Our Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe is full of healthy and bold flavors, loaded with veggies and protein. You can make it on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or even the instant pot.

How to make Enchilada Soup:

Sauté Veggies: Add a little more oil, if needed, and sauté the veggies. If using skin-on chicken thighs, brown the skin really well before adding to the soup.

Add chicken broth, spices, and diced tomatoes. Add chicken and corn tortillas. Cover and cook on medium-low for about 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F). Remove chicken from broth and shred it. Ladle soup broth into a blender and blend until smooth.

Serve: Return soup broth back to the pot, add shredded chicken, green chiles, and black beans. Garnish with a scoop of sour cream, sprinkle of shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, avocado and green onion, if desired.

Storage and Freezing Instructions:

Store leftovers chicken enchilada soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Freeze in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator then reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warm.

Recipe Variations:

• Loaded Enchilada Soup: Feel free to stir in some cooked rice, shredded cheese, sautéed vegetables, or corn to make it more hearty.
• Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup: Sauté veggies as instructed. Add to slow cooker with broth, spices, diced tomato, corn tortillas and chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Blend soup broth, then return to slow cooker. Add the shredded chicken, green chiles and black beans.
• Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

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Chicken Enchilada Soup

Our easy Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe is bold and flavorful and can be made on the stove or in a slow cooker, for a healthy soup everyone loves.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 243kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost 11

Equipment

• Blender

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 5-6 cloves garlic , chopped
• 2 carrots , peeled and chopped
• 2 ribs celery , chopped
• 1 bell pepper , chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2-3 chicken breasts , or 4-5 skinless chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless)
• 5-6 6 inch yellow corn tortillas
• salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
• 15 oz can black beans
• 4 oz can diced green chiles
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Toppings:

• sour cream , for topping
• shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese , for topping
• fresh cilantro , for topping
• green onion , chopped for topping
• avocado , chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Saute veggies: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and sauté for several minutes until tender. 
• Add chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and paprika. Stir to combine. Add chicken broth and diced tomatoes. cook for 5 minutes.
• Add chicken and corn tortillas and cook for about 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate, shred the meat and remove any bones. 
• Blend: Ladle soup into a blender, in batches, and blend until smooth. 
• Finish: Return broth to the soup pot and stir in shredded chicken, black beans, and green chiles. Stir in cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
• Serve topped with sour cream, cheese, avocado, cilantro and green onions, if desired.

Video

Notes

Servings size is about 1 ¾ cup.

Chicken: I prefer chicken thighs when cooking this soup in the slow cooker, because thighs don’t dry out as easily. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup: Sauté veggies as instructed. Add to slow cooker with broth, spices, diced tomato, corn tortillas and chicken. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Blend soup broth, then return to slow cooker. Add the shredded chicken, green chiles and black beans.

Storing Instructions: store leftover chicken enchilada soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Freezing Instructions: Add to a freezer safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator then reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warm.

Loaded Enchilada Soup: Feel free to stir in some cooked rice, shredded cheese, sautéed vegetables, or corn to make it heartier.

Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

 

Nutrition

Calories: 243kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 734mg | Potassium: 454mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3370IU | Vitamin C: 34.4mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1.4mg

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I originally shared this recipe November 2014. Updated September 2018, November 2021 and December 2024.

Recipe originally adapted from Our Best Bites. I omit the jalapeño, use raw chicken and add black beans and green chiles.

Our easy Cheese Enchiladas recipe transforms corn tortillas, red enchilada sauce, and cheese into the most delicious 30 minute meal the whole family will love!

How to make Cheese Enchiladas:

Assemble: Heat a dry skillet then warm both sides of the tortilla in pan, until softened and pliable. Or, use my easy recipe to make your own corn tortillas. Pour ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13″ dish. Fill each tortilla with a handful of cheese then roll tightly, placing it in the pan with the seam side down. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on top then sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese on top.

Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with shredded cabbage, cotija cheese, chopped tomatoes, and a drizzle of sour cream. Enjoy with a side of refried beans, Mexican Rice, and Horchata.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: You can prep homemade cheese enchiladas several days in advance if you’d like. I recommend arranging the enchiladas in the baking dish then covering well, and storing the sauce in a separate airtight container. Then pour on the sauce and cheese when ready to bake. If you want to assemble it with the sauce, you can a few hours before baking.

To Freeze: Follow the recipe instructions through assembling, but don’t bake it. Cover the pan with plastic wrap then tinfoil and keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let it thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator before uncovering and baking.

Recipe Variations:

• Bean and Cheese Enchiladas: Fill each tortilla with a scoop of homemade refried beans then sprinkle on the cheese and roll up.
• Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas: Fill each enchilada with cooked, shredded chicken and cheese, or check out my Loaded Chicken Enchiladas recipe.
• Cheese Enchiladas with Green Sauce: Use salsa verde or green enchilada sauce instead of the red.

Serve With:

• Authentic Mexican Rice
• Pico de Gallo
• Homemade Refried Beans
• Restaurant Style Salsa
• Horchata
• Tres Leches Cake

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Cheese Enchiladas

This easy Cheese Enchiladas recipe transforms corn tortillas, red enchilada sauce, and cheese into the most delicious 30 minute meal the whole family will love!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 535kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost 10

Ingredients

• 12-14 white corn tortillas
• 5-6 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 20 ounces red enchilada sauce , homemade recommended, or canned
• 1 cup cabbage , thinly shredded
• 1 roma tomato , diced
• 1/4 cup Cotija cheese , crumbled, for topping (optional)
• sour cream , for topping

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Warm corn tortillas on a hot dry skillet for a few seconds on each side, until pliable. Remove to a plate as they're warm and cover with a kitchen towel.
• Assemble: Pour ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13'' pan. Fill each corn tortilla with a handful of cheese (reserving about ½ cup for sprinkling over the top, at the end). Roll tightly, and place seam side down in the pan. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top. Top with remaining ½ cup of cheese.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with shredded cabbage, cotija cheese, tomatoes, and sour cream. 
• Serve with a side of Refried Beans and Mexican Rice

Video

Notes

Serving size: two enchiladas (not including cabbage/cotija cheese topping)

Tortillas: corn tortillas are traditional, but flour tortillas will work. Just make sure when using corn tortillas, you heat them first to prevent cracking when rolling the cheese inside. 

Make Ahead Instructions: Fill tortillas with cheese and add to baking dish. Store enchilada sauce seperatly, and add just before baking. Alternately, assemble the entire dish, with sauce on top, up to a few hours in advance.

Freezing Instructions: Cover pan well with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before uncovering and baking.

Variations:

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas: Add a scoop of my Homemade Refried Beans on the tortilla and top with cheese.

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas: Add shredded chicken to the enchiladas, or check out my Loaded Chicken Enchiladas recipe.

Cheese Enchiladas with Green Sauce: Swap out the red enchilada sauce for salsa verde or green enchilada sauce.

Nutrition

Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1459mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1575IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 708mg | Iron: 1mg

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I originally shared this recipe August 2016. Updated September 2022 and December 2024.

Elevate your Taco Tuesday with the best Birria Tacos recipe of tender shredded beef and melty cheese inside a crispy pan-fried taco.

If you love taco recipes, you have to try Tacos Al Pastor, Korean Beef Tacos, Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos, or Salmon Tacos!

Ingredients Needed:

• Sauce Ingredients: Dried chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and spices.
• Beef: I like a combination of bone-in short ribs and chuck roast.
• Corn Tortillas: use my recipe to make your own or buy soft white or yellow corn tortillas.
• Oaxaca Cheese: The most authentic choice and melts perfectly. Mozzarella and Monterey jack cheese are good substitutes.
• White Onion: chopped finely. Red onion would also work.
• Cilantro and lime: for a must-have garnish.
• Optional Homemade Hot Salsa: the best way to elevate these tacos even more! You’ll need dried pasilla chiles and arbol chiles, tomatillos, garlic, onion, salt & pepper.

