Chicken Enchilada Recipe

An Enchilada is special type of corn tortilla rolled around a filling and covered with a chili pepper sauce. Such a quirky name for food, don’t you think? But the name of the dish itself, in Mexico, means a rolled maize tortilla stuffed with meat and covered with a tomato and chili sauce. If you ask for it in a Mexican Restaurant, expect to be served just that. In their original form as Mexican street food, enchiladas were simply corn tortillas dipped in chili sauce and eaten without fillings. There are now many varieties available though, which are distinguished primarily by their sauces. Enchiladas can be filled with a variety of other ingredients too, including cheese, beans, potatoes, and vegetables, to name a few. For this recipe, chicken will be our meat. Hence, we give you a Chicken Enchilada recipe that’s oh so good!

The Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1 white onion, peeled, and diced

1.5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into small pieces

5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped

15 ounces of black beans

8 large tortillas

1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 can of ready made enchilada sauce (our own enchilada sauce recipe will come out soon!)

Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit then prepare your ready made enchilada sauce. In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat then add the diced onions and saute for 3 minutes. Stir occasionally.  Then, add the diced chicken and green chiles, eventually seasoning them with salt and pepper.  Saute for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, remove from heat and set aside.

Lay out a tortilla, and spread two tablespoons of sauce over the surface of the tortilla.  Add beans in a line down the middle of the tortilla, then add in a spoonful of the chicken mixture, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese. Roll up the tortilla and place it in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Then spread the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas, and sprinkle on the remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes then remove from the oven. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro, scallions, and tomatoes. Enjoy!