Corn tortillas filled with yellow cheddar, rolled and blanketed in a dark brick-red chili gravy of dried chiles, beef tallow, flour and beef broth. The defining dish of Dallas Tex-Mex, served with rice and refried beans.

Miguel Martinez codified cheese enchiladas with chili gravy at El Fenix in Dallas in the 1920s, adapting a recipe he developed as a cook at the Oriental Hotel. The chili gravy format, distinct from the mole or chile sauce of interior Mexico, became the signature of Dallas and Fort Worth Tex-Mex and spread across every combination-plate restaurant in the state. El Fenix has served the same recipe since 1918.

Where to eat Tex-Mex cheese enchiladas with chili gravy in Dallas

4 editor picks for Tex-Mex cheese enchiladas with chili gravy in Dallas, ranked by editorial score. All Dallas signature dishes · Tex-Mex cheese enchiladas with chili gravy across every city.

  • Mia's Tex-Mex

    Order Brisket tacos, the dish that earned Mia's citywide loyalty. Cheese enchiladas with chili con carne.

    Operating since 1981, Mia's serves the brisket tacos that became a Dallas archetype.

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  • Herrera's Cafe

    Order Cheese enchiladas with chili gravy. The combination plate is the reason regulars drive across the city.

    An Oak Cliff Tex-Mex hole-in-the-wall on W Illinois Avenue, serving loyal customers since 1949.

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  • El Fenix

    Order Cheese enchiladas with chili gravy. The combination plate that opened in 1918.

    Founded 1918 by Mike Martinez, El Fenix is the oldest Tex-Mex chain in the US, credited with formalising the enchilada-chili-gravy combination plate Dallas.

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  • Mariano's Hacienda Ranch

    Order The frozen margarita, made from the tradition of the 1971 original machine invention.

    Mariano Martinez invented the frozen margarita machine on May 11, 1971 at his original East Dallas restaurant.

    DetailsReserveDirections

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Make it at home

Serves 41 hrBeginner

Ingredients

  • 12 corn tortillas
  • 400g yellow cheddar or American cheese, grated
  • 3 tbsp beef tallow or lard
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 2 tbsp mild chili powder (pure, not a blend)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 500ml beef broth
  • Salt to taste
  • Vegetable oil for warming tortillas

Method

  1. Make the chili gravy: heat tallow in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes until lightly toasted. Add chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder, stir 30 seconds.
  2. Whisk in beef broth gradually until smooth. Simmer 10 minutes until the consistency coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt.
  3. Warm tortillas one at a time in a dry pan or briefly in hot oil, 10 seconds per side, until pliable.
  4. Place 30g of grated cheese down the center of each tortilla and roll tightly. Place seam-side down in a baking dish.
  5. Pour chili gravy over the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese.
  6. Bake at 190 C (375 F) for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the gravy is bubbling at the edges.
  7. Serve immediately on warmed plates with rice and refried beans.

Editor tip. The chili gravy should be the consistency of a loose bechamel. Too thick and it dries out in the oven; too thin and it makes the tortillas soggy.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy.