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    Home > Mexican Southwest Recipes > New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas

    New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas

    Published: Nov 15, 2021 · Modified: Aug 10, 2023 by Lea Ann Brown · This post may contain affiliate links

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    New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas topped with an egg

    New Mexico claims ownership to the creation of stacked enchiladas. Instead of rolled, fried tortillas are flat enchiladas, stacked with a mixture of ground beef and melted cheese and red chile sauce. In traditional New Mexico style, the enchiladas are then topped with a fried egg. Stacked enchiladas are guaranteed to bring your taste buds alive with true Southwestern charm.

    New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas topped with a fried egg.

    If you’re chile pepper crazed like us, don’t miss my post on Hatch Green Chile Recipes.

    Last week I was talking with a coworker about dinner plans and she mentioned she was making her specialty, Stacked Enchiladas. “Stacked Enchiladas?” I asked.

    The explanation revealed that her father is from New Mexico and these flat enchiladas were his specialty and she’s made it hers. They called them Santa Fe Enchiladas.

    This recipe isn’t for casserole style baked enchiladas, where tortillas are layered with ingredients, nor are these enchiladas rolled and baked like these traditional Red Chile Enchiladas.

    These New Mexico stacked flat enchiladas are stand alone corn tortillas that are fried and layered with enchilada sauce, ground beef and cheese.

    Once stacked, the enchiladas are then baked long enough to simply melt the cheese and bring the ingredients together.

    New Mexico Stacked Enchilada purists always top the dish with a fried egg cooked sunny side up or over medium.

    For the sauce, make your own New Mexico Red Chile Sauce using a medium heat Chimayo chile powder. You can also use Enchilada Sauce in place of the Red Chile Sauce.

    Let’s take a look.

    Why Are Stacked Enchiladas Easier?

    Common in New Mexico, stacked enchiladas are a dish you need to try. Rolling and stuffing traditional baked enchiladas can be an event. These stacked enchiladas are more of an easier no-fuss, quick-fix experience.

    The corn tortillas stay crispy in spots and soft and chewy in others by absorbing the sauce and the juices from the ground beef and fresh tomatoes.

    And there’s that ooey-gooey cheesy part. The strong Southwestern flavors of this wonderful creation are truly enhanced by the creamy sunny side up egg.

    Ingredients You’ll Need:

    ingredients to make New Mexico Stacked enchiladas

    Ingredients to Make Stacked Enchiladas

    • Red Chile Sauce or Red Enchilada Sauce
    • Diced fresh tomatoes (optional)
    • Ground Beef
    • Sweet Onion
    • Shredded Lettuce (for garnish – optional)
    • Hatch Chile Peppers
    • Oil for frying tortillas
    • Eggs
    • Yellow Corn Tortillas
    • Shredded Cheese: I like to use a blend of cheddar and white melting cheese. Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack and Muenster are good choices here.

    Ingredient Subs and Substitutions

    • Enchilada Sauce: If you don’t want to make your own homemade enchilada sauce, purchase canned. Purchasing one 19-ounce, or two 10 ounce cans will give you plenty of sauce.
    • Tomatoes: If fresh tomatoes are out of season, use Cherub cherry tomatoes. Don’t substitute canned tomatoes for fresh. Canned tomatoes, even drained will offer too much liquid, causing the tortillas to become soggy. Omit tomatoes in this case.
    • Ground Beef: Substitute ground turkey or ground chicken in place of the ground beef. Shredded chicken will also work like a charm here. Or omit the meat entirely and make these vegetarian stacked enchiladas. You can also substitute black beans for the ground beef.
    • Tortillas: I prefer yellow corn tortillas for this recipe because they’re sturdier and have a more defined corn flavor. You can substitute white corn tortillas if you don’t have yellow.
    • Shredded Cheese: To make this recipe even easier, grab a package of Mexican blend shredded cheese at the grocery store.

