Red Enchiladas, Chihuahua Style are flat, stacked enchiladas: warm corn tortillas dipped in red chile sauce and layered with seasoned ground beef, melty cheese and crisp chopped onion. They're quick, budget-friendly and pure comfort food, and they're even better with a fried egg on top.
When I was growing up in West Texas, one of our biggest school fundraisers was an enchilada dinner. Some of the moms would make huge pots of red sauce (red chile sauce), and we would serve enchiladas in the home economics room.
We would warm the corn tortillas by dipping them in the heated red sauce and stack them in layers, sprinkled with cheese and fresh chopped onions between each layer. On special request, we would place a fried egg on top (my hubby loves them this way).
The whole town would turn out for our enchilada dinners! We always made a nice profit from them, since this is an inexpensive plate, but it is total comfort food. No rolled enchiladas here, just Red Enchiladas, Chihuahua Style, made with lean ground beef.
What Makes Chihuahua-Style Enchiladas Different?
Chihuahua is the largest state in Mexico, just south of New Mexico and West Texas, and its enchiladas look a little different from the rolled, baked casserole-style enchiladas most of us know. Three things set them apart.
The red chile sauce. The sauce is the star. Traditionally it's a simple chile colorado made from dried red chiles that are toasted, soaked and blended until smooth, with a little garlic, cumin and oregano. It's earthy and deep red rather than tomato-heavy, which is why it clings to the tortillas so well.
Stacked, not rolled. Instead of filling and rolling each tortilla, you dip it in hot sauce and lay it flat on the plate, then add a layer of filling and repeat. Three tortillas high is the classic serving. Stacking is faster than rolling, there's no baking dish to scrub, and every bite gets the same balance of sauce, tortilla and filling.
The cheese (and the egg). In Chihuahua, the go-to cheese is queso Chihuahua, a mild, buttery melting cheese first made by the region's Mennonite communities, or asadero. On the Texas side of the border, cheddar or Longhorn cheese is the standard, which is what we used at those school dinners. A fried egg on top, with its runny yolk mixing into the red sauce, is the finishing touch that makes it a true border-style plate.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Red enchilada sauce. Canned sauce keeps this a 30-minute dinner. Look for one made from red chile pods rather than tomato paste, such as Hatch Red Enchilada Sauce, which comes from New Mexico chile country and tastes close to homemade.
- Dried chiles vs. chili powder (for homemade sauce). For the most authentic flavor, make your sauce from whole dried New Mexico red chile pods: stem and seed about 10 chiles, toast them briefly in a dry skillet, soak in hot water for 20 minutes, then blend with 2 cups of broth, a garlic clove, ½ teaspoon cumin and ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and simmer until slightly thickened. In a pinch, pure ground red chile or chili powder works too: whisk ¼ cup into a flour-and-oil roux, then add broth and simmer. Chili powder blends already contain cumin and garlic, so taste before adding more.
- Corn tortillas. Corn is a must here; flour tortillas turn gummy when dipped in sauce. Slightly stale tortillas hold together better than very fresh ones.
- Lean ground beef. Lean beef keeps the stack from getting greasy. Ground turkey, shredded chicken or crumbled chorizo all work, or skip the meat for classic cheese-and-onion enchiladas.
- Cheese. Grated cheddar is the West Texas favorite. For a more traditional Chihuahua flavor, use queso Chihuahua, asadero or Monterey Jack, or mix any of them half-and-half with cheddar.
- Onion. Raw white or yellow onion adds crunch and bite that balances the rich sauce. If raw onion is too strong for you, rinse it in cold water first or use sliced green onions.
Helpful Tips
Keep the sauce hot. The hot sauce is what softens the tortillas, so keep it at a gentle simmer the whole time you're assembling. Lukewarm sauce leaves tortillas stiff and prone to cracking.
Dip quickly. A few seconds per side is plenty. If the tortillas sit in the sauce too long, they fall apart. For sturdier layers, fry each tortilla in a little hot oil for 5 seconds per side before dipping, the way many restaurants do.
Build right on the plate. Stacked enchiladas are assembled on individual warm plates, not in a baking dish. Warm your plates in a low oven so the stacks stay hot while you finish the rest.
Season the beef well. The filling is simple, so don't skimp on salt and pepper. A pinch of cumin or a spoonful of the red sauce stirred into the cooked beef gives it more flavor.
Fry the eggs last. If you're topping with eggs, fry them in a cast iron skillet while the final stacks come together so the yolks are still runny when you serve.
Variations
- Rolled red enchiladas. Prefer them rolled? Fill each dipped tortilla with beef, cheese and onion, roll it up, line them in a baking dish, top with extra sauce and cheese, and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. For a chicken version, try our Chicken Enchilada Casserole.
- Cheese and onion only. Skip the meat for a classic, meatless plate that's popular across northern Mexico.
- Chicken. Swap the beef for shredded rotisserie chicken tossed with a little of the red sauce.
- Chorizo and potato. Brown crumbled chorizo with small diced potatoes for a heartier, spicier filling.
- Casserole style. Layer the dipped tortillas, beef, cheese and onion in a 9x13 pan like lasagna and bake until bubbly, a handy way to feed a crowd.
- Meatball twist. Love the flavors but want something different? Our Cheesy Enchilada Meatballs pack the same red sauce and melted cheese into a fun weeknight dinner.
Serving Ideas
The classic way to serve Chihuahua-style enchiladas is just as we did at those school dinners: a stack of three on each plate, topped with a fried egg, with shredded lettuce and a few tomato wedges on the side for freshness.
For a full Mexican dinner, add a scoop of beans and rice. Our Slow Cooker Pinto Beans are perfect alongside, and Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Rice adds a bright, zesty contrast to the rich red sauce. Finish with sour cream, sliced avocado, pickled jalapeños or a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
Storing & Freezing
Stacked enchiladas are best eaten right away, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store any extra red sauce and cooked beef separately if you can, and reheat in the microwave or in a covered skillet over low heat. Add the raw onion and any fried egg fresh when you serve.
Assembled enchiladas don't freeze well because the dipped tortillas turn mushy once thawed. Instead, freeze the cooked ground beef and the red sauce in separate freezer containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat the sauce until simmering and the beef until hot, and assemble fresh stacks with new tortillas, cheese and onion in about 10 minutes.
More Mexican Recipes
If you loved these red enchiladas, here are a few more Mexican favorites you might enjoy:
- Pulled Pork Enchilada Casserole
- Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
- Copycat Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Slow Cooker Tamales
- 25+ Easy Mexican Recipes
Recipe
Red Enchiladas-Chihuahua Style
Ingredients
- 2 cans red chile enchilada sauce 15 oz each, or 3 ¾ cups homemade
- 12 corn tortillas 6-inch
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 8 oz cheddar cheese grated (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- salt and pepper
- 4 large eggs optional, fried, for topping
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil optional, for frying the eggs
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 7 to 8 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula, until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat, season with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat and keep warm.
- Pour both cans of red enchilada sauce into a medium skillet or saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Keep it hot while you assemble.
- Using tongs, dip one corn tortilla into the hot sauce for a few seconds per side, just until soft, and lay it flat on a warm dinner plate.
- Sprinkle the tortilla with a large spoonful of ground beef, some grated cheese and chopped onion.
- Repeat twice more to make a stack of three enchiladas, then spoon a little extra sauce over the top and finish with more cheese and onion. Repeat with the remaining tortillas to make 4 stacks.
- Optional: heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the eggs for 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. Place one egg on top of each stack and serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
Melissa says
This recipe sounds delicious! I have pinned to save and I plan to try them soon!
Thanks so much for sharing Evelyn! =)
Lori Who Needs A Cape? says
These look fab Evelyn, pinning because I love me some Mexican food 🙂