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Chicken Enchiladas

This recipe guides you through making savory chicken enchiladas. Chicken breasts are browned, shredded, and combined with sautéed vegetables, chiles, and stewed tomatoes to form a rich filling. Corn tortillas are softened, dipped in enchilada sauce, filled, rolled, and baked until the cheese is melted and bubbly. The dish is then garnished with fresh toppings for a hearty and flavorful Mexican 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
  • 2 13x9-inch Baking Pans
  • 1 Large Shallow Bowl For dipping tortillas
  • 1 Cutting Board
  • 1 Sharp Knife

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

For an elevated flavor, consider preparing your own enchilada sauce from scratch using dried chiles for a richer, more authentic base instead of canned. When browning the chicken, ensure a good sear to develop deep, savory notes; don't overcrowd the pan. Hand-shredding the chicken yields a better, more natural texture than dicing. To prevent tortillas from tearing during rolling, microwave them just until pliable, or give them a quick dip in warm enchilada sauce or a hot, dry skillet. The flour in the filling acts as a binder; make sure to cook it for a minute to avoid a raw flour taste. For best results, don't overfill the tortillas to ensure they hold their shape. Finish with a generous amount of fresh garnishes like cilantro, scallions, and a dollop of sour cream to add brightness and contrast.