I Can't Make Enchiladas-posted on "Cooking" too

[Tricky Grama]

I can make 'em but they fall apart-pop open-don't look like enchiladas. Good but might as well spoon 'em out of the dish.
I heat them 1st & roll 'em tight-lay 'em on the cut side. Last ones split apart b/4 I even got them in the oven!
Help!

Patty

[EasyDay]

Are you using corn tortilla or flour tortillas? I use flour tortillas, well usually, and I don't heat them first. Are you overstuffing them, maybe? I think corn tortillas are more apt to split mainly because they aren't as pliable.

[CoonXpress]

Let the tortillas soak a bit in the enchilada sauce, it'll soften them and let them be stuffable.

[RVcook]

Enchilada's can be tricky to roll. There are two things that really help: A decent tortilla to begin with and my trick is to dip them in hot oil until they sizzle. This helps to break down the corn protein so it begins to gelatinize. Once they sizzle, I flip them, wait for the sizzle, then stack and keep warm. DO NOT let them sit in the oil too long or they'll begin to crisp and you won't be able to bend them at all. (But they do make nice tostada shells )

I don't like to buy the supermarket varieties of tortilla they always crumble and tear. I prefer to get mine at a Mexican or Latino grocer. I try to buy enough to put into the freezer. Looking now, I guess I need to make a trip!

RVcook

[Kmac15]

Now see here, I did not know that they could split LOL

I heat mine on a griddle before filling them and never had a problem. Of course now that you have told me about this pitfall I am sure that is going to happen to me next time.

[CoonXpress]

Soak them for about 30 seconds in warm enchilada sauce.
A cook from that worked at a local taqueria told me that.
I haven't had any split after I started doing the soak.

Now I just need to find a way to make taquitos without them splitting.

[wyld thang]

you could try this...I think it's a chimichanga? wrap your stuff in a flour tortilla(precook the meat), brush with melted butter, bake in a hot oven till browned and a bit crisp, then pour the sauce over top with lettuce, sour cream, cheese, whatever.

[EasyDay]

Originally Posted by wyld thang

you could try this...I think it's a chimichanga? wrap your stuff in a flour tortilla(precook the meat), brush with melted butter, bake in a hot oven till browned and a bit crisp, then pour the sauce over top with lettuce, sour cream, cheese, whatever.

Mmmm... you're making me hungry! I love chimichangas! But, they're usually fried. Dampen the edges so they stick when you fold/seal them, then fry them in hot oil. Pour on sauce and all the other good stuff.

[Betho]

Yeah I just do the layered casserole at this point Tastes the same, less work!

[nodak3]

Make'em New Mexico style--just stack them on the serving plate, laying your ingredients:

tortilla, meat sauce, lettuce-cheese-raw onion bits, repeat as desired. We often put a fried egg on top for breakfast.

[Bret]

Good girl for going throug effort. Drag them through hot oil first.

Who ever complains about them splitting gets to make them the next time.

I don't mind them split. Just glue them back together with a thick layer of melted cheese.

Sounds good.

[Tricky Grama]

Originally Posted by RVcook

Enchilada's can be tricky to roll. There are two things that really help: A decent tortilla to begin with and my trick is to dip them in hot oil until they sizzle. This helps to break down the corn protein so it begins to gelatinize. Once they sizzle, I flip them, wait for the sizzle, then stack and keep warm. DO NOT let them sit in the oil too long or they'll begin to crisp and you won't be able to bend them at all. (But they do make nice tostada shells )

I don't like to buy the supermarket varieties of tortilla they always crumble and tear. I prefer to get mine at a Mexican or Latino grocer. I try to buy enough to put into the freezer. Looking now, I guess I need to make a trip!

RVcook

Someone else told me this...I was afraid I'd make them brittle...so I'll try it! THanks soooo much!

WIHH-I was SO SURE you'd be the one who KNEW how it's done!! Had you on a pedestal...well, you still are up there for other reasons.

Patty

[Tricky Grama]

Originally Posted by Kmac15

Now see here, I did not know that they could split LOL

I heat mine on a griddle before filling them and never had a problem. Of course now that you have told me about this pitfall I am sure that is going to happen to me next time.

LOL! LOL!

[suzyhomemaker09]

I always just warm mine on either the griddle or a comal...I think a big part of it is that if you overfill them they are going to split...I usually only put around 1/4 cup of filling in mine.

[Tricky Grama]

As long as I've got you all here...what do you use? Don't really follow a recipe but here's what I do-

Chop some grilled chicken breast
Add a can of southwest style pepper Jack soup w/little milk
small can ch. chilies
handful or 2 of grated cheese
Another can of same soup & milk for topping w/cheese added
Slices of jalapenos on top
Oh-and corn tortillas

Patty

[terrythetaod]

We make them at home fairly frequently, and the recipe we use calls for cooking in hot oil (as mentioned above) AND dipping them in the enchilada sauce (as mentioned above). It works.

Make sure you have plenty of corn tortillas. After you put the enchiladas in the oven, you can cook some more of the tortillas in the hot oil until they get crisp. Eat them with salsa while you wait for the enchiladas.

[calliemoonbeam]

What the others have said about the oil. The trick is to make sure your oil is really hot, almost smoking, and just leave them a few seconds on each side. I then drain them on paper towels to remove as much grease as possible, then dip in enchilada sauce. I always use corn tortillas for enchiladas, and as someone else said they're much better if you can get them from a Mexican market or restaurant.

We like cheese enchiladas best here. I use grated sharp cheddar and onions that are very finely diced (I use one of those mini choppers). I just pile in the cheese, sprinkle on onions, roll up and place seam side down in the dish. Pour any remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Cover with chili and bake.

Sometimes I make beef enchiladas also. Cook a roast in the crockpot all day with a can of rotel tomatoes, diced garlic, diced onions and chili powder (sometimes I cook the meat the day before). When it's done, shred with a fork and stir well. Do the tortillas as above, pile in the meat, roll up and place in dish. I use more enchilada sauce with these, pour over the top, prinkle with grated sharp cheddar and bake.

Or sometimes if I'm really in the mood to cook, lol, I make a ranchera sauce and chile con queso from the El Chico's recipe and make beef enchiladas with the ranchera sauce over the top and then covered with the queso. But that's a lot of work, so I don't do it very often any more.

[suzyhomemaker09]

I use this one...it's one of my favorite recipe blogs.

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archive...enchiladas.php

[BaronsMom]

OK - now I have a question...

those of you that soak the corn tortilla's in the warm enchillada sauce - how in the world are you able to handle those while trying to stuff them with filling?

do you put the enchillada sauce in the pan you are going to be cooking with, warm it up, lay a tortilla in and then fill, roll right there?

I know - this is probably a stupid question, but I don't make enchillada's very often and my family like them - but mine always split too.

[Cabin Fever]

So Tricky Gramma, here is my question for you. Its been about 100ºF in NT Texas for the past few days. I bet your AC is working full-time. Why in the world would you want to make something that goes in the oven?