Ranch-Style Red Enchiladas
Enchiladas Rojas del Rancho
The enchiladas we've always made at the ranch — tortillas dipped in guajillo chile salsa then lightly fried, filled with queso fresco and onion, served with garlic-salt potatoes and carrots. Pure homemade flavor.
Grocery list
What to buy · Shopping quantities included — check off what you already have.
Ingredients
- 8 pieces dried guajillo chiles — stems removed, washed
- 1 piece white onion — half for the salsa, half diced for the filling
- 3 cloves garlic cloves — peeled
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- to taste salt
- 6 pieces corn tortillas
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil — for frying the tortillas after dipping in salsa
- 150 g fresh cheese (queso fresco) — crumbled
- 3 pieces medium potatoes — whole, unpeeled
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 2 pieces carrots — peeled, whole — boiled alongside the potatoes (optional)
Nutrition facts
- Calories263 kcal1578 kcal
- Protein9 g54 g
- Carbs34 g204 g
- Fat11 g66 g
- Fiber5 g30 g
Values are recalculated automatically when you change the servings.
Instructions
Every step carries its own ingredients and measurements — no more scrolling back up.
- 1
Prepare the chiles
📋 You'll need- 8 pieces dried guajillo chiles
Remove the stem from each guajillo chile and wash them well under running water. You can also use cascabel chiles if you prefer.
- 2
Soak the chiles
📋 You'll need- 8 pieces dried guajillo chiles (soaked)
Place the chiles in a bowl with hot water and let them soak for 15–20 minutes, until they're nice and soft.
- 3
Blend and strain the salsa
📋 You'll need- 8 pieces dried guajillo chiles (soaked)
- half white onion (for the salsa)
- 3 cloves garlic cloves
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- salt
Blend the soaked chiles with half the onion, garlic, oregano, and salt to taste. Strain the salsa to remove seeds and skin — pass it through a fine strainer.
- 4
Prepare the filling
📋 You'll need- 150 g fresh cheese (queso fresco)
- the other half white onion (finely diced, for the filling)
Crumble the queso fresco and mix it with the other half of the onion, finely diced. Have it ready for filling.
- 5
Dip in salsa and fry
📋 You'll need- 6 pieces corn tortillas
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- guajillo chile salsa
This is the key step: dip each tortilla in the guajillo chile salsa first, then lightly fry it in hot oil. Don't let it get hard or crispy — just a little on each side so it softens. The tortilla goes into the pan already coated in salsa.
- 6
Assemble the enchiladas
📋 You'll need- dipped and fried tortillas
- cheese and onion filling
- guajillo chile salsa
Place a generous spoonful of the cheese-onion filling in the center of each dipped-and-fried tortilla, and roll up. Arrange the enchiladas on a plate and pour more salsa over the top.
- 7
Cook the potatoes and carrots
📋 You'll need- 3 pieces medium potatoes
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 2 pieces carrots
Boil the potatoes whole (don't cut them first) in salted water for 20–25 minutes until tender. If you like, add the peeled whole carrots at the same time — that's the traditional way. Once cooked, cut into chunks and season with garlic salt. Serve alongside the enchiladas.
This is one of the true El Cerito ranch recipes — the kind you learn by watching, not from a book. Remove the stems from the dried chiles, soak them until they're soft, blend everything up, strain it, and you've got a salsa that tastes like home. The secret is the technique: you dip the tortilla in the salsa FIRST, then fry it lightly — that's what makes these enchiladas authentic. Use good queso fresco, and always boil your potatoes whole — cut them after. Carrots alongside are the traditional touch. That's how it's done at the ranch.