The Best Red Enchilada Recipes

HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE

Steps:

• This sauce comes together quickly once you get started, so measure the dry ingredients (the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and optional cinnamon) into a small bowl and place it near the stove. Place the tomato paste and broth near the stove as well.
• In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until it's hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes, so be patient and don't step away from the stove!
• Once it's ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
• Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will thicken some more as it cools.)
• Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add more salt, if necessary (I usually add another pinch or two). Go forth and make enchiladas!

THE BEST RED ENCHILADA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Arrange the ancho chiles on a baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven 3 to 4 minutes; remove the stems, pulp, and seeds from the toasted peppers. Place peppers in a bowl and pour enough hot water into bowl to cover completely; allow to soak for 1 hour.
• Combine the ancho chiles, tomato paste, corn oil, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, and about 1 cup of the beef broth in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a saucepan with the remaining beef broth and place over medium heat; simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes.

THE BEST CHICKEN ENCHILADAS RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Shred pre-cooked chicken or cook your own: Add chicken to a saucepan, completely cover with water and season with 1 tsp salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken with two forks and set aside.
• In a bowl beat the cream cheese. Add the sour cream, green chilis, enchiladas sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika; beat until combined.
• Divide the mixture into two bowls, add 2/3 of the sauce into a large bowl. Set aside remaining 1/3 of the sauce for the top.
• Add the shredded chicken with 2 cups cheese to the first bowl with 2/3 of the sauce. Mix with a spatula to combine.
• Generously add chicken filling to the center of each tortilla and roll up tortillas tightly. Arrange the tortillas in a 9x13 casserole dish.
• Pour the reserved 1/3 of sauce over the tortillas and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese (add more cheese if desired).
• Cover the dish with foil and bake at 400˚F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.

SIMPLE PERFECT ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the canola oil and flour. Whisk together and allow to bubble for 1 minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.
• While the sauce is simmering, brown the ground beef with the onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the fat, add the salt and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• In a small skillet over medium heat, heat some canola oil. Lightly fry the tortillas just until soft. Do not crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat until all the tortillas have been fried.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Next, one at a time, dip each tortilla into the sauce. Set the sauce-soaked tortilla on a plate. Place on some of the meat mixture, chilies, green onions and black olives. Top with a generous portion of grated Cheddar. Roll up the tortilla to contain the filling inside.
• Place the tortilla seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and pour the remaining sauce over the top. End with a generous sprinkling of cheese and any other bits of chiles, green onions or olives you have left over from the filling.
• Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the top and serve.

EASY RED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Melt butter with olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook and stir until onion starts to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour, chile powder, cumin, chipotle powder, black pepper, oregano, cayenne, and cinnamon. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and mix until fully combined. Pour in chicken broth and whisk until smooth.
• Increase heat to high and bring sauce to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors come together, about 10 minutes. Taste and season as desired. Blend sauce with an immersion blender.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Lightly brush tortillas with oil. Heat a small cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Heat tortillas until flexible, about 30 seconds per side.
• Cover the bottom of the skillet with a scoop of enchilada sauce. Place a tortilla on top and add 1/2 of the chicken, 1/3 of the Jack cheese, and 1/2 the cilantro and green onions. Spoon on more sauce and repeat layers, finishing with sauce and the remaining cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese melts and sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.

ENCHILADAS ROJAS RECIPE

Steps:

• Let's start first with the enchilada sauce. Slightly roast the peppers in a hot griddle, pressing them flat with the help of a spatula. Make sure NOT to burn them. This step takes a few seconds on each side of the peppers.
• Once roasted, place them in a saucepan with water and turn the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes or when they look soft.
• Remove saucepan from stove and let them cool for another 10-15 minutes. The pepper skins should look soft.
• After the resting period, drain the peppers and place in the blender along with the garlic cloves. Add 1/2 cup of clean water and blend until you have a smooth sauce. If necessary, strain the sauce into a large bowl using a fine strainer. Season with the oregano, salt, and pepper, and set aside.
• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, just to keep the red enchiladas warm while you finish assembling them. Add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil little by little as needed. To much oil will get a soggy tortilla.
• Dip the tortilla into the enchilada sauce to lightly coat each side.
• Place it in the Frying Comal-pan or skillet and briefly fry a few seconds on both sides. Add more vegetable oil to the skillet as needed. Place fried tortillas in a dish while you make the rest of the tortillas to keep warm in the oven.
• To assemble the red enchiladas, first, place the filling in the center of the tortilla and fold it. Sometimes I place a meat filling into the center of the tortilla and then roll it, like in the pictures above.
• Sprinkle the enchiladas with the cheese and onion. Add the garnish of your choice and enjoy!
• If you decide to add the potatoes and carrots as a garnish: Peel potatoes and carrots, cut into cubes and boil until almost tender but still firm. Then drain and cool.
• Use the same frying pan where you fried the red enchiladas to lightly fry the potatoes, adding a little more oil. The potatoes and carrots will be coated with some of the sauce sticking to the frying pan. Season with salt and garnish with cheese.

THE BEST RED ENCHILADA RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce except for the heavy whipping cream, and blend until smooth.
• Strain out any seeds and add to a skillet, bringing to a slight boil.
• Add the heavy whipping cream, and let boil for 5 additional minutes. Reduce heat to low.
• In a hot skillet, add a small amount of olive oil and then add the shredded chicken, the onion, and the cilantro.
• After about 5 minutes, add the cream cheese, and stir in with the chicken until well incorporated.
• Season with salt and pepper and let cook for an additional five minutes.
• Lightly fry the corn tortillas in oil and pay dry.
• Dip each tortilla in the red enchilada sauce, covering both sides completely.
• Fill each tortilla with some of the chicken filling, and some cheese if desired.
• At this point you can add them to a baking dish, top with mozzarella cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
• If you do not want to bake them, just put them on a plate, top with lettuce, cheese, and radish and serve immediately.

