Enchiladas Rojas

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This enchiladas rojas (red enchiladas) recipe is a vibrant Mexican dish made from salsa-dipped corn tortillas wrapped around shredded jackfruit and queso fresco. Garnish yours with toppings like lettuce, radish, onions, and more cheese!

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• One of a kind: Unlike other vegan enchiladas recipes that rely on beans or tofu for the filling, these enchiladas rojas are stuffed with jackfruit.
• Versatile: Make these red enchiladas your own by adding your favorite vegetables, vegan cheese varieties, and sauces.
• Great texture: The combination of soft tortillas, “meaty” shredded jackfruit, and creamy queso fresco make for an irresistible bite.

If you love making (and eating) tortillas at home, try our vegan birria tacos, and bean tostaguac on your next kitchen adventure.

🌶️ What are enchiladas rojas?

In their simplest form, enchiladas rojas consist of corn tortillas that are dipped in red salsa and filled with ingredients like cheese, meat, or vegetables. They can then be closed up using methods like rolling or folding.

In general, enchiladas are a staple across the entirety of Mexico, and for good reason too — they’re relatively inexpensive, healthy, and flavor-packed.

But, you’d be hard-pressed to find any two enchiladas rojas recipes that look or taste the exact same. That’s because there are an infinite number of ways you can prepare them!

📜 History

Evidence points to the first forms of enchiladas dating back to the Mayans. They would coat corn tortillas in a pumpkin seed sauce, wrap them around eggs, and cover them in a seasoned tomato sauce (a dish known as papadzules).

But, it was the Aztecs who created the first chile-centric enchiladas — terming them “chīllapīzzali,” meaning chile-flute.

After the fall of the Aztec empire during the Spanish colonization, chīllapīzzalis became more influenced by European ingredients like meat, cheese, and different spices.

Nowadays, you’ll find enchiladas made with a plethora of ingredients. This dish has been influenced by old and new Mexico, different cultures, and changing tastes.

🌱 Are enchiladas rojas vegan?

In our opinion, the enchiladas of prehispanic times were probably quite vegan-friendly. Unfortunately, most recipes today contain cheese, meat, and crema. To make vegan enchiladas rojas, we use pulled jackfruit in place of meat and vegan queso fresco instead of dairy-based cheese.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

Enchilada sauce

• Red chiles: A spicy, herbaceous, and homemade salsa roja is the primary component of this vegan enchiladas recipe. We chose a combination of ancho, guajillo, and arbol chiles in this sauce, but use whatever you prefer or have on hand.
• Roma tomatoes: For a bit of sweetness and acidity, we’ve added Roma tomatoes to our enchilada sauce. You can also use other varieties, like cherry or grape tomatoes, as long as they’re ripe.
• Mexican oregano: This herb gives the enchilada sauce an earthy, citrusy flavor with an aroma that pairs well with the spicy chiles. If you don’t have Mexican oregano on hand, your best option would be marjoram.
• Vegetable stock powder or broth: Since we’re rehydrating the jackfruit in this recipe, we used vegetable stock powder for a flavor boost. Aside from adding a depth of flavor, the vegetable broth keeps the sauce from becoming too thick. You can use water instead, but your sauce may not be as flavorful.
• Garlic and onion: For both the filling and sauce, we used fresh garlic and onion. We prefer white onions, but you could also substitute them with yellow or red onions.

Tortillas & fillings

• Dehydrated jackfruit: Jackfruit is an excellent vegan meat alternative because of its stringy, pulled pork-like texture. You can also use store-bought pulled jackfruit from your local grocery store or online.
• Tamari: Aside from being vegan and gluten-free, this is our preferred soy sauce because it has a more robust flavor than regular soy sauce. If you don’t have any on hand, feel free to use regular soy sauce or even coconut aminos.
• Queso fresco: A perfect filling for these red enchiladas, queso fresco is a soft Mexican cheese that’s mild, creamy, and slightly crumbly. We use our vegan queso fresco, but you can also add vegan feta.
• Corn tortillas: To maintain a more traditional flavor, we prefer making corn tortillas from scratch. However, you can use store-bought if you’re in a pinch.
• Oil: To fry the tortillas, use a neutral vegetable oil like canola, soy, or peanut. We used olive oil to season the enchilada sauce.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make enchiladas rojas

Step 1: Rehydrate the jackfruit

Simmer the dehydrated jackfruit with vegetable stock powder and a pinch of salt for 20-30 minutes. You can also soak it overnight in room-temperature water.

