By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen

Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor at Food Network.

You’ve likely seen enchiladas on your favorite Mexican restaurant menu and maybe you’re curious about making them at home. But what exactly are enchiladas and how do you make them? For more info, we consulted Barbara Sibley, CEO and chef-owner of Mexican restaurants La Palapa and La Palapa Taco Bar and creative director of Holiday Cocktail Lounge in New York City.

What Is An Enchilada?

An enchilada is a Mexican dish consisting of corn tortillas that have been lightly fried, stuffed and smothered in salsa.

Enchiladas are usually filled with seasoned meats, such as roasted or poached chicken, roasted pork or beef, mushrooms or cheese. They are typically garnished with crema, queso fresco and onions, though other toppings may include sliced avocado, radishes and shredded lettuce.

“Every region has traditional enchiladas. They are the perfect showcase for special salsas and can be either casual street food, the centerpiece of a family meal or a favorite restaurant specialty,” Sibley says. “Favorite salsas tend to echo regional specialties but are always a cooked and liquid salsa.”

Types of Enchiladas

Sibley shares common types of enchiladas, each named for their sauces.

Enchiladas verdes: salsa verde, or green salsa, made with tomatillos.

Enchiladas rojas: salsa roja, or red salsa, made with guajillo or chile de arbol.

Enchiladas de mole (or enmoladas): mole sauce made with chiles, spices and Mexican chocolate.

Enfrijoladas: saucy refried bean sauce.

Enchiladas Suizas: salsa verde mixed with Mexican crema and baked with melted cheese.

Enchiladas vs Burritos

Enchiladas and burritos are made by wrapping tortillas around a filling, but there are two key differences: typically, enchiladas are made with corn tortillas and smothered in salsa, whereas burritos usually use flour tortillas and are not topped with sauce, Sibley explains.

Enchiladas vs Chimichangas

“Chimichangas are basically burritos that are deep fried,” Sibley says. “Like burritos, they are associated with the northern states of Mexico such as Chihuahua and they are never smothered in salsa and garnishes.”

How to Make Enchiladas, Step-By-Step

“The key to delicious enchiladas is the light frying of the tortilla either before or after it is stuffed. This seals the tortillas so that they can be smothered in salsa without disintegrating into a pasty mush,” Sibley says. “The sealing of the tortilla can also be accomplished but lightly coting the tortilla in oil on a griddle and warming before stuffing. Warming the tortilla also ensures that it will be flexible and not crack.”

Here, Sibley's step-by-step process for making chicken enchiladas.

Step one: Make the Sauce. Make your enchilada sauce ahead of time (see below section for different types of enchilada sauces).

Step two: Prepare the filling. Place bone-in chicken breasts, onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, salt and water in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Lower the flame and simmer for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices are clear near the bones. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.

Step three: Shred the chicken. Shred the chicken and set aside. Reserve the chicken broth to add to the salsas if necessary. This step can be done the day before making enchiladas.

Step four: Warm the filling and sauce. If you made the chicken ahead of time, warm the shredded chicken with a small amount of broth. Warm the salsa.

Step five: Warm the tortillas. Warm a griddle over medium heat. Working in batches, drizzle vegetable oil on one side of the corn tortillas, about 4 to 5 at a time, and place oil-side down on the griddle. Repeat with the other side. Place the warmed tortillas on a plate while you warm the rest. You can place a second plate on top of the tortillas to create an impromptu tortilla container to keep them warm.

Step six: Assemble the enchiladas. In a 9”x13” casserole dish or on individual plates, fill each tortilla with about 2 ounces of shredded chicken and roll the tortillas around the filling. Place them in rows side by side. Once you have finished rolling and arranging the enchiladas, pour the salsa over the top.

Step seven: Serve enchiladas with garnishes. Serve enchiladas hot and garnish with dollops of crema, crumbled queso fresco, thinly sliced sweet white onion, sliced radishes and sliced avocado.

How to Make Enchilada Sauces

Sibley shares how to make different enchilada sauces including a salsa roja, or red sauce, and salsa verde, or green sauce.

How to Make Salsa Roja de Chile Guajillo

Step one: Prep the chiles. Prepare chiles guajillo by wiping them clean and deveining them. Toast the chile guajillo and chile de arbol on a griddle or in the oven, taking care to brown them without scorching. Then soak the roasted chiles in water for about 15 minutes.

