Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

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This homemade enchilada recipe is always a huge hit with my family! The enchiladas begin and end with our flavorful homemade sauce, which takes only a few extra minutes to throw together, yet tastes like it has been cooking all day! The ingredients are simple, the method is speedy, and the flavor is out of this world! You can double or even triple the batch, and freeze for later or share with family and friends. This is perfect potluck dish to share. Everyone loves these from-scratch enchiladas, and I’m confident that you will too!

Ingredients in Homemade Enchiladas

• Tortillas: An enchilada is only as good as its wrapping. See below for my thoughts on flour vs corn tortillas.
• Chicken or Beef: For chicken enchiladas, use our easy recipe for shredded chicken or you can just boil a couple of chicken breasts and shred them. However, if you are running short on time, grab a rotisserie chicken and use that for your filling. You can also make beef enchiladas with ground beef, sliced steak, or you can use our delicious recipe for Mexican shredded beef. For easy ground beef enchiladas, in a large skillet brown the hamburger on medium-high heat, then drain any excess fat. Use any protein you like, or keep them vegetarian with sliced vegetables.
• Refried Beans: I love spreading a layer of refried beans as the base of these homemade enchiladas; it adds substance and flavor, and helps all the other filling ingredients stick together. You can substitute pinto or black beans for the refried beans for a slightly different texture and flavor.
• Corn: This is my favorite ingredient – I love the sweet crunch that corn adds to this recipe. Fresh from the cob, frozen, or canned corn all work just fine.
• White Rice: For even more flavor, use our recipe for cilantro lime rice.
• Shredded Cheese: Sprinkle cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend.
• Toppings for Serving: Top the enchiladas with cool sour cream, hearty guacamole, extra cheese, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, diced avocado, or diced green onions.

Best Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Canned enchilada sauce gets the job done, but homemade is just so much tastier! The spices blend together perfectly to create a savory sauce that will elevate your enchiladas to the next level! At first it might sound a little intimidating to create a sauce from scratch, but it’s SO much easier than you think (and totally worth it)! All you need is a handful of simple pantry ingredients:

• Tomato sauce
• Chili powder
• Ground cumin
• Beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth
• Oregano
• Olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

This delectable red sauce comes together in just a few minutes. It will simmer on the stove while you assemble the other enchilada ingredients. Plus, your house will smell wonderfully spicy and fragrant!

Flour or Corn Tortillas for Enchiladas?

This homemade enchiladas recipe calls for flour tortillas, which are usually a little bigger and can hold more filling, but you can easily swap them out for white corn or yellow corn tortillas. It’s just a matter of personal preference and taste. My husband is partial to corn, so I usually make a pan of those and a pan of flour. I love buying the raw flour tortillas from Costco, then frying them up in a skillet. They taste homemade and much fresher than the flour tortillas you would buy at the grocery store. To make the flour or corn tortillas a little more pliable, wrap a few at a time in a damp paper towel and microwave for a few seconds until they’re soft. It’ll make rolling the enchiladas so much easier.

What to Serve with Homemade Enchiladas

Serve these irresistible enchiladas with a huge green salad and plenty of chips and salsa. Or, round out your menu with these easy Mexican recipes:
Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice
Restaurant Style Refried Beans
The Best Guacamole
Charro Beans
Mexican Street Corn