Easy Red Chicken Enchiladas

Name: Easy Red Chicken Enchiladas
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 1 three-layer enchilada
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 2 tablespoons olive oil; ½ cup diced onion; ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or more as needed; 2 tablespoons ground ancho chile powder; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; ½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder; ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; ¼ teaspoon dried oregano; 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste; 1 pinch ground cinnamon; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 ½ cups chicken broth; 3 (5 inch) corn tortillas; ½ teaspoon vegetable oil; ⅔ cup shredded cooked chicken; ⅔ cup pepper Jack cheese; ⅓ cup chopped cilantro; ⅓ cup chopped green onions

Rating: 4.79 stars

24 Ratings
18 Reviews
14 Photos

Starting with a homemade red sauce, these Tex-Mex enchiladas are faster and easier to make than their Mexican forefathers, but still so delicious. This recipe makes 2 1/2 cups sauce, enough for 4 to 6 individual skillet enchiladas or 1 regular baking dish. Garnish with sour cream and guacamole.

By Chef John

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Recipe Summary

prep:

25 mins

cook:

35 mins

total:

1 hr

Servings:

Yield:

1 three-layer enchilada

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1
Melt butter with olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and salt; cook and stir until onion starts to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in flour, chile powder, cumin, chipotle powder, black pepper, oregano, cayenne, and cinnamon. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and mix until fully combined. Pour in chicken broth and whisk until smooth.

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Step 2
Increase heat to high and bring sauce to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors come together, about 10 minutes. Taste and season as desired. Blend sauce with an immersion blender.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Step 4
Lightly brush tortillas with oil. Heat a small cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Heat tortillas until flexible, about 30 seconds per side.
Step 5
Cover the bottom of the skillet with a scoop of enchilada sauce. Place a tortilla on top and add 1/2 of the chicken, 1/3 of the Jack cheese, and 1/2 the cilantro and green onions. Spoon on more sauce and repeat layers, finishing with sauce and the remaining cheese.
Step 6
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese melts and sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes.

Editor's Note:

This recipe makes an individual skillet enchilada but enough sauce for 4 to 6 portions. Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of sauce.

Chef's Notes:

I recommend using the freshest possible chile powder you can find.

If you're making the sauce ahead of time, it's a good idea to heat it up first before assembling your enchiladas, so they are warm going in the oven. Otherwise, you'll need to give them some extra time in the oven to heat through.

Shredded stewed beef is also delicious in these, as is regular Monterey Jack cheese.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

1377 calories; protein 59g; carbohydrates 79.5g; fat 92.8g; cholesterol 240.5mg; sodium 5142.3mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (18)

Most helpful positive review

Mousielove

10/21/2019

HAHA Great video! Utterly delicious. IF you use an 8" square dish like I did, cut the tortillas in half after heating to make a neat appearance along the edges of the pan (rounded side in.) Thanks again, Chef John! **Oct. 2019. Made in the "suizas" style - also good. Thanks for the method, Chef John! A keeper, for sure. Read More

Helpful

(3)

24 Ratings

5 star values: 19
4 star values: 5
3 star values: 0
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

Mousielove

10/20/2019

Helpful

(3)

Frank (FTC&Lily)

12/04/2019

Delicious! Just enough bite (spice) without lingering heat. And yes will make it again. Read More

Helpful

(1)

Debbie

09/14/2019

your so funny ,I'm new here and just wanna say I appreciate your videos. I'll post as I prepare what your sharing thanks Read More

Helpful

(1)

tzalabak

07/11/2020

My review is only for the enchilada sauce and not the enchiladas themselves: I recently started making cheese enchiladas on our usual taco night to have a kind of combo plate. I had been using canned sauce for ease but made this recipe tonight (I actually started it yesterday) and wow, I was blown away with the difference it made. I had been really enjoying my enchiladas before but wasn't expecting just how much better they were going to be with Chef John's sauce. The only change I made (the part that I started yesterday) was buying dried ancho chilis and making a paste from them yesterday to use in the sauce today. While making the sauce I thought it was a bit on the heavy side, flavor-wise but, after putting it with the enchiladas, it was the perfect level of spice It is totally worth the effort to make the sauce yourself and I will not be buying canned again except in the most dire of enchilada emergencies. Read More

Helpful

(1)

Linda

01/01/2020

No changes. Will definitely KEEP making it. YUM! Read More

Earl Vanderhoof

07/30/2020

This was excellent! The sauce always burns my throat but with a little lime it was perfect. I recommend this whole heartedly. Like chef John said, Way better than the restaurant Read More

Joanne Yechout Kiserow

07/28/2020

The homemade enchilada sauce really is a lot better! I don't know why Chef John (my favorite) calls this easy! It was easier than rolling the tortillas like I have done in the past, yet still time consuming to make the sauce. Read More

Joe Kessler

06/27/2020

Our family crushed these like we hadn’t eaten in days. Read More

Dinah Montez

04/29/2020

So easy good and I’m no cook! Thanks Chef JOHN! Read More

More Reviews

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All Reviews for Easy Red Chicken Enchiladas

- of Reviews

Easy Red Chicken Enchiladas

Servings Per Recipe: 1
Calories: 1376.5

% Daily Value *

protein: 118 %

carbohydrates: 26 %

dietary fiber: 43 %

sugars:

fat: 143 %

saturated fat: 184 %

cholesterol: 80 %

vitamin a iu: 82 %

niacin equivalents: 138 %

vitamin b6: 50 %

vitamin c: 45 %

folate: 26 %

calcium: 69 %

iron: 47 %

magnesium: 47 %

potassium: 31 %

sodium: 206 %

thiamin: 46 %

calories from fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

Reviews for: Photos of Easy Red Chicken Enchiladas

1 of 18

All Reviews

Mousielove

10/20/2019

Helpful

(3)

Frank (FTC&Lily)

12/04/2019

Delicious! Just enough bite (spice) without lingering heat. And yes will make it again.

Helpful

(1)

Debbie

09/14/2019

your so funny ,I'm new here and just wanna say I appreciate your videos. I'll post as I prepare what your sharing thanks

Helpful

(1)

tzalabak

07/11/2020

Helpful

(1)

Linda

01/01/2020

No changes. Will definitely KEEP making it. YUM!

Earl Vanderhoof

07/30/2020

This was excellent! The sauce always burns my throat but with a little lime it was perfect. I recommend this whole heartedly. Like chef John said, Way better than the restaurant

Joanne Yechout Kiserow