Tex-Mex cheese enchiladas
Photo: Michele Frazier from USA · CC BY 2.0

History

Tex-Mex took shape in San Antonio's chili queens of the 1880s and spread to Austin via mid-20th-century combination plates. The chili-gravy enchilada (no tomato in the sauce, just chili powder, cumin and beef stock) is a distinctly Texan creation that Mexican-Mexican kitchens never plated. Matt's El Rancho (founded 1952 in downtown Austin; moved to South Lamar in 1986) is the canonical Austin Tex-Mex room; Fonda San Miguel runs an interior-Mexican refinement of the form on North Loop; El Naranjo plates a regional Oaxacan version. The combination plate (two enchiladas, rice, refried beans, guacamole) is the Austin lunchtime baseline.

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Common allergens: Dairy, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 1 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
  • 500g grated mild yellow cheddar (or a 50/50 blend of yellow cheddar and Monterey Jack)
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • For the chili gravy: 30g unsalted butter
  • 30g plain flour
  • 30g ancho chili powder (mild Texas-style, not chipotle)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 600ml beef stock
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Neutral oil for softening the tortillas
  • To serve: 200ml sour cream, 1 sliced jalapeño, chopped coriander, 200g refried pinto beans, 200g Mexican rice

Method

  1. Heat oven to 200°C / 400°F. Grease a 23cm by 33cm baking dish.
  2. Make the chili gravy: melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to make a smooth roux; cook 2 minutes until golden.
  3. Whisk in the chili powder, cumin, granulated garlic and oregano; cook 30 seconds (the spices bloom and turn fragrant).
  4. Pour in the beef stock in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly to keep the sauce smooth. Add the salt.
  5. Simmer 10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the gravy thickens to coat a spoon.
  6. Soften the tortillas: heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Dip each tortilla in the oil for 5 seconds per side just to soften and stop them cracking. Drain on kitchen paper.
  7. Fill each tortilla with 2 tbsp grated cheese and a sprinkle of chopped onion. Roll up tight and place seam-side down in the baking dish.
  8. Pour the chili gravy over the rolled enchiladas to cover. Scatter the remaining cheese over the top.
  9. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and bubbling and the edges crisp.
  10. Plate two enchiladas per person; top with sour cream, sliced jalapeño and coriander. Serve refried beans and Mexican rice alongside.

Tip from the editors. The chili gravy is the giveaway; if thin or harshly spicy, use mild ancho, not chipotle or generic blend. Soften the tortillas in oil or they crack when rolled.

Where to eat tex-mex cheese enchiladas

Tex-Mex cheese enchiladas in Austin

Matt's El Rancho ★ 4.3

$$ Tex-mexSouth Lamar

Matt's El Rancho in Austin is the Martinez family's South Lamar Tex-Mex room since 1952, home of the Bob Armstrong queso dip and a citywide birthday-dinner.

OrderBob Armstrong dip, beef enchiladas with chili gravy, plus a frozen margarita on the side.

TipThe patio under the oaks holds 200; arrive 5:30pm to dodge the 7-to-9 family wait.

Directions Book

Fonda San Miguel ★ 4.5

$$$ MexicanNorth Loop

Fonda San Miguel in Austin is Tom Gilliland's 1975 interior-Mexican dining room on North Loop, a pioneer of regional Oaxacan and Yucatecan cooking.

OrderThe cochinita pibil from the Sunday hacienda brunch buffet, plus a bowl of pozole.

TipThe Sunday brunch buffet is the showcase; book the dining room for it at least a week out and arrive at 11.

Directions Book

El Naranjo ★ 4.6

$$ Mexican

El Naranjo is a mexican room in Austin. The mole negro is the canonical order; daughter Ana Torrealba's Sunday-supper menu is the most experimental window.

Why locals goIliana de la Vega's James Beard-winning Oaxacan dining room on South Lamar has a permanent reservation queue but flies under the visitor radar of Suerte and Comedor.

TipThe mole negro is the canonical order; daughter Ana Torrealba's Sunday-supper menu is the most experimental window.

Directions

Pueblo Viejo (Riverside) ★ 4.3

$ TaqueriaEast Austin

Pueblo Viejo in Austin is Nestor and Margarita's East Riverside Mexican taqueria since 2010, a brick-and-mortar grown from a taco truck and a citywide.

OrderBean-and-cheese breakfast taco on a homemade flour tortilla.

TipThe Tillery Street trailer and the St. Elmo and Pickle Road locations run the same kitchen with shorter lines.

Directions Book

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