Growing up in Houston, El Chico restaurant was my go-to spot for celebrating special occasions—even my high school prom! These cheese enchiladas capture the nostalgic Tex-Mex flavor that made El Chico famous throughout Texas. While not traditionally Mexican, these enchiladas represent the heart of Tex-Mex cuisine with their mild, flavorful sauce and perfectly melted cheese. The best part? This restaurant-quality dish comes together in just 35 minutes with simple ingredients you likely already have at home.
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Why This Recipe Works
The secret to authentic El Chico cheese enchiladas lies in two key elements: the homemade enchilada sauce and using American cheese from the deli counter. The simple roux-based sauce develops deep flavor from chili powder and paprika without hours of simmering, while American cheese melts perfectly for that authentic restaurant-quality texture. This winning combination creates enchiladas that are actually better than what you’d get dining out!
Ingredients
- White onions – Adds optional fresh crunch and flavor as a topping
- All-purpose flour – Creates the roux base that thickens the enchilada sauce
- Vegetable oil – Combines with flour to form the foundation of the sauce
- Salt – Enhances all the flavors in the dish
- Chili powder – Provides the distinctive Tex-Mex flavor and color
- Paprika – Adds depth and mild sweetness to the sauce
- Water – Thins the sauce to perfect consistency
- Corn tortillas – Traditional base for authentic Tex-Mex enchiladas
- American cheese – Creates the perfectly melty, creamy filling
How to Make Enchilada Sauce
If you have never tried making enchilada sauce, you will find it to be super easy.
Enchilada sauce is made with vegetable oil, water, chili powder, paprika, and water. If you want a richer flavor, you could use chicken stock instead of water.
- In a medium-sized pot, combine vegetable oil and flour. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, or until this begins to become fragrant like pie crust.
- Add salt, chili powder, and paprika, and stir to combine.
- Add a cup of water. When the sauce becomes thick, add the next cup of water, and repeat with the remaining 2 cups of water, until the sauce is complete.
Cheese Enchilada Filling
The real secret to these enchiladas is using American cheese. Go to the deli and buy some American cheese in a large chunk and shred it yourself. It melts beautifully.
You could use another type of cheese, but pick one that melts nicely, like a Colby or a Colby-Jack blend.
How to Make Cheese Enchiladas
- Heat up corn tortillas in the microwave just until they become pliable.
- Then roll them up with a good sprinkle of cheese.
- Place a bit of the enchilada sauce in the pan and add the filled tortillas.
- Top with additional sauce.
- Sprinkle on additional cheese and some chopped white onion if desired.
- Bake until bubbly.
In no time at all, you will have some delicious cheese enchiladas that everyone will love.
Some people like to top these homemade enchiladas with chopped onion, but this is completely optional. I did not add the chopped onion in the video.
I personally love them with a fried egg on top. But I thought that might be bringing too much of the local flavor to you 😉.
Do you love enchiladas? Try these recipes!
- Easy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Enchiladas with Cream Cheese and Sour Cream
- Taco Bell Enchilada
- Chilis Enchilada Soup
Favorite Mexican Recipes
- Carne Guisada with Potatoes
- Cheeseburger Quesadilla
- Chili Verde
- Chipotle Mexican Grill Carnitas
- Mexican Cornbread Recipe with Jiffy Mix
- Potato Taco
- Taco Bell Tacos
- Taco Sauce
Be sure to check out more of my easy Mexican recipes and the best restaurant copycat recipes here on CopyKat.com!
Classic El Chico Cheese Enchiladas with Homemade Tex-Mex Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chili powder
- 1/2 cup paprika
- 1 quart water
- 12 corn tortillas
- oil for heating tortillas in a skillet
- 3/4 pound shredded American cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped white onions optional topping
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pot combine vegetable oil and flour. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, or until this begins to become fragrant like pie crust.
