How Much Filling You Really Need For Homemade Enchiladas

Crafting perfect enchiladas requires planning out the perfect amount of filling. If you add too little filling, your meal can become lackluster and unsatisfying; add too much and you risk having a messy, deconstructed dish. It can be difficult to tell if you've added the correct amount, but one easy trick makes the whole process a breeze. Depending on the size of your tortilla you'll want anywhere from a half cup to a third cup of filling. Tasting Table recipe developer Taylor Murray states in her cheesy salsa verde chicken enchilada recipe that each enchilada should be about the same thickness as a roll of quarters.

Half a cup is also the suggested amount for these loaded beef enchiladas. This guideline ensures an even amount of filling across your enchiladas and allows your dish to be baked evenly. While it may be tempting to add more filling, this can quickly alter not only your cooking time but the overall appearance of your dish. If you truly feel you need more filling, start by adding a tablespoon or two more to your enchiladas; you don't want the tortilla to burst from being overfilled. Slowly work your way up in adding more if you feel it's necessary but following the guidelines from Murray should offer you plenty of filling in each bite.

While it varies from recipe to recipe whether or not you should cook your tortillas before crafting your enchiladas, it can help in strengthening the tortilla. You can simply pan-fry the tortillas in oil or a dry pan till they brown on each side but are still flexible enough to roll and fill. It also helps to dip your tortillas in your enchilada sauce before rolling, and only use a light coating of sauce on the bottom — think of being able to still see the bottom of your pan through the sauce. This prevents your dish from becoming too soggy on the bottom and helps with the structural integrity of your meal, especially for creamier enchiladas recipes.

When crafting your enchiladas, work slowly; you don't want to roll them up too quickly or you can risk puncturing the tortilla. They should be rolled tightly enough to stay together, but still loose enough to not split. This is where the roll-of-quarter guideline comes in handy. If you begin rolling and feel like you may have too much filling, you can take some out to make it easier to finish crafting your dish.