This Enchiladas Rojas recipe is going to knock your socks off! A handful of ingredients makes an incredible Red Enchilada sauce full of Mexican flavor that infuses everything you put it on. The smell when this is cooking is amazing!

An oval plate with enchiladas.
Enchiladas Mexicanas with red sauce

About Enchiladas

Hey friends! If you’re like me, one of my favorite things to eat are enchiladas. Any kind will do. Do you agree? I also love entomatadas which are very similar to enchiladas (but it’s tomato based). If you haven’t had those, I suggest you check them out!

Since I eat these enchiladas so often, it was about time I shared the recipe with you! I can’t believe it took me this long.

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • So flavorful! – Authentic flavor all the way baby! The sauce is the real deal and you’ll love it! It’s not spicy but it is full of flavor.
  • Easy to follow steps and images that show you exactly how to make it.
  • Crowd pleaser – Even the picky eaters will love it!
Five Enchiladas Rojas on a white oval platter.

Pin this recipe for later!

Ingredients

There are many versions of enchilada recipes on the web but the key to making really good ones, is to make an authentic enchilada red sauce. The traditional version is made with chiles secos (dried chiles) instead of using chili powder.

Ingredients for the Sauce

  • 8 guajillo or new mexico peppers
  • 1 ancho chile
  • ¼ of a large onion
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt + ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 cups stock (either vegetable, beef, chicken stock will do). Alternatively, you can use water plus 1 bullion cube (vegetable, beef or chicken).
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 – 8 oz can tomato sauce

Ingredients for the Enchiladas

  • Enchilada Sauce
  • Corn tortillas
  • Oil for frying the tortillas
  • The filling -For enchiladas rojas de queso, use crumbled queso fresco or cotija.
  • For beef enchiladas, use shredded beef (follow directions from my Carne Deshebrada post).
  • For chicken enchiladas, use homemade shredded chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken.
  • For a vegan version, fill with Frijoles Refritos or Calabacitas.
  • Toppings: Shredded lettuce like romaine or iceberg, queso fresco, and radishes.
All ingredients for this recipe on a gray board.

** Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

Make The Enchilada Sauce

  1. Remove all seeds and stem from the peppers then rinse under cold water to remove any dust.
  2. In a medium pot, add the chiles, onions and garlic clove. Add enough water to cover the chiles.
  3. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until very soft and pliable. Rest chiles in the water for another 10 to 15 minutes to cool off and finish hydrating the chiles .

4. Transfer chiles to a blender or food processor and add 2 cups broth. Puree for about 1 minute. Note: you can do this in two different batches if the blender isn’t big enough for all the ingredients at once.

5. Strain the pureed chiles to remove the remaining seeds and skins (tip: push the chile mix with a spoon to get the most out of them).

6. In a large saucepan, heat the 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the pureed chiles and tomato sauce. Cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.

Making Authentic Enchiladas Rojas

  1. Add about ¼ cup of oil to a small or medium skillet. Heat on medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot (but not smoky), add one tortilla at the time and cook each side for about 4 to 5 seconds or until tortilla is lightly fried. 

Note: The tortillas should still be pliable for folding so make sure they’re not fried too long. Check out this video on how I fry the tortilla lightly.

As you fry each tortilla, drain any excess oil by tapping it into the pan then place on a plate with a paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas and add more oil if necessary. 

2. To assemble the enchiladas, dip each tortilla into the warm sauce and place on the serving plates.

A white saucepan and dipping a corn tortilla in enchilada sauce.

3. Fill with your favorite filling. In this case we’re using crumbled queso fresco but you can use shredded chicken, beef, beans or your favorite cooked vegetables.

Adding crumbled cheese to a tortilla in red sauce.

4. Either fold the tortilla like a taco or roll them as pictured below. I like to add a little more sauce on top for extra flavor. I can’t get enough of this enchilada sauce!

5 enchiladas on a plate with crumbled cheese in another bowl.

6. Sprinkle with queso fresco and other toppings you choose. I like to squeeze some lime juice to balance all of the flavors but that’s up to you. Try it out and see if you like it ?



Make Ahead & How to Store

  • Make ahead: The best thing to make ahead is the sauce. Chill in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three to four days.  To reheat, place in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
  • Freezer: Place in an airtight, freezer safe container or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.
A white platter with 5 enchiladas garnished with lettuce and crumbled cheese.

What To Serve With Enchiladas

Enchiladas are a dish that goes well with many things. You can serve them with Arroz Primavera or a side of Frijoles Charros. However, my perfect combination is the following:

3 Enchiladas Rojas on a white plate with calabacitas on the side.
An icon of a plate with a fork and knife.
Enjoy…

More Mexican Recipes

If you like these enchiladas, I bet you’ll love these recipes too! I hope you give them a try:

If you enjoyed this recipe I’d love it if you take 5 seconds to rate and review it below on the blog. It’s also super helpful to me and other readers if you share any changes you made to the recipe. I’m so grateful you’re here!

