Cheese entomatadas are one of the most comforting dishe in Mexican home cooking: soft corn tortillas, dipped in a homemade tomato sauce, without peppers, filled with cheese and topped with cheese, cream, and chopped cilantro.
A Mexican Dish with No Peppers
Entomatadas are what I make when I want something comforting and simple. My grandmother used to make them for me whenever I visited her, and even now I can close my eyes and smell that tomato sauce hitting the hot pan.
This is a Mexican staple that is perfect for anyone who loves the flavors of Mexican cooking but doesn't want the chiles' spiciness.
Yes, we do have Mexican recipes without chiles! Let's make them!
What Are Entomatadas?
Entomatadas are a traditional Mexican dish made with corn tortillas dipped in a homemade tomato sauce. The name comes from the word tomate (jitomate), which is what tomatoes are called in Mexico.
Think of them as the mild cousin of enchiladas: same concept, but instead of a chile-based sauce, the tortillas are bathed in a bright, savory, light tomato sauce with no added heat.
They are incredibly popular in everyday Mexican kitchens, especially in central Mexico, and are often served for breakfast, lunch, or a light dinner.
The most classic filling is crumbled queso fresco mixed with white onion, though shredded chicken, beans, or just the cheese on its own are all common variations.
They are finished with a drizzle of Mexican crema, more cheese and fresh cilantro.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Tomatoes: use large, ripe Roma tomatoes. Substitute with another plum tomato.
- White onion: half goes into the sauce, half into the filling. You can substitute red onion for the filling and yellow onion for the sauce.
- Garlic: very important for giving the sauce an extra layer of flavor; please don't omit.
- Queso fresco: the classic filling. You can substitute with cotija cheese, requesón (a type of Mexican ricotta), mozzarella, or Oaxaca cheese.
- Corn tortillas: regular size; if you use taco-size, add an extra one per portion.
- Oil: my favorite is olive oil, but you can use any neutral-flavor oil to lightly fry the tortillas and the salsa.
- Toppings: Mexican crema that you can substitute with sour cream or heavy cream, and fresh cilantro.
How to Make Entomatadas in a Few Words
- Make the tomato sauce. Cook tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Drain the veggies and blend with salt. Fry and boil for a few minutes.
- Prepare the filling. Crumble queso fresco and mix it ith the finely chopped onion.
- Fry and dip the tortillas. Warm tortillas until flexible, and lightly fry them. Dip in the sauce and fill them with the cheese/onion mixture.
- Serve right away. Arrange three entomatads per plate and top with extra queso fresco, crema, and fresh cilantro.
Silvia's Tips
- Don't overfill them: the tomato sauce is the star of this dish. Too much cheese throws off the balance, and you lose the sauce's bright, savory flavor.
- Always fry the tortillas first; even a quick 10-second fry on each side makes a big difference. An unfried tortilla will fall apart easily.
- Save the cooking water, you will likely need it to loosen the sauce after blending. After that, you can use it to cook arroz rojo or fideo soup.
- Do you miss the heat? Add a serrano or jalapeño when cooking the tomatoes, or blend a chipotle in adobo. Delicious, though no longer the traditional no-chile version. You can also prepare a red salsa and serve on top, to taste.
- Another option is to roll the entomatadas, place them in an oven-safe dish, top with the cream and cheese (if it melts even better), and bake for 15 min at 350 F. Just like the photo below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try More Mexican Dishes Made with Tortillas and Salsa
- Chicken enchiladas en green sauce
- Chicken enchiladas in avocado sauce
- Red chilaquiles
- Chicken chilaquiles in salsa verde
- Chilaquiles with egg in guajillo sauce
Mexican Cheese Entomatadas Recipe
Soft corn tortillas dipped in a rich homemade tomato sauce and filled with crumbled queso fresco and onion. A classic Mexican comfort dish with no chile.
Servings: 4 servings (3 tortillas each)
Calories: 568kcal
Ingredients
- 6 tomatoes large (aprox 900 g/ 2lb)
- ½ white onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 10 oz queso fresco
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup crema Mexicana
- fresh cilantro
Utensilios
- Knife
- Cutting board
- * Blender
- medium pot
- Comal
- Pan
Instructions
- Wash and halve the tomatoes. Peel the half onion. Cut into two chunks. Finely chop one and reserve for the filling and halve the other one. Peel the garlic cloves.
- Place the tomatoes, onion pieces, and garlic in a medium pot. Cover with water (about 2 cups). Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes, or until the onion is tender and the tomato skin begins to peel away withoug the tomatoes losing their shape.
- Let the vegetables cook for a few minutes. Transfer the veggies and salt to a blender, leaving the cooking water behind. Blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved cooking water a little at a time until the sauce is fluid but still has body.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Pour the tomato sauce and simmer over low heat for 8-10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Adjust teture with a splash of reserved cooking water if needed.
- While the sauce simmers, crumble the queso fresco and mix with the finely chopped onion. Set aside.
- Warm the tortillas on a comal or in the microwave until flexible.
- In a skillet (preferibly non-stick), heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Lightly fry 3 tortillas until coated and soft. Repet with the remaining tortillas, adding 1/2 tablespoon of oil per batch.
- Dip one tortilla into the tomato sauce, place on a plate, add one spoonful of the queso fresco and onion filing, and fold in half. Repeat with two more tortillas to complete one serving. Continue with the other portions.
- Top with extra crumbled cheese and onion, Mexican crema, and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately. Accompany with beans, or white rice or a salad.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Mexican Cheese Entomatadas Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
568
% Daily Value*
Fat
35
g
54
%
Saturated Fat
10
g
63
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
5
g
Monounsaturated Fat
11
g
Cholesterol
65
mg
22
%
Sodium
1135
mg
49
%
Potassium
700
mg
20
%
Carbohydrates
48
g
16
%
Fiber
7
g
29
%
Sugar
9
g
10
%
Protein
20
g
40
%
Vitamin A
2243
IU
45
%
Vitamin C
27
mg
33
%
Calcium
536
mg
54
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notes
Notes:
- Oven option: roll the tortillas instead of folding them and arrange them in a baking dish. Cover with the remaining sauce, cheese (mozarella or Oaxaca cheeses go better with this option), and crema. Bake at 350 F (175 C) for 15 minutes.
- If you are missing the heat, add a serrano or jalapeño pepper when cooking the tomatoes, or blend in one chipotle in adobo. Better yet, top them with a spicy red salsa.
- The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
- Storing assembled entomatadas is not recommended. The sauce will make the tortillas super soft, and they will break when you serve them again. Now, if you don't mind that, go ahead, the taste will be the same, but the tortillas will probably lose their shape.
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Silvia started bilingual website Mama Latina Tips in 2009 to connect and share her stories, recipes and culture with readers. Silvia loves dancing, cooking, watching movies, reading, throwing Mexican parties and spending time with family and friends. Silvia is the winner of The Great American Recipe.
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