Enchiladas are a very traditional dish in Mexico. The name comes from “enchilar”, which means “to season with chili”. In Mexican homes, corn tortillas are quickly dipped in warm red sauce, filled with cheese, rolled, and served fresh. This vegetarian version uses cheese filling and is served as a main dish.
😌 Difficulty: Easy
⏱️ Preparation time: 15 min
🔥 Cooking time: 20 min
⏳ Total time: 35 min
👥 Servings: 3
Ingredients
For Salsa Roja (red sauce):
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- ½ small white onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1-2 dried guajillo chilies (mild dried red chili) or 1 tsp chili powder
- 240 ml water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp salt
For enchiladas:
- 6 small corn tortillas
- 200 g queso fresco (Mexican fresh cheese) (easy substitute: feta)
- 100 g melting cheese (Oaxaca cheese) (easy substitute: mozzarella)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
For serving:
- Thinly sliced white onion
- Fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- Put tomatoes, onion, garlic, chilies and water in a pot. Boil 8-10 minutes until soft.
- Blend until smooth.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, pour in the sauce, add salt, and simmer 5-7 minutes until slightly thicker.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Quickly fry each tortilla about 10 seconds per side (soft, not crispy).
- Dip one tortilla into warm sauce for a few seconds.
- Add queso fresco and a little melting cheese in the center.
- Roll gently and place on a plate. Repeat for all tortillas.
- Spoon a little extra sauce on top.
- Add sliced onion (and cilantro if using).
- Serve immediately while warm.
SpinThatCuisine Tip 💡
In Mexico, enchiladas are usually not baked with heavy cheese on top. They are rolled, lightly sauced, and eaten fresh while the tortillas are still soft.