If you're on the hunt for a Mexican dish that's sauced to perfection and drenched in flavor, 30-minute Entomatadas is the answer.
Made with corn tortillas that are lightly fried, dipped in a warm, smoky tomato sauce, and stuffed with cheese, this taco-enchilada hybrid is full-flavored, seriously savory, and loved by all.
Entomatadas are the ideal choice for fixing your Mexican food cravings in a hurry, any time of day. You can serve this dish at breakfast, topped off with a fried egg (over-easy, please) or as a light vegetarian lunch. You could also take things in the opposite direction, and bulk them up with a little protein for dinnertime feast!
Want more Mexican Recipes to whip up at home? Bookmark these delicious Flautas de Pollo and crispy Tacos de Papa for your next meal!
An Entomatadas is similar to an enchilada, only it's crispier and topped off with a light tomato sauce that closely resembles ranchero sauce, rather than a traditional enchilada red chile sauce.
HOW TO MAKE ENTOMATADAS
While this is an extremely easy dish to make and only takes about 30 minutes start-to-finish, to best understand how it all comes together, breaking the recipe into two parts works best.
First, we'll cover the sauce, then, we'll get to assembling the Entomatadas!
MAKE THE TOMATO SAUCE
The tomato sauce comes together quickly and easily. It begins with a quick sauté of onions and peppers, then in go the tomatoes and spices. The mixture simmers briefly, and it's off to the blender. Once the sauce is a smooth puree, it goes back into the pot to keep warm.
1. SAUTE THE VEGETABLES
Warm the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and as soon as it comes to temperature, add the onion and jalapeño. Sauté the vegetables for a few minutes, just until they are softened. Then, you'll add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more.
2. ADD TOMATOES AND SPICES
At this point, you can add the canned tomatoes, as well as all of the spices and stir. Slowly simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to mingle and build.
3. BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH
After about 10 minutes of simmering, puree the tomato sauce in a blender, a food processor, or with a handheld immersion blender.
4. KEEP WARM
Once the sauce is smooth in appearance, you'll transfer back to the pot and place it over low heat to keep it warm while you fry the tortillas and assemble the Entomatadas!
ASSEMBLE ENTOMATADAS
The assembly process is just as easy as making the sauce. Actually, it just might be easier.
The first thing you'll do is heat the oil for frying tortillas. Once it comes to temperature, add the tortillas. Fry for about 30 seconds, then dip them in the tomato sauce, fill them with cheese, and roll them up for serving!
1. HEAT THE OIL
Add enough oil to your fry pan so that it covers the bottom by at least half of an inch. For most pans, this will be about 1 cup of oil. Bring the oil to temperature, between 350° - 375°F. You'll know the oil is ready when it sizzles rapidly at the touch of a tortilla.
2. FRY THE TORTILLAS
Add the tortillas to the oil no more than 1-to-2 at a time, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Keep in mind, we're are not looking to make crispy, golden tostada shells, here! Don't leave the tortilla in the oil for too long. Right around 30 seconds is all the time you'll need.
3. DIP. FILL. ROLL.
Once the tortillas have finished in the oil, dip them in the warm tomato sauce, and transfer them to a plate or your assembly station. Add a spoonful of cheese and either fold the tortilla over like a taco or roll it like an enchilada. Finish with your favorite Entomatada toppings, serve and enjoy!
TOPPING IDEAS:
- Cotija Cheese
- Chopped Cilantro
- Shredded Lettuce
- Thinly Sliced Radishes
- Finely Chopped Onions
- Thinly Sliced Jalapeños
- Sliced Avocado or Guacamole
- Mexican Crema or Sour Cream
OTHER ENTOMATADA FILLINGS
You can bulk up your Entomatadas by using more than just cheese! Actually, when it comes to filling them, you could use just about any protein you'd use in an enchilada or taco recipe.
Shredded chicken, pork carnitas or black beans would work wonderfully!
WHAT TO SERVE ON THE SIDE:
Easy Spanish Rice Recipe
Mexican Bean Salad
Canned Black Beans | Mexican Black Beans
Tomatillo Avocado Salsa
Charro Beans
5 MORE MEXICAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Tacos al Carbon
- Tacos de Pollo
- Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Crock-Pot Enchiladas
- Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos
Entomatadas
Ingredients
For the Entomatada Tomato Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ of a white onion minced
- 3 jalapenos stemmed, seeded and minced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup water
For the Entomatadas:
- 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 12 corn tortillas
- 7 ounces (about 1 cup) crumbled Queso Fresco or Monterey Jack cheese
- Minced white onion and chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and jalapeño and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
- Carefully pour in the tomatoes, and stir in the salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika. Reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup of water.
- Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a blender or food processor. Remove the feed tube (to prevent a build-up of steam and pressure), cover with a dish towel and process until smooth. Return to the pan over low heat to keep warm.
- Add the oil to a frypan over medium-high heat and allow to come to temperature, between 350°-375°F.
- Add the tortillas (no more than 1-2 at a time), and fry for about 30 seconds.
- Remove from the oil, dip in the tomato sauce, sprinkle with a spoonful of queso fresco and fold over the tortilla like a taco or roll like an enchilada. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Top with desired toppings, serve, and enjoy!
Claudia Lamascolo says
I love this recipe and never used radishes until now and love them this is a keeper!
Jessica says
I hadn't previously heard of entomatadas, but they were delicious. The whole family loved them, even the kiddos.