We’ve made cheese enchiladas for decades, and over the years have perfected them to become a no-fail family favorite.
This recipe was first handed down from our great-grandma Bean Burro down to my grandma, then to my mom, and now to us! We’ve simplified it a bit over the years, but the result is still delicious and authentic.
We make these ALL of the time for our families and friends since it’s a top “Luna recipe request” – and we think it will be the same for your family. It’s simple, cheesy, easy to freeze and great to make for a crowd.
Serve these easy cheese enchiladas up with Pinto Beans, Spanish Rice, or maybe even some Beef Empanadas!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- 10 minutes of prep. Even making a homemade enchilada sauce, this recipe comes together quickly and is a no-fail!
- Authentic flavors. The flavors, spices, and cheese make these enchiladas to die for and ideal for any Mexican meal.
- Perfect for parties. Whether it’s for Christmas or a fiesta, these enchiladas (along with our Chicken Enchiladas) are the star on the menu.
Cheese Enchiladas Ingredients
- Vegetable oil (2 tablespoons): Fat for the roux that becomes your silky enchilada sauce. Canola oil also works.
- All-purpose flour (¼ cup): Thickens the chili gravy so it coats tortillas beautifully.
- Gebhardt chili powder (2-3 tablespoons): Signature Tex-Mex flavor and deep red color for classic sauce.
- Garlic powder (½ teaspoon): Savory backbone in the sauce.
- Garlic salt with parsley flakes, or salt (½ teaspoon): Fast, even seasoning that brightens every bite.
- Dried oregano (¼ teaspoon): Earthy, herbal note that rounds out the chili spice.
- Ground cumin (½ teaspoon): Warm depth that makes the sauce taste restaurant worthy.
- Full-sodium chicken broth (2 cups): Savory liquid that loosens the roux into a smooth, pourable sauce.
- Corn tortillas, 6 inch (9): Classic texture and flavor that soak up sauce and stay tender. We usually roll about between 9-12 enchiladas.
- Mexican blend cheese, divided (4 cups): Melts creamy inside the rolls and finishes bubbly on top. Mexican blend usually consists of Monterrey Jack cheese and Cheddar, but other great cheeses include: Colby Jack, and any other cheeses that melt easily such as Asadero and Oaxaca (also known as quesadilla cheese).
- optional toppings – sliced avocado, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, diced green onions, diced jalapeno peppers, Pico de Gallo, Homemade Salsa, Guacamole, Avocado Cream Sauce, sour cream, cotija cheese, queso fresco, or cilantro
How to Make Cheese Enchiladas
SAUCE. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a pot and heat on medium. Pour in 4 tablespoons flour and create a roux by whisking for 1-2 minutes.
- Add 3 tablespoons chili powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon oregano and mix until clumpy. see our homemade red enchilada sauce for more tips.
- Pour in 2 cups chicken broth, whisking the entire time and until there are no more clumps. Heat for about 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
ASSEMBLE. Place the 11×7-inch baking pan close to the pot of sauce, along with a bowl of shredded cheese, and the tortillas. Dip a tortilla into the sauce until soft and put into the greased dish.
- Add ¼ cup cheese roll up and push to the end of the 9×13-inch baking dish with the seam side down.
BAKE. Continue doing this with your tortillas until your pan is full. From there, you will pour the excess sauce over your tortillas. Sprinkle the top with more cheese, then bake (uncovered) in the oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- CHILI POWDER. We only use Gebhardt and believe it makes a difference. The flavor is unmatched, and some powders are more brown and make the enchiladas look very dark and not as red. Trust us – you’ll love Gebhardt too.
- ROLLING. For easy rolling with no cracking, we highly recommend wrapping your corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwaving for 30-60 seconds. They should be able to roll very easily.
- ROUX. Cook the roux 1 to 2 minutes before adding spices so the sauce tastes toasty, not floury.
- SAUCE. Whisk broth in gradually and simmer low until lightly thick, this gives a glossy, clingy sauce.
- TORTILLA TIP. Dip each tortilla in hot sauce right before filling so it rolls soft without cracking.
Cheese Enchiladas Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2-3 tablespoons Gebhardt chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt with parsley flakes, or salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups full-sodium chicken broth
- 9 (6-inch) corn tortillas,
- 4 cups Mexican blend cheese, divided
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking together, for 1-2 minutes.
- Add chili powder, garlic powder, garlic salt, cumin and oregano and mix until clumpy. Pour in chicken broth, whisking the entire time until there are no more clumps. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until thickened.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 7×11 inch (or 9×13 inch) baking dish and set aside.
- After the sauce has thickened dip each tortilla in the sauce until soft and immediately put it into the prepared dish. Add ⅓ cup cheese and any meat you wish to add to the tortilla, roll it up and push it to the end of the pan.
- Repeat with all the tortillas until your pan is full. Pour remaining sauce over the tortillas. Sprinkle the top with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
You can add any kind of meat you like! We’ve added rotisserie chicken, Shredded Chicken, Pork Barbacoa, and even shredded beef (our Beef Enchiladas are basically this recipe with the addition of beef).
Assemble the enchiladas, cover the pan with plastic, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Wrap the pan again with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before baking.
Store leftovers in an airtight container(s) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Complete The Meal
Sides
Homemade Spanish Rice Recipe
45 mins
Mexican Street Corn Recipe
13 mins
Mexican Cornbread
50 mins
Canned Refried Beans
10 mins
Desserts
Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
4 hrs 45 mins
Easy Flan Recipe
9 hrs 10 mins
Cheesecake Chimichanga
30 mins
Carmelitas
45 mins
More Enchilada Recipes
Collections
This recipe was first shared February 2013.
Can you clarify what you mean by “flash fry in the sauce”? Are you ONLY dipping the tortilla into the sauce? Or are you flash frying it in oil, then dipping it into the sauce? Thank you! I am really excited to try this recipe. We moved from Tucson to up north in AZ, and have yet to find really good Mexican food. =( Probably what we miss most about Tucson.
DO YOU HAVE A FRIED BEAN RECIPE? I WOULD
LOVE IT? THEN I CAN MAKE A FULL MEXICAN DINNER.
I WILL TRY ALL YOUR RECIPES. SOUND SO GOOD.
I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD. COULD EAT IT EVERY DAY.
I AM MAKING YOUR RED CHILI ENCHILADAS & RICE FOR DINNER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
This made me smile. Your famly’s mexican food recipes are so similar to what my family makes. I was reading your reader’s comments and actually was thinking about this while I was reading your chile recipe. There are lots of places around the country that mexican food items are not available. My grandparents have lived back east and found it is even hard to find good tortillas in some places. Obviously, Arizona and Texas are no such places. If I might suggest to your readers who don’t have access to the chile puree’, they could sub a canned red chile enchilada sauce from the grocery store. I like Macayo’s and Las Palmas okay. It’s not as tasty as sauce from scratch but its an alternative. It is also an alternative if you want to speed up the process a bit. Just heat the canned sauce on low in a sauce pan and use the same process as you do of flash frying the tortilla then dipping it immediately in the chile and then to the baking pan. I personally spent too much time as a teen flash frying for enchiladas and frying taco’s and taco shells that I almost never make enchiladas. Too much time and energy for me, and my dang kids don’t even like them. Hah.
LOL! Too funny!! Using canned enchilada sauce is definitely easier but I have yet to find one I REALLY like. I have tried this recipe from Gimme Some Oven, and I think it’s pretty good if you can’t find the puree – http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/ – Have you tried it before?
Hi Lil’ Luna,
I have personally made the recipe from Gimme Some Oven, but I found it was a little smokier than I would have wanted. It tasted like more of a New Mexico kind of thing than Tex-mex, if that makes any sense. Any tips for making it more savory and less smoky? Do you think adding some canned tomato sauce or tomato paste would help?
That is Definitely not true about Arizona, We are actually Very Very know for Mexican food here, Great authentic Mexican food, Just as New York is known for Italian food. I don’t know if you have food city in your town but that is where I find alot of my seasonings & sauces I need for Mine, even at walmart. But do agree with you if you can’t find the items you need for the sause I say Macayo’s red enchilada sauce is the best out of all of them, it doesn’t have that Very Dark Color & Very Strong over powerung kinda burn flavor that others do, like for instance the Las Palmas red enchilada sauce does. I will only use that one for my chilaquiles. Just because of the different flavor it needs to be. I am White but make all kinds of Mexican food was taught by first loves mom, & Most of my friends are Mexican & have tough me alot, others I just did on my own, Such as my awesome homemade “Very Soft” Tortillas , Homemade Green Chile for burritos, Red Chile Beef, Or Green Chile Chicken Enchaladas. Spanish rice. List can go on & on, On food I cook. But you can also look up recipes for some good ways to make red Enchalada sause. Like doing from scratch with blending red chile’s in blender, Good Luck & i hope you have fun in your kitchen learning these great Mexican food dishes. Have a Great Day!
I have made these three times and they are better than anything I have ever
Had/made. I use to use canned sauce and could never find one that seemed
To spicy to me. This recipe is just right and it is the only way I make them anymore.
LOVE hearing that, Kim. These enchiladas are my favorite!! Sounds like they’re a new favorite for you too. 🙂
Would the chili puree be anything like the chili brick that is sold in the deli section? That’s all I could find. Thank you. I can’t wait to try this recipe!!
I can’t wait to try all your recipes. They look so yummy and real Mexican food.
I have been looking everywhere for the Chili Puree! I cannot find it! I even asked the employees. I saw you mentioned walmart, but I was there today and had no luck. Any suggestions on a substitution?
Do you have any Hispanic Stores around where you are? If so, I would check there first. Wish I could be more help. 🙁
What can I substitute chile puree with because I can’t find it anywhere. I asked workers at the store and non of them have heard of it.
I’m more than happy to uncover this great site. I want to to thank you for ones time just for this fantastic read!! I definitely loved every bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new things on your blog.