Best Enchiladas de Mole & Tamales in Los Angeles
Look for rich enchiladas de mole, steamed tamales and crispy tacos dorados at Imperial Night Market in Downtown LA on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings, when a vendor is serving it. Free entry.
The origins of enchiladas & tamales
Home-style Mexican comfort food represents the maternal heart of community gastronomy, embodying recipes perfected across generations of family kitchens. Enchiladas de mole showcase the legendary alchemy of mole poblano: a velvety sauce derived from toasted mulato, ancho, and pasilla chiles blended with Mexican chocolate, almonds, raisins, sesame seeds, and warm spices. Warm corn tortillas are dipped in hot lard, submerged into the simmering dark mole, rolled around tender shredded chicken, and adorned with sesame seeds and raw onion rings.
Alongside enchiladas sit steaming tamaleras: large multi-tiered steaming pots filled with soft, lard-whipped masa parcels wrapped in natural corn husks (totomoxtle) with chicken in salsa verde, pork in red chile, or sweet raisins. Crisp golden tacos dorados and empanadas offer irresistible crunch, finished with warm sweet fried plantains (platanos fritos) drizzled with crema and lechera.
True mole cannot be hurried: roasting the seeds and chiles to exact mahogany shades without burning requires instinctual timing. Simmering the paste in lard until it coats the back of a spoon ensures every enchilada is enveloped in a glossy, complex emulsion of sweet, savory, and smoky notes.
If you like enchiladas & tamales
Frequently asked questions
Vendors steam batches of savory chicken in salsa verde, pork in red chile, rajas con queso, and sweet tamales with raisins in natural corn husks when a vendor is serving them.
Yes, crispy tacos dorados filled with potato or shredded chicken are fried crisp on site and topped with fresh shredded lettuce, crema, queso cotija, and house salsas.
Explore authentic mole recipes, masa tips, and Mexican culinary stories on the Muy Delicioso app.