Enchiladas Rojas served with Mexican rice and a cold beer
Mexico

Enchiladas Rojas

Soft corn tortillas dip into a guajillo-red sauce, wrap around chicken, and finish with fresh cheese and cool toppings in a home-style Mexican dinner.

Servings 4
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Difficulty Moderate
Print Recipe

Ingredients

8 corn tortillas
10 oz cooked shredded chicken
1 1/4 oz dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
1/3 oz dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup white onion
2 garlic cloves
1 2/3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup tomato purée
2 tbsp neutral oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 oz queso fresco, crumbled
3 tbsp Mexican crema
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 tbsp oil for lightly frying tortillas
8 corn tortillas
300 g cooked shredded chicken
35 g dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
10 g dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
60 g white onion
2 garlic cloves
400 ml chicken stock
120 g tomato purée
30 ml neutral oil
2 g salt
1 g ground black pepper
80 g queso fresco, crumbled
40 g Mexican crema
40 g shredded lettuce
40 g radishes, thinly sliced
15 ml oil for lightly frying tortillas

Instructions

  1. Rinse the guajillo and ancho chiles. Place them in a saucepan with the onion and garlic, cover with water, and simmer for 15 minutes until the chiles are soft and flexible. Rest for 5 minutes off the heat. This follows a common enchiladas rojas method that softens dried chiles before blending.
  2. Blend the softened chiles, onion, garlic, chicken stock, tomato purée, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Strain the sauce into a bowl to remove any skins and seeds. Straining is widely used in traditional-style red enchilada sauces for a smoother finish.
  3. Heat 30 ml oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour in the sauce and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens slightly and loses its raw edge. The sauce should coat a spoon but still flow easily.
  4. Heat 15 ml oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Fry each tortilla for about 5 seconds per side until pliable, not crisp. Transfer to a plate. This quick fry helps prevent the tortillas from tearing or soaking up too much sauce.
  5. Dip one tortilla into the warm sauce, turning to coat both sides. Place it on a plate, add some shredded chicken, and roll or fold it. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
  6. Spoon extra sauce over the top. Finish with queso fresco, crema, lettuce, and radishes. Serve immediately while the tortillas still hold their shape and the filling is hot.

Cultural Context

Enchiladas rojas belong to a broad family of Mexican enchiladas built around corn tortillas and chile-based sauces. The sauce, filling and garnish vary by region and household, but the method matters: lightly fry the tortillas, dip them in warm red sauce, then fill or fold before they turn soft. This home-style version leans on guajillo-tomato sauce, queso fresco, crema, lettuce and radishes for a practical, everyday plate with classic red enchilada flavor.

Fun Fact

In many central Mexican households, cooks make enchiladas rojas using leftover tortillas from the previous day. Slightly stale tortillas hold their shape better when dipped in hot chile sauce and briefly fried, which helps prevent tearing during rolling or folding.

Cook’s Tip

Queso fresco is the most common finishing cheese here, but cotija can work if used lightly. Some versions fill enchiladas rojas with cheese only, while others use chicken, beef, beans, or leave them nearly plain and focus on the sauce. We use tomato sauce in the salsa; other traditional-style versions use fresh or canned tomato, and some rely more heavily on chiles. This version keeps the chile-led profile while using a modest amount of tomato for balance.

Trivia

In Mexico, enchiladas appear in written records as early as 1831, when they were documented in El Cocinero Mexicano, one of the country’s first widely circulated national cookbooks.

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