas, and their stretchy texture allows them to hold up better without cracking.

Homemade Flour Tortillas | Photo by Holiday Baker. Courtesy of Holiday Baker

Both corn and flour tortillas are made by kneading the dough until it's soft and pliable, then shaping it into thin rounds before cooking them quickly on a hot iron griddle.

If your tortillas aren't fresh off the griddle, the best way to make them flexible and less prone to tearing is by briefly heating them in a hot pan with a touch of oil. If you're using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet, you can skip the oil and simply heat the tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side.

Keep the tortillas warm and soft by stacking them in a clean kitchen towel until you're ready to fill and roll your enchiladas.

How to Make Tortillas from Scratch

Learn how to craft homemade tortillas that are soft, chewy, moist, and tender — and bursting with flavor.

Discover the recipe for Chef John's Flour Tortillas.

To assemble your enchiladas, place a spoonful of your chosen filling in the center of a tortilla, drizzle with sauce, then tightly roll it up and arrange it in a baking dish, seam-side down. Keep filling and rolling the tortillas, placing them snugly in the dish; top with more sauce before baking to perfection.

Delicious Toppings for Your Enchiladas

For cheese-lovers, top your enchiladas with Cheddar, Jack, or the tangy Mexican Cotija cheese for added flavor.

Generously sprinkle shredded cheese over the enchiladas, then bake them at a moderate temperature of 350°F (175°C) until the enchiladas are piping hot, the sauce is bubbling, and the cheese has melted. This should take around 30 minutes. (Cover with foil if you prefer the edges of the enchiladas to remain soft.)

While the enchiladas bake, get your favorite side dishes ready: chopped cilantro, thinly sliced red onions, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sliced olives, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or any other tasty toppings to make your Tex-Mex meal feel complete!