Print Recipe:

3 Enchiladas Rojas on a white plate with calabacitas on the side.

Authentic Enchiladas Rojas

Servings 14 enchiladas
Ana Frias
4.96 from 48 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
These Enchiladas Rojas are an authentic recipe made with lightly fried corn tortillas dipped in a delicious red sauce. Add your favorite filling, garnish with cheese, crema, onion and lettuce for the final touch. 
14 enchiladas

Ingredients  

Ingredients for Enchilada Sauce
  • 8 guajillo or new mexico peppers
  • 1 ancho chile
  • ¼ of a large yellow or red onion
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 cups stock (vegetable, beef, or chicken). Or use water plus 1 bullion cube (vegetable, beef or chicken).
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
Ingredients for the Enchiladas Rojas
  • 3 cups enchilada sauce
  • 14 corn tortillas
  • oil for frying the tortillas
Option for fillings
  • 2 to 3 cups queso fresco, or shredded beef or chicken
Toppings
  • 2 cups Shredded lettuce (romaine or iceberg)
  • 1 cup queso fresco
  • sliced radishes

Instructions 

Make The Enchilada Sauce

  • Remove all seeds and stem from the peppers then rinse under cold water to remove any dust.
  • In a medium pot, add the chiles, onions and garlic clove. Add enough water to cover the chiles.
  • Cover and cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes or until very soft and pliable. Rest chiles in the water for another 10 to 15 minutes to cool off and finish hydrating the chiles.
  • Transfer chiles to a blender or food processor and add 2 cups broth. Puree for about 1 minute. Note: you can do this in two different batches if the blender isn't big enough for all the ingredients at once.
  • Strain the pureed chiles to remove the remaining seeds and skins (tip: push the chile mix with a spoon to get the most out of them).
  • In a large saucepan, heat the 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the pureed chiles and tomato sauce. Cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.

Make The Enchiladas Rojas

  • Add about ¼ cup of oil to a small or medium skillet. Heat on medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot (but not smoky), add one tortilla at the time and cook each side for about 4 to 5 seconds or until tortilla is lightly fried (See notes section)
  • As you fry each tortilla, drain any excess oil by tapping it into the pan then place on a plate with a paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas and add more oil if necessary. 
  • To assemble the enchiladas rojas, dip each tortilla into the warm sauce and place on the serving plates.
  • Fill with your favorite filling. In this case we're using crumbled queso fresco but you can use shredded chicken, beef, beans or your favorite cooked vegetables.
  • Either fold the tortilla like a taco or roll them as pictured below. I like to add a little more sauce on top for extra flavor.
  • Sprinkle with queso fresco and other toppings you choose. I like to squeeze some lime juice to balance all of the flavors.
  • Buen provecho!

Muy Delish Notes:

  1. Frying the Tortilla:The tortillas should still be pliable for folding so make sure they’re not fried too long. Check out this video on how I fry the tortilla lightly.
  2. Make Ahead:The best thing to make ahead is the sauce. Chill in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.  To reheat, place in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. The sauce can also be frozen in an airtight, freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

Add Your Own Private Notes

Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1enchilada | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 507mg | Potassium: 132mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g

The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.

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Recipe Rating




28 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    If I could only vouch for ONE recipe I’ve ever made, THIS would be it. Wow so authentic, my sisters fiancé said it tasted better than enchiladas he’s had in Mexico. Thank you for this amazing recipe!

    1. You have no idea how much I loved reading your message Vanessa! I’m so happy everyone loved this enchiladas recipe. Thanks for the rating too 🙂

      xoxo, Ana

  2. 5 stars
    Delicious sauce. We used NM chiles and oaxaca and cheddar cheese. Rolled the enchiladas and put in a casserole dish, poured sauce on top with more cheese. Baked it for 15 minutes to melt the cheese. Was not tomato-ey at all. I did use a little less than the 8oz because I was also making rice and didn’t want to open a new can…but I don’t think it would have been too much with the full 8oz. Would definitely make again using this recipe

  3. 5 stars
    Hello, I made your recipe this evening. Everyone loved it 🙂 My sauce was not as thick as your and don’t know what I did wrong and my corn tortillas became mush :-/ what did I do wrong there?

  4. 5 stars
    Delicious. So much better flavor than the quick ones made with chili powder, which can be bitter. Next time I will reduce the sauce just a few more minutes but we loved it.

  5. This recipe looks great. I can’t wait to try it! Approx how many cups of enchilada sauce does this make? If I’d like to double or triple the enchiladas, should I increase the sauce ingredients accordingly or does 1x the called-for ingredients make significantly more sauce than is needed for 14 enchiladas? Thanks!

    1. Hi Priscilla! Great question! It makes a little more than for 14 enchiladas. It makes about 3 cups of enchilada sauce. If you want to double it just do the 2x. Any leftovers can be frozen for later! That’s what I do to save time for the next round of enchiladas. Let me know how you like it!

  6. 4 stars
    My husband made this last night we did have to make some adjustments. The written directions don’t say to remove the chilies from the cooking water so my husband added it all. Then he read the part that said to add 2 cups of broth so he used Better than Bullion veggie paste to the liquid and that helped. The taste was off so he had to add cumin powder chili powder and salt and that helped a lot . Apparently he just told me he didn’t use a mesh stainer so that likely affected things as well. He said he would make it again the correct way.

      1. Have you tried making it Kylee? the amount of tomato sauce balances very nicely! Spaghetti sauce is a combination of a large can of tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. These two are not even close!

  7. 5 stars
    I love that you made the enchilada sauce from scratch. I’ve yet to be impressed by canned premade sauces but this one was fantastic and brings such immense flavor to the dish!

  8. 5 stars
    What a great recipe! Your step by step instructions are ultra easy to follow and the flavors came out so good. Can’t wait to make it again!

  9. 5 stars
    I gave you five stars even though I haven’t made this yet because your recipes are always so clear and concise and foolproof! Plus I love your helpful tips and photos.
    Wishing you and your family many blessings in this new chapter of your life. I’ll be looking forward to reading about your adventures.

    1. Hi Rita! Your well wishes and comment mean so much! Thank you!!! I will definitely be keeping people updated on the new adventures. If you’re ever in Portugal, be sure to let me know!
      XO, Ana

  10. 5 stars
    These enchiladas taste amazing! The red sauce has the real authentic Mexican flavor that my mom used to make. I made it with rotisserie chicken and can’t wait to make them again!