Enchiladas Rojas

These enchiladas rojas are totally unlike any enchiladas you've ever had! Each one is stuffed with juicy shredded chicken and wrapped in corn tortillas soaked in a flavorful chili red enchilada sauce. Then they're covered in more red enchilada sauce and baked to perfection. 

The Best Enchiladas Rojas

These enchiladas rojas or red enchiladas taste like something you'd get at an authentic Mexican restaurant, but they're simple to make at home!

They're made with corn tortillas that are soaked in a homemade sauce of three blended chili peppers and beef broth. The tortillas are quickly fried, leaving the edges crispy and adding tons of flavor to each bite.

Each tortilla is stuffed with shredded chicken and topped with even more warm enchilada sauce, making a delicious dish that's packed with savory and spicy flavors.

If you want to take this enchilada rojas recipe to another level, you can serve them with tortilla chips and this Chipotle guac and Chipotle corn salsa for the ultimate restaurant experience!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

The flavor is amazing. All of the chili flavors mix to make a crazy flavorful homemade enchilada sauce you just can't get anywhere else.

Crowd-pleaser. Anyone who likes enchiladas or Mexican food is going to love this recipe. It's always a hit when I make it, and I guarantee everyone in your family will love it too!

Easy to customize. You can use different chilis to make your enchilada sauce or add whatever spices, veggies, or toppings you want to make this enchilada recipe uniquely yours.

Ingredients

The ingredient list for this enchilada rojas recipe is pretty simple, with dried chili peppers playing the starring role.

Here's everything else you need to make this red enchiladas recipe:

• 2 guajillo peppers, dried
• 1 ancho chile, dried
• 2 chile de árbol, dried
• ½ white onion, diced
• 2 cups beef broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• cooking spray
• 8 corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• To serve: lettuce, radish, and cilantro

Now, you can typically find these peppers in the Mexican food aisle of your local grocery store or in the dried spices section. However, if you can't find all of the peppers listed, then you can swap them for whatever dried peppers you can find.

Oh, and if this ingredient list has you wanting some more enchilada recipes, you have to give this beef enchilada casserole or my wife's famous cream cheese chicken enchiladas a try next!

How To Make Enchiladas Rojas

1. Boil the peppers: Clean and remove the seeds from the guajillo peppers, ancho chile pepper, and chile de arbol peppers. Add the peppers to a small pot and add the white onion, beef broth, salt, and pepper. Bring the broth mixture to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. 

2. Make the chile sauce: Transfer all of that to a blender and blend until smooth. Then, transfer the pepper mixture to a strainer and use a spatula to work the sauce through the strainer to remove any hard pieces.

3. Make the enchiladas: Heat a nonstick skillet to medium high heat and grease it lightly with butter. Soak each tortilla in the enchiladas rojas red sauce and place it in the skillet. Cook each tortilla on both sides for a minute, then fill them with shredded chicken and make a roll. Transfer each enchilada to a baking dish and repeat until you've used all of the tortillas.

4. Finish the enchiladas: Mix the rest of the chile sauce with 1 cup of tomato sauce to make the red enchilada sauce. Cover the rolled enchiladas with the sauce.

5. Serve: Serve your enchiladas with your desired toppings, like shredded lettuce, radish, or chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Recipe Variations To Try

• Substitute shredded chicken for shredded rotisserie chicken, shredded beef, or shredded pork for a different flavor.
• Use a canned enchilada sauce to save time.
• Swap beef broth for chicken stock if you don't have beef broth on hand.
• Top the finished enchiladas with shredded cheese and broil for a few minutes to melt the cheese and crisp up the shells even more.
• Serve the rojas red enchiladas with fresh toppings like sour cream, Mexican crema, queso fresco, shredded cheese, lime juice, or chopped onions.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

In the fridge: Cover the casserole dish with a lid or transfer the leftover enchiladas rojas to an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.

In the freezer: Allow the enchiladas to cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag and freeze them for about 3 months.

Reheating: Put the leftover red enchiladas rojas back in the baking dish. Warm in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until the filling is warmed through. Let the frozen enchiladas thaw in the fridge overnight or add more reheating time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are red enchiladas made of?

Red enchiladas rojas are made up of tortillas that are soaked in a savory chile sauce, then pan fried and stuffed with shredded chicken and served with more enchilada sauce and fresh toppings.

What makes enchiladas enchiladas?

Enchiladas are traditionally made with small tortilla shells wrapped around meat, cheese, and or vegetables, then covered in a flavorful enchiladas sauce to make them uniquely enchiladas.

Is this enchilada sauce spicy?

Yes, this enchilada sauce is pretty spicy since it uses three kinds of spicy peppers. You can serve the enchiladas with sour cream on top to cut some of the heat.

Is red enchilada sauce spicier than green?

Typically, red enchilada sauce will be spicier than green sauce since red sauce has more chilis added.

More Mexican Recipes

• Rotisserie chicken enchiladas
• Mexican street corn casserole
• Chile relleno casserole
• Mexican rice casserole
• Arroz rojo
• Mexican tater tot casserole