If you’ve been making enchiladas the wrong way your whole life like me, these Chicken Enchiladas with Chili Rojo will expand your view of Mexican cuisine. The most time-consuming part is making the sauce, which is really not at all complicated. See my previous post on how to make an authentic Chili Rojo.
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It wasn’t until our Mexican au pair showed me how to make enchiladas as they do in Mexico that I finally came to the realization that what we’d been eating was just a rough approximation of what enchiladas really are.
As a Midwesterner, the enchiladas I was used to were largely a meat filling rolled in tortillas, doused in enchilada sauce and cheese, and then baked in the oven. NO! The enchiladas of Mexico are fried, not baked. And the red sauce covering them is made from chilis, not tomato sauce. The amazing blend of chilis and spices of the Chili Rojo transforms run-of-the-mill enchiladas into real Mexican cuisine. Corn tortillas are coated in the sauce, rolled, and quickly fried to perfection.
Chicken enchiladas are a great way to use up leftover chicken or even turkey. Yet even without leftovers, poaching a couple of chicken breasts in broth and onion is easy enough to pop together quickly.
Once the chicken is cooled, shred it and mix in some salsa and shredded cheese for a quick filling. Enchiladas can be made with many other types of fillings as well.
ENCHILADA FILLING SUGGESTIONS
- Leftover meats like cooked chicken, ground beef or shredded pork
- Shredded cheese and onions
- Cooked or canned pinto or black beans.
- Cooked vegetables, like onions, mushrooms, sweet potato
Use corn tortillas for enchiladas. Flour tortillas are not sturdy enough to hold up to the fillings and sauce for these enchiladas. But they need to be fresh, or well-softened or they will crack.
I bought mine at the Mercado Central in Minneapolis. One of the businesses is La Perla, a tortillaria where fresh tortillas are made and distributed regionally to grocery stores and restaurants. I picked up a bag of each of white and blue corn tortillas fresh off the assembly.
ASSEMBLING ENCHILADAS
We started by softening the tortillas in the microwave in a tortilla warmer. You can also wrap them in a damp towel and place them on a plate for 1-2 minutes in the microwave. The softened tortillas are then coated with sauce, filled and then fried.
Set up a workstation with the tortillas, the filling, the Chili Rojo sauce, and a non-stick skillet heated with a small amount of oil. Assemble the enchiladas by coating the softened tortillas with the Chili Rojo, add the filling, and rolling them up.
Making about 2-3 at a time, place each enchilada seam side down in the heated oil and fry until crisp. I use a non-stick coated pan to make sure they do not stick and burn.
Once the first side is cooked to golden brown in the oil they can be turned and crisped up on the other side.
To serve, place enchiladas on a plate and top with additional Chili Rojo sauce. Top with additional cheese and microwave quickly for one minute to melt the cheese, then garnish with diced raw onion, and cilantro.
I hope you enjoy these enough to add them to your repertoire. This can make a relatively simple weeknight meal if you make a double batch of the Chili Rojo and freeze ahead of time, then just unthaw when you need it by defrosting and warming in a saucepan.
Chicken Enchiladas with Chili Rojo
Equipment
- Non-Stick Skillet
- Large Bowl
- Tortilla Warmer
- Medium Saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 cups Chili Rojo see recipe for Authentic Chili Rojo here: https://fuutii.com/how-to-make-an-authentic-chili-rojo/(opens in a new tab)
- 2-3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 2 Cups Cooked Shredded Chicken
- 1 Cup Your Favorite jarred Salsa
- 1 Cup Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
- 12 6-inch Corn Tortillas
- 1/4 Cup Shredded Cheese or crumbled Queso Fresco
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Diced Onion
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro Leaves
Instructions
- Prepare Chili Rojo according to the recipe above. Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in a saucepan on medium high heat, and fry the Chili Rojo sauce for 5 minutes, then turn down to low and simmer another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool down while preparing the tortillas and fillings.
- Soften the tortillas by heating them in a tortilla warmer in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until pliable. You can also wrap them in a damp paper towel and heat on a microwave safe plate.
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, salsa and shredded cheese until well combined to make the filling.
- Heat a tsp of oil in a non-stick skillet on medium high heat.
- Set up an assembly area on a large plate. Dip each tortilla in the warm chili rojo to coat each side, or using a pastry brush, brush the chili rojo on each side of the tortilla. Add 2 tablespoons of filling across each of the coated tortilla, and roll it up over the filling like a cigar.
- Add 2 to 3 rolled enchiladas at a time to the heated oil making sure to put the seam side down first, being careful not to lose the filling out of the sides. Fry until golden brown, and the tortilla is crisped up and holding together. Once fully browned, turn the enchiladas and brown each side, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Once fully browned, remove the enchiladas, and place in a heat proof pan and place in a warm oven while cooking the remaining enchiladas.
- Serve by placing 2 or 3 enchiladas on a plate, pour over some additional chili rojo. If topping with shredded cheese, place in microwave for 1 minute to melt the cheese. Garnish with crumbled queso fresco, diced onion and cilantro and serve!