    Step by Step Instructions

    Looking around on the web I found several versions of Stacked Enchiladas. Many don’t use ground beef, just cheese and the red chile sauce. Here’s what I did using my friend Jennifer’s method.

    Browning beef onions and green chile peppers to make stacked enchiladas
    • Step 1: Brown The Beef With Onions and Chile Peppers: Heat a fry skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the ground beef and onions. Add a couple of pinches of chili powder to the ground beef to add a kick of flavor. Cook until ground beef is just starting to lose its pink color. Add the chopped chiles and stir until chiles are warm and ground beef is no longer pink.
    How to fry corn tortillas for stacked enchiladas
    • Step 2: How To Fry Corn Tortillas: The corn tortillas for are handled a bit differently than rolled and baked enchiladas. We’ll skip the step of dipping the fried tortilla in the enchilada sauce, and simply fry the corn tortilla. I like to use my omelette pan. Heat the pan on medium high heat. Once hot, add the oil and heat until the oil is shimmering. One by one, place the corn tortillas in the hot oil and cook for 30 seconds. No need turn them. Once you see bubbles starting to form on the tortilla (see photo of the tortilla in the pan above), using a spatula, remove the tortilla to a plate lined with a paper towel. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
    Placing ground beef on corn tortilla to make stacked enchiladas.
    Adding enchilada sauce to tortillas for stacked enchiladas.
    • Step 3: Start building the stacked enchiladas.Using an oven proof pan, start by placing enough of the ground beef, onion and chile pepper mix on a corn tortilla. Then add 1/4 cup red chile sauce or enchilada sauce.
    adding cheese and tomatoes to corn tortillas to make stacked enchiladas
    Stacked enchiladas ready to bake
    • Step 4: Finish by adding a good handful of grated cheese and a sprinkle of chopped tomato. Repeat with one more layer. Add cheese and sauce to the top of the third tortilla. These stacked enchiladas are ready to bake just long enough to melt that cheese. Use a comal or a baking sheet.

    Step 5: In the meantime, fry two eggs to sunny-side up stage.

    Variations

    These stand alone enchiladas are easy to customize and personalize. Switch things up and add sliced radishes, chopped cilantro. Add corn and even black beans to make this a vegetarian stacked enchilada dinner. A drizzle of sour cream will make this a Tex-Mex version.

    FAQ’s

    Why are my tortillas breaking when I remove them from the oil?

    There are two reasons for this. Either your oil is not hot enough, or you’re not cooking them long enough. I always lose or sacrifice a couple of tortillas during this process. Play with the heat until the tortilla fries just enough to be almost crispy in 30 seconds.

    Can I make stacked enchiladas ahead of time?

    I recommend that you assemble and bake these enchiladas when you’re planning on eating them. Storing fried tortillas can turn them soggy or rubbery. If you’re making red chile sauce or homemade enchilada sauce, that piece of this meal most certainly should be prepared ahead of time.

    Can I use another sauce beside red sauce?

    I’m so glad you asked! Try Hatch Green Chile Sauce for a verde experience. A mole sauce would bring this dish to a whole new level of earthiness.

    Recipe for New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas

    Eating New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas with a knife and fork.

    If you’re looking for fresh New Mexico cuisine, I hope you give this Stacked Enchilada recipe a try. They’re a wonderful treat and a great introduction to New Mexico Cuisine.

    Serve this hearty fiesta style meal alongside Salsa and chips.

    More Enchilada Recipes

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    • Street style folded enchiladas in red chile sauce topped with radish and crunchy vegetables
      Red Chile Enchiladas, Street Style
    • Two chile con carne enchiladas served with Mexican rice.
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    And if you’ love Mexican food as much as we do, don’t miss my Mexican Food and Southwest Recipes Category. You’ll find lots of fun recipe to spice up your meal plans, including the most popular on my site for Hatch Green Chile with Pork.

    If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating in the recipe card below. And write a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback.

    And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

    New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas topped with a fried egg.

    New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas

    New Mexico claims ownership to the creation of Stacked Red Chile Cheese Enchiladas. Perfect for any meal of the day and guaranteed to set your taste buds on fire!
    4.93 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Mexican
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 628kcal
    Author: Lea Ann Brown

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups New Mexico Red Chile Sauce or Enchilada Sauce
    • 1 pound ground beef browned
    • 1 cup sweet onion chopped
    • 4 Hatch green chile peppers roasted, peeled and chopped. Or 1-4 ounce can chopped Hatch chile peppers
    • 2 cups shredded Mexican Blend cheese
    • 2 tomato chopped
    • chopped lettuce for topping
    • 6 yellow corn tortilla
    • 1/4 cup vegetable oil canola oil works well here
    • 2 eggs fried over easy or over medium
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Brown ground beef and onion in a fry pan until done. Drain excess grease, stir in the Hatch Green chile and set aside.
    • In a fry pan, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. The oil should be hot enough that the tortillas bubbles as its lowered into the oil. Fry corn tortillas one at a time 30 seconds each. Place tortillas on a plate that's been lined with a paper towel. Place another paper towel on top of the tortillas as you cook them to help keep them warm.
    • To build the enchiladas. In an oven proof dishes, I use my Comal, place one tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup ground beef and 1/4 cup New Mexico Red Chile Sauce and a good sprinkle of the shredded cheese and fresh tomato. Place a tortilla on top of of that and another layer of the ingredients. Place the third tortilla on top and sprinkle with cheese and sauce. Use three tortillas for each stack.
    • In the meantime, fry two eggs until over easy.
    • Bake or broil until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately topped with more fresh tomato, chopped lettuce and fried egg. If you want add a dollop of sour cream to the top and diced raw onions (after baking)
    • This served the two of us with plenty of leftovers.

    Video

    Notes

    Tortillas: You can use white corn tortillas for this recipe, but the yellow corn tortillas have a stronger flavor and a stronger structure. They’ll hold up better to frying and the corn flavor will shine when topped with the enchilada sauce and the ground beef. 
    Frying Tortillas: Why are my corn tortillas breaking when I remove them from the oil? There are two reasons for this. Either your oil is not hot enough, or you’re not cooking them long enough. I always lose or sacrifice a couple of tortillas during this process. Play with the heat until the tortilla fries just enough to be almost crispy in 30 seconds.
    Can this recipe be made ahead of time? I recommend that you assemble and bake these enchiladas when you’re planning on eating them. Storing fried tortillas can turn them soggy or rubbery. If you’re making red chile sauce or homemade enchilada sauce, that piece of this meal most certainly should be prepared ahead of time.
    Vegetarian: Omit the ground beef and make this recipe a vegetarian entree.
    Ground Beef Seasoning: If you’d like to add a bit of seasoning to the ground beef, add a couple of pinches of chili powder, or New Mexico red chile powder. A spoonful of taco seasoning will also work here.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 628kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 197mg | Sodium: 1357mg | Potassium: 1060mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1491IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 736mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @lannisam or tag #CookingOnTheRanch!

    Stacked Enchiladas …They’re what’s for Dinner.

    Lea Ann Brown
    Lea Ann Brown

    Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. William Pope says

      December 03, 2023 at 2:01 pm

      I grew up in Northern NM. My maternal grandmother made the best stacked enchaladas I have ever eaten. Many local restaurants made enchaladas that way. I had never even seen any other kind until I ordered enchaladas in Arizona. I got a little rolled up ??? on a saucer. I was appalled!!! The waitress was mystified!!! I explained what a real enchalada was. I think I was banned from that restaurant…. not that I would have gone back anyway.

