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    Home · Recipes · Tex-Mex | Mexican Food · Enchiladas Rojas (Red Enchilda Sauce)

    June 28, 2023

    Enchiladas Rojas (Red Enchilda Sauce)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Novice cooks, this one is for you! Enchiladas Rojas is actually one of the easiest dishes to conquer if you're still a little unsure in the kitchen. Authentic and delicious, yet super easy, it's the perfect low-stress meal for family dinners or even entertaining a few guests. 

    An overhead view of three Enchiladas Rojas on a plate, topped off with cilantro, radish slices, cheese crumbles, and white onion.

    Enchiladas Rojas (also known as red enchiladas) consist of warm corn tortillas dipped in a savory red sauce, filled with your favorite shredded protein, and topped off with queso fresco, cilantro, and more. Whether you fill them with shredded beef, pulled pork, or chicken, these things are addictively delicious. 

    A close up, eye level shot looking at the ends of three Enchiladas Rojas on a white plate. They are filled with shredded beef and topped with cilantro and sliced radishes.

    HOW TO MAKE ENCHILADAS ROJAS

    The first thing you're going to do to make Enchiladas Rojas is whip up the Roja sauce. This sauce comes together first in a saucepan in order to hydrate the chiles. If you've never worked with dried chiles before, don't let that intimidate you! The sauce is simple to make, and the flavors pay off in a seriously big way.

    WHY TWO DIFFERENT CHILES?

    There's more than one way to make a great Enchiladas Rojas sauce, but today's recipe is about getting the most flavor bang for your buck, without having to pull in an onslaught of ingredients. Therefore, we will be using just 2 different types of chiles to create the most delicious red sauce you've ever eaten! You will need both Guajillo and Ancho chiles for this recipe. 

    Guajillo chiles are sleek and deeply red in appearance, with slightly fruity, smoky undertones. They are somewhat tangy, with subtly bitter notes of green tea. Ancho chiles are much larger, almost black, and raisin-like in appearance, thanks to a fair amount of wrinkling. Anchos also bring a savory, smoky flavor profile to the table, although they are considered to be a bit more earthy and a little less tangy.

    Neither one of these chiles are particularly spicy, and they are relatively mild on the Scoville scale. You should expect your Enchiladas Rojas to reflect just that. So if you're sensitive to spicy food, fear not -- the chiles are there to add flavor, not heat!

    Each chile, while similar, has delicious and unique qualities to offer, and together, they are guaranteed to create a next-level enchilada sauce.

    For another easy and delicious enchilada recipe, try our green enchiladas!

    MAKE THE ROJA SAUCE (RED ENCHILADA SAUCE)

    To make the Roja sauce you will first remove the stem and the seeds from both of your Guajillo and ancho chiles. Once you have the stems and the seeds removed, add them to a medium-sized saucepan along with all of the other ingredients.

    Here's what you'll need for the Roja sauce:

    • Guajillo Chiles
    • Ancho Chiles
    • Chicken Broth
    • Tomato Sauce
    • Tomatoes
    • White Onion
    • Garlic
    • Kosher Salt
    • Mexican Oregano

    An overhead view of the Rojas sauce ingredients. There is dried peppers, white onion, garlic and tomatoes on a plate, and tomato sauce, and broth in glass dishes nearby.

    Once you've got all of the ingredients in the pan, place it over medium-high heat and allow the mixture to reach a boil. As soon as the mix reaches a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Allow everything to simmer for about 15 minutes, or just until the onions and the chilies are fork tender.

    The Rojas sauce ingredients once they've softened in the saucepan.

    Carefully transfer the mix to either a blender or a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Secure the lid, remove the feed tube, and cover with a dish towel. Process until the sauce is completely smooth and everything has been entirely puréed. This should take anywhere from 1 to 2 minutes. Pat yourself on the back; you've officially made the greatest red enchilada sauce in the world! Time to move on to the tortillas.

    An overhead view of the Rojas sauce puréed in a food processor.

    ABOUT THE TORTILLAS

    In an authentic Enchiladas Rojas recipe, the tortillas are lightly fried. So First, we'll walk through how to fry tortillas for enchiladas to absolute perfection... then I'll share with you the easy way.

    You'll need about 12 corn tortillas and a quarter cup of vegetable or canola oil. Add your oil to a medium-sized fry pan and place the frying pan over medium heat. As soon as the oil has come to temperature, carefully lay the tortilla in the oil and allow it to sizzle for about 5 seconds.

    Then, turn the tortilla and fry the other side for about 5 seconds more. You are not looking to make tostadas here! Make sure you don't leave the tortilla in the oil long enough to get crispy! Transfer your tortillas to a paper towel-lined plate, and that's all there is to frying tortillas for Enchiladas Rojas!

    If you don't feel like getting out the frypan and the oil, you can also make your corn tortillas easily pliable and perfect for rolling by simply microwaving them. With this method, you should expect your tortillas to be slightly softer than if you had flash fried them.

    To microwave your tortillas, wrap 4 to 6 tortillas in damp paper towels and place them on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave your tortillas for about 45 seconds or until they are pliable and slightly steamy.

