Bold, smoky, and packed with flavor, these Rolled Red Chile Beef and Cheese Enchiladas bring the heat and heartiness of traditional New Mexican cuisine right to your table.
With a homemade red chile sauce and savory ground beef wrapped in warm corn tortillas, every bite is rich, comforting, and downright delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Authentic flavor: Real dried New Mexico chiles give the sauce an earthy, smoky depth that’s hard to beat.
From-scratch satisfaction: Making the sauce yourself delivers fresher, richer flavor than store-bought.
Customizable and crowd-pleasing: Easily scale the recipe or tailor toppings for everyone’s taste.
Great for gatherings: This dish serves a crowd and looks beautiful on the table.
Perfectly cheesy: Queso fresco adds creamy, salty goodness that melts beautifully into the filling and topping.
Key Ingredients Breakdown
New Mexico dried chiles: These mild, earthy peppers are the base of the signature red chile sauce.
Ground beef: Lean and seasoned simply with cumin and salt to complement the chile sauce.
Queso fresco: A crumbly, mild Mexican cheese that holds its shape and adds richness.
Corn tortillas: The classic vehicle for enchiladas—warm and pliable when dipped in sauce.
Roasted vegetables: Tomatoes, onion, and garlic bring sweetness and depth to the homemade sauce.
Rolled Red Chile Beef and Cheese Enchiladas
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
2 cups boiling water
1 oz New Mexico dried chiles (about 5), stemmed and seeded
2 plum tomatoes, halved
1 small yellow onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp garlic powder
For the Enchiladas:
1 tbsp canola oil (plus more for greasing the dish)
1 lb lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cumin
12 (5½-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
12 oz queso fresco, crumbled (about 3 cups)
For Garnish & Serving:
Fresh cilantro, sliced scallions, red onion rings
Lime wedges and sour cream
Instructions
Make the Red Chile Sauce:
Soften the chiles:
Pour boiling water over the dried chiles in a heatproof bowl. Let soak for about 20 minutes until soft. Drain, but reserve 1 cup of the soaking liquid.
Roast the veggies:
Preheat broiler to high with the oven rack 6 inches from the heat. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Place tomatoes (cut side down), onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves on the sheet. Broil for 8–10 minutes, until softened and charred. Remove garlic skins after roasting.
Blend the sauce:
Add the roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, softened chiles, reserved chile soaking liquid, vinegar, salt, cumin, and garlic powder to a blender. Blend until smooth (about 1 minute). Set the sauce aside in a shallow bowl.
Assemble and Bake the Enchiladas:
Cook the beef:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add ground beef and cook for 6–7 minutes, until fully browned. Stir in salt and cumin. Remove from heat.
Fill the enchiladas:
Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. One at a time, dip tortillas in the sauce, letting the excess drip off. Place on a clean surface, fill with ¼ cup beef and 2 tbsp queso fresco, roll tightly, and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Top and bake:
Spoon about ½ cup of the sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with ½ cup queso fresco. Bake uncovered for 18–20 minutes, or until bubbling and golden.
Serve:
Garnish with cilantro, scallions, and red onion. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream, and the remaining sauce and queso fresco on the side.
Notes:
New Mexico Chiles:
These dried chiles are mild to medium in heat and offer a rich, earthy flavor with a subtle smokiness. They’re the key to an authentic red chile sauce. You can toast them briefly in a dry skillet before soaking to deepen the flavor even more.
Control the Spice Level:
This recipe has a mild heat profile. If you like it spicier, add a few chile de árbol or chipotle peppers when blending the sauce. For less heat, remove all seeds and ribs from the chiles and reduce chili powder, if adding.