If you've never had real Carne Enchilada, you're missing out on one of the most flavorful street foods Mexico has to offer. Carne Enchilada is sliced pork (sometimes beef) that's been marinated in a rich red chili sauce - usually made with guajillo, along with garlic, cumin, oregano, and a touch of vinegar. After hours of marinating, it's grilled or cooked on a flat top until perfectly cooked, crispy on the edges, and juicy in the middle.
Carne Enchilada | Adobaba Pork
Throughout Mexico, you can find different versions of adobo steak marinade (carne enchilada), also called carne adobada, cecina enchilada, or carne adobada para asar. The ingredients change depending on the region. In southern Veracruz, especially around San Andrés Tuxtla, this style of meat is known as carne de Chinameca, where achiote paste is often added to the marinade.
In This Post
I am not exactly sure how long carne enchilada has been made in Mexico, but the use of dried chiles to season meats goes back many centuries in Mexican cooking. Long before pork and beef arrived in New Spain with the Spanish, Indigenous communities were cooking wild game and native birds with dried chiles and local herbs.
Later, ingredients like cloves, cinnamon, oregano, and vinegar became part of many regional marinades and adobos throughout the country. In some towns, the marinated meat is hung outside for a few hours to air-dry slightly before being cooked or smoked over local woods, such as guava tree wood, which gives the meat a wonderful smoky flavor.
If you have the freezer space, I highly recommend doubling the recipe and saving some of the marinated meat for later. It is one of those recipes that is wonderful to have ready for an easy meal during the week.
How to Make Carne Enchilada Recipe
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this authentic carne enchilada recipe:
- Guajillo peppers
- Whole black peppercorns
- Whole cloves
- Cumin seeds
- Coriander seeds
- Cinnamon stick
- Mexican oregano
- Thyme
- Bay leaf
- White onion, chopped
- Garlic cloves
- Apple cider vinegar
- Salt
- Pork loin or pork butt, steaks
- large white onion, cut into slices (optional)
Note:
If using a pork loin or pork butt roast, slice the meat into steaks about ⅓-inch thick. For easier slicing, place the meat in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before cutting. Thin steaks absorb the marinade better and cook more evenly.
Instructions
For this recipe, I will separate it into steps for easy following.
Prep dried chiles for sauce:
- Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo peppers.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and lightly toast the peppers for a few seconds per side, taking care not to burn them, as they can turn bitter very quickly. Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for about 15 to 20 minutes until softened.
- In the same skillet, lightly toast the black peppercorns, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf for about 1 minute, stirring frequently until fragrant. Be careful with the heat and avoid burning the spices, as this can give the marinade a bitter taste.
- Place the softened peppers, toasted spices, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and salt in a blender. Add about ⅓ cup of the soaking water from the peppers and blend until you have a very smooth marinade.
Marinate the meat:
- Place steaks in a large bowl or baking dish and pour the adobo sauce over them.
- Use your hands or a spoon to coat the meat well on all sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, although overnight will give you the best flavor.
Make the carne enchilada:
- Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet or grill over medium heat. Cook the pork steaks for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until fully cooked and lightly browned around the edges. If using the sliced onion, add it to the skillet while cooking the meat.
- Serve warm with tortillas, beans, rice, avocado slices, and your favorite spicy salsa.
Enjoy!
-Mely Martinez
Notes and Tips for Making Carne Enchilada Recipe
- You can replace some of the fresh spices with their ground versions, but using whole spices will give the marinade a much better flavor.
- You can double the recipe and freeze part of the marinated pork for later use. Place the pork and marinade in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
- As the meat marinates, it will release some of its natural juices. This process helps the chili paste coat the pork better and gives the meat more flavor as it cooks.
- Once marinated, you can refrigerate the pork steaks for up to 3 days. The flavor will continue to develop and improve as the meat marinates. If the steaks are sliced too thin and marinated for too long, the meat can become mushy.
What To Serve With Carne Enchilada
I like to enjoy my asado de puerco with warm flour tortillas for making tacos. It also pairs wonderfully with Mexican rice, refried beans, slices of avocado, and your favorite salsa. Leftovers make excellent fillings for sandwiches, burritos, or quesadillas.
More Authentic Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this easy Mexican recipe, take a look at some of these other authentic recipes:
- Easy Guajillo Pork-Stew or Chile Colorado
- Pork Stew with Purslane
- Mexican Ropa Vieja
- Authentic Carne asada (skirt steak recipe)
I hope you make this carne enchilada recipe. If this recipe was helpful to you, come back and let me know how it went. Please leave us a comment below and tell us all about it!
Provecho!