    For another technique check out our beef enchilada casserole.

    ENCHILADAS ROJAS FILLING OPTIONS

    There are so many delicious ways to fill Enchiladas Rojas. Shredded chicken, shredded pork, or shredded beef will do the trick just fine! You will want to have about 2 to 3 cups of meat filling.

    A hand adding shredded beef to a tortilla that has been dipped in Rojas sauce.

    Another authentic and traditional way to serve this classic enchilada recipe is by filling them using crumbled queso fresco as the filling. If you would like to do a queso fresco filling, you will need about one and a half cups of crumbled cheese.

    If you decided on chicken without missing a beat, you should definitely check out our verde chicken enchiladas as well!

    ASSEMBLE THE ENCHILADAS ROJAS

    For presentation purposes, I prefer to assemble the enchiladas on a work surface, not directly on the plate. Dip your corn tortillas in the Rojas sauce, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of your desired filling, and either roll the enchiladas or simply fold the tortilla over.

    Hands rolling an Enchilada Rojas. It is on a white plate and covered in red sauce.

    I like to add a good smear of the Roja sauce on a serving plate, place your enchiladas on top, and finish them off with another spoonful or 2 of the Roja sauce.

    A hand spooning extra Rojas sauce over three enchiladas on a plate.

    Top them off with sliced radishes, fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco cheese, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, or anything else your heart desires!

    An overhead view of three Enchiladas Rojas topped off with cheese crumbles, cilantro, diced onion, and sliced radishes.

    6 MORE MEXICAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

    • Steak Burrito
    • Tacos de Barbacoa
    • Tacos de Camaron
    • Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas
    • Chicken Tacos
    • Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

    • Steak Burrito

    • Overhead view of tacos de barbacoa with chopped onions and cilantro on top

      Easy Beef Barbacoa (for Tacos de Barbacoa)

    • Shrimp piled high on a corn tortilla with chipotle sauce dripping down and cabbage on top.

      Tacos de Camaron | Shrimp Tacos

    • A casserole dish lined with Crock Pot Enchiladas topped with cheese and a Ranchero Style Sauce.

      Crock-Pot Chicken Enchiladas

    • Tacos de Pollo (Chicken Tacos Recipe)

    • Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

      Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

    5 from 3 votes
    An overhead view of three Enchiladas Rojas topped off with cheese crumbles, cilantro, and sliced radishes.
    Print
    Enchiladas Rojas
    Prep Time
    10 mins
    Cook Time
    15 mins
    Total Time
    25 mins
     

    Enchiladas Rojas consist of warm corn tortillas dipped in a savory red sauce and filled with your protein of choice. Easy and so delicious!

    Course: Condiment, Dinner, Sauce
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Keyword: Enchiladas Rojas
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 357 kcal
    Author: Kelly Anthony
    Ingredients
    FOR THE SAUCE:
    • 6 Guajillo chiles, stem and seeds removed
    • 2 Ancho chiles, stem and seeds removed
    • 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
    • 1 cup tomato sauce
    • 2 medium-sized tomatoes, seeded and cut into quarters
    • 1 white onion, cut into chunks
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
    FOR THE ENCHILADAS:
    • ¼ cup canola or vegetable oil (for frying tortillas, if desired - see notes for alternative warming method)
    • 12 corn tortillas
    • 2-3 cups cooked and shredded chicken, pork, or beef
    • Optional toppings: queso fresco, radishes, cilantro, shredded lettuce, lime wedges for squeezing
    Instructions
    MAKE THE SAUCE:
    1. Add all of the ingredients to a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the mixture reaches a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.

    2. Stir occasionally and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the onions and chiles are fork-tender.

    3. Transfer the mixture to a blender or a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Cover, remove the small blender cap or feed tube, cover the opening with a dishtowel, and blend until smooth.

    ASSEMBLE THE ENCHILADAS:
    1. For authentic enchilada rojas, add oil to a medium-sized fry pan over medium heat and bring to temperature. One at a time, fry the tortillas for about 5 seconds on each side. See notes below if you do not wish to fry your tortillas.

    2. Dip the warmed tortilla in the sauce and transfer to a work surface. Add 2-3 tablespoons of shredded meat and roll or fold over to enclose.

    3. Transfer to a plate, top with a generous spoonful of sauce, queso fresco, and any other desired toppings. Serve and enjoy!

    Recipe Notes

    HOW TO WARM TORTILLAS WITHOUT FRYING:

    Working in batches of 4-6. Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and place them on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for about 30 to 45 seconds, or until very pliable and soft.

    Nutrition Facts
    Enchiladas Rojas
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 357 Calories from Fat 135
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 15g23%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Trans Fat 0.04g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
    Monounsaturated Fat 8g
    Cholesterol 35mg12%
    Sodium 1056mg46%
    Potassium 777mg22%
    Carbohydrates 40g13%
    Fiber 9g38%
    Sugar 10g11%
    Protein 18g36%
    Vitamin A 4565IU91%
    Vitamin C 15mg18%
    Calcium 80mg8%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

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    Sources: Pepperscale

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    I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

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