I used to hate making enchiladas at home because the assembly was such a pain. Whichever method I used to make the tortillas pliable and keep them from breaking would only kind of work – cracked corn tortillas, broken enchilada dreams. Tears have been shed more than once.
As a kid, my mom always dipped the tortillas in enchilada sauce before assembling. This works reasonably well, but is MESSY. You have to either wash your hands constantly or deal with them being covered in a mix of enchilada sauce and filling bits the whole time you’re trying to assemble.
Microwaving or heating in your oven (wrapped in foil) will work. But only so-so. Cracking is not uncommon and it’s hard to keep the tortillas moist.
The best way to prepare your tortillas for enchilada assembly is to steam them. The moist heat makes them perfectly workable. Since discovering this technique, my enchilada woes are a distant (traumatic) memory.
There are a couple simple ways to steam tortillas, with some things you probably already have in your kitchen.
Add 1″ water to a small saucepan. Cover with:
- Metal splatter screen
–OR– - Tin foil pierced with a fork
Once water is boiling, place a tortilla on top and steam for 15-20 seconds until it starts to wilt. Flip and repeat.
Voila! It’s ready for filling and rolling. Enchilada perfection!