enchilada — Mexico

An enchilada is a corn tortilla dipped in a chili-based sauce, wrapped around a filling, and served warm, usually topped with more sauce, cheese, or cream. The name comes from the Spanish verb enchilar, to season with chili, describing the sauce-dipping step rather than any single filling. Enchiladas are eaten throughout Mexico, with fillings and sauces changing from one region and household to the next: shredded chicken, beef, cheese, or beans are common, and the sauce may be built on red chiles, green tomatillos, or mole, depending on what a given kitchen keeps on hand. The sauce is simmered first, usually from dried or fresh chiles blended with tomato or tomatillo, garlic, and onion. Each tortilla is briefly warmed, then dipped in the hot sauce to soften it and take on color, filled with the chosen mixture, rolled or folded, and arranged in a dish. A final ladle of sauce, along with crumbled cheese, sliced onion, or cream, is added just before serving. Some versions are baked briefly to melt the cheese and heat the filling through, while others are assembled and served straight away without going into the oven; the balance of chile heat, the choice of sauce color, and the filling itself all vary widely from one region of the country to another.