How to make Birria Tacos (in a nutshell):

Prep Meat and Chiles: Trim fat from roast and cut into a few large pieces. Use gloves to remove stems and seeds from chiles.

Make Sauce: It comes together quickly and simmers for 15 minutes before blending smooth, and straining it back into the pot, to cook the meat.

Add Beef and cook until tender, about 2 ½ hours.

Assemble Tacos: Dip corn tortillas in the broth, top with shredded meat, cheese, onion, and cilantro, then fry that beauty until crispy.

Serve quesabirria tacos with a cup of consommé broth for dipping.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: The birria meat and broth can be made a few days in advance, stored in airtight containers in the fridge until ready to assemble and serve.

To Freeze: Store leftover beef birria and broth in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then warm and assemble your tacos.

Recipe Variations:

• Chicken Birria Tacos: Make the broth as instructed, and instead of adding beef, add bone-in, skinless chicken thighs to the sauce. Cook chicken for 30 minutes, or until tender and cooked through. Shred chicken and assemble and serve tacos as instructed.
• Crockpot Birria Tacos: Make broth, as instructed, then add to slow cooker with beef. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, until meat is tender. Assemble tacos as instructed.

Serve Quesabirria tacos with:

• Elote (Mexican Corn)
• Authentic Mexican Rice
• Borracho Beans
• Charro Beans
• Horchata
• Sopapillas
• Tres Leches Cake

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Birria Tacos

There's nothing quite as good as delicious quesabirria Tacos, with shredded beef and melty cheese inside a crispy taco, dipped in broth. These tacos are next-level.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Calories 366kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost $66

Equipment

• Blender
• Fine Mesh Strainer

Ingredients

Birria Beef:

• 3 lb beef chuck roast , fat trimmed
• 4 bone-in beef short ribs
• 8 dried guajillo chile peppers*
• 3 dried pasilla chile peppers*
• 2-3 dried arbol chile peppers*
• 5 Roma tomatoes , quartered (about 1.5lbs)
• 1 white onion , roughly chopped
• 1 head garlic (10-12 cloves)
• 1 Tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 Tablespoon whole cumin seeds
• 1 Tablespoon Dried oregano
• 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seed
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
• 1 inch piece Mexican cinnamon stick* or ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tablespoon kosher salt

For the Tacos:

• 15 corn tortillas , white or yellow
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese , or use mozzarella or Monterey jack
• 1/2 of a white onion , diced
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro , chopped
• 2 limes cut into small wedges

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Cut chuck roast into a few large pieces and season with salt.
• Prep chiles: rinse (use gloves if desired) and use scissors to open and remove stem and seeds. (For extra spice, leave arbol chiles whole).
• Birria broth: Add tomatoes and onion to a large stock pot (at least 5.5qt pot or bigger) over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add whole garlic cloves, chile peppers, and all of the spices except the bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add vinegar and 4 cups water. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered.
• Blend: Add mixture to a blender and blend as smooth as possible. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer, back into the pot. Add 4 cups of water to the blender and swirl it around to clean excess sauce from the blender, then add it to the pot.
• Cook beef: Add 1 Tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Add short ribs, chuck roast and 3 bay leaves. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 ½ hours. Check beef to make sure it’s tender, then remove to a plate and shred. Discard bones and bay leaves.
• Assemble Tacos: Heat a large griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with a small amount of oil. Dip a corn tortilla into the birria sauce and lay tortilla on hot pan. Quickly top some shredded meat, cheese, chopped onion and cilantro. Fold tortilla over, in half. Fry for several minutes, until crispy and browned on the bottom. Flip and cook until crispy and browned on the other side. Remove to a plate, for serving.
• Serve: Sprinkle remaining chopped white onion and cilantro on top of prepared tacos. Serve quesabirria tacos with a cup of warm consommé broth, for dipping. We also like to serve with the hot salsa recipe in the notes below.
• *Save any leftover sauce by freezing for up to 3 months, and reheating to cook another roast inside.

