Mexico's street food: Enchiladas Rojas

queso fresco

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: mozzarella

Cottage cheese provides a similar texture with fewer calories.

red enchilada sauce

🥗Healthier: homemade tomato sauce

💰Cheaper: canned tomato sauce

Homemade sauce can be lower in sodium.

sour cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: plain yogurt

Greek yogurt offers creaminess with less fat.

avocado

💰Cheaper: mashed peas

Mashed peas can mimic creaminess at a lower cost.

Remove the seeds and stem from the guajillo peppers. Toast the peppers on a comal over medium heat just until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Rinse and hydrate in hot water for 5-10 minutes.

Discard the hot water, blend the peppers with water, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt until smooth. Strain if needed and set aside.

Combine chicken, onion, garlic, cilantro, water and salt in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium low and skim off any impurities that rise to the top. Cover and cook on a gentle simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the broth and keep it covered.

Melt lard in a large pan over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium, add potatoes and carrots, and cook in a single layer until browned, stirring as needed. Halfway through, pour in enchilada sauce and coat well. Add salt to taste and stir occasionally until veggies are cooked through but not mushy.

Remove from the heat and keep on the side until needed.

Soak the shredded cabbage in water with a squeeze of lime juice to keep fresh and add tanginess. Drain the amount needed and use.

Coat cooked chicken with 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce. Melt 3 TBSP of lard in a large pan over medium-high heat; briefly brown both sides of the chicken, then remove from the heat and keep covered.

Melt lard in a large non-stick pan or comal to coat the bottom. Dip tortilla in sauce, drain excess, and cook on hot lard for about 30 seconds or until pliable. Flip, add your desired amount of onion and cheese to half, fold, and crisp the edges. Repeat on the other side. Remove when hot, soft, and slightly crispy. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Serve immediately, topping with cabbage, crema, queso fresco, salsa, pickled jalapeños, and the potato/carrot mixture with a piece of chicken.

Optional: pour some hot leftover chicken broth over the top.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary