Enchilada Seasoning

Description

Enchiladas, pronounced “ehn-chee-LAH-thahs” are a comfort food for many people across the world, beginning in Mexico and traveling as far as Japan over time. The name comes from the Spanish language word “enchilar” which means “to add chile pepper to” but enchiladas have many different varieties and ingredients, making for one food that all picky eaters can customize and enjoy. 

The Story Behind the Seasoning

We are constantly trying to add seasoning blends to the mix to make it easier for our customers to create delicious meals on busy worknights. Sometimes we go for something with some international flair from a beautiful, exotic place on the other side of the planet like Africa or Thailand. Other times we’re inspired by something a little closer to home. This seasoning blend brings both the exotic and familiar together into one mix. 

Now, while Mexico is an exotic place with a unique cuisine all its own, Americans have been consuming Cal-Mex and Tex-Mex for decades. Combining the usual American dishes with Mexican favorites gives us these cuisines. More recently, serious food connoisseurs have fallen head over heels for more of the authentic Mexican cuisine from places like the Yucatan peninsula or the famed Oaxacan region. This enchilada seasoning gets its inspiration more from north of the border than from south of the border, but that doesn’t mean it won’t suit both. Try it out in fusion cuisines or on truly authentic Mexican dishes. 

Sometimes when creating a blend, we like to take the spicier route. When talking about heat, it is really a subjective thing. A jalapeno can be ridiculously mild to one person, while someone else would bite into one and weep real human tears while their mouth was engulfed in flames. Our enchilada seasoning is one that we generally consider to be a bit more on the mild side for most consumers. With that said, it is certainly not lacking in the flavor department. 

The History of Enchiladas

Enchiladas have a long history. “Chillapitzalli” was the first name for enchiladas, and it is a combination of two words from the Aztec language Nahuatl that meant chile and flute. Enchiladas began as fish wrapped in tortillas. They evolved, and the traditional enchilada became something more than just fish wrapped up. A corn tortilla is first smothered in red chile sauce. A layer of cheese is added next, and then another tortilla, more cheese, and then finally chopped onions, lettuce, and an egg that has been fried. They are either rolled together or left flat as a casserole type dish. 

“The Mexican Chef,” a Mexican cookbook released in 1831, mentions enchiladas. By the 20th century, there were recipes for enchiladas in American cookbooks, brought from Mexico by immigrants to the United States. A lot of these enchilada recipes included mole sauce, which is a dark sauce made primarily of chiles, though some recipes have an overexuberant amount of ingredients. The most common enchilada prepared in the United States is the rolled kind, which is then doused with sauce and often a hearty coating of cheese. In Mexico, enchiladas are considered street food and find their place in the snack category. 

Until 2015, Las Cruces New Mexico held an enchilada festival that was home to the world’s largest enchilada annually. May 5th is national enchilada day in the United States. We also have a seasoning blend that honors the chile queens of Las Cruces. 

There are many ways the enchilada is prepared today, but sticking closest to the roots are the enchiladas that are dipped in chile sauce, fried, and then filled and rolled. Dessert enchiladas are even a thing, with a popular variation being the apple pie enchilada. Basically, the apple pie filling is rolled into the tortilla and then it is baked. Sometimes cinnamon and sugar are added after the dessert enchiladas have been coated with a butter or oil glaze. 

When and Where to Use

This enchilada seasoning can be added to the meat or vegetables when cooking. In the case of chicken or beef, we recommend using about 1 tablespoon of seasoning per pound of meat. This blend can also be used to make an easy red enchilada sauce. To make your own delicious, nutritious homemade enchilada sauce you'll need one 8 ounce can of tomato sauce, 1/4 cup of oil (we prefer olive oil but you can use canola or vegetable oil if that tickles your fancy), 1 cup of broth (beef, chicken or vegetable) and 2 tablespoons of flour. Heat the oil over medium heat and then add the flour and 3 tablespoons of enchilada seasoning. Stir as needed until the sauce starts to turn from red to slightly brownish in color. In a separate bowl mix the broth, tomato sauce and another 2 tablespoons of seasoning. Add to the saucepan and mix thoroughly. Cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Remove from the stove. Making an easy enchilada sauce that will delight your family is just as simple as that. 

We love to use this sauce to add flavor to everything from eggs to rice. Try it on pasta or in rich, cheesy soups. It might even surprise you in beef stew.
 
Some of our favorite recipes for enchiladas are chili enchiladas, roasted vegetable enchiladas, and seafood enchiladas. 

What’s In It

Hand blended from paprika, onion, chili powder, garlic, Serrano chiles, cumin, salt, sugar, coriander and Mexican oregano.

Flavor Profile

Earthy with a tinge of subtle sweetness along with some nutty undertones and a bit of heat that will lightly tickle the back of your throat. 

Helpful Hints

Enchiladas are traditionally made with corn tortillas, but flour tortillas can be substituted. Some people will tell you that cooking with flour tortillas is less authentic, but everyone has a preference and either works just fine. 

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