What To Serve With Enchiladas: 10 Traditional Sides

Among the most popular Mexican foods is the enchilada, and for clear reason. A rich filling, warm and soft corn tortillas, and a wonderful sauce make up the ideal enchilada recipe.

The perfect balance of textures and flavors produces a dish that is insanely delectable.

Nevertheless, even the best enchiladas might benefit from some companionship. Personally, we can eat these guys on their own, however some people might find the flavors to be too strong and require a counterbalance.

Are you looking for a snack to go with your enchiladas?  Some of our all-time favorite dishes to prepare and serve while we’re entertaining are enchiladas. 

They are incredibly delicious, filling, and popular with everyone. But how can you pair dishes that go with the theme and enhance the main course?

Here are all of our favorite enchilada-pairing recipes. Additionally, any of these recipes can be used as a side dish to go with fajitas. 

Consider tangy black beans with rice, fresh tomato or avocado salad, and, of course, chips and guacamole to name a few. Keep reading for the top 10 best sides for enchiladas.

How To Make Enchiladas

Enchiladas are one of the simplest Tex-Mex dishes to prepare at home, and everyone can discover how to do it. The majority of enchilada recipes are simple variations on this theme: 

Fill tortillas with filling, put them on a baking tray, then bake them with cheese and sauce on top. It’s difficult to imagine how someone could reject this pairing. 

Making enchiladas is fantastic since they can be made to suit anyone’s preferences and are totally adaptable. To prepare enchiladas at home, simply follow these easy instructions.

1. Select Your Tortillas

Technically, picking a recipe and gathering your ingredients constitute the first stage in creating enchiladas. It’s time to select the tortillas after choosing a recipe.

Although flour tortillas also work, corn tortillas are the standard for enchiladas. Pick 6- or 7-inch corn tortillas or 7-8 inch flour tortillas because they suit most pans the best. 

There are many different recipes, but you will need 8 to 9 corn tortillas for a 3-quart rectangular casserole dish.

2. Enchilada Sauce Preparation

Enchiladas retain moisture during cooking and gain flavor by being covered in sauce. Here is a recipe for homemade enchilada sauce:

2 teaspoons of canola oil are heated in a small pan over medium heat. Add two teaspoons of all-purpose flour and whisk for one minute. 

Cook and stir for a further 30 seconds after adding 2 teaspoons of chili powder plus 1 teaspoon of crushed dry oregano. 

Add one 8-oz. can of salt-free tomato sauce, 3/4 cup of water, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt after stirring. Heat should be reduced after boiling. Stirring occasionally, simmer uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, or until somewhat thick. 

You could start by using store-bought sauce, Mexican-style tomatoes in a can, or tomato salsa if you’re just learning how to prepare enchiladas.

3. Choose And Prepare The Filling

The filling for an enchilada can be made in numerous ways. Simply select the savory components you enjoy, such as beans, cheese, fish, meats, poultry, and vegetables. 

Select and prepare your filling as you prefer. By using precooked meats like deli chicken and other meats, you can speed up the preparation of the enchilada filling.

4. Wrap The Filling

On one side of each tortilla, spread the filling (approximately 1/3 cup). Place the tortillas in the baking dish, seam side down, after rolling them. Over the enchiladas, evenly distribute the enchilada sauce. 

Hint: Tuck some enchiladas around the sides if they won’t all sit in the dish crosswise.

5. Bake And Serve Enchiladas

The majority of enchiladas are cooked and kept warm by a foil cover. Every recipe has different oven requirements and baking times, but generally speaking, they take 25 minutes to bake at 350°F.

When the enchiladas are thoroughly heated, cover them with cheese. Put the skillet back in the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until your cheese is melted. Before serving, allow the enchiladas to cool somewhat.

What are some traditional side dishes that pair well with Teriyaki Chicken?

Teriyaki chicken side dish options: In Japanese cuisine, there are numerous traditional side dishes that complement teriyaki chicken exceptionally well. Some popular choices include steamed rice, miso soup, edamame, pickled vegetables, and seaweed salad. These delectable options provide a perfect balance of flavors and textures, enhancing the overall dining experience.

Top 10 Best Side Dishes For Enchiladas

All of these delectable side dishes pair excellently with enchiladas – so whether you’re hosting a dinner party or having a Mexican-themed family night in, you won’t be disappointed with these tasty accompaniments.

1. Mexican Coleslaw

Mexicans prefer a tart sauce with a helping of apple cider vinegar plus cilantro to the mayo that Americans usually use to flavor their coleslaw.

