Delicious Enchiladas Rojas stuffed with chicken and smothered in a homemade enchilada sauce. As close to traditional as you can get– with an easier (and less messy) assembly method! Serve with your favorite toppings and some Mexican side dishes I’ve gathered for you!

Why You’ll Love This Enchiladas Rojas Recipe

This recipe is “the whole enchilada,” so to speak. I’m giving you a method for poaching the chicken (though you can also use this Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken Recipe), making the enchilada sauce from scratch, and assembling these red enchiladas.  The only thing we’re not covering today is how to make corn tortillas, and I am sure homemade corn tortillas are the only thing that would make these enchiladas better. 

 

If you buy cooked chicken and canned enchilada sauce, you don’t really need a recipe to make enchiladas. Not judging of course, because we’ve all been there and shortcuts have their time and place. But if you can plan ahead, these are amazing. My entire family loves these Enchiladas Rojas and let me tell you, they’re a tough crowd.

 

I grew up on Long Island and didn’t even taste Mexican food until I moved to Los Angeles after college. My kids have grown up in LA and they are experts on Mexican cuisine, sometimes having lengthy discussions about which local taco joint has the best this or that.  So when I make something Mexican that gets the thumbs-up, I am relieved and proud at the same time.  

 

Ironically, these are not my personal favorite enchiladas. I am more of a green (tomatillo) sauce person, so I am obsessed with these Enchiladas Verdes. But my family digs this recipe. I’ve been making enchiladas rojas for years and my son (Mr. Picky) used to call these “chicken tacos with Mexican tomato sauce.” 

Are These Authentic Enchiladas?

I did tons of research on how to make authentic enchilada sauce. In fact, I had someone from Mexico teach me the different variations she knows. What I learned is a recurring theme in cooking which is that there’s no one way to make anything.  If I ask 12 people from Mexico to make enchiladas, there will be 12 different versions. That said, many people are rather particular about what makes an “authentic” enchilada sauce. But at the end of the day, I don’t really care about that. The enchilada police aren’t going to write me up because I included a little bit of tomato in my sauce.  As always, feel free to adjust this to your liking.

 

But many agree that the base of a true enchilada sauce are rehydrated dried chiles, such as Ancho and Guajillo, and no tomato products at all. My family likes the flavor of the sauce better with a little bit of tomato, but otherwise, I do have to agree that the sauce is so much more flavorful, richer, and more authentic when a good amount of dried chiles is used.  My Whole Foods has a huge section of bulk-dried chiles in the produce section.  But you can also find dried chiles online on Vitacost.com, Amazon.com, or any number of sites.

 

The assembly is where I must deviate from tradition, though. I am not going to slide my corn tortillas through overheated oil (not healthy and super messy) and then again through enchilada sauce (even messier.)  My method was designed by someone, i.e. me, who doesn’t love slipping on oil on the kitchen floor or cleaning up any more than she needs to at the end of the day!  

 

I add a little sauce to the chicken and cover the stuffed and rolled tortillas with sauce and that test the job done. I also like subbing out some of the chicken for beans, creating chicken and bean enchiladas. Or you can take the veggie and black bean recipe and substitute this red sauce for that green sauce. One of my favorite things to do is rattle off ways a recipe can be tweaked. Suffice it to say, I can do that all day long with enchiladas! They are so versatile and lend themselves to lots of different fillings. You can even choose flour tortillas instead of corn.  Lastly, my son doesn’t like cheese and I can’t eat it these days, so it’s easy to leave it off some of the enchiladas. I always serve them with plenty of avocado, so I don’t miss the cheese.

Ingredient Notes

Enchilada Recipe

• chicken breasts: I used bone-in, skin-on chicken–about 1 ¾ pounds+ or 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken meat (or you can use the recipe for Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos on my site).

• white onions

• large garlic cloves

• kosher salt

• corn tortillas: Or you can use flour if you prefer.

• grated cheese: if desired, such as Monterey Jack and cheddar or queso fresco.

Red Enchilada Sauce

• guajillo chiles: If you can’t find these guajillo peppers, you can try substituting 3 tablespoons of chili powder instead– I haven’t tested this myself, but it should work! 

• onion

• garlic cloves

• Roma tomatoes or an equivalent amount of jarred tomatoes

• sea salt

• olive oil or avocado oil

• chicken broth or vegetable stock

• chili powder to taste

 

For exact ingredient amounts, please see the recipe card below. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: To poach chicken: Place the chicken breast in a saucepan with the onion, garlic, and salt and add water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through– about 25 minutes. Allow the chicken to cool in the poaching liquid. Remove the chicken from the saucepan. Remove skin and bones and shred the meat.

 

Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 3: Place the dried chiles in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until very soft. Drain. (Do NOT use this soaking liquid — it’s very bitter.)

 

Step 4: Place the soaked chiles in a blender with half of the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt. Process until smooth.

 

Step 5: Thinly slice the remaining onion. Heat a skillet over medium heat and warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes, or until just tender. Add the chile mixture and stock to the pan and simmer for 15 minutes or until flavors deepen. Taste for seasoning and add chili powder and/or sea salt to taste if necessary. Because my stock is unsalted, I always add an extra 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend with a hand blender, if desired. This mellows out the sauce a little, but you don’t have to do it.

 

Step 6: In the meantime, warm the tortillas on a griddle or skillet on both sides until softened. Keep warm in a cotton kitchen towel.

 

Step 7: Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9-inch or 12 x 8-inch baking dish with olive oil. Spoon about ½ cup of the sauce over the shredded chicken and toss. You can also mix in some shredded cheese with the chicken if you want.

 

Step 8: Place about 1/3 cup of chicken down the middle of a tortilla and roll tightly. Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with each tortilla. Cover all the rolled tortillas with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese, if desired. Cover and bake until heated through and cheese is melted about 15-20 minutes. If you want the cheese to brown, put it back in the oven uncovered for another 5 minutes. Serve your enchiladas rojas immediately with chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, and sour cream or cashew cream.

Expert Tips

• I’ve never tried this, but if you can’t find Guajillo chillies, you can use 3 Tablespoons of chili powder instead.

Serving Tips

Transfer to a serving plate or leave in the casserole dish. Serve these enchiladas rojas garnished with any of your favorite toppings including avocado slices, chopped cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, cotija cheese, and/or chopped green onions (if desired.). 

While this meal is hearty enough on its own, you can serve it with any of these or your favorite side dish: 

• Mexican Black Refried Beans
• Drunken Beans
• Arroz Verde
• Cilantro-Lime rice
• Mexican Red Rice
• Avocado, Mango and Jicama Salad

Storage Tips

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven. 

 

To freeze, let the enchiladas rojas cool completely. Transfer them (without garnishes) to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes until warmed through. Garnish and serve! 

More Mexican-Inspired Recipes

• Tamale Pie
• Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
• Turkey or Ground Beef Tacos
• Roasted Vegetables and Black Beans Enchiladas
• Chicken Posole Verde
• Mexican Chopped Salad
• Deconstructed Guacamole Salad
• Creamy Cabbage and Avocado Slaw
• Cilantro-Lime Slaw
• Homemade Guacamole and Baked Tortilla Chips

 

If you give this enchiladas rojas recipe a try, snap a pic and tag @pamelasalzman so I can see your beautiful creations. I also really appreciate readers taking the time to leave a star rating and review! I have started a weekly Monday newsletter with tips, musings, new recipes not published here, fun new finds, and more. Subscribe for free here.

For more delicious recipes and to learn how to be a better cook, check out my monthly online cooking classes. I have been teaching people for 15 years how to cook healthy food that their families love!  Join me!

 

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