The Mexican cuisine is something that never ceases to fascinate me. It has
the perfect dishes filled with savory and sweetness and a whole OCEAN of
different flavors. Mexican food has diverse and wholesome dishes that have
a unique taste and warmth (that’s probably the chili). From this treasure chest filled with flavor comes the best chicken enchilada recipe you’ll
ever taste.
Discovering the Best Chicken Enchilada Recipe:
This chicken enchilada recipe has a corn tortilla wrapped around a
heartwarming filling, and covered with a mouth-watering savory sauce. This is
an amazing savory dish and you should try it. It’s easy to
understand, which means you don’t have to worry about anything. Just
don’t panic and enjoy the process. That’s the KEY.
Savor the Spice:
Be warned, this chicken enchilada recipe is SPICY! I mean the word
“enchilada” literally means “to add PEPPER to”. There is a long history of
enchiladas, but I’m not going to bore you with the whole story. There were
recipes, even in the Aztec times, where food like small fish and other fillings
were folded within tortillas. That’s, probably, where the chicken
enchilada recipe came from.
Historical Ties:
In Mexico, enchiladas have been famous for a long, LONG while. Even
today, enchiladas are enjoyed all around Mexico as a street food. Time
hasn’t taken away this recipe’s charm. The enchiladas were even mentioned
in the “first” Mexican cookbook, “El Cocinero Mexicano” Or “The Mexican
Chef”. So, yeah… the Mexicans love enchiladas.
Enchiladas Across Mexico:
As with almost all the recipes we’ve discussed so far, there are many
varieties of the chicken enchilada recipe. The fillings, alone, can be
made from a “zillion” different ingredients. You can even substitute chicken
with any other meat. Use different combinations of your favorite vegetables
(if you have any). Cover your enchiladas with spicy sauces like salsa roja,
or different moles (they’re also a kind of sauces), or try something like Chile
con queso.
You can try different combinations of these ingredients and find out which
one works best for you. Make your creative enchiladas and tell us how it went in the comments.
Top it Off:
This chicken enchilada recipe has many tasty toppings, but what else
can you add? You can use different toppings like lettuce, olives, chopped
onions, sliced avocado, salsa or even more cheese (just ‘cause it’s never
enough).
Versatile Enjoyment:
This chicken enchilada recipe makes a great snack and you can enjoy it
any time you want. Add different vegetables pair that with some spicy
sauce, and enjoy with your family. Or make some fancy enchiladas with a
combination of different sauces and cheese on top.
Creative Fusion:
And finally, it’s time for some nice old “tips”. Scrolling through the internet
(as you do lockdown), I came across a few mentions of “soggy” enchiladas
and yes, it’s a problem. So, I searched the internet for methods to fix this
problem and thought I’d mention it so you don’t have to go looking for a
nice and short solution.
Chicken Enchilada Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast (boneless)
- Salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
- 1 red chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen corn (thawed)
- 5 canned whole green chilies, seeded and chopped coarsely
- 4 canned chipotle chilies, seeded and minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 16 corn tortillas
- 1 ½ cups canned enchilada sauce
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
Garnish
chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, chopped tomatoes, sour cream
Instructions
- Step 1: Grease a fry pan with oil. Add the salt and pepper to the chicken for flavor. Cook the chicken over medium heat. Turn the chicken once a side is cooked. Before turning, sprinkle the garlic powder, cumin, and Mexican spices over the chicken.Cook until its browned well. Then remove the chicken on a platter and let it cool.
- Step 2: Sauté the onion and garlic in the chicken drippings. When they turn soft, add corn and chilies. Stir well, and add the canned tomatoes, fry for a minute then remove from heat.
- Step 3: Shred the chicken with your hands. Transfer the shredded chicken to the frypan, mix well with the vegetables and dust with flour to help it set.
- Step 4: Heat tortillas on high heat for 30 seconds in a microwave. Coat the bottom of two pans (13×9 inches) with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to coat.Spoon about ¼ cup chicken mixture in each of the tortillas. Fold it close and put 8 enchiladas in each pan with the seam side facing down. Put the remaining enchilada sauce and the cheese over the enchiladas. Note: Heating the tortillas will soften them.
- Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the prepared enchiladas for about 15minutes.Garnish with chopped cilantro, scallions, tomatoes, and sour cream and serve.
Pro Tips:
There is a simple solution to avoid such a catastrophe. Just briefly fry your
tortillas in hot oil before using them. This will make a kind of barrier and
your tortillas won’t take up too much sauce. This simple trick for some nice
and crispy enchiladas.
Freezing for the Future:
If making for a get-together, you might need to freeze the enchiladas. Well,
good for you, they freeze nicely. Put them in a container (before baking) and cover tightly first with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. These last for up to 3 months. But, I’ll recommend freezing just a few days. And when
you’re ready to bake them; remove the plastic wrap, thaw, bake, and enjoy.
