Equipment
Ingredients
Smoky Red Sauce
- 30 ml olive oil
- 15 g cornstarch
- 10 g ancho chili powder
- 3 g chipotle powder
- 4 g ground cumin
- 30 g tomato paste
- 475 ml chicken broth, low-sodium
Chicken Filling
- 450 g chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic, minced
Assembly
- 8 corn tortillas, standard 6-inch size
- 200 g monterey jack cheese, freshly shredded
- 10 g fresh cilantro, chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 614 kcal
- Protein
- 41 g
- Carbohydrates
- 34 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 937 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 15 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 119 mg
- Potassium
- 634 mg
- Calcium
- 467 mg
- Iron
- 3.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 95 mg
- Phosphorus
- 615 mg
- Zinc
- 3.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 189 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 6 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 17 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.19 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.46 mg
- Niacin
- 12.7 mg
- Folate
- 26 mcg
- Water
- 281 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cornstarch, ancho chili powder, chipotle powder, and ground cumin. Cook for 1 minute until highly fragrant.
Whisk the tomato paste into the spice mixture, then gradually pour in the chicken broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the diced yellow onion and minced garlic with a small splash of oil until softened. Add the shredded chicken and 60ml of the prepared red sauce. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
Warm the corn tortillas by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving in 30-second bursts, or toast them briefly in a dry skillet until they are very pliable.
Spoon roughly 50g of the chicken filling down the center of each warmed tortilla. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place it seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
Pour the remaining smoky red sauce evenly over the top of the rolled enchiladas, ensuring all exposed edges of the tortillas are coated. Sprinkle the shredded Monterey Jack cheese evenly across the top.
Bake in the preheated oven at 190 degrees C (375 degrees F) for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly at the edges.
Remove the enchiladas from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.
Chef's Notes
- For the absolute best texture and to prevent soggy enchiladas, quickly pass each corn tortilla through a skillet of hot oil for 3 to 5 seconds per side instead of microwaving them. This creates a moisture barrier.
- Freshly grating your block of cheese rather than buying pre-shredded bags ensures a smoother, creamier melt without the starchy anti-caking agents interfering.
- If using leftover rotisserie chicken, add an extra splash of chicken broth to the meat mixture before assembling to guarantee it stays perfectly moist during the baking process.
- The combination of ancho and chipotle powder gives this dish a deep, complex smokiness. If you prefer a milder sauce, halve the chipotle powder.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The tortillas will soften over time.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze unbaked or baked tightly wrapped in foil and plastic.
Reheating: Microwave individual portions for 2 minutes, or cover with foil and bake at 175 C for 20 minutes until heated through.
Troubleshooting
Corn tortillas tear or crack during rolling
Cause: Tortillas were not warmed sufficiently or dried out
Fix: Cover the cracks with extra enchilada sauce and cheese; the structural integrity won't matter once baked
Prevention: Ensure tortillas are fully heated and kept moist under a damp towel until the exact moment of rolling
Enchiladas are soggy
Cause: Tortillas absorbed too much sauce before baking, or sauce was too thin
Fix: Bake for an additional 5 minutes to help evaporate excess moisture
Prevention: Quickly fry tortillas in oil before filling, which creates a barrier, or ensure sauce is properly reduced
Cultural Context
Enchiladas have roots dating back to Mayan times in the Valley of Mexico, where indigenous people ate corn tortillas folded around small fish. The modern enchilada, literally translating to to add chili pepper to, is a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine, evolving over centuries to feature countless regional variations of fillings and rich, chili-based sauces.
