Super Easy Enchiladas You Can Make at Home
Let’s be real: there are A LOT of enchilada recipes out there, and most of them are too fancy for me to even think about making, let alone eating.
Luckily for you, this recipe only needs TWO ingredients to make these easy basic enchiladas.
Then, if you want to, you can totally add upon it and customize it to your taste-buds liking.
And you guys, it’s so easy to make enchiladas, I almost feel bad calling it a “recipe.” But here we are.
One quick note: when you buy corn tortillas, you’re most likely going to get way more than you need. Take out what you need, and freeze the rest!
Second quick note: there aren’t exact measurements here, because that depends on how many you’re making. Usually the kids will each have two and the grown ups will have three, but then sometimes the kids want more, so take your hunger levels into account when you’re rolling.
Enough jibber jabber, I’ll just get right to how to make these bad boys.
Super Easy Enchiladas Recipe
After you print out this recipe, scroll down for alternatives and ways you can make other enchiladas!
Easy Cheese Enchiladas
Ingredients
- corn tortillas
- cheese sticks cut in half length-wise
- cheese (cheddar; or a blend) grated
- onions, diced OPTIONAL
- red or green chile sauce OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º, and get out whatever baking dish you want to use.
- Take each individual corn tortilla and run it under tap water; just to get each side wet. Put, now wet, tortillas on a plate or mat.
- Heat a griddle, large pan, or cast iron skillet on a stovetop on low heat.
- Place tortillas on warm griddle. Wait about 10 seconds, then flip for another 5-10 seconds. If they start to bubble, get them off the heat; you just want to warm them up and make them pliable. Set aside once warmed.
- When you're ready to build your enchiladas: take one tortilla and put the cheese stick on the bottom 1/4 of it, horizontally. Fold the bottom edge of tortilla over the cheese and roll it up.
- Carefully place each rolled enchilada in baking dish.
- Repeat with remaining enchiladas.
- Cover enchiladas with desired amount of shredded cheese. (Optional, sprinkle diced onion and/or smother with red chile sauce)
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Customize Your Enchiladas
Confession time: when I go out to a (New) Mexican restaurant, my go-to meal is cheese enchiladas smothered in Christmas (aka red and green chile sauce) with a side of rice and beans.
But when I’m home I typically make mine with ground beef and red chile—the cheese version here is for the kiddos.
- My favorite red chile sauce (not enchilada sauce; red chile sauce) is from Garcia’s Kitchen (you can call and buy directly from them, or get some online). If I can’t get it from there, I love Eva’s Blue Ribbon Red Chile (found in most stores in Albuquerque, or you can buy online).
Red Chile Beef Enchiliadas
Add about a teaspoon of red chile on the corn tortilla and spread it around from the middle to the edges. Follow the directions for the beef enchiladas below; when you’re ready to bake, smother enchiladas with more red chile and cheese.
Beef Enchiladas:
Add a tablespoon of your taco meat to the bottom 1/3 of the corn tortilla. I also decrease the cheese by half (so a quarter of a cheese stick). Roll up your enchilada.
Shredded Chicken Enchiladas:
Add a tablespoon of your favorite shredded chicken to the bottom 1/3 of the corn tortilla. Add 1/4 of a cheese stick, and any sauce you might want (green chile sauce goes great with chicken). Roll up your enchilada.
Veggie (aka) Calabacitas Enchiladas:
Add a tablespoon of calabacitas (or your favorite sautéed veggies) to the bottom 1/3 of the corn tortilla. Add 1/4 of a cheese stick, and any sauce you might want (if you already have green chile in your calabacitas, you may not need any more heat). Roll up your enchilada.
Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
In New Mexico, green chile chicken enchiladas are served casserole style. They’re a bit more labor intensive, but worth every single second. If you’re making these, go ahead and double it so you can freeze a batch and have some for later.
Freeze ’em
You can absolutely batch make these and then freeze them. I like using the foil square pans. Personally, I prefer the kind without lids since I’ll put a double layer of foil to cover it up.
When I make them to freeze, I actually don’t add the cheese to the top, and I’ll just sprinkle/dump the shredded cheese on when I’m ready to bake them.
Tools to help you
Making enchiladas is pretty easy, so really, the only things that may help you are a few staples for your kitchen. A non-stick griddle or skillet to warm up your tortillas, a cutting mat (awesome since it doesn’t take up much space), and a great backing dish. The one I used here isn’t available, but this pretty gray Rectangular Baker is, and it’s better if you’re making more enchiladas anyway since it’s a little bigger and more versatile.
How do you like your enchiladas?
I love hearing how people like to eat their enchiladas. Do you put an egg on top (SO good), or like them stacked? Do you alway go for rolled and add your favorite chile on top, or do you keep it simple with just cheese?
Tell me below, and tell me if you try these!