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Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe guides you in preparing hearty chicken enchiladas. Chicken breasts are browned and seasoned, then shredded and combined with a flavorful medley of sautéed onions, garlic, corn, and chiles. Corn tortillas are softened, dipped in enchilada sauce, filled with the chicken mixture, rolled, and baked with more sauce and cheese until golden and bubbly, perfect for a satisfying meal.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 16 people
Calories 600.1 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Saute Pan For browning chicken and sautéing vegetables
  • 2 13x9-inch Baking Pans For assembling and baking enchiladas
  • 1 Microwave For softening corn tortillas
  • 1 Large Shallow Bowl For dipping tortillas in enchilada sauce
  • 1 Cutting Board & Chef's Knife For prepping onions, garlic, and chiles

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
  • 1 red onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup frozen corn thawed
  • 5 canned whole green chiles seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 4 canned chipotle chiles seeded and minced
  • 1 28-ounce can stewed tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  • 16 corn tortillas
  • 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce canned
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
  • Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Instructions
 

  • Coat large saute pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.
  • Saute onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.
  • Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.
  • Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
  • Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

Notes

1. For superior flavor, consider using homemade enchilada sauce instead of canned. Roasting and rehydrating dried chiles like Ancho or Guajillo will elevate the dish significantly. A touch of unsweetened cocoa powder or a very small amount of coffee can add surprising depth to red enchilada sauce. 2. When shredding the chicken, using two forks is effective, but for larger batches, a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed can shred cooked chicken breasts in seconds. 3. Warming the tortillas is crucial for pliability. Skipping this step will result in cracked tortillas and a messy assembly. Ensure they are just warm and flexible, not crispy. 4. Don't overcrowd the sauté pan when browning the chicken; work in batches if necessary to achieve a good sear, which locks in flavor.