Enchiladas: types, salsas and the guide to making them perfect

Enchiladas: Mexico's most versatile dish

If tacos are the king of Mexican street food, enchiladas are the queen of home cooking. They are the dish that every Mexican grandmother makes differently, that varies radically from one state to another, and that offers endless possibilities of flavour.

The enchilada, in its most basic form, is a corn tortilla bathed in chilli salsa and filled with some ingredient. But that simplicity hides enormous complexity: there are as many types of enchilada as there are regions in Mexico, and each has its own salsa, filling and specific technique.

The base: the perfect tortilla for enchiladas

Not just any tortilla will do for enchiladas. The ideal tortilla must be:

• Corn: never wheat (that would be a burrito or a fajita)
• Freshly made or same-day: old tortillas break when rolled
• Medium-sized: about 15 cm in diameter
• Lightly fried: most enchiladas require briefly passing the tortilla through hot oil before bathing it in salsa

In the UK, you can find corn tortillas in specialist Mexican shops or in the international aisle of larger supermarkets. The best are those without preservatives, kept refrigerated.

Red enchiladas (the classic)

Red enchiladas are probably the best known outside Mexico. The salsa is made with guajillo and ancho chillies, which give it an intense red colour and a slightly sweet, earthy flavour.

Red salsa for enchiladas:

• 4 guajillo chillies
• 2 ancho chillies
• 2 tomatoes
• 1/4 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and pepper

Toast the chillies, rehydrate them, roast the tomatoes, onion and garlic, and blend everything to a smooth salsa. Fry it in a little oil to concentrate the flavour.

Classic filling: shredded chicken, onion and fresh cheese. Roll the tortillas around the filling, place them in a dish, bathe them with the salsa and grill with grated cheese.

Green enchiladas

Green enchiladas use a salsa based on tomatillo (Mexican green tomato) and serrano or jalapeño chilli. The result is a tangy, fresh salsa with moderate heat.

Tomatillo is hard to find in the UK, but there are alternatives: unripe green tomatoes combined with a little lime give an acceptable approximation. Some Mexican shops also sell tinned tomatillo.

Preferred filling: shredded chicken or panela cheese (substitute with a fresh white cheese). They are usually served with sour cream and sliced onion.

Enchiladas suizas

Enchiladas suizas are an invention of the Sanborns restaurant in Mexico City, which created them in the 1950s. The name comes from the cream sauce and grilled cheese that cover them, inspired by the Swiss cheese tradition.

They are essentially green enchiladas covered with a green béchamel-style sauce: the tomatillo salsa is mixed with cream, the enchiladas are bathed in it and covered with grated Gruyère or Manchego before grilling.

In the UK, this variant works especially well because the melting cheeses are excellent. Use grated mature Cheddar or a semi-cured Manchego for a spectacular result.

Mole enchiladas

Mole enchiladas are the most luxurious version. The tortillas are bathed in mole poblano or Oaxacan black mole, filled with chicken or turkey, and decorated with toasted sesame seeds and red onion.

If you already have mole prepared (or buy a good-quality mole paste), these enchiladas come together in 20 minutes. The mole is thinned with chicken stock until it reaches the consistency of a thick salsa.

Enchiladas potosinas

Originating in San Luis Potosí, enchiladas potosinas are unique because the chilli is incorporated directly into the tortilla dough, not as an external salsa. The dough is tinted red with ground ancho chilli, the tortillas are formed, filled with cheese and fried.

They are more like red quesadillas than traditional enchiladas, but their flavour is unmistakable. They are served with guacamole, cream and refried beans.

Enchiladas mineras (Guanajuato)

The enchiladas mineras of Guanajuato are a feast of textures and flavours. They are bathed in a guajillo-chilli salsa with fresh cheese and accompanied by diced fried potatoes, pickled carrots and lettuce.

The contrast between the hot enchilada, the cold pickled vegetables and the crisp potatoes is what makes this variant special.

Enfrijoladas

Enfrijoladas are the enchilada's first cousin, but instead of a chilli salsa they are bathed in a thick black-bean sauce. The beans are blended with stock to a creamy sauce, fried, and the tortillas filled with cheese or chicken are bathed in it.

They are a classic Mexican breakfast and one of the most comforting ways to eat beans. In the UK, you can use tinned black beans (rinsed) for a quick version.

Enmoladas

Similar to the concept above, enmoladas are tortillas bathed in mole. The difference from mole enchiladas is that enmoladas are usually simpler: tortillas folded or rolled with a basic chicken filling, generously bathed in mole and decorated with cream, cheese and sesame seeds.

Technique: how to roll enchiladas without them breaking

1. Warm the tortillas: pass them briefly over a hot comal or pan to soften them
2. Pass them through oil: 5 seconds on each side in hot oil. This makes them flexible
3. Bathe in salsa: with tongs, dip the tortilla in the hot salsa
4. Fill with a little: put a line of filling in the centre, without overdoing it
5. Roll firmly: roll and place seam-side down in the dish
6. Bathe generously: cover all the enchiladas with more salsa before grilling

Common mistakes

• Cold tortillas: they always break. Warm them before handling.
• Too much filling: less is more. Enchiladas are not burritos.
• Watery salsa: the salsa must have body. If it is runny, fry it for longer to reduce.
• Not frying the tortillas: passing them through oil is crucial for the texture.
• Over-grilling: the cheese should melt and lightly brown, not burn.

Perfect accompaniments

Enchiladas are served with:

• Mexican red rice
• Refried or pot-cooked beans
• Sour cream (substitute with crème fraîche in the UK)
• Sliced red onion
• Avocado or guacamole
• Chopped lettuce and radishes (for enchiladas mineras)

Enchiladas are the perfect dish for a dinner with friends: you can make the salsa and filling in advance and just assemble and grill at the last minute. Discover more Mexican recipes in our complete collection and find the ingredients on our map of shops.