Enchiladas — tortillas dipped in chilli sauce, filled, rolled or folded, and served with more sauce — require a counterintuitive technique: the tortilla is briefly fried in oil before being dipped in the sauce (or the sauce is warmed in oil first and the tortilla dipped in the sauce-oil mixture). This brief oil contact prevents the tortilla from absorbing so much sauce liquid that it becomes soggy and tears. The oil creates a micro-barrier on the tortilla's surface.
- **Tortilla preparation:** Either briefly fried (5–10 seconds per side) in neutral oil, or passed through a comal with a thin film of oil until pliable. - **The sauce dip:** The tortilla is placed in warm sauce and turned to coat both sides — or the sauce is poured over during assembly. - **The filling:** Shredded chicken, cheese, beans — modest in quantity. Over-filling tears the tortilla. - **Sauce type:** Enchilada sauce from dried red chillies (red enchiladas), tomatillo sauce (green enchiladas), or mole sauce (enchiladas in mole).
Mexico: The Cookbook