Step two: Blend the salsa. Using a blender, blend the chiles, chopped plum tomatoes, chopped onion, peeled garlic, ground cumin and ground cloves until the chiles in the salsa are pureed.

Step three: Cook the salsa. Transfer the pureed salsa to a deep sauté pan or 2-quart stock pot with the corn oil and cook until the tomatoes are cooked, and the salsa deepens in color. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

How to Make Salsa Verde

Step one: Cook the salsa. In a 2-qt stock pot, combine peeled tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapenos, ground cumin, ground cloves, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the tomatillos begin to change color from bright green to olive green. Remove from the heat and allow to cool

Step two: Blend the salsa. Place cooked salsa ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth. Add chopped cilantro and continue blending until the salsa is liquefied.

Step three: Finish the salsa. In the same stock pot, heat corn oil over medium heat and cook the salsa for ten more minutes, adjusting seasonings and adding sugar if needed to balance the acidity of the tomatillos.

What to Serve with Enchiladas

Enchiladas can be served as an appetizer or main course, or a meal in and of itself. If you’re looking for sides to serve with enchiladas, consider Mexican rice, rice and beans, refried or black beans, salad, grilled corn or chips and salsa. Be sure to serve enchiladas with garnishes such as crema, queso fresco, diced white onion, sliced avocado, radishes and shredded lettuce.

Enchiladas can also be served as a garnish or as an accompaniment to main dishes. “For example, in central México in the State of Morelia it is traditional to set up street food stands for the evening meal and enjoy Pollo Placero, a roasted chicken that is served with traditional enchiladas rojas,” Sibley says. “Bistec at la Tampiquena, or Tampico style steak, is known as a thinly sliced flank or skirt steak that is served with antojitos (little foods we crave) and an enchilada is always one of the favored garnishes.”

Drink Pairings for Enchiladas

"In Mexico, the favored appetite opener is a shot or caballito of tequila blanco with a chaser of spicy citrus-tomato-pomegranate, sangrita. They are sipped one after the other and are a great way to start a meal,” Sibley says. She also suggests refreshing Mexican beers like Bohemia or Negra Modelo, and a glass of mezcal neat to sip on as a digestif.

Enchilada Recipes

The Best Pork Enchiladas

Enchiladas from the Mexican state of Oaxaca are made with a red chile sauce, made here with fruity ancho chiles balanced by raisins for a touch of sweetness and stuffed with braised pork. Don’t forget to fry the tortillas a bit before rolling them to give them extra pliability and durability.

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

This fan-favorite recipe calls for rotisserie chicken to anchor its hearty filling, but you could also swap in homemade poached or roasted chicken. These enchiladas are smothered with salsa verde, which imparts a citrusy heat that adds a depth of flavor.

Vegetarian Enchiladas

This plant-forward take on enchiladas are stuffed with beans, spinach and cheese. They’re so flavorful and satisfying, you might not even miss the meat.

Enchiladas Suizas

This version replaces the traditional green tomatillo salsa for a red salsa made with roasted tomatoes and chiles. But the salsa is still combined with Mexican crema to create a rich, creamy sauce that pairs perfectly with the baked cheesy enchiladas.

Beef Picadillo Enchiladas

These crispy, cheesy enchiladas are filled with picadillo, a celebrated Latin American dish of a savory-sweet beef filling made with olives, raisins, tomatoes and aromatics. If you have leftover filling, it makes a fine addition to a plate of rice and beans.

Shortcut Chicken Enchiladas

This riff on the classic Mexican dish comes together in less than an hour thanks to using store-bought rotisserie chicken and salsa in lieu of homemade fillings. It’s an ideal recipe for using up a half rotisserie chicken, but the recipe easily doubles if you’re looking to use a whole one.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas

Although unconventional, these savory, buffalo-sauce-spiked enchiladas are baked with cheddar and blue cheese crumbles, then finished with blue cheese dressing and scallions. File this one under comfort food suppers or game-day snacks.

Related Links:

62 Mexican Recipes You’ll Make Again and Again

20 Salsa Recipes for Dipping, Scooping or Eating by the Spoonful

31 Taco Recipes for Any Night of the Week