New Mexico-style enchiladas offer a distinctive take on the familiar rolled enchilada. Instead of wrapping the filling inside tortillas, soft corn tortillas are stacked in layers with earthy red chile sauce and plenty of melted cheese. A freshly fried egg crowns each stack for a hearty, satisfying finish.
The heart of this recipe is the red chile sauce. New Mexico red chile powder is gently cooked with a simple flour-and-oil base, broth, garlic, onion, cumin, and oregano. The result is a smooth, deeply flavored sauce with a warm chile character that coats every tortilla.
Ground beef is optional, making these enchiladas easy to prepare either as a cheesy meatless meal or as a more substantial beef version. Briefly frying the corn tortillas before assembly keeps them flexible while helping them stand up to the generous amount of sauce.
The final fried egg is a classic and delicious addition. When served with a soft or runny yolk, it blends into the red chile sauce and melted cheese as you cut into the stack. Serve these enchiladas immediately with extra chile sauce for a comforting New Mexico-inspired meal.
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
For the Enchiladas
- 12 corn tortillas
- 3 cups New Mexico red chile sauce
- 3 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef, optional
- ½ small onion, finely diced
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more if needed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the New Mexico Red Chile Sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup New Mexico red chile powder
- 2½ cups chicken or beef broth
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Begin with the red chile sauce. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Add the New Mexico red chile powder and whisk for approximately 30 seconds. Keep the mixture moving and avoid letting the chile powder scorch, which can make the sauce bitter.
- Gradually pour in the broth while whisking continuously. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, and salt.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until smooth and slightly thickened. Reduce the heat and keep warm.
- If using ground beef, place it in a skillet with the diced onion. Cook over medium-high heat until the beef is browned and the onion is tender. Drain excess grease and season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a skillet. Fry each corn tortilla for approximately 10–15 seconds per side. The goal is to soften the tortillas rather than make them crispy. Transfer to a plate.
- Dip one softened tortilla into the warm red chile sauce, coating both sides, and place it on an oven-safe serving plate. Sprinkle with cheese and add a little ground beef, if using.
- Top with a second sauce-coated tortilla, followed by another layer of cheese and beef. Add a third tortilla and finish generously with red chile sauce and cheese.
- Repeat the process to create four individual stacks, using three tortillas for each serving.
- Place the enchilada stacks briefly under the broiler until the cheese is completely melted and bubbling. Watch carefully to prevent scorching.
- Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a lightly oiled skillet to your preferred doneness. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place one fried egg on top of each enchilada stack. Spoon additional warm red chile sauce over and around the stacks and serve immediately.
Variations
- Cheese Enchiladas: Leave out the ground beef and use plenty of cheddar, Monterey Jack, or a combination of both.
- Christmas Style: Serve with both New Mexico red and green chile sauces for the combination commonly called “Christmas.”
- Shredded Beef: Replace the ground beef with tender shredded beef.
- Chicken: Add shredded cooked chicken between the tortilla layers.
- Extra Chile: Add roasted chopped green chile between the layers for another dimension of chile flavor.
- Onion and Cheese: Sprinkle finely diced raw onion between the tortilla layers for extra bite and texture.
Tips
- Use New Mexico red chile powder when possible, as the chile itself is central to the flavor of the sauce.
- Cook the chile powder only briefly before adding the broth. Burning or excessively toasting it can introduce bitterness.
- Fry the tortillas just long enough to soften them. They should remain flexible rather than becoming crisp like tostadas.
- Keep the red chile sauce warm during assembly so the cheese begins melting as the stacks are built.
- Use oven-safe plates if you plan to melt the cheese under the broiler. Alternatively, assemble the stacks in a baking dish before transferring individual portions to plates.
- A sunny-side-up or over-easy egg provides a soft yolk that mixes beautifully with the red chile sauce, but the eggs can be cooked to any preferred doneness.
- Keep additional warm red chile sauce at the table for spooning over each serving.
