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Square picture of carnitas enchiladas with pulled pork, sour cream, and pico de gallo.
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Carnitas Enchiladas (Pork Enchiladas)

Carnitas Enchiladas (AKA Pulled Pork Enchiladas) are a delicious alternative way to eat enchiladas. Rich, crispy carnitas are wrapped in tortillas and covered with a tangy homemade enchilada sauce and plenty of cheese. This recipe makes ten enchiladas which can be baked all at once or frozen in batches for smaller households.
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 10 enchiladas
Calories 381kcal
Author Tracy

Ingredients

Special Equipment

  • 9x13-inch rectangular casserole dish or smaller dishes for freezing and half batches*

Enchilada Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 heaping teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
  • Black pepper

Enchiladas

  • 10 8-inch tortillas flour or corn
  • 4 cups pulled pork carnitas warm
  • 1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or colby-jack cheese

Toppings

Instructions

Enchilada Sauce

  • Pre-measure all of your sauce ingredients (flour, spices, and salt will be added together so they can all go in the same small bowl) and place them next to the stove.
  • In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add flour,  spices, and salt and whisk until a thick paste forms and begins to bubble, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  • Whisk in tomato paste and stir until mostly combined. Slowly pour in broth, whisking out any lumps as they form and whisk until completely smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until sauce has thickened, 6 to 9 minutes.
  • Remove from heat, stir in vinegar, and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool slightly.

Assemble Enchiladas

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Lightly grease your baking dish and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce to the bottom of your dish, spreading it so that it mostly coats the bottom in a thin layer.
  • Place warm carnitas in a bowl and add 3/4 cup of sauce. Stir until well-combined. Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of meat and roll tightly. Place in the baking dish, seam-side down.
  • Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Bake

  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and the edges of the tortillas are just slightly crispy and browned.
  • Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream and pico de gallo if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Freezer Instructions
To freeze, line baking dish (disposable or reusable) with parchment paper. Assemble enchiladas completely. If using a disposable baking dish, wrap tightly with foil and store in a freezer bag. 
 
If using a regular baking dish, place in the freezer and freeze until solid, about 4 hours. Use the parchment paper to lift enchiladas out of the pan and wrap tightly in foil (leave the parchment paper on the enchiladas). Store in a plastic freezer bag.
 
To reheat, preheat oven to 400°F. Remove foil. (If not using a disposable container, place frozen enchiladas, parchment paper included, into a baking dish.)
 
Grease a piece of foil and loosely cover the top of your enchiladas, greased side down. This will keep your cheese and tortillas from burning and won’t stick as the cheese melts. 
 
Bake until heated through or an instant-read thermometer reads 160°F, this will take at least 30 minutes, up to over an hour for a full pan of enchiladas. When the enchiladas seem very nearly heated through, remove foil so the top of the enchiladas can brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 381kcal