- Add salt, chili powder, and paprika, and stir to combine. Add one-quarter of the water. When the sauce becomes thick, add the next quarter of water, and repeat until the sauce is complete.Â
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the corn tortillas in either the microwave or a small skillet with a little vegetable oil. Microwave: Sprinkle a little water on the tortillas and wrap them in a clean dishtowel.
- Assembly: Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of cheese in the middle of each corn tortilla and roll-up. Move the rolled tortilla into the baking dish. Fill the dish with your enchiladas and then top with the sauce. Add any cheese that is left over.
- Heat in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven. Some people like to add some chopped white onion on top.
Stephanie, I just found this recipe and would like to know what size of dish to put the enchiladas in to bake. This sounds so good I want to make as soon as possible. Thanks in advance, Rebecca Duckworth
I just put these in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Most likely a 9 x 13 baking dish. I make enchiladas about every 2 weeks and that is size I use.
Oh Stephanie, how I miss El Chico, or for that matter any good texmex. I was 30 when I was transplanted from my hometown of Houston to Atlanta. That was 36 years ago. OOPS, did I just give away my age, oh well. Trust me, in MY opinion Atlanta doesn’t know good mexican/texmex .Thank you for all your leg work in finding & trying out all these recipes.
Wow . Easy on the salt perhaps . COULDN’T even eat it, it was so salty .
I am sorry you thought it was too salty.
I would love to have the recipe for El Chico’s white cheese sauce. Do you have that or can you figure it out?
Why don’t YOU try and figure it out?
that was rude and uncalled for. Can you not see what that says about your character?
You are super rude! What’s your issue?? Stephanie IS THE COPYCAT QUEEN, so why wouldn’t someone ask if she knew of or could figure out how to make a certain dish?
YOU obviously came here to find the recipe for something YOU COULDN’T FIGURE OUT on your own! Why would you be $hitty towards someone else who is POLITELY asking for the same thing?
I believe that Stephanie appreciates new requests and ideas, she wants to create recipes that people are interested in, why wouldn’t she want someone to ask about something they’re looking for?
If you have nothing NICE TO SAY, JUST GO AWAY, your presence is not needed nor wanted if this is how you respond to other followers. You won’t be missed. Bye~Bye
Regardless of which method I use—in the microwave or oil in a skillet—my tortillas crack and tear when I try to roll them up. HELP!!! What am I doing wrong??gg
Sharon,
You need to fry the corn tortillas for a bit in oil just till they are pliable then set them aside on a paper towel to cool and soak up the oil. Then go ahead and wrap them up with the ingredients you would like.
Regards,
Javier G.
You can also wrap them in moist paper towels and micro them perhaps 20 seconds but softening them in oil, as Javier said is easy. Just watch them and drain them on paper towels ~ or you will be making chips ~ not a bad idea either 🙂
Put corn tortillas in plate and cover with another plate and microwave them for 1 minute and they are ready for you. It makes no difference in how many you have just so long as the plates areclosed. It works every time. I just found this out last year. I’m 78 and still learning. I also want their queso sauce recipe. They make the best sour cream chicken enchiladas too and I wish I had the recipe for that sauce too.
Maybe in their cook book?
This is not the original El Chico chicken enchilada recipe. This is what my husband and I call “El Cheapo” because it is not authentic.
I am very sorry you were disappointed in this recipe for cheese enchiladas. I hope you find the recipe you are looking for. if there is anything else I can do for you, please let me know.
Don’t let the naysayers get you down, Stephanie. I am sure you put a lot of time doing this. I am a native Texan born in San Antonio. Keep up the great work!
These are awesome recipes! You use your time to give to us..I cant believe some people!
Judging by your comments here and on other websites, you seem to be a very angry person. I hope you are able to find some joy in your life today.
Corntrader. ,,You need to go back and read . She said these were CHEESE. Not CHICKEN !! ????
It is a copycat recipe not the original. If you want the original you have to go to Texas! Looks delicious!
I make a sauce very similar to this. I got the recipe from home-sick texan. When I get a craving for cheese enchiladas there is no stopping me, they must be made and eaten. My recipe doesn’t have paprika however. And it has chopped onion inside the enchiladas. They are wonderful!