BEST RED ENCHILADA SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Rinse the ancho chiles and the chiles de arbol under cold water and pat dry. Remove the stems. Toast the chiles in a dry pan or comal over medium low heat until fragrant. Keep turning the chiles so they don't burn. You can also use a toaster oven, but be sure to watch the chiles closely so they don't burn. I find the toaster oven method easier because the ancho chiles are not flat. Toast the two different types of chiles separately.
• 2. Sautee onion until translucent. Add garlic and diced tomatoes and saute for another minute.
• 3. Bring six cups of water and bouillon to a boil and add all of the chiles, onion, tomato, and garlic. Reduce the heat and simmer for fifteen minutes.
• 4. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and add the oregano and cumin. Place a towel over the top of the blender while blending to protect from any splatters. Blend for two minutes until the mixture is very smooth. Be careful because the mixture is very hot. Hot contents can cause the lid to fly off your blender, so just use the towel.
• 4. Return the contents of the blender back to the pan by forcing the mixture through a strainer with the back of a spoon to remove the seeds and tough bits of chile skin that remain. Don't skip this step.
• 5. Simmer the strained enchilada sauce for 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Add salt to taste.
• This recipe makes about 4 cups of finished salsa. Store the salsa in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for one month.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare your enchilada sauce.
• In large sauté pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced chicken and green chiles, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté the mixture for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add in the beans and stir until evenly combined. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
• To assemble the enchiladas, set up an assembly line including: tortillas, enchilada sauce, chicken mixture, and cheese. Lay out a tortilla, and spread two tablespoons of sauce over the surface of the tortilla. Add a generous spoonful of the chicken mixture in a line down the center of the tortilla, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Roll up tortilla and place in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Assemble the remaining enchiladas. Then spread any remaining sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas, followed by any extra cheese.
• Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, until the enchiladas are cooked through and the tortillas are slightly crispy on the outside. Transfer the baking dish to a wire baking rack.
• Serve the enchiladas immediately while they're nice and hot and melty, garnished with lots of fresh toppings. Enjoy!

RED ENCHILADAS RECIPE (ENCHILADAS ROJAS)

Steps:

• Peel and slice carrots, and dice the peeled potatoes into small cubes. Then boil the vegetables over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until tender but firm. Drain completely.
• Remove seeds and stems from ancho chiles.
• Place 2 cups of water in a small pot and bring to a boil, then immediately remove from heat.
• Add chiles to hot water and steep for 2-3 minutes until softened.
• Remove softened chiles from the pot and blend in a food processor or blender briefly until the mixture becomes like a paste. Add 4-5 tablespoons of water from the pot and season with salt.
• Place the sauce in a pie pan or shallow dish.
• Heat just enough vegetable oil in a skillet or comal to cover the surface of the pan. Leave at medium high heat.
• Place the tortillas into the sauce and smother both sides.
• Fry the tortillas in the skillet or comal for about 10 seconds per side, enough to moisten the tortilla but not break apart.
• Fill the tortilla with queso fresco cheese and onions (optional) or any other savory filling of your choice.
• Return the rolled enchiladas to the skillet for another minute to reheat along with the carrots and potatoes. Add the remaining sauce to the vegetables until coated. Add more oil to the pan if needed to make the enchiladas slightly crispy.

THE BEST EVER ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• For the enchilada sauce:
• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Saute the onions until soft & translucent. Add the garlic & saute for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato sauce, green chiles, chili powder, cumin, & hot sauce (if using). Cook on medium/low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often.
• For the enchiladas:
• Pour a little bit of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, just enough to cover the bottom. Lay out the flour tortillas & spoon in a few heaping spoonfuls of the Mexican Style Meat. Then spoon in a couple heaping spoonfuls of shredded cheese, to your liking. Roll like a burrito & place in the baking dish. Repeat until all the tortillas are used.
• Cover completely with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, spray oil and sauté garlic. Add chipotle chiles, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic on low until soft, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Spray a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it.
• Place on baking dish seam side down, top with sauce. Then top with cheese.
• Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. Top with low fat sour cream or scallions if you wish. (Extra points) Makes 8 enchiladas.

RED ENCHILADA SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Use a hot pan to toast the chilies until fragrant.
• Remove the skin of chilies, and then remove their seeds.
• Put the chopped onion, tomato, and garlic in a pan with some olive oil. Turn on high heat until they become charred bits of yummy goodness.
• Place the chilies, onion, tomatoes and garlic in a pot with just enough water until they are almost covered. Add oregano and marjoram for flavor.
• Boil the soup for a few minutes, then simmer it on low heat.
• Simmer the ingredients for 15 minutes to reconstitute their flavors and soften them.
• Blend together the desired chilies, onion, tomatoes, garlic and oregano to create a salsa. This is usually done by combining all ingredients in an electric blender or food processor until smooth; this should only take about one minute.
• Add some water to blend. Add more if necessary, but only little by little. Blend in two batches and stop when you're done
• To make a delicious sauce, heat oil in the pan and then add strained mixture. Fry for 3 minutes on medium-high to cook out some of those raw garlic flavors before reducing the temperature. Simmer it for 30 more minutes until you get that thick texture we all love.
• After you add salt to your sauce, allow it for at least 2 hours so that the flavors meld. Then heat up and serve.

THE BEST ENCHILADA SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add the oil and garlic; sauté until golden, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, chipotle chiles, hot chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 7-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use. Makes 4 cups.