Red Sauce Chicken Enchiladas
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
45 mins
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Servings
15 enchiladas
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Calories
181 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Dinner
Red Sauce Chicken Enchiladas
Description
This recipe starts by seasoning chicken thighs and quickly searing them before simmering in chicken broth with garlic, onion, and oregano until fully cooked and tender. The chicken is shredded after cooking. The red sauce is prepared separately by making a roux from oil and flour, then seasoning with chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, and oregano, and finishing by whisking in vegetable stock until thickened.
Corn tortillas are warmed briefly to soften before use. The shredded chicken and cheese are wrapped inside tortillas, and the assembled enchiladas are topped with the prepared red sauce. Baking melds the flavors and melts the cheese, completing the dish.
This dish is comforting with layered textures from tender meat, melted cheese, and a thickened robust sauce. It can be served on its own or with sides like rice and beans. The recipe allows flexibility, such as substituting homemade sauce with a preferred store-bought brand, and using chicken cooking broth for added flavor in the sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thigh boneless, skinless
- salt
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil + 1/4 cup
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 whole onion sliced
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- 15 whole white corn tortillas
- 3 cups Monterey jack cheese shredded
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano dried
- 2 cups vegetable stock low sodium
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt this may be more/less depending on the stock you use
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
- Add the chicken and sear on each side for about 2-3 minutes. You aren't cooking the chicken through, you're just searing it on each side.
- Once seared, add the broth, garlic, onion, and oregano.
- Cover it with a lid and simmer it for about 15 minutes, just until the chicken is cooked through and the internal temperature is 165°F at the thickest part.
- Remove the chicken from the broth, shred it, and set it aside.
- Begin making the sauce by adding 2 tablespoons of oil to a skillet on medium heat.
- Sprinkle in all purpose flour and whisk to combine. It should be smooth and creamy looking.
- Season it with chili powder, garlic powder, ground cumin, and dried oregano. Whisk to combine.
- Slowly pour in the broth while whisking until it's fully combined and thickened. Remove it from the heat.
- Scoop a little bit of sauce into the bottom of a baking dish, just enough to barely spread across the bottom and set it aside.
- In a separate skillet, add 1/4 cup of oil and heat over medium heat.
- Add a tortilla to the oil and heat it about 5-7 seconds per side. You aren't crisping them, you're just heating them through.
- Remove the tortilla from the oil and dip it into the sauce.
- Place the sauced tortilla on a flat surface (I use a cutting board) and add some of the shredded chicken along with about 1-2 tablespoons of cheese.
- Roll the tortilla up and place it seam side down in the baking dish.
- Repeat this for all of the tortillas. I like to work with about 3 tortillas at a time.
- Once all of the enchiladas are rolled and in the baking dish, pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, just until they are hot and bubbly.
- Allow them to cool for about 5 minutes before serving and enjoy!
Notes
- The homemade red sauce can be replaced with a quality store-bought sauce like Gebhardt.
- Warm tortillas briefly to make them pliable without frying.
- Use an electric mixer to shred cooked chicken quickly and evenly.
- Chicken cooking broth can substitute vegetable stock in the sauce after straining solids.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 15enchiladas
Amount Per Serving
Calories 181 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1enchilada | |
| Calories | 181kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 2g | 1% |
| Protein | 12g | 24% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 49mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 328mg | 14% |
| Potassium | 126mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sugar | 0.2g | 0% |
| Vitamin A | 268IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 0.3mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 183mg | 18% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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