Enchiladas Rojas

Mexico City style enchiladas.

4 servings
1 hour
Ethan Chlebowski

Ingredients

Enchilada sauce

  • Ancho Peppers
    3-4
  • Chipotles in Adobo
    3-4
  • Garlic
    2-3 cloves
  • Onions
    1/4
  • Water
    as needed
  • Salt
    a sprinkle

Enchilada components

  • Chicken Breasts
    2~1 lb / 450 g
  • Bay Leaves
    2
  • Onions
    1/4
  • Epazote leaves
    a handful
  • Corn tortillas
    6-10
  • Cooking oil

For serving

  • Cotija cheese
  • Crema
  • Pickled onions
  • Radishes, thinly sliced

Method

Step 1: Simmer the chicken

Place a pot of water on medium heat. Add a large pinch of salt, 1/4 of the onion, the epazote leaves, and the chicken breast. Let it for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

After cooking, allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes. Then shred it and set it aside.

Step 2: Blend the sauce

In the meantime, remove the seeds and stems from the dried chiles. Optionally, you can the chiles on a cast iron pan. Add the chiles to a small pot of water and for 10 minutes or until they become soft. Afterward, set them aside without draining the water.

In a blender, combine the hydrated chiles, garlic, another 1/4 piece of onion, and some of the chile water. Blend these ingredients until you achieve a smooth consistency. Add more water as necessary to ensure the sauce is fairly thin.

Step 3: Fry the sauce & the tortillas

In a pan over medium heat, add enough oil to cover the base. Add the sauce and reduce the heat to low. the sauce for 10 minutes.

In a separate pan, heat about an inch of oil. Lightly the tortillas on both sides until they just start to firm up.

Step 4: Serve & enjoy

Coat the fried tortillas in hot sauce, fill with chicken, and place them on a platter.

When serving, top the enchiladas with extra sauce and garnish with crema, cotija cheese, pickled onion, sliced radish, or any other toppings of your choice. Enjoy.

“The enchiladas I found in Mexico were a totally different experience from the ones we find in the U.S. that are topped with cheese then baked. Instead, these are all about simple assemble with a smokey and complex sauce.”

Ethan Chlebowski
Creator

Watch & Cook

Nutritional Information

entire recipe
Calories1182
153g
24g
112g

Show macros split into…

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Recommended: 8 servings

FAQ

Are there variations of this?

You can use other kinds of fillings if you’d like: cheese, beef, refried beans, potato & chorizo, etc.

Do I need to get epazote for the chicken?

Epazote adds a signature to this dish, but it’s not necessary to make this dish. Omit or substitute in some cilantro stems if you have them.