Video

Notes

Peppers Spice Level: Guajillo and Passilla peppers are mild. Passila peppers could be swapped for mulato chiles, or use 1-2 extra guajillo chiles. Arbol chiles are spicy, so for very mild heat you can leave them out, or for medium heat, remove the seeds.

Cinnamon Stick: Mexican cinnamon sticks are softer than cassia cinnamon sticks, so be sure to use Mexican cinnamon sticks so they blend well, or substitute ground cinnamon.

Make Ahead Instructions: The birria meat and broth can be made a few days in advance, stored in airtight containers in the fridge until ready to assemble and serve.

Freezing Instructions: Store leftover beef birria and broth in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then warm and assemble your tacos.

Chicken Birria Tacos: Make the broth as instructed, and instead of adding beef, add bone-in, skinless chicken thighs to the sauce. Cook chicken for 30 minutes, or until tender and cooked through. Shred chicken and assemble and serve tacos as instructed.

Crockpot Birria Tacos: Make broth, as instructed, then add to slow cooker with beef. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, until meat is tender. Assemble tacos as instructed.

Optional Hot Salsa, for serving:

• 2 chiles pasilla
• 5 arbol chiles
• 10 tomatillo
• 3 cloves garlic
• Small piece onion
• Salt and pepper

Cover chiles and tomatillos with water and boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove everything chiles and tomatillos from the liquid and add to a blender. Add ½ cup of the water from the saucepan, garlic cloves, onion, and season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Serve as hot sauce for birria tacos.

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 852mg | Potassium: 490mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1192IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 3mg

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I originally shared this recipe May 2022. Updated October 2024.

This delicious and easy Ground Beef Tacos recipe has a flavorful beef filling inside a crispy fried corn tortilla.

Looking for more Mexican recipes? Try these Pupusas, Chicken Tinga, or Chilaquiles!

How to make Ground Beef Tacos:

Cook Meat: Combine all of the taco seasoning ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Place ground beef in a large skillet or cast-iron pan. Cook, crumbling into small pieces with a wooden spoon or meat chopper until browned. Add spices and stir well. Add black beans and heat on low to keep it warm.

Fry Taco Shells: Pour enough oil in a medium pot or skillet so it’s about 1-inch deep. Heat oil to 325 degrees F. Once hot, use tongs to dip one half of the tortilla into the hot oil, laying it flat, while folding the other end over, but keep it out of the oil. It will create a “U” or “taco shell” shape. Cook for about 1 minute, until golden and crisp, then flip and repeat with the other side of the tortilla. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Serve: Add a big spoonful of ground beef mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, salsa or your favorite toppings. Serve with a side of Mexican Rice or Elotes (Mexican Corn) and a glass of Horchata.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: The ground beef taco meat can be made up to a few days in advance, stored in the fridge. The taco shells can be fried a day in advance, stored in a brown paper bag at room temperature.

To Freeze: Freeze taco meat in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months.

Recipe Variations:

• Meat: Swap the beef for ground turkey or ground chicken.
• Toppings: We love to use pico de gallo, homemade guacamole (found in my cookbook), pickled onions and sautéed mushrooms.
• Slow cooker ground beef taco meat: Add beef, seasoning, and a cup or two of your favorite salsa in a crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours. Use a meat chopper or wooden spoon to break up the meat and discard liquid. Stir in black beans.

More Taco Recipes:

• Birria Tacos
• Tacos Al Pastor
• Baked Tacos
• BBQ Chicken Tacos
• Shrimp Tacos
• Walking Tacos
• Carne Asada Tacos
• Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
• Grilled Chicken Street Tacos
• Taco Salad

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Ground Beef Tacos

Delicious Ground Beef Tacos are so easy to make using pantry seasonings, and paired with a crispy corn tortilla.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 317kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost 5

Equipment

• Meat Chopper

Ingredients

Ground Beef Taco Meat:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon Dried oregano
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 15 oz can black beans , rinsed and drained

Tacos:

• 12 corn tortillas
• vegetable oil , for frying
• 2 cups Romaine lettuce , finely shredded
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1-2 roma tomatoes , chopped
• More topping ideas: olives, guacamole, pico de gallo, cotija cheese, jalapeños, pickled onion

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Combine taco seasoning spices in a small bowl, and set aside.
• Make the taco meat: Add ground beef to a large skillet or cast-iron pan. Cook, crumbling into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned. Add spices and stir well to combine. Stir in black beans. Keep on low heat while you fry the tortillas.
• Crunchy tortilla shells: Fill a medium pot or skillet with enough oil to fill about 1-inch up the sides. Heat oil to 325 degrees F. Once hot, use tongs to dip one half of the tortilla into the oil, laying it flat, while folding the other end over (but out of the oil, to create a “U” or “taco shell” shape. Cook for about 1 minute, until golden and crisp, then flip and repeat with the other side of the tortilla, until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, and repeat with remaining tortillas.
• Serve: Add a big spoonful of ground beef mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream, salsa or other desired toppings. Serve with a side of Mexican rice.

Video

Notes

Serving size is for 2 tacos.

Meat: Feel free to swap the beef for ground turkey or ground chicken.

Toppings: Use all of your favorite toppings, I love pico de gallo, homemade guacamole (found in my cookbook!), pickled onions and sautéed mushrooms.

Slow Cooker: Dump beef, seasoning, and a cup or two of your favorite salsa in a crockpot. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours. Use a meat chopper or wooden spoon to break up the meat and discard any liquid. Stir in black beans then make tortillas as instructed in recipe, add toppings, and serve.

Make Ahead Instructions: The taco filling can be made up to a few days in advance and just rewarmed on the stove. The taco shells can be fried a day in advance and stored in a brown paper bag.

Freezing Instructions: Let cool completely then dump taco meat in a freezer safe bag or container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 615mg | Potassium: 504mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2127IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 219mg | Iron: 3mg

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We originally shared this recipe September 2022. Updated August 2024.

You can easily make Sopapillas from home that are fluffy, lightly crispy, and absolutely delicious, dusted with powdered sugar and a drizzle of honey.

Want more of my bakery favorites? Try our Homemade Scones, Cinnamon Roll Biscuits, Strawberry Crepes, or Buttermilk Biscuits!

How to make Sopapillas:

Make Dough: Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add shortening then cut it in with forks or a pastry blender. Gradually stir in water until the mixture comes together. Knead dough in the bowl for a few minutes until smooth.

Rest: Cover bowl tightly then allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes – this is an important step so they “pillow up”.

Roll dough into a square about 1/8-inch thick. Cut three strips vertically and horizontally to make 9 pieces.

Fry: Add about 1-2 inches of oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is lightly bubbling, lay a square of dough very carefully onto the hot oil. It will sink to the bottom and then begin to float to the top of the oil. Once it floats to the top, lightly drizzle hot oil over the top of it as it cooks, which will help it to pillow-up. Cook for about 30 seconds then flip to the other side and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Serve homemade sopapillas warm, with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of honey, or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Store leftover sopapillas at room temperature for 1-2 days.

Freezing Instructions:

To Freeze Dough (recommended method): Make the dough and freeze dough in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then roll out the dough and fry as instructed.

To Freeze Fried Sopapillas: Freeze cooled pastries for up to 2 months. To reheat, allow them to thaw completely then bake at 300°F for about 5-8 minutes (turning halfway through) until warm.

Print

Sopapillas

Delicious homemade Sopapillas are fluffy, lightly crispy, and absolutely delicious dusted with powdered sugar and a drizzle of honey. They are ready in just 30 minutes and you won't believe how easy they are to make.

