Chicken Enchiladas
Oven-baked chicken enchiladas with a tasty red sauce.
Ingredients
enchiladas and stuffing
- 12 oz boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/4 inch wide strips
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped coarsely (2 tbsp dried)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 oz pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped
- 10 corn tortillas (6 inch)
- 3 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
red sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp canola oil (any neutral tasting oil)
- 1 med onion, chopped fine
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp white sugar
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 3/4 cup water
toppings
- sour cream
- diced avocado
- romaine lettuce, shredded
- 2 limes, quartered
hardware
- 13x9 inch baking dish with glass cover
- medium saucepan
- small dish
- medium mesh strainer
- 2 medium bowls
- 2 baking sheets
- cooking spray
Servings
10 enchiladas
Directions
Red Sauce
Mix together chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and sugar in small dish
In saucepan over med heat, cook onions in oil until softened and slightly brown, 5 minutes.
Tilt pan to collect oil and onions. Add garlic, powder mixture to the oil and stir. Put pan back on burner and let cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add chicken and coat with spices, 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add tomato sauce, water and stir to mix in. Simmer, uncovered, until chicken has cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Pour through medium mesh strainer into medium bowl, set sauce aside. Transfer chicken mixture to medium bowl and put in freezer 10 minutes to cool. Mix in jalapenos, cilantro, 1 cup shredded cheese.
Prep tortillas
Put oven racks at lower-middle and upper-middle. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place tortillas, single layer, on two baking sheets. Spray both sides with cooking spray. Bake 4 minutes on upper-middle rack.
Enchiladas
Smear entire bottom of baking dish with 3/4 cup sauce. For each tortilla, fill with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Roll tightly and place in dish, seam side down. All ten should line up. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle with shredded cheese down the middle.
Heat to 400 degrees F. Cover and bake on lower-middle rack until cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes.
Uncover and serve immediately with toppings on the side.
Doug's Notes
The idea behind tilting the pan and mixing in powder is to bloom it and not burn it.
Cooling chicken prevents the tortilla from getting soggy.
Monterey Jack or sharp white cheddar cheese works well, too.
Bottled red sauce (2 1/2 cups) can be substituted for red sauce,
though I have not tried it.
Try shredding the chicken when it is
cool.
Microwave tortillas 30 seconds instead of putting in oven.
Dip entire tortilla in sauce before filling with chicken mixture.