Homesick Texan has a wonderful website. I know what you mean about these enchiladas. I lived outside of Houston for a couple of months, and I wanted these more than anything else in the whole world.
I lived in Shreveport many years ago and El Chico was my favorite restaurant. They made a sauce for their chips that I have not been able to find since I moved. It was pinkish in color. Do you know what it was/is?
Thank you for your note, I will keep your suggestion in mind.
1/2 – 3/4 cup of Miracle Whip Salad Dressing (do not use real mayo)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup of milk
Mix all together and chill at least 2 hours. The mixture will thicken when chilled.
I use this on Taco Salads too!! Taste just like it 🙂
TO DEANNA…….Please do NOT bitch a recipe because it doesn’t seem like one you would enjoy. JUST LEAVE IT ALONE. Stephanie….you are doing such a wonderful job recreating favorite restaurant recipes for us.
Yes Stephanie, you are doing a great job.. People remember, Stephanie is giving use ideas, if you do not like her work , don’t criticize , move on or start your own site..
Thank you very much!
I love fried eggs on my enchiladas. Thanks for the recipe.
These are a favorite of mine.
How do you make the cheese sauce that you can put over the enchiladas. I adore el chico’s cheese enchiladas with cheese sauce over the top.
I will see what I can do.
El chico’s by the Astro doom close 6 months ago which I cried for when I had to go to Texas women hospital it was my treat, so I can’t wait to try your recipe for they had the best food ever. Thank you for sharing. Not all Spanish people cook alike.keep up the good work.
I hate that all of the El Chicos have closed around the Houston area. I hope you enjoyed the recipe.
The only El Chico’s I know that is still open is at Lufkin. There might be some still in Dallas though.
I may have to drive up to Lufkin and check that out!
Agree with Deanna … had made this recipe and it was way too SPICY!! I ended up throwing the rest of enchiladas in the garbage can.
I did too. It was the worst enchiladas I ever ate. There is no way it calls for that much spices after tasting it. I will not be recommending this recipe to anyone.
is the sauce suppose to be watery or thick?
It is a sauce that is on the thinner side.
Mine is a bit gritty and very strong. Not sure how to make it smoother. Any ideas?
You could add some more liquid to it.
I would halve the paprika. . . was way too bitter with 1/2 cup, I had to add sugar to be able to even use it. With Sugar, a little creole salt, and some onion powder we managed to use the sauce. Maybe I haven’t had El Chico Enchiladas in a while! Thanks for the stepping off point.
I was just craving El Chico’s cheese enchiladas today – how did you know?
I am just lucky 😉
Wow, 8:30 in the morning and I’m ready for some enchiladas!!!!!!! This looks scrumptious..can’t wait to make. Thanks for the video…love cooking videos!
Mary 😉 I am always in the mood for cheese enchiladas.
HALF a cup of chili powder and HALF a cup of paprika??? Those are not cheese enchiladas but chili powder/paprika enchiladas. :O) Makes my stomach ache to even think about eating one.
Wow, I appreciate your comment. This does make a quart of sauce. Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts.
Then do not make it. Or, understand that is the portion of the recipe that encompasses the preparation of the sauce, not the filling.
Yes, waaaaaaay too much paprika and chili. I just waisted 1lbs of cheese. I threw the whole dish out. You couldn’t taste anything else. Yuck. I would recommend just buying a can of enchilada sauce.
Brought me right back to my days of waitressing at El Chico! And yes, their Fried Ice Cream was so good. We froze it until super hard then rolled it in sugar, cinnamon and crushed corn flakes. Flash fried for a couple of seconds so it wouldn’t melt. Can’t wait to try out your enchilada recipe! Thanks for sharing Ãœ
That fried ice cream was the best. A lot of places claim they make fried ice cream, but they just drizzle some topping on the ice cream.
How much water?
1 quart of water.