4.9 from 42 votes
Enchiladas Rojas, Red Chile Enchiladas
Don’t get all hung up on the exact array of dried red chiles here. The weight is more important, and even that doesn’t have to be exact. And as with all enchiladas, any meat will work here, or if you are a vegetarian, mushrooms are a good choice.
Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 414 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
American , Mexican
Ingredients
Red Chile Sauce
- ½ pound dried red chiles (New Mexican, ancho, guajillo, etc)
- 3 tablespoons lard or cooking oil
- 1 large white onion, cut in quarters
- 4 garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano, Mexican if possible
- 1 quart stock, preferably homemade
- Salt, smoked salt if you have it
- Black pepper to taste
Filling
- 1 pound diced meat
- Salt, smoked salt if you have it
- About 1/2 cup red chile sauce (see above)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 12 ounces shredded Monterey Jack and/or cheddar cheese (5 ounces for the filling, the rest as topping)
- 1 cup minced white onion
- Fifteen 6-inch tortillas
Instructions
- Prep the chile sauce. Start by taking the stems off and opening the chiles to shake out the seeds. Flatten them as best you can. Heat a cast iron skillet or better yet, a Mexican comal over high heat. When it is blazing hot, toast the chiles. Press them down with a spatula for just a couple seconds: When they blister, flip them and do the other side. Remove to a bowl.
- When all the chiles have been toasted, char the quartered onion and the garlic cloves on the comal or skillet. You want some blackening. The garlic cloves will blacken first, so watch them.
- Now that you have everything smoky and charred, tear the chiles in pieces. Chop the onion. Peel the garlic. Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the chiles, onions and garlic and saute for a minute or two. Pour in the stock, add the cumin and oregano and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste and simmer gently until the chiles are soft, about 20 minutes.
- Puree the sauce in a blender. This sauce can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the fridge.
- Make the filling. Cut the meat into pieces about the size of your fingernail. Salt well. Mix with about 1/4 cup of the red chile sauce, the chopped sage as well as about 5 ounces of cheese and the minced white onion.
- Prep the tortillas. Heat the tortillas on a comal or other heavy skillet until they blacken a little. Then put them in a tortilla warmer, or stack on a plate and put a bowl over them. Let them steam a few minutes before building the enchiladas.
- Build the enchiladas. Pour a little red chile sauce into a casserole dish. Dip a tortilla in the red chile sauce briefly and shake off the excess. Fill a tortilla with a little of the filling and roll it up. Place seam-side down on the casserole. Repeat until you’re done. You should get about 15 tortillas.
- Pour more red chile sauce over the enchiladas and top with lots of the shredded cheese. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes and serve.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
414kcal
(21%)
Carbohydrates
27g
(9%)
Protein
29g
(58%)
Fat
23g
(35%)
Saturated Fat
9g
(45%)
Cholesterol
78mg
(26%)
Sodium
337mg
(14%)
Potassium
900mg
(26%)
Fiber
9g
(36%)
Sugar
14g
(28%)
Vitamin A
7890IU
(158%)
Vitamin C
14mg
(16%)
Calcium
383mg
(38%)
Iron
4mg
(22%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 414
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 414kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 27g | 9% |
| Protein | 29g | 58% |
| Fat | 23g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol | 78mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 337mg | 14% |
| Potassium | 900mg | 19% |
| Fiber | 9g | 36% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 7890IU | 158% |
| Vitamin C | 14mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 383mg | 38% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.