Disclosure: I received a copy of the Enchiladas Aztec to Tex Mex Cookbook for attending an event. My opinions are 100% my own.
Enchiladas Rojas de Queso, or Cheese Enchiladas with a Red Chipotle Sauce, have a delicious, robust spicy flavor, and are surprisingly easy to make.
Since instead of a chicken filling, they have a cheese filling, they are perfect for a vegetarian, meatless meal.
What Are Enchiladas Rojas de Queso?
Enchiladas Rojas de Queso are red enchiladas with cheese, and corn tortillas dipped in a spicy red chipotle sauce, or salsa roja, and stuffed with a melting Mexican cheese called queso asadero, then rolled up, and covered with more of the red chipotle sauce and then topped with a Mexican crumbled white cheese called queso fresco.
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Jump to:
- What Are Enchiladas Rojas de Queso?
- Source of This Recipe
- Enchiladas Aztec to Tex Mex Cookbook Authors
- Why Make This Recipe For Enchiladas Rojas de Queso?
- Equipment Needed To Make Enchiladas Rojas De Queso
- Ingredients
- How To Make Enchiladas Rojas de Queso
- How To Garnish Enchiladas?
- Other Enchiladas Recipes From The Enchiladas Cookbook
- What To Serve With Enchiladas?
- More Enchilada Recipes You’ll Love
- Where Can I Buy The Enchiladas Aztec to Tex Mex Cookbook?
- Recipe
Source of This Recipe
I was introduced to these Enchiladas Rojas de Queso when I was invited to an event celebrating the new edition of the Enchiladas Aztec to Tex Mex Cookbook at La Fonda on Main Mexican Restaurant in San Antonio, Texas.
This cookbook was written by the owner of the restaurant, Cappy Lawton, and Chris Waters Dunn, a San Antonio food writer, and features over 100 recipes, and includes every type of enchilada imaginable, literally from the ancient days of the Aztecs to Tex Mex cuisine today.
Chris Waters Dunn thoroughly researched all the regional differences in Mexican cuisine and enchiladas specifically.
In addition to enchilada recipes, this cookbook includes over 30 supporting articles and recipes from the preparation of chicken for enchiladas to sauces and complementary recipes, such as Pico De Gallo.
Furthermore, it includes articles that discuss things like the history of chilies, what kinds of chilies are used in enchiladas, and how to choose and prepare tomatoes. In addition, it provides tips for garnishing and assembling enchiladas.
This Enchiladas cookbook is the most comprehensive cookbook on Enchiladas and Mexican cuisine that I have ever seen. If you are going to buy only one cookbook on enchiladas, this is the one to buy!
Enchiladas Aztec to Tex Mex Cookbook Authors
Cappy Lawton, a co-author of the cookbook, knows his way around the restaurant business. He has owned 29 restaurants in Texas over the years, and currently owns La Fonda on Main, Cappy’s, and Cappyccino’s.
Cris Waters Dunn, prior to being a San Antonio food writer, and cookbook author, was a successful songwriter and music producer in Nashville for many years with 9 number one hits.
After he retired from the music business, he went to culinary school and graduated with honors, and created a new career in the culinary world.
Why Make This Recipe For Enchiladas Rojas de Queso?
- These Enchiladas Rojas de Queso are cheesy and delicious with a fantastically flavorful and spicy red Chipotle sauce and topped with Queso Fresco. This is one of my favorite things in the cookbook.
- It is a tried and true traditional recipe adapted by the Cookbook author’s extremely popular restaurant, La Fonda On Main.
- This recipe uses fresh lots of fresh tomatoes, and makes an incredible sauce. Make it ahead and time and the flavor continues to develop until you are ready to use it.
- By making the sauce ahead of time, it then takes only a few minutes to reheat the sauce, assemble and broil the enchiladas, bringing everything together very quickly. If you make the sauce and shred the cheese on a weekend, for example, then you could easily make these Enchiladas Rojas de Queso for a weeknight dinner later that week.
Equipment Needed To Make Enchiladas Rojas De Queso
- Knife
- Large Saucepan or sartén grande
- Baking Dish
- Oven-Safe Plate
Ingredients
For The Sauce:
- 1 recipe Chipotle Sauce, divided (P 91 of cookbook) I use canned chipotles in adobo sauce as they are readily available in the U.S. However, in Mexico, often chiles guajillos, or guajillo chiles, or chiles anchos, ancho chiles – sometimes called ancho peppers, are used to make the sauce. I’m taking a shortcut on this to save time. You’ll also need minced garlic cloves, or dientes de ajo, corn tortillas (tortillas de maiz), fresh onions, and a pinch of salt. (Also see note 2 in the recipe card below.)
For The Filling:
- 3 cups (360 grams) queso asadero, grated (See Note 3)
- 1-1/2 cups (355 ml) Chipotle Sauce (See Note 4)
For The Assembly:
- 12 corn tortillas (See Note 5)
- Vegetable oil (as needed for softening tortillas)
For The Garnish:
- 1 cup (120 grams) queso fresco, crumbled
How To Make Enchiladas Rojas de Queso
- Make the Sauce.
- Follow the instructions in the recipe for Chipotle Sauce on this site.
- Set aside 1-1/2 cups to reserve for the filling.
- Make The Filling.
- 3 cups (360 grams) queso asadero, grated (or substitute Monterey Jack)
- 1-1/2 cups (355 ml) reserved chipotle sauce
- Assemble The Enchiladas.
