The first thought that comes to my mind when I think of chicken enchiladas is a deliciously hearty, bathed in sour cream and cream of chicken, and smothered in chicken dish my mom makes. While those are one of my top 5 favorite meals my mom makes, my belly says oh yikes, and I feel the need to hit the treadmill hard the next morning.
A few years ago I found a recipe and with a few alterations, it is my go to chicken enchilada recipe. It is completely from scratch, with no sour cream, and no tortillas cooked in oil. The flavor is simply perfect.
Chicken Enchiladas
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound chicken breasts about 2-3
- salt and pepper to taste
- 10-12 corn tortillas
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack about 2 cups, Colby Jack, or Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- Cilantro and avocado for garnish
Instructions
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Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, about 10 minutes.
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Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.
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Mix in the tomato sauce and water and bring to a simmer.
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Lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
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Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through (160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer), about 20 minutes.
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Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.
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Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.
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Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add in ¼ cup of the sauce, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and the cilantro. Stir to combine.
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Preheat the oven to 275˚ F. Oil a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.
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Wrap your stack of tortillas in a damp towel/paper towel and microwave for 30-45 seconds, until warm and pliable.
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Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down.
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Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.
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Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until warmed through and cheese is bubbly and top starting to brown.
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Garnish with additional cilantro and sliced avocado and serve!
Recipe adapted from Annies Eats Chicken Enchiladas
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I'm Tammy and I love to be in the kitchen! I'm married and have three little tagalongs who love to help out with the food prep. My secret foodie dream is to open a bakery. Want to know more about me? Go here for a little Q&A.
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