What it’s all about
Every May 5, National Enchilada Day gives one of Mexico’s most comforting dishes its own moment in the spotlight. An enchilada is disarmingly simple at its core: a corn tortilla wrapped around a filling and bathed in a chili-based sauce. That last part is the whole point. The word comes from the Spanish enchilar, meaning to season or coat with chili, so a tortilla without its sauce is just a taquito. It shares the calendar with Cinco de Mayo, which makes it an easy excuse to cook something festive.
What makes enchiladas endlessly adaptable is that almost nothing about them is fixed. The filling can be shredded chicken, beef, beans, cheese, potatoes, or leftover roast. The sauce can be red (dried red chiles), green (tomatillos and green chiles), or a rich, dark mole. Different regions of Mexico and the American Southwest each have their own beloved version, from stacked New Mexico enchiladas to the honeycomb-folded enchiladas potosinas.
A little history
Rolling food inside a tortilla is genuinely ancient. People in the Valley of Mexico were wrapping tortillas around fillings long before the Spanish arrived, and early accounts describe corn tortillas served with chiles and small fish. The dish as we recognize it, with its defining chili sauce, has been documented in Mexican cookbooks since at least the 19th century. It traveled north and became a cornerstone of Tex-Mex and New Mexican cooking, which is why a plate of enchiladas can look so different depending on which side of a border you order it.
An enchilada is really just a delivery system for great chili sauce, so that is where your energy should go.
How to make the most of it
The best way to honor May 5 is to make a batch from scratch, and the single upgrade that matters most is the sauce. A quick simmered sauce from toasted dried chiles beats anything from a can, and it only takes about half an hour. Warm your tortillas before rolling so they stay flexible, spread sauce across the bottom of your baking dish so nothing sticks, and don’t overfill.
If cooking isn’t in the cards, order enchiladas from a local Mexican restaurant, ideally a family-run spot, and try a style you’ve never had. Ask whether they make their own mole or salsa verde. However you observe it, finish the plate with something bright: a scatter of raw onion, cilantro, crumbled cheese, and a hard squeeze of lime turns a good enchilada into a memorable one.
How to celebrate
- 1Warm the tortillas first
Corn tortillas crack and tear when cold, which is the number-one reason home enchiladas fall apart. Dip each one in warm sauce or oil for a few seconds, or heat them on a dry skillet until pliable, before you fill and roll. Keep them under a towel so they stay soft while you assemble the pan.
- 2Make a real red sauce
Skip the can and toast a few dried guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry pan, then soak them in hot water for 15 minutes. Blend with garlic, a little onion, cumin, and some of the soaking liquid, then simmer 10 minutes to deepen the flavor. It takes 30 minutes and tastes worlds better than jarred.
- 3Fill, roll, and bake right
Don't overstuff; a couple tablespoons of filling per tortilla keeps them rolling cleanly seam-side down. Spread sauce on the pan bottom first so nothing sticks, nestle the rolls tight, then blanket the tops with sauce and cheese. Bake at 375F for about 20 minutes until bubbling.
- 4Load up the toppings
Enchiladas want contrast, so finish with cold, fresh, and tangy elements after baking. Crumbled queso fresco or cotija, thin-sliced radish, chopped white onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime cut through the rich sauce. A drizzle of Mexican crema or a fried egg on top turns them into enchiladas montadas.