Christmas Enchiladas (New Mexico Red & Green Recipe)

In New Mexico we have an official state question — Red or Green? — and these Christmas enchiladas are the happy answer when you cannot choose: both. "Christmas" is what we call a plate served red AND green, and this from-scratch chicken enchilada recipe is built exactly for that. It is a cherished family recipe shared with us by our customers William and Stacy Layman, and it honors generations of chile-making tradition.

If you want a pure red plate, our authentic red chile enchiladas are the recipe to follow. This one is the celebration version — the red and green enchiladas that show up on holiday tables across New Mexico, with both sauces ladled side by side over the same tortillas.

What makes them "Christmas" style

Christmas enchiladas are not a different cooking method — they are red enchiladas and green enchiladas served together, the red sauce on one half and the green on the other, so every bite gives you a little of each. The name comes straight from the red-and-green color, and ordering "Christmas" at a New Mexico restaurant is so common it needs no explanation. At home you simply make both sauces and spoon them over the assembled enchiladas in two lanes.

Building both sauces from scratch

This recipe starts the old-fashioned way: simmer a whole chicken with celery, onion, and bay leaf until the leg pulls away, then shred the meat and save that flavorful broth for your sauces. The red sauce is where the magic happens — sauteed onion and garlic, toasted cumin, coriander, and oregano, and plenty of Hatch red chile, simmered low and slow until it turns velvety. Some families add a little dark chocolate and honey for depth; others let the chile shine alone. For the green side, roasted Hatch green chile carries the bright, vegetal contrast. Use our Hatch red & green chile to make both at once, or pair our Hatch green chile sauce with your red. Five generations of growing chile in the Hatch Valley have taught us the sauce is everything — build it slow and use real New Mexico chile.

Assembly, serving, and storage

Lightly fry the corn tortillas, roll them around the tender chicken (add a little green chile inside if you like), then sauce them Christmas-style with red down one side and green down the other, top with cheese, and bake until bubbly and golden. Serve with sour cream, chopped onion, salsa, and — the game-changer — an over-easy fried egg on top, so the runny yolk mingles with both chiles. They take a little time and care, but they are worth every minute. Make a big batch; leftovers keep 3 days refrigerated and freeze for 3 months. Reheat covered at 350°F. A big thank-you to the Laymans for this one.

Tips that matter

Keep the two sauces separate until the very last step — ladle red down one side and green down the other rather than blending them, so each half keeps its own character. Fry the tortillas just until pliable, not crisp, or they will crack when you roll them. Shred your own cheese from a block; pre-shredded cheese carries anti-caking starch that keeps it from melting smooth over the top. Taste each sauce on its own before you assemble — a good red sauce and a good green sauce should each stand on their own, not lean on the other for flavor. If you are feeding a table with mixed heat tolerance, keep extra red and green sauce on the side so everyone can build their own Christmas plate.