This recipe is a bit of a cheat recipe as it uses canned or bottled enchilada sauce, however that also means the recipe is much easier to put together. It also uses cooked rotisserie chicken which cuts down on preparation time. The key to getting the right texture and flavor is to quickly toast the tortillas in vegetable oil first, then dip them into the enchilada sauce before you add the chicken mixture and roll them. This ensures there’s a little firmness to the tortilla after baking and that all the enchiladas get a good amount of sauce.
TIPS: You can use a mild, medium, or hot enchilada sauce, whatever you prefer. (Do not substitute with taco sauce as these are very different). You can make the rolls as small or large as you want, depending on the size of your tortilla and your preference. If you end up with chicken filling left over, you can put it in a zip lock freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months for later use. Dipping the tortilla in sauce prior to filling rolling can be quite messy, and this step can be omitted, but it does really add flavor.
Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
Enchilada Filling:
- 3 C shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 6 oz canned chopped green chiles
- 1/2 C shredded Mexican cheese mix
- 2 Tbsp enchilada sauce (taken from enchilada sauce below)
- 1/2 C sour cream (more if it seems dry)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
To Assemble Enchiladas:
- 10 6-inch corn or white tortillas (may need more or less depending on how much filling you put in each one)
- 1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 15 oz + 8 oz can Enchilada sauce of your choice
- 1 1/2 C shredded Mexican cheese
Toppings:
- shredded iceberg lettuce
- sour cream
- guacamole
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. (You may need an addition small dish depending on how many enchiladas you end up with). Spoon a small amount of enchilada sauce in the bottom of each dish to cover the bottom.
- Mix the chicken and all the filling ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.
- Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a non-stick or cast iron frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, lightly fry each tortilla on both sides until there is some spotty brown spots but the tortilla is still soft and pliable. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and continue with the other tortillas. Add more vegetable oil as needed to keep a thin layer of oil for frying. Put a paper towel between each tortilla as you stack them to absorb excess oil.
- Pour about 1/2 C of enchilada sauce in a large shallow bowl. Dip a tortilla in the sauce to lightly cover it on both sides and then spoon about 1/4 to 1/3 C chicken mixture into the tortilla and roll, placing it seam side down in the prepared casserole dish. Repeat until chicken mixture has been used up.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and then top with remaining shredded cheese.
- Spray the underside of a large piece of tinfoil with cooking spray. Cover the casserole dish(es) tightly with foil and put in preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove tinfoil and continue to bake until it starts to bubble and turn a little brown on the top, 15-20 more minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes.
- To serve, top with shredded iceberg lettuce, chopped cilantro, guacamole and/or sour cream.
- Enjoy!