Enchiladas Guatemaltecas: Loaded Tostadas with Beet Curtido

The enchiladas guatemaltecas in this recipe are not rolled tortillas in chile sauce. Each one is a tostada – a flat, crispy fried tortilla – piled high with layers of ingredients. Prensa Libre counts enchiladas among the favorite foods of Guatemalan cooking.

Each enchilada starts with a tostada base, then a lettuce leaf, then the curtido (a pickled beet and vegetable salad that gives the whole thing its signature reddish-purple color), then seasoned ground beef, a slice of hard-boiled egg, a spoonful of tomato sauce, crumbled queso seco, and chopped parsley on top. It is architecture. Every bite has every layer.

They are piled so high that, as Prensa Libre notes, they sometimes tend to break.

Ingredients

For the Curtido (Pickled Vegetable Salad)

• 4 medium beets, boiled until tender, peeled and diced small
• 2 medium carrots, boiled until tender, diced small
• 1 cup cooked green peas (arvejas)
• 1 cup cooked green beans (ejotes), diced small
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt to taste

For the Ground Beef

• 1 lb (450g) ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

For Assembly

• 10 tostadas (or fry corn tortillas until crispy)
• 1 head lettuce, leaves separated and dried
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced into rounds
• 1/2 cup queso seco or Cotija cheese, crumbled
• Fresh parsley (perejil), finely chopped
• Tomato sauce or salsa for drizzling

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the curtido (at least 1 hour ahead, ideally overnight). Boil the beets and carrots separately until tender. Peel the beets. Dice beets, carrots, and green beans into small, uniform pieces. Combine in a bowl with the cooked peas. Add vinegar, sugar, and salt. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The longer it marinates, the better the flavor.

Step 2: Cook the ground beef. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the diced onion until translucent (3 minutes). Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add ground beef, breaking it up with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until fully browned. Add tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes until the meat is flavorful and not dry. Set aside.

Step 3: Prepare the eggs. Place eggs in a saucepan, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes. Transfer to ice water. Peel and slice into rounds.

Step 4: Assemble each enchilada. Work quickly so the tostada stays crispy:

1. Place a tostada on a plate
2. Set a leaf of lettuce on top
3. Add a generous spoonful (3-4 tablespoons) of curtido
4. Add a spoonful of ground beef
5. Place a slice of hard-boiled egg
6. Drizzle with tomato sauce
7. Sprinkle crumbled queso seco
8. Top with chopped parsley

Step 5: Serve immediately. Enchiladas must be eaten right after assembly. The tostada starts absorbing moisture from the curtido within minutes and loses its crunch. This is why market vendors assemble them to order.

Como Lo Hacemos en Guatemala (Local Tips)

The beet curtido needs time. Making it the night before gives the best results. The vinegar penetrates the vegetables and the beet color bleeds into everything, creating that signature pink-red hue.

Queso seco is not queso fresco. Guatemalan queso seco is dry, salty, and crumbly – more like Parmesan than mozzarella. Cotija cheese is the closest substitute in the US.

Eat them right away. The tostada softens as it sits under the curtido. Getting the whole thing in your mouth without the tostada cracking is an acquired skill.

Optional extras: sliced radishes on top for extra crunch, or a thin spread of guacamol under the curtido.

Find Ingredients in the US

Sources

• Prensa Libre, ¿Qué comer en Guatemala? (18 June 2024): https://www.prensalibre.com/vida/que-comer-en-guatemala/ (read 4 November 2026)
• Diccionario de la lengua española (RAE-ASALE), enchilada: https://dle.rae.es/enchilada (read 4 November 2026)