Chicken Enchiladas Recipe (Enchiladas Rojas)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
8 enchiladas
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Calories
219 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mexican
Chicken Enchiladas Recipe (Enchiladas Rojas)
Description
This Chicken Enchiladas recipe includes making a traditional red enchilada sauce from dried ancho and guajillo peppers with optional spicy chiles de arbol. The dried chilies are toasted to release aroma, soaked to soften, then blended with cooked onions, garlic, and salt to achieve a smooth sauce. Simmering the sauce deepens the flavor further.
Shredded cooked chicken is combined with the sauce and cheese before being rolled in corn tortillas. The assembled enchiladas are topped with additional cheese and baked until bubbly and melted. The final dish offers a balance of smoky and mildly spicy notes with creamy cheese melting throughout.
The recipe suggests using authentic Mexican cheeses like manchego or a melty blend, and serving with fresh cilantro, crumbly queso fresco, and chili flakes for garnishing. This recipe yields about 2½ cups of sauce, enough for a fully sauced casserole of enchiladas.
Ingredients
FOR THE RED ENCHILADA SAUCE
- 4 ancho pepper stemmed and seeded, dried
- 4 dried guajillo peppers stemmed and seeded
- 4 dried chiles de arbol stemmed and seeded (optional, for spicy)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion chopped, small
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 teaspoons sea salt coarse
- water as needed
FOR THE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil divided
- 2 cups chicken cooked shredded
- 2 cups manchego cheese Or use a Mexican cheese blend or any good melty cheese, shredded, Mexican
- 8 corn tortillas
- queso fresco for serving, crumbly queso fresco, fresh chopped cilantro, spicy
- cilantro
- chili flakes
Instructions
FOR THE ENCHILADA SAUCE
- Dry toast the dried chili peppers in a heated pan over medium heat. Toast them a couple minutes per side, until they start to puff up slightly. Cool, then set them into a heavy bowl with enough hot water to cover them.
- Soak for 20 minutes, or until they become very soft. Remove them and place them in a blender or food processor. Reserve 1 cup of the dark soaking water.
- In the same heated pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook the onion 4-5 minutes, or until it becomes translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute, until fragrant.
- Add the onion and garlic to the food processor along with sea salt, then process to form a paste.
- Pour in the reserved soaking liquid 1/4 cup at a time and process to form a sauce to your desired consistency. You can add more fresh water if needed.
- Strain the sauce, if desired, then pour into a saucepan or pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes to develop the flavor.
FOR THE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS ROJAS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 C).
- Mix 1 cup of the enchilada sauce with the shredded chicken in a large bowl.
- Heat a separate pan to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cook the tortillas a few seconds in the oil until they become pliable.
- Dip each tortilla into the warmed enchilada sauce, then fill each with shredded chicken and shredded cheese. Roll the tortillas up and set them into a baking dish, seam side down. Spoon a bit of enchilada sauce over the top.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melty. Top with remaining enchilada sauce.
- Garnish with crumbly cheese, fresh herbs and spicy red chili flakes.
Notes
- The sauce yields about 2½ cups, suitable for coating 8 enchiladas.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8enchiladas
Amount Per Serving
Calories 219 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 219kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 30mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 766mg | 32% |
| Potassium | 89mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 355IU | 7% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 330mg | 33% |
| Iron | 0.4mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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