How To Make Enchiladas

Enchiladas

This a classic Mexican dish with meat and cheese stuffed tortillas baked with a robust chile sauce. The filling can be a number of different types of meat such as turkey, chicken, beef or pork or even vegetarian with lots of cheese. The sauce can be any of the molés or sauces. Here we will make the basic enchiladas with shredded turkey and a traditional enchilada sauce.

We used flour tortillas in the video but that was before our celiac diagnosis. We now make this gluten free by using corn tortillas.

Watch a Video

Here is a video of 2 Cooks in the Kitchen making enchiladas.

The Ingredients For Enchiladas

  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups cooked shredded Turkey
  • 1 medium onion chopped then cooked until translucent
  • 1 cup poblano (roasted, peeled and cut into 1″ x 1 1/2″ pieces) optional
  • 1 can sliced or chopped olives
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (or yogurt)
  • Enchilada sauce
  • Tortillas-your choice corn or flour
  • 2 cups shredded cheese—Jack or cheddar or a combo

The ingredients for this are onions, poblano chiles, sour cream, cheese, enchilada sauce and tortillas. Using corn tortillas makes this dish gluten free. Check the package to make sure the tortillas are 100% corn. Some places mix wheat flour with their masa to make tortillas so you have to be careful.

Photo shows the enchilada ingredients ready to combine.
Enchiladas Ingredients

Dice and Saute the Onion

To begin making the filling, dice the onion and then sauté it in bacon fat, lard, ghee or oil. These should cook for 10 minutes or so, until they soften and become translucent. Let them cool a little before adding to the meat. A time saving trick is to put the onions in a microwave safe dish, add a little butter and cook for 90 seconds. We always just sauté in a pan because it doesn’t take all that long and you do want them to be cooked.

Mix Turkey, Onions Chiles and Olives

Put the turkey in a mixing bowl and add the onions. Add the cut up poblano chiles and most of the sliced olives. Save some olives to put on top before baking the enchiladas.

Photo shows the ingredients in a mixing bowl
Add the Ingredients to a mixing bowl

Add Sour Cream

Stir In some sour cream. This is optional but it really makes the filling creamy and good. Then add a cup of enchilada sauce to the filling. Then mix this all together well and you’ll have a nice moist and creamy enchilada filling.

Photo shows the filling all mixed together in a bowl
Mix the Filling

Add Cheese

Add a cup of shredded cheese and mix it in. You can use just about any cheese you want here. We used cheddar for this recipe because it was what we had on hand. A mix of cheddar, jack, Mexican cheese such as cotija or anything else is good too. You do want it to be shredded for easier melting and blending. We’ll add more cheese to the mixture when we assemble the enchiladas.

Photo shows shredded cheese going in to the bowl.
Add Cheese

Lay Out the Tortillas

Now that our filling is ready we can lay out the tortillas for filling. The quantities here are for four fairly large tortillas. We often double this recipe and make a 9 x 13 pan of enchiladas, about 7 or 8 tortillas.

Fill the Tortillas

Place 1/4 of the filling on each tortilla. Make a line of it down the middle so the edges can then be folded over.

Photo shows four tortillas with filling in the middle
Put the Filling On the Tortillas

Add Cheese

Put some more cheese on top of the filling.

Photo shows cheese on top of the filling on all four tortillas
Add Cheese to the Filling

Put Sauce In The Bottom Of The Pan

Put a scoop of sauce in the bottom of an oiled baking dish. You can squeeze four of these in an 8 x 8 pan or use something larger but not too large. You want to be able to contain the sauce around the enchiladas. This does come out casserole style. If you want a more traditional style then you can cook them in pairs, 2 to a pan, and serve them like that.

Photo shows a scoop of sauce being ladeled into the pan
Put Sauce in the Bottom of the Pan

Roll the Enchiladas

Fold one edge of the tortilla over the filling and then roll to seal it up. This won’t be as tight as a burrito or anything. You just want it to hold together in the pan.

Photo shows the enchilada being rolled with one already in the pan
Roll the Enchilada

Place the Enchiladas In the Pan

Then place the enchiladas in the pan with the fold down.

Photo shows enchiladas lined up in the pan
Place the Enchiladas in the Pan

Cover With Sauce

Cover with sauce. Use a spoon to work the sauce down between the enchiladas. Cover the top thoroughly for soft, soaked enchiladas or leave the ends bare if you like crispy parts. Mr Cook likes his soaked while Mrs Cook likes the crunchy ones.

Photo shows the pan of enchiladas covered with sauce
Cover With Sauce

Sprinkle Cheese On Top

Add more cheese to the top. This will melt while baking and then make the dish very attractive.

Photo shows cheese being added to the top of the pan
Add Cheese

Scatter Olives On Top and Bake

Add the remaining olives to the top of the dish. Now it is ready to bake (uncovered). In 40 minutes at 350 degrees we will have a pan full of cheesy, saucy, goodness.

Photo shows a pan of four enchiladas ready to bake
Ready to Bake

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Here are some other traditional Mexican recipes you can make:

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Photo shows a pan of four enchiladas ready to bake

Enchiladas

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  • Author: 2 Cooks in the Kitchen
  • Prep Time: 50 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 90 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Enchiladas 1x
  • Cuisine: Mexican
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Shredded turkey meat, cheese and a classic enchilada sauce make up this popular Mexican family friendly meal. Use corn tortillas for a gluten free meal.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/22 cups cooked shredded Turkey
  • 1 medium onion chopped then cooked until translucent
  • 1 cup poblano (roasted, peeled and cut into 1″ x 1 1/2″ pieces) optional
  • 1 can sliced or chopped olives
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (or yogurt)
  • 2 Cups Enchilada sauce
  • Tortillas-your choice corn or flour
  • 2 cups shredded cheese—Jack or cheddar or a combo

Instructions

  1. Put the shredded turkey, cooked onion, roasted poblano, in a mixing bowl with 1/2 the olives and 1/2 cup sour cream. Mix well.
  2. Add 1 cup of enchilada sauce and mix well.
  3. Add 1 cup of cheese and mix well.
  4. Lay out 4 tortillas and put 1/4 of the mixture in the center of each one.
  5. Put more cheese on top of the filling mixture.
  6. Put 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a greased 8 x 8 baking dish.
  7. Fold over one side of the tortilla and then roll to close it up. Place the rolled enchiladas into the baking dish with the fold down. Repeat for all four enchiladas.
  8. Cover the enchiladas with more sauce, working it down in between them with a spoon.
  9. Sprinkle the top with cheese and olives.
  10. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 40 minutes.
  11. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving

Notes

This recipe can be doubled. Use a 9 x 13 pan.

You can use any meat you want. It doesn’t have to be turkey.

This is a great dish to freeze portions for a quick meal on a busy day.

You could use canned chiles if you don’t want to deal with roasting and peeling fresh poblanos. This will greatly reduce prep time.

Serving suggestion: Mexican rice and corn for your sides.

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