Learn how to make this easy and delicious New Mexican version. Get the family recipe for old-fashioned enchiladas!
Table of contents
Old Fashioned Enchiladas
This recipe is another family favorite recipe that was passed down to me from my husband’s Grandma Jolley. I’ve shared a handful of her recipes here and this one is probably her most loved and always served along with her Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie Recipe.
This enchilada recipe is not your traditional enchilada recipe. I’m not sure where Grandma Jolley got this recipe or if she just made it up but she lived in New Mexico her entire life and this must be some variation of a New Mexican Enchilada. I don’t know where the Old Fashioned Enchilada name came from but this is what Granda Jolley called it.
For this recipe, you first make the meat sauce and then you layer that onto corn or flour tortillas, and then add all your toppings, almost like a tostada. My son lived in northern Mexico for two years and he told me that this is how they make enchiladas in the region he lived in. They layer them with meat, sauce, and cheese. In this recipe, we do that and then add whatever toppings you like on top.
Here are the ingredients for the Old Fashioned Enchiladas
Grandma Jolley’s Old Fashioned Enchilada Recipe
Old Fashioned Enchilada Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef
- 2 tbsp Ground Chili Powder or Mild Bueno Red Chili
- 4 tbsp Ground cumin
- 2 tsp Garlic Seasoning Salt
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 2 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Pepper
- ½ cup Vegetable or Avocado Oil
- 1 ¼ cup Flour
- 1¾ cups Water (You can add a little more water if it gets to thick)
- 1 pkg Flour Tortillas
- 1 pkg Corn Tortillas
- 1 cup Vegetable or Avocado Oil (For frying the tortillas)
- 1 head Iceberg or Romaine Lettuce
- 1 pkg Shredded Mexican Cheese
- 1 small Onion (chopped)
- 1 large Tomato
- 1 container Sour Cream or Mexican Crema
Instructions
- Take a large pan, heat to medium-high, and add the 1 pound Ground Beef. Brown the ground beef and use a potato masher to help chop up the ground beef into small pieces. Add the 2 tsp Salt, ½ tsp Pepper, and 2 tsp Garlic Seasoning Salt.
- When the ground beef is browned, add the 2 tbsp Ground Chili Powder or Mild Bueno Red Chili , 4 tbsp Ground cumin, and 1 tsp Oregano. Brown for a minute or two longer and stir.
- Add ½ cup Vegetable or Avocado Oil and 1 ¼ cup Flour. Stir in well and brown for a few more minutes until the flour has had a chance to cook a bit. Then add 1¾ cups Water and stir on medium to medium-high heat until it thickens up. You may need to add in a little more water if it becomes too thick.
- Give it a taste at this point and if it needs a little more salt, you can add more to taste. I also tend to add a little more cumin and chili powder if it isn't as seasoned as I like so feel free to experiment with the flavor to make it a bit richer.
- Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer a bit while you fry up the tortillas.
- Add 1 cup Vegetable or Avocado Oil to a separate frying pan and heat up the oil to medium-high. Fry the tortillas up and set each one on a paper towel and layer them to remove excess oil. We do both corn and flour. Some people like them crispy and some like them soft so I do both! I prefer soft corn so I dip them in the hot oil and fry each side for 10-15 seconds and then drain on a paper towel to remove the excess oil.. My husband prefers the flour tortillas and he likes his crispy so try experimenting to see what you prefer. Either way, they are so good but make sure to lay them on a napkin or paper towel to get the excess oil off.
- You will also want to chop up the lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, grate the cheese or use pre-shredded cheese and set those out in bowls so everyone can make their own enchilada. We also put out salsa and sour cream.
- Start with the tortilla of choice on the bottom then add the enchilada meat sauce, cheese, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes, and top with sour cream. (You can leave off any one of these items if you don't like them too! It's all up to you! It's made almost like a tostada!
- This is a super easy and fast recipe that feeds a large crowd and one that we have often with my husband's family.
I like to set all the toppings on a serving board so everyone can make their own! Make sure to try both flour and corn tortillas to see what you like best! When I make this recipe, I ask everyone for flour or corn and soft or crispy! Every way is so good so try them all!
There you have it! Old Fashioned Enchiladas! I hope you give this family favorite recipe from my husband’s Grandma Jolley a try! It’s so easy to make and so yummy! It also feeds a large crowd so it’s perfect for a family dinner or gathering! I hope you love it as much as we do! Enjoy!
xoxo,
Pin This Post For Later
Great recipe, l prefer mine softer also. Crispy is hard to rat with just a fork. my sauce is a little different but good. l use 1-1-1 of hamburger, can rotel & can of tomatoe sauce. simmer till married. For a large batch just double or triple etc.. the recipe. l use block cheeses & shred at cooking time. Ty,
That sounds great too! Rotel is a great idea! My husbands grandma used bueno chili in hers but it’s hard to find in the stores unless you’re in new mexico!