Mely Martinez,
Frequently Asked Questions About Mexican Marinated Pork Steaks
Here are some of the questions I usually get about this recipe, along with my answers. If you have a question and you don't see it below, please send it my way so I can help you get your answer.
What is Carne Enchilada?
Carne Enchilada is sliced meat, most commonly pork (like pork loin, shoulder, or butt), but also beef (flap meat, such as skirt steak) - marinated in a flavorful red chili sauce made from dried chiles (in this case guajillo), garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, vinegar or citrus, and spices. It's then grilled or cooked in a pan until caramelized and crispy on the edges.
Is Carne Enchilada the same as rolled enchiladas?
No. Traditional enchiladas are corn tortillas filled (often with meat or cheese) and smothered in sauce. Carne Enchilada refers to seasoned/marinated meat. It's very popular all over Mexico.
What does pork adobada (carne enchilada) taste like?
Carne enchilada has a taste similar to tacos al pastor, as it shares many of the same ingredients, especially when using pork. It has a flavorful, smoky, slightly spicy, and savory red-chile flavor with hints of garlic, cumin, and oregano.
What kind of meat is best for carne enchilada?
- Pork - the most traditional and common version.
- Beef - often a cut called tasajo, a long cut of flap meat ( aranchera | flank steak |skirk steak) or thin-sliced chuck/steak. Some people also make it with chicken.
How spicy is pork marinated in chili sauce is?
It depends on the chiles and how much you want to add. Guajillo peppers are relatively mild. Most versions are moderately spicy with more flavor than heat. You can easily adjust the heat when making it at home by using only fresh dried peppers and using less than the recommended amount in the recipe.
Can I buy pork adabada -carne enchilada pre-made?
Yes, Many Mexican butcher shops (carnicerías) in the U.S. sell pre-marinated carne enchilada. Just ask for it by name. If you live in areas like Texas or California, you can also find it pre-packaged in the meat section. For more recipes, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, or subscribe to our newsletter. En español, visit us at México en mi cocina .
📖 Recipe
Carne Enchilada Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 guajillo peppers
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 whole cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup white onion chopped
- 2 lg garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1.5 teaspoon salt
- 24 oz pork loin or pork butt cut into ⅓-inch thick steaks
- 1 large white onion cut into slices
Instructions
Prep dried chiles and ingredients for sauce:
- Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo peppers. Heat a skillet over medium heat and lightly toast the peppers for a few seconds per side, taking care not to burn them, as they can turn bitter very quickly. Place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for about 15 to 20 minutes until softened.
- In the same skillet, lightly toast the black peppercorns, cloves, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cinnamon stick, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf for about 1 minute, stirring frequently until fragrant. Be careful with the heat and avoid burning the spices, as this can give the marinade a bitter taste.
- Place the softened peppers, toasted spices, onion, garlic, apple cider vinegar, and salt in a blender. Add about ⅓ cup of the soaking water from the peppers and blend until you have a very smooth marinade.
Marinate the meat:
- Place steaks in a large bowl or baking dish and pour the adobo sauce over them. Use your hands or a spoon to coat the meat well on all sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, although overnight will give you the best flavor.
Make the carne enchilada:
- Heat two tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet or grill over medium heat. Cook the pork steaks for about 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until fully cooked and lightly browned around the edges. If using the sliced onion, add it to the skillet while cooking the meat.
- Serve warm with tortillas, beans, rice, avocado slices, and your favorite spicy salsa.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- You can replace some of the fresh spices with their ground versions, but using whole spices will give the marinade a much better flavor.
- You can double the recipe and freeze part of the marinated pork for later use. Place the pork and marinade in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
- As the meat marinates, it will release some of its natural juices. This process helps the chili paste coat the pork better and gives the meat more flavor as it cooks.
- Once marinated, you can refrigerate the pork steaks for up to 3 days. The flavor will continue to develop and improve as the meat marinates. If the steaks are sliced too thin and marinated for too long, the meat can become mushy.
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Ben
I only rated the recipe a 4 cuz I haven't made it yet, but I will. I appreciate some of the background information you provided about carne 'enchilada', 'adobada'. My mom, who was from CDMX, regularly (almost too regularly) made sliced beef (usually top sirloin) in adobo. We just referred to it as adobo. Later as an adult, I was confused when I tried Filipino adobo cuz it had no chile in it! I like your use of cinnamon and clove in the recipe. Achiote would really push it toward Al Pastor. I think the cooked, carne enchilada, could be sliced, frozen and used in a lot of other dishes like sopes, tacos or flour tortilla quesadillas, even burritos. Muchas gracias!!
Pat
Would this sauce work with already shredded or even ground meat?
Mely Martínez
Hello Pat,
It could work, You will have to cook it well.
Mely