Step 2: Cook the jackfruit

Sauté the onions and garlic together, then add in the drained jackfruit and tamari. Continue cooking until the liquid is absorbed, then transfer the mixture to a cutting board. Chop it into smaller pieces and set aside.

Step 3: Toast the chiles

Seed the chiles and toast them in a dry skillet on each side. Rehydrate them in a pot of boiled water until they turn soft and pliable.

Step 4: Make the sauce

Simmer the tomatoes and onions together in another pot until softened. Blend the chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, vegetable broth, Mexican oregano, and salt together until smooth. Season the salsa with a little olive oil to deepen the flavors.

Step 5: Fry the tortillas

Fry each tortilla in some oil for about 10-15 seconds per side. The tortillas shouldn’t be too crispy since you still want to be able to roll them. Dip each one in the enchilada sauce so both sides are well covered.

Step 6: Roll the enchiladas

On a flat surface, add a scoop of shredded jackfruit and some queso fresco to the middle of your tortilla. Using your hands, tightly roll it and transfer it to a serving dish. Continue this process with the rest of the tortillas.

Step 7: Assemble

Serve your red enchiladas while warm with extra sauce, crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese, fresh onions, lettuce, and sliced radishes. Happy eating!

If you have questions about this vegan enchiladas rojas recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🧀 What to serve with enchiladas rojas

Serve your vegan enchiladas rojas immediately after cooking them with some vibrant garnishes or sides like these:

• Queso fresco or queso cotija
• Pickled jalapeños
• Pickled red onions
• Mexican crema or dairy-free sour cream
• Chiles toreados
• Rice, refried beans, or calabacitas

🍽️ How to eat enchiladas rojas

Enchiladas are quite messy, so they are best eaten with a fork and knife. Once they are rolled up, garnish them with your toppings of choice, then dig in! Just make sure you have a side of napkins at the ready.

🌡️ Storage & reheating

Although vegan enchiladas rojas are best eaten warm, the ingredients store well separately. Just follow these simple instructions:

• Fridge: To avoid soggy enchiladas, try not to store them with the sauce on top. Instead, you can keep your enchilada sauce in an airtight container for at least a week.
• Freezer: We use large mason jars to store our sauce in the freezer. If stored properly, the sauce will last up to 6 months. We don’t recommend freezing the jackfruit, but it will be good in the fridge for about 4-5 days.
• Corn tortillas: The tortillas will last for up to 8 months in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw them overnight in the fridge when it’s time to make another batch.
• Reheat: To remake vegan enchiladas rojas, all you need to do is reheat your red enchilada sauce in a pot over medium-low until warm. Heat the jackfruit in a skillet, then fry the tortillas and build everything as described in the recipe card.

♻️ Variations

• Add some heat: Do you like spice? Add a few serranos, habaneros, or more arbol chiles to your red enchilada sauce.
• Switch up the fillings: This meal can become completely different in flavor just by swapping out the fillings and toppings. Try adding tofu a la Mexicana, vegan chicken, refried beans, calabacitas, tinga, or chorizo.
• Oil-free: If you don’t want the added oil, you can heat the tortillas without it. Just know they may turn out a little soggier.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Fry in oil: Using a little oil to fry the tortillas creates a better texture and adds a barrier to protect them from turning mushy.
• Go easy on the oil: When frying tortillas you just need a little bit of oil. Using too much will also cause them to become soggy.
• Serve hot: The longer you let enchiladas sit, the soggier they become. Eat them as soon as possible!
• Prep your salsa: As mentioned above, red enchilada sauce lasts in the fridge and freezes extremely well. Make it in advance to save time.
• Use fresh chiles: Make sure to use fresh chiles for your recipe. If they are cracked or hard, don’t use them. Instead, look for ones you can fold nicely.
• Eat them right away: If your enchiladas sit for too long, they will get soggy. Make sure you’re ready to eat them immediately.
• Have everything ready: Chop your toppings before frying the tortillas so you can build and serve them while they’re fresh.

💬 FAQs

🍴 Similar Recipes

For more equally delicious variations on these vegan enchiladas rojas, check out the following recipes:

• Enchiladas verdes: Corn tortillas filled with beans and cheese and covered in spicy green salsa.
• Enchiladas potosinas: Chile-infused dough wrapped around creamy queso and spicy salsa. 
• Enfrijoladas: Tender corn tortillas smothered in a creamy black bean sauce, then filled with vegetables.
• Enmoladas: Mole poblano served over corn tortillas filled with butternut squash and vegan cheese.

Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe