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These Red Cheese Enchiladas are an old family favorite recipe that is authentic and simply delicious!! They are cheesy, saucy, and loved by all.
The Best Cheese Enchiladas
We’ve made cheese enchiladas for decades, and they are INCREDIBLE!!
With our Hispanic heritage we have been surrounded by amazing cooks our whole lives. This recipe was first handed down from our great-grandma Bean Burro down to my grandma, then to my mom and now to us.
Minor tweaks have been made over the years, but we are confident they are even better than the restaurants and are perfect served with Pinto Beans, Spanish Rice, or maybe even some Beef Empanadas.
Why we love them:
- Simple. Even making a homemade enchilada sauce, this recipe comes together quick and is no-fail!
- Delicious. The flavors and spices and cheese make these enchiladas to die-for and perfect for any Mexican meal.
- Perfect for parties. Whether it’s for Christmas or fiesta, these enchiladas (along with our Chicken Enchiladas) are the star on the menu.
Ingredients
- vegetable oil
- all-purpose flour
- Gebhardt Chili Powder – our favorite chili powder (but any brand works)
- garlic powder
- oregano
- salt
- cumin
- chicken broth
- Corn Tortillas
- Mexican Blend Cheese – “Mexican blend cheese”, is what is typically used in restaurant enchiladas. It is a blend of cheeses usually consisting of Monterrey Jack, Cheddar or Colby Jack, and cheeses that melt easily such as asadero and oaxaca (also known as quesadilla cheese).
How to Make Cheese Enchiladas
- BEGIN SAUCE. To make these enchiladas, you have to begin with the enchilada sauce. This is made by adding oil to the pot and heating on Medium heat. Pour in flour and create a roux by whisking together for 1-2 minutes.
- SPICES. Add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and oregano and mix until clumpy.
- BROTH. Pour in chicken broth, whisking the entire time and until there are no more clumps. Heat for about 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened.
- ASSEMBLE. Get your pan close to your sauce, along with a bowl of shredded cheese, and your tortillas. Dip each tortilla into the sauce until soft and put into the greased dish.
- FILL + ROLL. Add 1/4 cup cheese and roll up and push to the end of the pan.
- 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) at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
PRO TIP: Easy Rolling
Our favorite way to make sure tortillas roll up easily is by wrapping the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwaving for about 30 seconds. You can also flash fry them in oil for a few seconds on each side before dipping them in the sauce. Either method makes for easy rolling.
Cheese Enchiladas
Restaurant-Style Red Cheese Enchiladas are an old family favorite recipe that is simply the best!! They are cheesy, saucy, and so yummy.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp Gebhardt Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 2 cups chicken broth
- Corn Tortillas
- Mexican Blend Cheese
Instructions
- Add oil to pot and heat on Medium. Pour in flour and whisk together and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and oregano and mix until clumpy. Pour in chicken broth, whisking the entire time and until there are no more clumps. Heat for 15 minutes or until thickened.
- After you have made your sauce, you will want to dip your corn tortillas in the sauce until they are soft and immediately put it into a greased 11×7 pan.
- From there you will add cheese (I use the Mexican Blended Cheese), roll it up and push it to the end of the pan.
- 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. (You can also prepare this in advance and refrigerate until ready to cook).
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
Video
Notes
MAKE AHEAD OF TIME. These can made ahead of time, covered and refrigerated for 24 hours in advance.
STORE in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
FREEZE by making a disposable tray, covering tightly with foil and placing in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 64kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Fat: 4g, Sodium: 480mg, Potassium: 62mg, Vitamin C: 5.4mg, Calcium: 5mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
What are the best toppings for cheese enchiladas?
- Fresh vegetables: sliced avocado, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, diced green onions, diced jalapeno peppers
- Salsas: Pico de Gallo, Homemade Salsa, Guacamole, Avocado Cream Sauce
- Dairy and cheese: sour cream, cotija cheese, queso fresco
Can I add meat to these enchiladas?
- Yes, 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).
Can cheese enchiladas be made ahead of time?
- These can made ahead of time, covered and refrigerated for 24 hours in advance.
How to store cheese enchiladas?
- STORE in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- FREEZE by making a disposable tray, covering tightly with foil and placing in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Truly fantastic!
My husband can be picky and he had seconds and declared it his favorite dish of all time. The recipe is flexible too although it didn’t really need any modifications. I’m definitely trying more recipes from this website 🙂
Yay! I’m so glad that the enchiladas were a hit! Thanks for sharing!
I usually don’t step outside my comfort zone but did when I saw this recipe for enchiladas. I usually tend to go with well known providers but this recipe drew my attention. I’ve never made enchilada sauce as I usually buy premade. This sauce was unbelievable!! It went so well with the enchiladas. My guest said dinner was exceptional and the best they ever had…and this was from foodies!! This will definitely be my go to recipe and have no fear making these again and again.I doubled the recipe too so people could have leftovers but there were no leftovers…everyone had seconds!
Oh that makes me so happy to hear!! I’m glad that you enjoyed the enchiladas. Way to go outside of your comfort zone too! 😉
I love this cheese enchilada recipe and make it fairly often. I always double the sauce, which after you taste it, will NEVER buy a can or jar of it again. I use a larger pan, and just increase the number of enchiladas. I am a mole junky, so along with sour cream, have that as a side.
Thanks for sharing the recipe. Our annual March Madness party has a Tex-Mex theme this year as the Final Four is in Houston. This recipe (along with your chicken enchiladas) is exactly what I was looking for.
Easy and they taste just like cheese enchiladas in a restaurant. I will definitely make these again. Followed the recipe exactly.
Oh my goodness, these enchiladas are the absolute best!! I made them with your Spanish rice and am so so soo delighted with how everything turned out! I will be bringing these little gems to a Super Bowl party next weekend. Thanks for the fabulous recipes! 🤩
Terrible, made this…it was terrible.
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the recipe. Thanks for the feedback and giving it a try.
I agree. Terrible.
Thanks for giving the recipe a try.
Wow how incredibly rude of you to say “terrible”. I’d you didn’t care for it just say that. It’s not hard to say I didn’t care for this specific sauce etc. but “terrible” sheesh!
Excellent red enchilada sauce so easy third time making it .
I feel like the ingredients are wrong. Did you mean 4 cups of chicken broth? 2 cups makes it way too thick
5/5 what I was hoping to find- grew up in a community 80% Hispanic and can confirm this tastes authentic to what I grew up with
I did a mix of queso blanco and Monterey Jack for the filling