Mexican

Serving

Enchiladas Rojas

Name: Enchiladas Rojas
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 12 corn tortillas; 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast; 6 dried Guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed; 1 cup crumbled queso fresco; 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced into half-moons; 2 cloves garlic, peeled

Corn tortillas rolled around a filling and covered with a red chili sauce.

60 minutes

Serves 4

21 min prep

33 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Instructions

6 steps

1
Rehydrate Chilies: Toast the dried Guajillo chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1 minute until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 15 minutes until soft.
2
Blend Sauce: Transfer the softened chilies to a blender along with 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/4 tsp cumin, and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth.
3
Simmer Sauce: Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Carefully pour in the blended chili sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened and dark red.
4
Soften Tortillas: In a separate skillet, lightly fry each corn tortilla in a tiny bit of oil for 10 seconds per side, just until pliable. This prevents them from breaking when rolled.
5
Assemble: Dip each softened tortilla quickly into the warm red chili sauce. Place 2 tablespoons of shredded chicken in the center, then roll it up tightly. Place seam-side down on a serving platter.
6
Garnish and Serve: Pour any remaining warm sauce over the rolled enchiladas. Garnish generously with the crumbled queso fresco and sliced white onion. Serve immediately.

Enchiladas Rojas — plated and served — Serving moment. How Enchiladas Rojas looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

63/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 90

Kid-friendly 27

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 72

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 47

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

115

Calories

7 g

Protein

3 g

Carbs

9 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Enchiladas date to Aztec times, when corn tortillas were rolled around fillings and dipped in chile sauce; the name simply means to season with chile. The rojas version takes its color and depth from dried red chiles rather than the green tomatillo of its sister dish. It is everyday food across Mexico, with each region and household guarding its own sauce ratio.

Listahan note

This version builds a real dried-chile sauce instead of opening a can, since the sauce is the entire point of the dish. It keeps the filling simple so the chile flavor stays front and center.

Technique cues

Dip each tortilla in warm sauce or lightly fry it before filling so it stays flexible and does not crack or turn to mush in the bake.
Strain the blended chile sauce through a sieve so the final texture is silky rather than gritty with skins.
Assemble and bake just before serving; tortillas that sit too long in sauce go soft and slide apart.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Soak and blend the chiles while the chicken poaches, so the sauce and filling finish at the same time.
Make-ahead: The red sauce keeps several days in the fridge and freezes well, so make a double batch and bank half.
Leftover move: Reheat covered with a splash of sauce, or chop leftovers into a tortilla soup with broth and lime.
Cleanup rhythm: Line the baking dish with sauce first to ease release, and soak the blender in warm water immediately to keep chile from staining.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

dried guajillo and ancho chiles

sauce base

Purpose: The guajillo brings brightness and the ancho adds sweetness and body for a balanced red sauce.

Handling: Stem, seed, toast briefly, and soak in hot water before blending.

Adaptation: California or New Mexico dried chiles give a milder but still authentic sauce.

corn tortillas

wrapper

Purpose: Corn is traditional and holds up to the sauce better than flour.

Handling: Warm or quickly fry so they roll without breaking.

Adaptation: Use certified corn tortillas for gluten-free; flour changes the dish but is workable.

shredded chicken

filling

Purpose: Poached chicken stays moist and soaks up the sauce around it.

Handling: Poach and shred, or use leftover rotisserie meat.

Adaptation: Cheese-only, shredded beef, or sauteed mushrooms all fill enchiladas well.

queso fresco or Oaxaca cheese

topping and richness

Purpose: Queso fresco crumbles for a salty finish; Oaxaca melts into the bake.

Handling: Crumble queso fresco over the top or shred Oaxaca inside and over.

Adaptation: Monterey Jack or mild feta approximate the melt and salt respectively.

white onion

aromatic and garnish

Purpose: It sharpens both the sauce and the finished plate.

Handling: Blend some into the sauce and reserve raw rings or dice for garnish.

Adaptation: Yellow onion works in the sauce; pickled red onion makes a bright garnish.

Technique notes

Bloom a spoonful of the blended sauce in a little hot oil before adding the rest; cooking the chile paste deepens the flavor noticeably.
Reserve some warm sauce to ladle over the rolled enchiladas just before serving so the tops do not dry out in the oven.
Finish with crema, raw onion, and cilantro off the heat so the garnishes stay bright against the rich sauce.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Use certified corn tortillas and check that any broth or bouillon is gluten-free.
Vegetarian direction: Fill with sauteed potato and cheese or roasted vegetables instead of chicken.
Dairy-free option: Skip the cheese and crema and finish with avocado and extra onion for richness.

Serve alongside

Mexican red rice
Refried beans
Crema-dressed cabbage slaw
Sliced avocado with lime
Horchata
Agua fresca de tamarindo
Mexican lager

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate baked enchiladas for up to 3 days; reheat covered at moderate heat with extra sauce to keep them from drying out. The sauce alone freezes for up to 3 months. Assembled but unbaked enchiladas tend to go soggy, so freeze the components separately.

Equipment

Blender for the chile sauce
Fine-mesh sieve for a smooth strain
Wide skillet for warming tortillas
Baking dish for the final bake

Make this household-aware

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