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.
Do you have a good fajitas seasoning mix?
I do not have a homemade version. I have a taco seasoning though…https://lilluna.com/taco-seasoning/. I would look on Pinterest if you really want a homemade fajita seasoning.
I added chipotle chiles to my sauce. I also like to mix diced onion with the cheese that is rolled inside the tortillas. That is how they do it where I grew up in San Antonio. I now live in Utah and in answer to the question about the Mexican cheese. It is pretty much just colby jack or cheddar. Winco has a brand that has some authentic Mexican cheeses that I really like. One is called Oxaca. I can’t remember the name of the other one.
Thank you so much for sharing that!!
Hi there! Excited to try these! I don’t see the amount of cumin listed in the new recipe so wanted to check on that! Thanks!
I added it 😉 It is 1/2 tsp cumin. Thanks for catching that!
What happened to the tomato sauce in the new recipe?
I just don’t need it. All the ingredients together make a delicious new sauce 🙂
The new recipe for Red Cheese Enchiladas does not use tomato sauce in the sauce, but the original recipe does. Doesn’t the tomato sauce make a difference in the flavor? Just wondering.
A little. The new version makes the best sauce! I like it without, better 🙂
Hi,
I Am looking for a cheese enchilada recipe and your dish LOOKS amazing. However I don’t see how 2 c of thickened chicken stock produces the lovely red sauce shown in the picture . No tomato based product?
The new recipe seems quite different from the old.
It is different, but I promise it is so good!! All the spices combined give it its color 🙂 I hope you will try it!
Has anyone tried this with canned broth?
Yes, chicken broth 🙂
Cool, thank you.
I was just wondering if it tasted better with homemade chicken broth vs. canned.
This recipe looks amazing; will try it soon. Thank you.
You are so welcome!! Let me know what you think 🙂
how do you go about reheating these from frozen? I noticed in another enchilada post that you freeze them to give to new moms. I was thinking of making a triple or quadruple batch and freezing for easy summer dinners.
I would freeze them before baking it, then bake as follows. I hope that helps! 🙂
I am so excited to try this! Thank you so much for sharing!
You are welcome!! I hope you like them as much as we do!
Love this recipe but holy crap at the salt. I did exactly the recipe and the spice is great but it’s very salty and that’s even with me accidentally forgetting to add the salt to it lol