Well, I don’t mean to brag, but these really are the best chicken enchiladas you’ll find outside of an authentic Mexican restaurant – these are legit! I first learned to make chicken enchiladas from a friend of mine who was a chef. Years later, I learned that my husband’s family made their red sauce almost the exact same way. So this is my own recipe, which is sort of a combination of what I’ve learned from some amazing Mexican chefs.
First of all, this uses cheap ingredients! I love to make enchiladas because my whole family LOVES them, and will completely jack up a pan of enchiladas in one night. But secondly, this is an excellent “middle of the month” between paychecks kinda meal. I usually use cheap chicken thighs, but used rotisserie chicken this time. I make these all the time with just cheese, too! You could even use beef. It’s really up to you.
What you need is: chicken, corn tortillas, cheese, a bit of flour, oil, chicken bouillon, and a couple of packets of chile molido puro powder from the ethnic section of your supermarket.
The method that I find works best for a lump-free sauce is as follows. Whisk together the chile powder and two pints of cold water in a pretty good sized bowl. Get it completely mixed together and then set it aside. Then, create a roux by mixing a few tablespoons of oil and flour in a hot pan with two bouillon cubes. Slowly add the chile/water mix and whisk it all together. Heat to boiling, then reduce the heat and let it simmer about fifteen minutes.
While the sauce is going, get the tortillas ready! When I make enchiladas, I use fourteen corn tortillas. I know exactly how many fit in my baking dish – ten in a row, then four on the side. Heat about half an inch of oil in a hot skillet, then use tongs to quickly dip each tortilla in the oil. Don’t fry it up like a chip, just soften it. Place the tortillas on a plate of paper towels.
Then – chicken! If you use rotisserie chicken, just use your fingers to pull the breasts off the carcass. That makes the perfect amount of chicken. If you’re using thighs, you probably need about two good sized thighs. Shred the chicken with your fingers in a bowl. Now you’re ready to assemble!
Assemble your enchiladas with a bit of chicken and cheese in each tortilla in a baking dish, seam side down. You can see my method in the pic below, but do it however you like. You can even stack them in layers if you don’t want to roll them up. Once your dish is full of enchiladas, grab your sauce! Pour the sauce over the whole thing, and then add more cheese. Yum.
At this point, you can bake it, or put it in your fridge for later.
When you’re ready to eat, throw your pan of enchiladas into a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or so, or until bubbly and amazing looking. When it’s done, pull it out and let it cool for five minutes or so, and then add sour cream if you like. So good!
Now, scoop them onto a plate and eat! I always serve these with my Spanish Rice. My husband squeezes fresh lemon all over his. I don’t know. It’s a Mexican thing, I think. He puts lemon juice on everything. I like to eat mine with diced onion. Yuuuuum. I hope you like my enchiladas! They’re pretty much my favorite thing ever.
Ingredients
- 2 c. shredded, cooked chicken
- 14 corn tortillas
- 4 c. Mexican-style cheese
- 2 packets chile molida pura
- 16 oz. water
- 2 T. Flour
- 2 T. Oil
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
Instructions
- Make sauce by first combining chile powder and water in a bowl, then creating a roux from the oil, flour, and bouillon. Add the chile powder/water to the roux and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
- Soften tortillas by dipping them one by one in hot oil, using tongs.
- Fill tortillas with a mix of shredded chicken and cheese, then roll and place seam side down in a baking dish.
- Pour sauce over assembled enchiladas and cover with cheese.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
Crockpot Lasagna – an old favorite!