Chorizo and Chile Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce

Mexican food is one of my favorites, and it has to be real. That means simple, fresh ingredients easily prepared without fuss. I created the enchilada sauce here with a few ingredients common in Mexican cooking, and stuffed the tortillas with nothing more than that wonderful Mexican sausage, chorizo, and a little packaged Mexican-blend cheese.

Simple guacamole—avocado, garlic, lime juice, salt—adds more freshness and brightness to the dish. Nothing easier, nothing fresher.

If you're not familiar with tomatillos, think of them as tart, green tomatoes with a papery husk. The husk can be sticky, but it comes off easily if you remove it under a stream of cold water.

Husked Tomatillos

Mexican chorizo is a fresh, uncooked, un-smoked pork sausage typically made with chiles, garlic, and vinegar. (Spanish chorizo, on the other hand, is usually cooked or smoked and comes in casings ready to slice and eat.)

Mexican chorizo is like fresh ground pork—only spicier—and must be cooked before eating. I added only a touch of sea salt to the chorizo in this recipe because it comes packed with its own delicious seasonings.

Tip: To help measure the filling for eight wraps, use a spatula to separate the skillet mixture into quarters, then spoon half of each quarter onto a single tortilla.

Chorizo Filling Divided into Quarters

Makes 8 enchiladas

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for oiling dish
• 3 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 8 tomatillos, husked and chopped
• 8 oz cherry, grape, or roma tomatoes (or a mixture), chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves and small stems
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb chorizo
• 8 9-inch corn or flour tortillas, warmed
• 4 oz. Mexican blend cheese

Ingredients for the Sauce

For the Guacamole (optional)

• 1 avocado
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 lime
• sea salt

Preparation

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the serrano, jalapeno, garlic, and onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatillos, tomatoes, cilantro, and lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the tomatillos and tomatoes begin to break down, about 5 minutes. 
3. Remove the sauce ingredients to a food processor (be careful processing hot foods) and process until chunky-smooth. (Do not wipe out the skillet.)

Cooked Chiles, Onions, and Garlic

Tomatoes and Tomatillos Beginning to Cook

1. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and add the chorizo. Season with salt and cook, crumbling, until just cooked through, 7-8 minutes.
2. Add 1/4 cup of the sauce to the cooked chorizo and stir well to combine.

Chorizo Beginning to Cook 

Cooked Chorizo

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. and lightly oil a large baking dish.
2. Lay the tortillas on a work surface and spoon 1/8th of the chorizo mixture down the center of each one. Sprinkle the chorizo with about 2 tablespoons of cheese.
3. Roll up each enchilada and place seam-side down in the prepared dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top, not covering completely.
4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake 20 minutes.

Chorizo and Cheese Filling

Stuffed Enchiladas

Enchiladas Ready to Bake

Meanwhile, if you’re making the guacamole, cut the avocado in half and remove the seed. Scoop the flesh into a bowl and use a fork to mash it with the garlic, lime juice, and salt. Serve alongside the enchiladas.

Guacamole