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        December 04, 2023 at 7:09 am

        Hi William and thanks for this note. And living so long in Colorado, I had never heard of a stacked enchilada until my New Mexico raised co-worked told me about them. Once I tried them, I simply fell in love with the method. I do love the rolled blue corn enchiladas at The Shed in Santa Fe, but other than that, I’ll take them stacked. Again thanks for the note.

        Reply
    2. Nanci says

      August 20, 2023 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my gosh these looks so so good can’t wait to make them as all your recipes look awesome can I ask what brand yellow corn tortillas you use pleas
      Thank you
      Nancy

      Reply
    3. AnnMarie Scahill says

      August 12, 2023 at 1:58 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent. I buy my heirloom red chile (powder) at Chimayo NM when I go every year….expensive but worth every penny. I use my own New Mexico Red Chile sauce for these, and the Hatch green chile salsa — oh my. Great recipe.. Thanks!!!!

      Reply
    4. ZELDA says

      June 29, 2023 at 5:38 pm

      Actually, that is not correct. Stacked enchiladas started inSonora, Mexico, Enchiladas Sonorenses. And in Mexico they are not topped with egg.

      Reply
    5. Carlene says

      January 02, 2023 at 6:05 pm

      These in my opinion are the only way to eat enchiladas but in my family we don’t add green chili or meat. The corn tortillas are never store bought made by hand on a griddle (comal) yellow corn masa is used and the corn tortillas are a little thicker and bigger than the ones from the store. We but lettuce, tomatoes, and sometimes avocado on the side. They are never complete without the egg on top. We usually only do two tortillas because we have rice and beans on the side.

      Reply
    6. Miranda says

      December 23, 2021 at 12:44 am

      5 stars
      Really 👍 good

      Reply
    7. mjskitchen says

      December 05, 2021 at 8:42 pm

      5 stars
      Stacked enchiladas is one of our go-to meals. So easy to make and perfect when you don’t feel like cooking. My recipe is a little different. It doesn’t have meat, but I love your idea of adding the meat for a little protein. I also cheat and just stick them in the microwave for a couple of minutes. 🙂 Of course now you have me craving these.

      Reply
    8. Kelly | Foodtasia says

      November 18, 2021 at 10:32 am

      5 stars
      Lea Ann, these enchiladas are absolutely drool-worthy! Love the idea of stacking them. So happy I found your site!

      Reply
    9. John / Kitchen Riffs says

      November 17, 2021 at 8:31 am

      Much as I love regular enchiladas, I think stacked ones are better. And you’re right: Much easier to make! These look great. Suddenly, I’m hungry. 🙂

      Reply
    10. Larry says

      November 15, 2021 at 2:40 pm

      These look delicious especially with the eggs on top. I remember it from the previous post and saved the recipe but never tried it. Since I’ve been on a Mexican kick lately, I’ll tee this up for our next one. Do you have a recipe for the sauce from Chamayo powder.

      Reply
    11. JAN T. says

      January 08, 2018 at 1:33 pm

      This is to Lea Ann. You are absolutely right about those Texas Stacked Enchiladas! Texans just don’t know how to make ’em!!!

      I have to tell ya, through my younger days, I would occasionally make the stacked enchiladas for boyfriends. I always got the same reaction: no words, but a facial expression that said “you really expect me to eat this sh..!” But, after I threatened them with their life if they didn’t at least taste them, THEY WERE HOOKED!!!

      Reply
      • Lea Ann Brown says

        January 09, 2018 at 3:44 pm

        High Five! They may know some things, but New Mexico owns the bragging rights for stacked enchiladas WITH a fried egg. 🙂

        Reply
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    I'm Lea Ann, Welcome to my Colorado kitchen. I'm a Culinary School Grad with a passion to inspire you to cook as often as you can. Here you'll find Wild West Colorado inspired recipes along some Southwestern and Mexican food favorites. I also share some special recipes from school along pro cooking tips. If you're an adventurous cook looking to spice up your meal plans, you'll find plenty of reliable, approachable, easy to follow recipes.

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