Step aside, burgers and chicken-fried steak. Enchiladas are the ultimate comfort food— the perfect combination of savory and spicy, with endless opportunities to create your own take on this iconic Mexican dish. In this recipe, I stick to a more traditional approach, employing subtle hints of heat that won’t overwhelm the dish.
Ingredients
for the chile gravy
- ¼ cup melted butter or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup yellow onions, finely diced
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoons chili powder
for the filling
- A few cups of vegetable oil for the tortillas
- 1¼ pounds shredded chicken (ideally slow-simmered in broth, but you can also use a rotisserie chicken or smoked chicken)
- ¾ cup chile gravy
- ¼ cup salsa roja
- 4 ounces Chihuahuan cheese
for the topping
- 12 ounces Mexican cheese blend (6 oz. American Cheese, grated, and 6 oz. Cheddar Cheese, grated)
- 24 ounces chile gravy, hot
- Cilantro, chopped (preferred amount)
- White onions, diced (preferred amount)
Step aside, burgers and chicken-fried steak. Enchiladas are the ultimate comfort food— the perfect combination of savory and spicy, with endless opportunities to create your own take on this iconic Mexican dish. In this recipe, I stick to a more traditional approach, employing subtle hints of heat that won’t overwhelm the dish.
Making the gravy
Step 1
- Melt the butter or oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and sweat for about four minutes until translucent and then add the garlic and saute for another minute.
step 2
Add the tomato paste and cook for approximately 1 minute to caramelize.
step 3
Add the flour and cook approximately two minutes to cook the raw flour out, then slowly add the chicken stock, whisking occasionally to ensure there are no lumps, and bring the sauce to a boil. It will thicken naturally. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 3–5 minutes.
step 4
Add the remaining seasoning and adjust to your own taste.
prepping the tortillas
step 5
Place a stack of 12 corn tortillas on a plate.
step 6
- Add enough vegetable oil to a large skillet to submerge a tortilla (about ¼") and heat it until warm. Using tongs, dip each tortilla into the pan for a few seconds, ensuring that both sides are submerged. This will soften the tortillas for filling. Stack the softened tortillas on a plate.
putting it together
step 7
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
step 8
Take one corn tortilla and place approximately 2 oz of filling in each tortilla and roll. Reserve ⅓ of the filling for the next step of the process. Place them on a plate, folded side down, to keep in place.
step 9
Drizzle ⅓ of the gravy in your favorite large cast iron or pyrex casserole pan and place approximately 12 enchiladas in the pan. Drizzle with remainder of the chile gravy and top with the cheese blend.
step 10
Bake for 15–20 minutes until the cheese is melted and caramelized. Garnish with chopped cilantro and white onions.