Homemade Enchiladas: The Easy Way

I don’t make enchiladas often, but they’re super easy. The main ingredients are as follows, tortillas, filling, and sauce. That’s it.

The art of enchiladas is how you make the sauce and what fillings you choose.

Let me start by saying it’s okay to use ready-made enchilada sauce. It’s not as tasty as homemade but if it’s your first time, it’s an acceptable substitution.

Another thing you should know is that enchiladas taste better the second day. I think it’s because the sauce has time to marry the flavors longer. Don’t hesitate to make extra and then freeze the rest in the right portions for your family. There’s nothing better than popping a ready-made dinner into the oven.

First, the sauce. The recipe is SUPER EASY.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground coriander
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt (more to taste)
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/3 cup water

Taste test it. I like mine a tad spicier, but the amounts above are for a sauce that's less spicy. Combine all the ingredients in saucepan, mixing well. Simmer and stir over medium heat until smooth and thickened. Makes 2 cups.

Once that’s made, set it aside and start the filling.

Beef Filling

1 onion, finely chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 (4.5 oz.) can of chopped green chiles
Salt to taste

12-14 corn tortillas

Fry the onions, then add ground beef. As the beef is cooking, add the green chiles. Don't worry, these are very mild.

Note: Pay no attention to the big green chiles in the picture above. I took the picture before I realized I had a can of mild chiles. The canned peppers work best.

The filling can be most anything. Ground beef, lean steak, chicken, shrimp, cheese, beans, or spinach.

I must confess I tried to make spinach enchiladas like the ones I’ve had at a restaurant, but I wasn’t happy with the result. The sauce for spinach enchiladas is usually sour cream based, but mine wasn’t as mild as I like it for spinach. The sour cream was over powering—at least to me. For this reason I won’t share the recipe. I’ll have to try it again and experiment some more because I’m really fond of spinach enchiladas.

For the rest, you can use the standard red sauce recipe above.

Have your fillings already set up because you want to do your enchiladas with factory efficiency.

My mother used to soft-fry her corn tortillas first and then fill them, but to cut the fat, you can do without frying. Just make sure the tortillas are soft and pliable so you can roll them without breakage. So you know, I fry the tortillas and to heck with the fat. :)

If you have more willpower than me there are two tricks to get tortillas pliable without the extra oil.
1.  Place them in the microwave for a few seconds.
2. Dip them in your warm enchilada sauce before you fill the tortilla.

The Assembly

Step 1
Pour a little sauce at the bottom of a baking dish.

Step2
Get a soft, pliable corn tortilla.

Step 3
Fill the tortilla with your favorite filling. Have several so your family can pick and choose. You can’t go wrong with ground beef, refried beans, and cheese. For more variety, try spinach, shrimp, and shredded chicken. If you use steak you'll want it thinly sliced and slow-cooked for easier eating.

Step 4
Even if you’re not making cheese enchiladas, always included a little shredded cheddar with the filling.  Other extras could include sautéed onions or fresh chopped tomatoes.

Step 5
This is the only hard part. Roll the enchilada tightly, seam side down on the baking dish.

Step 6
Repeat until you fill the entire baking dish. Pour a generous amount of enchilada sauce over all the rolls. Don’t be stingy. Fill until it covers every crevice.

Step 7
Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the entire dish. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until it’s bubbly hot.

Dress with avocado slices, cilantro, and sliced olives.

Voila! Homemade enchiladas.

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