Stacked Red Chile Enchiladas, New Mexico Style

Not every enchilada is rolled. In New Mexico and parts of the Southwest, enchiladas are often stacked: corn tortillas layered flat with red chile sauce, cheese and onion, like a small tower, and frequently topped with a fried egg. Stacked enchiladas are quicker to assemble than rolled ones, forgiving for beginners and excellent for feeding a family from a single baking dish.

About the sauce

The heart of the dish is a red chile sauce made from dried red chiles, typically New Mexico chiles, toasted, soaked and blended, or from ground red chile powder (pure ground chile, not a seasoned chili powder blend). The flavor is earthy and slightly sweet, with heat that depends on the chiles you use. Our dried chile guide explains the differences between common varieties.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Red chile sauce

• 10–12 dried New Mexico red chiles (or 1/2 cup pure ground red chile)
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or water)
• 2 tablespoons oil or lard
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Salt to taste

Stacks

• 12 corn tortillas
• Oil for frying
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack or a mix)
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 4 eggs (optional)
• Shredded lettuce and chopped tomato to serve

Method

1. Prepare the chiles. Wipe the chiles clean, remove stems and seeds, and toast them briefly in a dry skillet over medium heat, about 20–30 seconds per side, until fragrant. Do not let them blacken, or the sauce will turn bitter.
2. Soak and blend. Cover the chiles with hot stock and let them soften for 15–20 minutes. Blend with the stock until very smooth. Strain if you want a silkier sauce.
3. Cook the sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then whisk in the chile puree, oregano and cumin. Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with salt. (If using ground chile, whisk it into the roux with the stock and simmer the same way.)
4. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
5. Soften the tortillas by frying each briefly in hot oil, about 5 seconds per side, and draining on paper towels.
6. Build the stacks. On oven-safe plates or in a baking dish, layer a tortilla, a spoonful of sauce, cheese and onion. Repeat to make stacks of three tortillas each. Finish with sauce and cheese.
7. Bake for 10–15 minutes until the cheese melts and the stacks are hot through.
8. Top with an egg. Meanwhile, fry the eggs to your liking. Place one on each stack and serve with lettuce and tomato.

Tips

• Taste the chiles first. Heat levels vary between batches. If your sauce is too hot, add more stock or a little more roux.
• Balance bitterness. If the sauce tastes slightly bitter, a pinch of sugar or a splash of cider vinegar can help.
• Egg safety. For vulnerable diners, cook eggs until the whites and yolks are firm.
• Make it ahead. The sauce keeps for several days in the fridge and freezes well; see our make-ahead guide.

Variations

• Add meat: layer in shredded chicken, carne adovada-style pork or seasoned ground beef.
• Green chile version: use a roasted green chile sauce instead of red.
• "Christmas": a popular New Mexico option is to serve both red and green sauce on the same plate.

Serving

Serve with pinto beans and rice, or with warm sopaipillas if you want to go fully Southwestern. For a Tex-Mex comparison, try our cheese enchiladas with chili gravy, which use a very different style of sauce.

Big Red Enchilada is an independent recipe site, not a restaurant. Recipes are for home cooks; adjust seasoning to taste and follow safe food-handling practices.

Updated October 17, 2026.