What Are New Mexico Style Blue Corn Enchiladas?

This filled, rolled and sauced enchilada becomes a New Mexico Style Enchilada by using blue corn tortillas and New Mexico Red Chile Sauce. The filling can be your choice of shredded beef, chicken, pork or in this case ground beef. Rather than using Enchilada sauce, like Tex-Mex enchiladas, this enchilada takes advantage of a richer more robust red chile sauce. The most famous New Mexico enchiladas are Stacked Enchiladas, which are just as the name implies, stacked rather than rolled.

Why Use Blue Corn Tortillas For Enchiladas?

New Mexico’s Indigenous people first cultivated and consumed blue corn, a staple of Southwest cuisine. It is drought resistant and ideally suited to New Mexico’s arid climate. Blue corn products are prevalent in New Mexico. With it’s robust taste and striking indigo blue hue, blue corn tortillas have deep rooted cultural significance. Simply stated, it’s a natural choice for classic New Mexico recipes using corn tortillas.

About New Mexico Red Chile Sauce And What Makes It Different

This dish is built on New Mexico Red Chile Sauce, a foundational recipe in traditional Southwestern cooking. It’s not enchilada sauce from a can or a salsa. It starts with dried New Mexico red chile pods. Usually Hatch, sometimes Chimayo. Toasted. Soaked. Blended smooth. That's it. Simple. Pure chile flavor. You can also make Red Chile Sauce From Powder.

About Making “real” Southwestern Enchiladas

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times. If someone makes enchiladas for you it means they love you.

Enchiladas are a skill and a process that truly is a labor of love. From preparing the filling, making the red chile sauce, to frying and dipping the corn tortillas. It’s not difficult, but a process that can take at least a couple of hours.

Enchiladas are a Mexican food, tracing roots back to the Aztec empire. Masa was used to make corn tortillas to create enchiladas. Many people confuse enchiladas with Tex-Mex adaptations which can feature assembled rolled flour tortillas. I find this a misrepresentation of the true cultural nature, losing the dish’s historical soul. True Enchiladas made with corn tortillas, require frying and dipping in a red sauce before filling.

Let’s get started.

How To Toast Flour

It’s easy. Toasting flour for red sauce brings a nutty and complex flavor to the sauce. And creates a smoother texture.

1. Step 1: Place flour in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Step 2: Stir frequently and shake the pan, until the flour turns a rich tan color and smells like toasted nuts. This will take about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and wipe out skillet.

3. Step 3: Place ground beef in the skillet. Cook, breaking the meat up, until the pink is just starting to go away. Add chopped onion and Hatch chile peppers. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. 
4. Step 4: Stir in tomatoes and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to stick to the skillet.

5. Step 5: Add red chile sauce and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. 
6. Step 6: Add toasted flour and toss until coated. You’ll have somewhat of a paste consistency.

7. Step 7: Whisking constantly, add broth, bring to a simmer, cook stirring frequently on medium low until red chili sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes.
8. Step 8: Using about two tablespoons of oil, start frying the blue corn tortillas in a skillet, one by one. You’ll find more thorough instructions on this process in the recipe card.

9. Step 9: Use the spatula to remove the tortillas, letting the oil drip off and place on a plate with paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas, stacking each on top of the other with a paper towel in between.
10. Step 10: Spread 1 cup red chile sauce lengthwise down the center of a baking dish.

11. Step 11: Start placing blue corn tortillas in the baking dish one at a time. Spread ¼ cup beef gravy mixture down the center of each tortilla.
12. Step 12: Add a couple tablespoons of shredded cheese and roll them, coating them with some of the sauce as you go.

What Cheese Is Typically Used On New Mexico Enchiladas?

• Cheddar cheese shows up a lot. And preferably sharp cheddar. It’s familiar and it melts clean as long as you grate your own cheese rather than using pre-grated bagged cheese. Packaged grated cheese contains a chemical to keep it from clumping in the bag, which also keeps it from melting as smoothly.
• I’ve always been a fan of Longhorn, it’s my quiet favorite. Mild, creamy and nostalgic. Monterey Jack works when you want the chile to do all the talking. And Pepper Jack will add more heat. Give Muenster cheese a try. It’s a great melting cheese and a cheese I learned to use at my first tamale making party.
• Please no queso blends, no mozzarella experiments, this isn't that dish.

13. Step 13: Fill the pan, snuggling the enchiladas together.
14. Step 14: Top with a generous sprinkling of grated cheese.

Tips For Success

• Corn Tortillas: If you can’t find blue corn tortillas, purchase yellow corn tortillas. They’re sturdier than white corn tortillas and better suited for frying and rolling enchiladas.
• Pyrex: I always use my enchilada sized Le Creuset baking dishes. This recipe also works well using a couple of Pyrex baking dishes, which we all have in our kitchens.

Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing

• Make Ahead: Assemble the enchiladas, cover them tight with plastic wrap, refrigerate and bake later. One tip from experience. Hold off on the final cheese layer until baking day. The cheese will melt better and with a creamier texture.
• Storage: Cooked enchiladas will keep in the refrigerator, covered well for 4 – 5 days.
• Reheat gently. If needed add a spoon of sauce before reheating so they don't dry out. I like using the microwave for individual servings. The 50% power feature is your best friend. Place one or two enchiladas on a microwave safe plate and heat in 30 second increments until warm. With this gentler heat, you’ll avoid those microwave food explosions. You can also heat them in the oven in their original pan. Cover with foil, and again at a lower heat, like 200 degrees, to avoid drying out.
• Freezer: I have a pan of these cooked enchiladas in the freezer as I type this. Place plastic wrap over the surface of the enchiladas, and then cover well with foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

What To Serve Them With

• Beans are an ideal side dish to go with enchiladas. Take a look at my recipe for Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans.
• Garnish: Keep it simple, there’s a lot of flavor in those enchiladas. I like a dollop of simple smashed avocado, or guacamole. Chopped raw onion is a traditional topping for enchiladas. Sliced radishes add interesting color and crunch. And cilantro if you’re a fan. Don’t drown these in sour cream, it will dilute the rich flavor profile. Instead a sprinkle of Cotija cheese is a better idea.