Course Dessert, Main Course

Cuisine hispanic, south american

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Rest 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 9

Calories 63kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost $3

Equipment

• Pastry Blender

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening
• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon warm water
• oil for frying
• powdered sugar and honey , for serving (or cinnamon sugar)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Make Dough: Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the shortening and cut it in with forks or a pastry blender. Gradually stir in water until the mixture comes together. Knead the dough in the bowl for a few minutes until smooth.
• Rest: Cover the bowl tightly and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes.
• Heat Oil: Meanwhile, add about 1-2 inches of oil to a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Roll dough into a square about 1/8-inch thick. Cut three strips vertically and horizontally to make 9 pieces.
• Fry: Once the oil is hot, use tongs to lay a square of dough very carefully into the hot oil. It will sink to the bottom and then begin to float to the top of the oil. Once it floats to the top, lightly spoon hot oil over the top of it as it cooks, which will help it to pillow-up. Cook for about 30 seconds and then flip to the other side and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
• Serve dusted with powdered sugar and a drizzle of honey, or sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
• Store leftover sopapillas at room temperature for 1-2 days.

Video

Notes

*Recipe can easily be doubled to make more!

*Calories are calculated before frying.

Freezing Dough (recommended method): Make the dough and freeze dough in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter until it comes to room temperature, then roll out the dough and fry as instructed.

Freezing Fried Sopapillas: Cooled pastries can be frozen for up to 2 months. To reheat, allow them to thaw completely then bake at 300°F for about 5-8 minutes (turning halfway through) until warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 63kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.04g | Vitamin A: 0.3IU | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

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I originally shared this recipe February 2020 . Updated August 2024.

Our homemade Pico de Gallo recipe takes 10 minutes to make and instantly elevates any dish (or serve it with tortilla chips!)

If you’re looking for delicious dip recipes try Homemade Hummus, Pepper Jelly, Easy Homemade Salsa, or Street Corn Dip!

How to make Pico de Gallo:

Combine chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro and jalapeño in a bowl. Season with salt and a spritz of lime juice. Serve on your favorite Mexican dishes, or with chips. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Pico is my favorite when made an hour or two in advance. It can be kept in the fridge for about a week, depending on the freshness of your ingredients.

Recipe Variations:

• Spicy Pico de Gallo: Keep the jalapeño seeds and add extra jalapeño peppers if you’d like.
• Add Avocado: Stir in some diced avocado right before serving.
• Add Mango: Stir in diced avocado right before serving, for a fun flavor twist.

More Popular Mexican Recipes:

• Authentic Mexican Rice
• Tres Leches Cake
• Horchata
• Pozole Verde
• Elote (Mexican Corn)
• Wet Burrito
• Taco Salad
• Tamales

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Pico de Gallo

This homemade Pico de Gallo recipe only takes 10 minutes and is made with fresh tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, and jalapeño. It is bursting with fresh flavors and instantly elevates any dish, or can be enjoyed with chips.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 19kcal

Author Lauren Allen

Cost 3

Equipment

• Knife

Ingredients

• 5 Roma tomatoes , diced
• 1/2 cup white or red onion , diced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro , chopped
• 1 small jalepeño pepper , veins and seeds removed, diced
• 1 – 2 teaspoons lime juice , to taste
• salt , to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Combine diced tomatoes, onion, cilantro and jalapeño in a bowl. Season with salt and add lime juice to taste. 
• Top on your favorite Mexican food, eggs, avocado toast, chicken, or serve with chips.

Video

Notes

Yield: Makes about 4 cups.

Make Ahead Instructions: prepare Pico de Gallo an hour or two in advance, stored in the fridge. Leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge.

Spicy Pico de Gallo: Keep the jalapeño seeds and add extra jalapeño peppers if you’d like.

Add Avocado: Stir in some diced avocado right before serving.

Add Mango: Stir in diced avocado right before serving, for a fun flavor twist.

Nutrition

Calories: 19kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 593IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

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 *I originally shared this recipe April 2015. Updated May 2018, April 2022 and July 2024.