Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce
Cheesy chicken enchiladas in corn tortillas, baked under a quick homemade red sauce. Made with rotisserie chicken and ready in 50 minutes.
40% of it needs you at the counter
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Cooking
- 25 min
- Resting
- 5 min
- Serves
- 5
- Calories
- 585
- Protein
- 37 g
- Per serving
- $2.37
Why this recipe works
Enchiladas look like a project but come together quickly with a rotisserie chicken. The homemade sauce is the part worth doing, and it's ready in the time it takes to shred the chicken.
- Warming the corn tortillas in a little oil makes them pliable, so they roll without cracking.
- A 10-minute homemade red sauce with toasted chili powder tastes deeper than canned and isn't tinny.
- Stirring some of the sauce into the filling keeps the chicken moist inside each enchilada.
Ingredients
For the red sauce
For the enchiladas
To serve
You will need
- 9x13-inch baking dish
- Medium saucepan
- Small skillet
- Tongs
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done.
Make the sauce
Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and oregano and stir for 1 minute until fragrant. Whisk in the tomato paste, then the broth, and simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with the salt.
Mix the filling
Heat the oven to 375°F. Stir the chicken with 1 cup of the cheese, the sour cream and ½ cup of the sauce.
Soften the tortillas
Warm the oil in the small skillet over medium heat. Dip each tortilla in for about 5 seconds per side until soft and pliable, and stack them on a plate.
Roll
Spread ½ cup of sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Fill each tortilla with about ⅓ cup of the chicken, roll it up and lay it seam side down. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake
Bake until bubbling and the cheese has melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then scatter with cilantro.
Techniques in this recipe
- Fish and seafood145°F / 63°C
- Pork chops, tenderloin, whole cuts of beef145°F / 63°C
- Ground beef, pork and sausage160°F / 71°C
- Chicken and turkey (all cuts)165°F / 74°C
Source: USDA safe minimum internal temperatures. Measure the thickest part, away from bone. Is it done? Safe temperatures
The internal temperatures that tell you chicken, pork, beef, fish and ground meat are cooked safely, and when to pull them early for juicier results.
Read the full guide
Cook's notes
- No time to fry the tortillas? Wrap the stack in a damp paper towel and microwave for 45 seconds. They're a little more fragile but still roll.
- Corn tortillas crack when they're cold or dry. Keep the warm ones covered with a towel while you roll.
- Make the dish through step 4, cover and refrigerate for up to a day; add 10 minutes to the bake.
Nutrition per serving
585 calories
$2.37 estimated cost per serving
Where the calories come from
| Protein | 25% of calories | 37 g |
|---|---|---|
| Carbs | 20% of calories | 29 g |
| Fat | 55% of calories | 36 g |
| Fiber | 4 g | |
| Sodium | 840 mg |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients and amounts; not lab-tested. Cost estimated from average US retail prices.
Questions people ask
Should I use corn or flour tortillas for enchiladas?
Corn is traditional and holds up better in the sauce. Flour tortillas work and don't need softening, but they turn soft and a little doughy once baked.
How do you keep corn tortillas from breaking?
Warm them first. A quick dip in hot oil, or a short steam in the microwave, makes them pliable enough to roll without cracking.
What's the difference between red and green enchilada sauce?
Red sauce is built on dried red chiles or chili powder and tomato. Green sauce uses tomatillos and green chiles, so it's tangier and brighter.
