Looking to make traditional Guanajuato-style Enchiladas Mineras at home? You’ve come to the right place!
This authentic Enchiladas recipe originates in Guanajuato, Central Mexico. The story goes it was a hearty meal served to local silver miners by their wives.
Our tasty Enchiladas Mineras recipe features chile sauce dipped corn tortillas stuffed with Mexican cheese and topped with a spicy chicken, carrot and potato stew.
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What Are Enchiladas Mineras?
Enchiladas Mineras directly translates to “mining enchiladas.”
So what’s the unique culinary history of these Guanajuato-style enchiladas? The hearty Mexican dish was prepared by the wives of husbands who worked in the nearby silver mines.
The word enchilada means “to be bathed or surrounded in a chile sauce or paste.”
When feasting on a plate of Enchiladas Mineras you’ll notice that the corn tortillas have been dipped in a spicy chile sauce, the flavourful gravy leftover from cooking the stew.
The cheese filled tortillas are then topped with tender chicken, carrot and potato stew and garnished with finely chopped lettuce, picked onions, cilantro, sour cream and jalapeños.
Ingredients
Before cooking Enchiladas Mineras at home fiddle through your fridge and kitchen cupboards to ensure you have all the ingredients on hand.
I can find all of these ingredients at my grocery store in the city but if you live in a smaller town you might need to visit a Mexican or Latin American supermarket or purchase items like Dried Guajillo Chiles on Amazon.
- Corn Tortillas
- Canola Oil
- Chicken Stock
- Dried Guajillo Chiles
- Garlic Cloves
- Kosher Salt
- Dried Oregano
- Black Pepper
- Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs
- Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Carrots
- Spanish Onion
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Queso Fresco or Feta Cheese
- Shredded Iceberg or Romaine Lettuce
- Pickled Red Onions
- Sour Cream
- Pickled Jalapeños
- Cilantro
Directions
Follow our step-by-step recipe instructions to prepare Enchiladas Mineras in approximately 2 hours.
- Brush both sides of the tortillas with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, sear the tortillas until they’re lightly browned and starting to crisp, for about 1 minute per side. Set the tortillas aside until you’re ready to assemble the dish.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth, chiles guajillos, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit until the chiles are soft, for 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
- In a large heavy pot over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Cook the chicken thighs until deep golden brown, for 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the pieces over and brown the other side, for 5 to 6 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate. If there isn’t at least 1 tablespoon of fat in the pot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil along with the potatoes, carrots, and onion. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned, for 4 to 6 minutes.
- Pour the chile puree into the pot with the vegetables; scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Nestle the chicken into the sauce and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is completely tender and cooked through, for about 30 minutes.
- Stir the vinegar into the pot and mound the chicken and vegetables on one side so there’s room on the other side to dip the tortillas into the sauce.
- Using tongs and working with one tortilla at a time, dip into the chile sauce, turning to coat, and cook in the sauce until softened, for about 3 seconds per side. Transfer the tortillas to a baking sheet as you go. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the queso fresco across the center of each tortilla and fold over like a taco.
- Divide the enchiladas among four plates and spoon more chile sauce over top. Top with lettuce, pickled onion, sour cream, cilantro and any remaining queso. Serve with the chicken, vegetables, remaining sauce, and pickled jalapeños.
Enchiladas Mineras Recipe Cooking Tips
This Enchiladas Mineras recipe is easy to make at home. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to get you started.
- You can’t skimp or substitute the dried chiles required in this recipe as they impart a distinct flavour. You can purchase Mexican dried chiles on Amazon or at your local Latin American / Mexican food market.
- We’ve used canola oil in this recipe as it’s affordable, flavourless, and has a high smoke point. You can substitute with another oil like avocado or rapeseed if you prefer.
- You can typically find fresh tortillas in the refrigerator section at your grocery store (my supermarket stores them between the eggs and butter) or purchase masa harina and make your own homemade Tortillas de Maiz recipe.
- Garnish each plate with dollops of crema (sour cream), cilantro, chopped lettuce, pickled onions and pickled jalapeños A wedge of lime offers a nice citrusy spritz.
- If your guests like spicy food offer a bottle of hot sauce at the table.
What To Serve with Enchiladas Mineras
There’s nothing more satisfying than forking through this mouth-watering Enchiladas Mineras recipe.
The hearty Mexican dish is often served as a main course at lunch or dinner. Placing a few bowls of guacamole, pico de gallo and homemade salsas at the table is a lovely touch.
It’s an easy and affordable dish to whip up last minute and tastes great paired with an ice cold craft beer, margarita or paloma.
If you’re hosting a Mexican-themed dinner party you might want to serve our Enchiladas Mineras recipe with:
- Gazpacho Moreliano Mexican Fruit Salad
- Spicy Chipotle Roasted Mexican Potatoes
- Tostadas de Tinga Mexican Shredded Chicken Tostada
- Tostadas de Camaron Prawn Ceviche Tostada
- Pastel Azteca Mexican Tortilla Chicken Casserole
- Migas con Huevo Mexican Tortilla Scrambled Eggs
- Chicken Pork & Shrimp Mexican Paella
- Mexican Vegan Cucumber Radish Salad with Chipotle Peanuts
- Albondigas al Chipotle Smoky Mexican Meatballs
- Asado de Boda Mexican Chile Pork Stew
- Vegan Mexican Pepita Pesto
- Mango Pico de Gallo Salsa
- Chipotle Mexican Bean Soup
- Chicken Fajita Tacos
Storing Leftovers
If you have leftovers, lucky you!
The stew can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
TIP: Only douse tortillas in chile sauce that you know you’ll consume, as any leftover tortillas that are wet will get soggy and have to be thrown out if not eaten.
Leftover garnishes should also be stored in separate containers or jars and used up within 2-3 days.
We do not suggest assembling Enchiladas Mineras and storing them in the fridge or freezer as you really want to assemble them a few minutes before you’re ready to eat.
In order to reheat leftovers simply microwave the stew or reheat it in a small pot over the stove until bubbling. Toast the tortillas in a pan, dip in the chile sauce and assemble per recipe instructions, finishing off with the garnishes.
Because the most time consuming aspect of this recipe is the preparation of the stew, we suggest doubling the recipe so you can store leftovers in the freezer and whip up a batch of Guanajuato-Style enchiladas a few weeks later on a busy week night.
How To Make Traditional Mexican Enchiladas Mineras
Mexican Enchiladas Mineras
Equipment
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Skillet
- saucepan
- Large pot
- tongs
- blender
Ingredients
- 8 Corn Tortillas
- 5 tbsp Canola Oil divided
- 2 1/4 cups Chicken Stock
- 5 Guajillo Chiles stemmed, seeded
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs
- 2 Yukon Gold Potatoes chopped
- 3 Carrots chopped
- 1 Spanish Onion chopped
- 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 12 oz Queso Fresco or Feta Cheese crumbled
Assembly
- Shredded Iceberg or Romaine Lettuce
- Pickled Red Onions
- Sour Cream
- Pickled Jalapenos
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Brush both sides of the tortillas with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Working in batches, sear the tortillas until they’re lightly browned and starting to crisp, for about 1 minute per side. Set the tortillas aside until you're ready to assemble the dish.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth, chiles guajillos, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit until the chiles are soft, for 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
- In a large heavy pot over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Cook the chicken thighs until deep golden brown, for 5 to 6 minutes. Turn the pieces over and brown the other side, for 5 to 6 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate. If there isn’t at least 1 tablespoon of fat in the pot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil along with the potatoes, carrots, and onion. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned, for 4 to 6 minutes.
- Pour the chile puree into the pot with the vegetables; scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Nestle the chicken into the sauce and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is completely tender and cooked through, for about 30 minutes.
- Stir the vinegar into the pot and mound the chicken and vegetables on one side so there’s room on the other side to dip the tortillas into the sauce.
- Using tongs and working with one tortilla at a time, dip into the chile sauce, turning to coat, and cook in the sauce until softened, for about 3 seconds per side. Transfer the tortillas to a baking sheet as you go. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the queso fresco across the center of each tortilla and fold over like a taco.
- Divide the enchiladas among four plates and spoon more chile sauce over top. Top with lettuce, pickled onion, sour cream, cilantro and any remaining queso. Serve with the chicken, vegetables, remaining sauce, and pickled jalapeños.
Nutrition
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Love cooking Mexican dishes!