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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Cheese Enchiladas with Salsa Roja

4 Servings

30 minutes

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At Nicos restaurant in Mexico City, chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo taught us that enchiladas can be a simple affair, inspiring us to create our own version paired with an easy, blender-blitzed red salsa. As a filling, Vázquez Lugo used a cheese called queso de ocosingo; we chose easier-to-find and melty queso Chihuahua, with Monterey jack as a good stand-in. At Nicos, the enchiladas are filled and sauced to order so there is no need to bake them. But at home, it makes sense to assemble them all at once, then warm them in a baking dish in the oven. For make-ahead convenience, the salsa can be cooled and refrigerated for a few days; reheat in a covered saucepan when ready to use.

4

Servings

Tip

Don’t bypass the step of brushing the tortillas with oil and warming them in the oven. This ensures they are pliable so they won’t crack or split when rolled. Also, don’t use tortillas made with a blend of corn and wheat. Though they are more supple than corn tortillas, they take on an unappealing gumminess in the finished dish.

30 minutes

For the salsa roja:

  • 3

    medium plum tomatoes (about 8 ounces), cored

Directions

Reviews
Karen T.
August 21, 2026
So delicious
I made this exactly as directed and it turned out amazing. My family devoured it and exclaimed how good it was. I have made it a few times now but doubled the sauce. Excellent recipe
Joel P.
May 20, 2025
Great technique
This is a great take of n a general technique - I expect I'll be using it often. This time I used 2 ancho chiles instead of the serrano/guajillo due to availability, and I wanted it mild. This turned out pretty strongly flavored - maybe next time I'll dial it back to just 1 ancho. I also used flour tortillas, and skipped the prep step used for corn, and subbed in shredded cheese for the mix used in the recipe. Worked fine. I'm excited to try different variations of chiles and filling here in the future.

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