This chicken enchilada recipe requires two main parts to be made before assembling. 1) The Enchilada Sauce recipe and 2) the Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken recipe. Don’t get scared- they are both the two easiest recipes on this website! When they come together the result is Mexican inspired comfort food that is easy, approachable and can even be made in advance. Chicken enchiladas are a fabulous meal to serve for a fun night with friends, a birthday celebration or just when you a craving a warm and delicious comfort food.
First, let’s talk sauce
Simply put, enchiladas are only as good as the enchilada sauce that smothers them. And since I love chicken enchiladas, I had no choice but to find a great recipe for enchilada sauce. So that’s what I set out to do. I tested countless recipes and compared homemade versions to pre-made versions. I tried it all until I was satisfied with what is now declare the best enchilada sauce recipe. That’s the recipe you’ll find here.
Now, how ’bout that filling?
Enchilada’s can be made with just cheese, beans, pork filling, etc etc etc. I make them two ways- one version is insanely laborious and it only makes an appearance once- twice a year. Whereas the version I call “Easy Enchiladas” is on regular rotation around here. To make Easy Enchiladas I use my 3 ingredient slow cooker salsa chicken as the filling. (It doesn’t get easier than that recipe!) Once you have the chicken filling ready to go and the sauce made, it’s time to assemble.
Time to roll.
- Use a basting brush to create a layer of enchilada sauce on a baking sheet
- Roll the shredded chicken into store bought tortillas and position side by side. (I like to buy tortillas that are a corn / flour blend. If I can’t find those, I use pure corn tortillas which are both authentic and gluten free.)
- Top with enchilada sauce, smother with cheese. Bake at 375 until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through.
- Serve with sour cream, sliced jalapeños and your favorite hot sauce.
Pro Tips:
Enchiladas can be made in entirely in advance up until baking time. They are are one of my favorite dishes to prepare and bring over to a friend’s house with a pitcher of margaritas!
Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt – to taste
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth (can use vegetable broth too!)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Instructions
- Combine all the dry ingredients into a small bowl and set aside.
- Measure out tomato paste and broth.
- Heat a medium-sized sauce pan over medium heat and warm the oil until it’s it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. (Never leave your oil or it will overheat!)
- Once ready, whisk in the dry ingredients to the oil and cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute.
- Whisk the tomato paste. Then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
- Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will thicken some more as it cools.)
- Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Add salt to taste.
1 thought on “Chicken Enchilada Recipe”
I made a batch of the salsa chicken and used it to make enchiladas as part of my Sunday meal prep. There is no doubt it will be in my meals rotation-super easy, super tasteful and freezes well!