This small adjustment gives the Mexican slaw a more acidic and refreshing flavor, which is a wonderful counterpoint to the rich and filling enchilada.

More flavorful components are often included in Mexican slaw. It includes red onions, avocado, cumin, black beans, maize, jalapenos, and shredded carrots and cabbage as well. Yum!

2. Guacamole

There is no way to make enchiladas without guacamole! Everybody will like this famous pairing of these two.

The tastes of the cheesy meal complement the rich and velvety avocado dip just wonderfully. You can serve them as an enticing side dish along with a plate of tortilla chips.

Having trouble making guacamole? Well, it is simple! Fresh avocados, white onions, fresh Roma tomato, cilantro, as well as lime juice are all you need.

You may combine these ingredients to make a wonderful dip by mashing and mixing them.

3. Salsa With Chips

Is there a more traditional combination than tortilla chips and salsa? The best part about this side dish is that you likely already have salsa ready for your enchiladas; all you need to do is pick your preferred chips and you’re ready to go.

Prepare a bowl of melted nacho cheese while you’re at it to add even more flavor!

4. Mexican Corn Pudding

What more perfect way to balance the rich flavor of enchiladas than to serve a sweet side dish? Hot Mexican corn pudding can work perfectly in this situation.

This delicious treat is made from milk, cheese, eggs, and maize, naturally. These ingredients come together to make a feast to die for!

5. Mango Slaw With Jicama

You might be wondering what the heck jicama is. Oh boy, you’re missing out if you don’t know about this crop!

In essence, it’s a Mexican yam with a flavor that falls between potato and pear. You can make a delicious slaw by mixing mangoes and the crisp jicama with honey plus lime juice.

By adding some chopped jalapenos and dusting a little chili powder on top, you could also give it a little spice.

6. Mexican Rice

Without rice, a Mexican feast is incomplete. No matter which Mexican food you serve, including enchiladas, it will undoubtedly taste much nicer if you add a little rice to the mixture.

A dish of white rice can always be prepared simply, but we like to jazz it up by adding some spice!

Your plain white rice will most surely come to life with the addition of some green peppers, cumin, and cilantro. 

Maybe some black beans would be a fantastic addition. It will nevertheless adhere to the Mexican theme and become even more vivid and tasty as a result.

Use quinoa in place of rice to offer your visitors a healthier alternative. Add some Fajita seasoning, corn, zucchini, plus black beans, and season to taste. 

7. Refried Beans

Refried beans pair well with enchiladas and are terrific as a dip or side dish. Although you can increase the cheese content, the dip is tasty and creamy enough.

Refried beans are also fairly satisfying, so you can anticipate your visitors leaving your celebration fulfilled.

The phrase is an approximate translation of Spanish words “frijoles refritos,” which translate to “beans fried well” (not twice). These beans are boiled to make them pliable before being perfectly baked or fried.

8. Mexican Sweet Potato Salad

This dish is topped with a substantial black bean salsa and a creamy cilantro dressing in addition to having plenty of sweet potatoes and corn. These ingredients come together to create a dish that pairs superbly with enchiladas.

Why not give this HelloFresh recipe for sweet potato salad a try to conveniently meet your daily requirement of five servings of vegetables?

9. Elote

Enchiladas and other Mexican meals want to be paired with some sweet, luscious corn. And this traditional Mexican street snack is a surefire winner when it comes to dishes made with maize.

The key to making elote is using interesting ingredients that, when mixed, create a lovely combination of textures and flavors.

You can have properly cooked corn with sour cream and mayonnaise on an elote. Then feta cheese or cotija cheese and chile peppers are sprinkled on top.

This gorgeous snack is completed with a small amount of freshly pressed lime juice.

10. Pepper Salad

The colors of this salad are just as important as the taste! It uses three different types of pepper (red, green, & yellow) to create a stir-fry that is colorful and delectable.

Red onions, cheese, and a chic red wine and champagne vinaigrette then elevate it to new heights. Unquestionably to die for! You’ll be relieved to learn that there are only a few fresh ingredients in this straightforward tiny bell pepper salad. 

It tastes fantastic and is quick and simple to put together. In addition to the other tasty items you’re creating, it will look fantastic and colorful. The bell pepper salad keeps well in the refrigerator and is still delicious the next day.

Final Thoughts

Enchilada night isn’t complete without a few delicious sides to go with these tasty Mexican treats! Choose your favorites from our top 10, and enjoy a delectable meal with friends and family.