Enchiladas Rojas de Pollo (Red Chicken Enchiladas)
Corn tortillas dipped in guajillo sauce, filled with shredded chicken and topped with crumbly cheese and cream.
Made with Chile colorado sauce and Corn tortillas from masa harina and Shredded chicken (pollo deshebrado). Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time45 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £3.14 a head
- Oven200°C (180°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Warm 400 ml of your ready made chile colorado sauce (see the base recipe) in a wide pan until just simmering. Keep it on the lowest heat.
3 min - 2
Heat the oil in a second pan over a medium heat. Fry each corn tortilla (see the base recipe) for 10 seconds a side until soft and glossy, then drain on kitchen paper.
2 min - 3
Dip each tortilla in the warm sauce for a few seconds to coat both sides, then lay it on a plate.
- 4
Fill each with a spoonful of your shredded chicken (see the base recipe) and a pinch of chopped onion. Roll up and place seam side down in a baking dish, or on the plate if serving straight away.
- 5
For baked enchiladas, spoon over the remaining 100 ml sauce and bake at 200°C (180°C fan) for 12 minutes until hot and bubbling.
12 min - 6
Top with the queso fresco, drizzle with soured cream and scatter with coriander and the rest of the onion.
Tips
- Fry the tortillas briefly before dipping. This seals them so they stay in one piece instead of dissolving into the sauce.
- Do not let the sauce boil hard while dipping or it spits and thickens too fast. Loosen with a splash of water if needed.
- Serve straight away. Enchiladas turn soft quickly and are best eaten within 10 minutes of assembling.
Storing and freezing
Keep leftover enchiladas covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat at 180C for 15 minutes until steaming hot all the way through. Freezing is not recommended as the tortillas go mushy.
Questions
Can I use flour tortillas?
Corn tortillas are the Mexican standard and hold the sauce well. Flour tortillas work but go softer, so skip the frying step and warm them instead.
Can I make them dairy free?
Yes. Leave off the queso fresco and soured cream, and finish with sliced avocado and extra coriander. The chile colorado sauce itself has no dairy.
How spicy are they?
Medium. The heat depends on how many chiles de arbol went into your sauce. Serve with extra soured cream if you want to cool it down.
More made with chile colorado sauce
Tacos de Hongos en Chile Colorado (Red Chilli Mushroom Tacos)
DFEFNFTacos Dorados de Papa con Chile Colorado (Crispy Potato Tacos)
DFEFNFAlbondigas en Chile Colorado (Meatballs in Red Chilli Sauce)
NFPescado al Chile Colorado (Baked Fish in Red Chilli Sauce)
GFDFEFDouble check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.