Chicken enchiladas are a family favourite!! These ones are inspired by a recipe passed down from my step-mother to my sister, to me. It originally came from a Mexican woman my step-mother knew in Guadalajara. The recipe consists of roasted chicken bathed in flavourful enchilada sauce, onions, garlic, lime, herbs and spices. This filling gets rolled up in not just any tortilla, but a yellow corn one which has been lightly fried and dipped in heavy cream. The entire pan of them gets drizzled with a rich cream sauce and a touch of extra enchilada sauce, plus a generous sprinkle of Jack cheese. Baked to perfection, these enchiladas deliver every time!!
Yield - About 24 enchiladas
Ingredients:
1.5lbs chicken breast meat, cooked and diced
2 yellow onions, medium sized, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 408ml can green enchilada sauce
2 tsps cumin
1 tbsp oregano (Mexican if you can find it)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 lime, juiced
24 - 6 inch yellow corn tortillas
3/4 cup olive oil, divided
1 cup heavy cream (35%), divided
1/2 cup sour cream (14%)
300g Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
optional: extra lime, sour cream, cilantro
Directions:
1. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a pan over medium heat (5 out of 10)
2. Saute onion and garlic for 15 minutes
3. Add enchilada sauce and all herbs and spices, plus lime juice. Stir to combine and sauce remove from heat
4. Mix in only 1.5 cups of sauce with the chopped chicken and let stand at least 30 minutes for flavours to meld (reserve remaining sauce)
5. Preheat oven to 370 degrees and line a large, rimmed sheet pan with greased foil
6. Set up an assembly station with a small frying pan, next to a rimmed dish (such as a pie plate), next to a dinner plate, next to the chicken mixture, next to the lined tray
7. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and heat over medium heat, Pour 1/2 cup of heavy cream into pie plate
8. One at a time, fry both sides of the tortillas, until they soften and start to puff up - 1 minute total max (it helps to have a second person for the assembly phase)
9. Drain a little oil from the tortilla by holding it over the frying pan for a few seconds, then lay it in the heavy cream
10. Flip the tortilla in the cream to ensure both sides soak some up
11. Remove the tortilla to the plate and place 1/4 cup of filling in the centre, roll it up and place on the prepared tray, seam side down
12. Repeat with remaining tortillas, adding oil to the frying pan and cream to the pie plate as necessary, until all the chicken mixture is used
13. Whisk together 1/2 cup (or whatever is remaining) of the heavy cream and 1/2 cup sour cream, drizzle heavily the over tops of enchiladas
14. Spoon remaining green sauce over enchiladas and cream
15. Top with shredded cheese
16. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until top starts to brown and edges are bubbling
17. Let stand 5 minutes before serving
18. Serve with lime wedges, sour cream and cilantro if desired
Notes:
Only corn tortillas will work in this recipe, yellow are the most flavourful, and try to get them as fresh as possible so they are pliable and not crumbly.
If you want to add some heat, mince up a bit of fresh or pickled jalapeno and add it in at step 2; check the heat of your enchilada sauce first.
These pair well with a simple salad and vinaigrette, alongside Spanish rice.
Nutrition Facts:
Servings: 24 enchiladas
Calories 289
Total Fat 17.5g 22% Saturated Fat 6.8g 34% Cholesterol 55mg 18% Sodium 252mg 11% Total Carbohydrate 17.7g 6% Dietary Fiber 1.5g 5%
Total Sugars 0.6g Protein 16.3g Vitamin D 5mcg 26% Calcium 133mg 10% Iron 1mg 4% Potassium 121mg 3%
The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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