- 12 red corn tortillas (see page 53 of Enchiladas cookbook.)
- Vegetable oil as needed for softening tortillas.
- Garnish The Enchiladas.
- 1 cup queso fresco
- 2 Tablespoons chopped onions
- 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
Directions:
- Start With the Sauce.
- Prepare the chipotle sauce as directed. See the step by step instructions on my blog post for Red Chipotle Sauce.
- If the sauce was prepared ahead of time, place it in a saucepan over medium heat. When the sauce is heated through, reduce heat to low, cover, and keep warm until ready to use.
- Assemble The Enchiladas.
- Have the cheeses for the filling and the garnish ready and at hand.
- Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch (12 mm) in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Heat to low frying temperature, about 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
- Place each tortilla in the oil and fry for a few seconds, just long enough to soften. Drain on paper towels.
- Place 1/4 cup (30 grams) Queso asadero topped with 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce on the lower third of a softened tortilla.
- Roll and place on an individual ovenproof plate, 3 enchiladas per serving, or on an ovenproof dish large enough to accommodate the enchiladas in a single layer. Repeat with the other tortillas.
- When the enchiladas are plated, pour the remaining chipotle sauce over the enchiladas, being careful to fully cover the edges. Place under a broiler just long enough to melt the cheese.
- Garnish with queso fresco.
How To Garnish Enchiladas?
In the Enchiladas Aztec to Tex Mex cookbook, it discusses tips on garnishing enchiladas. Some of the suggestions are:
- After the enchiladas are placed on the serving plates, lightly chop fresh cilantro with a sharp knife or remove individual leaves from the stems right before scattering them over the dish. If cilantro is treated too roughly, it can easily bruise and discolor the leaves.
- Pickled Jalapenos and Raw Jalapenos are not interchangeable. Each has its own distinct flavor.
- Sliced onion rings are more visually appealing than plain diced onions and give your guests the option of how little or how much onion they want with their serving.
Other Enchiladas Recipes From The Enchiladas Cookbook
- Enchiladas Suizas (p. 180)
- Enchiladas Verdes de Pollo (p. 146)
- Enchiladas de Frijoles y Chorizo (p. 110)
- Tex-Mex Brisket Enchiladas (p. 222 – 225)
- Enchiladas Potosinas (p. 98)
What To Serve With Enchiladas?
The Enchiladas Cookbook, in addition to garnishes, discusses what side dishes to serve with enchiladas. Below are a few recommendations and recipes from the cookbook.
- Roasted Tomato Salsa (p. 80)
- Pico De Gallo (p. 81) or try my recipe for Pico De Gallo.
- Black Bean Relish (p. 82)
- Refried Beans (p. 63)
- Cilantro Rice (p. 66)
- Mexican Rice (p. 66) or try my version of Mexican Rice.
- Cheesy Chorizo Jalapeno Mexican Dip
- Instant Pot Mexican Rice Pudding (Arroz Con Leche)
- Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
- Picadillo Con Papas
- Mexican Cauliflower Rice
- Arroz Rojo
More Enchilada Recipes You’ll Love
- Tex-Mex Enchiladas – Tex-Mex Enchiladas with Chili Gravy are cheese enchiladas covered with a beef chili con carne gravy, or enchilada sauce, and lots and lots of gooey cheddar cheese!
Where Can I Buy The Enchiladas Aztec to Tex Mex Cookbook?
You can purchase the Enchiladas Aztec to Tex Mex Cookbook on Amazon by clicking on the title of the book highlighted in blue.
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Recipe
Enchiladas Rojas de Queso
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Heavy Skillet
- Ovenproof Baking Dish
- 2 small bowls
Ingredients
For The Sauce:
- 1 recipe Chipotle Sauce, divided (P 91 of cookbook) (See Note 2)
For The Filling:
- 3 cups (360 grams) queso asadero, grated (See Note 3)
- 1-1/2 cups (355 ml) Chipotle Sauce (See Note 4)
For The Assembly:
- 12 corn tortillas (See Note 5)
- Vegetable oil (as needed for softening tortillas)
For The Garnish:
- 1 cup (120 grams) queso fresco, crumbled
Instructions
Start with the sauce:
- Prepare the chiopotle sauce recipe as directed. (See page 191 in the cookbook or the Red Chipotle Sauce recipe on my site.)
- If the sauce was prepared ahead of time, then place it in a saucepan over medium heat. When the sauce is heated through, reduce the heat to low, cover and keep warm until ready to use.
Assemble the enchiladas:
- Place the shredded queso asadero (or Monterrey Jack) in a small bowl. Also, place the crumbled queso fresco in a separate small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.
- Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 1/2 inch (12 mm) in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Heat to a low frying temperature of about 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
- Place each tortilla in the oil and fry for a few seconds, just long enough to soften the tortilla, NOT to create fried crispy tortillas. The corn tortillas will be soft.
- Place 1/4 cup (30 grams) queso asadero topped with 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce on the lower third of a softened tortilla.
- Roll each filled tortilla and place it (seam-side down) either on an individual plate, 3 enchiladas per serving, or in an ovenproof baking dish large enough to accomodate all the enchiladas in a single layer.
- After the enchiladas are placed in the oven-safe plate, or baking dish, pour the remainder of the chipotle sauce over the top of the enchiladas, being careful to fully cover the edges. Place the enchiladas under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese, maybe 2 or 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle queso fresco over the top of the Enchiladas Rojas De Queso as a garnish. Serve hot.
