Enchiladas

Where to find enchiladas around Lake Chapala

What are enchiladas?

Enchiladas are rolled corn tortillas with a filling inside, which is typically cheese, chicken or pork here at Lake Chapala, but the list of enchilada fillings used throughout Mexico is extensive.

Unlike north of the border, enchiladas aren’t baked in the oven in Mexico. Instead, the tortillas are often briefly fried in a chile sauce, which forces all the flavor inside of the tortilla. Then it’s removed from the oil, a filling goes on top, and it’s rolled into an enchilada.

The chef usually doesn’t put another salsa on top of enchiladas which are made in this way, which lets that absorbed flavor come through. There are other types of enchiladas, though, which get their name from the type of salsa they come with, such as red or green chile, mole or mixed with cream.

LEARN MORE: About common types of Mexican food found at Lake Chapala by reading our food guide.

The word “enchilada” comes from enchilar, which means to season with chile. In Mexico, it can also mean to get mad (“Me enchilé” — I got mad) or you can use it to describe the heat of a chile: “¿Te enchilaste?” Literally, it might be understood as “Did you burn/spice yourself?” But it might be better translated into English simply as, “Was it spicy?”

You’ll also find that real Mexican enchiladas aren’t encrusted with a thick layer of cheese, like those which are found in many restaurants in the United States. Mexican cooks will sometimes sprinkle a little crumbled queso de mesa on top, along with maybe some crema (similar to sour cream), tomato and lettuce or cabbage.

LEARN MORE: About common types of Mexican food found at Lake Chapala by reading our food guide.