Chicken Enchiladas
: Tex Mex
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Ingredients
- 1 medium onion , chopped fine
- ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
- salt
- 3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 -8 ounces cans tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts), trimmed of excess fat
- ground black pepper
- 8 ounces light cheddar cheese , shredded (2 cups)
- 1 -4 ounce can pickled jalapeños , drained and chopped
- ½ cup minced fresh cilantro
- 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
- vegetable cooking spray
- 1 lime , cut into wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine the onion, oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions have softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Nestle the chicken into the sauce.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the thickest part registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside to cool.
- Strain the sauce through a medium-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on the onions to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces.
- Toss together the shredded chicken, ½ cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup of the cheddar, the jalapeños, and cilantro, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stack the tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40 to 60 seconds.
- Spread the warm tortillas out over a clean work surface.
- Place ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla. Tightly roll each tortilla around the filling and lay them seam-side down in a 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
- Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with vegetable oil spray.
- Pour 1 cup of the remaining sauce over the enchiladas to coat them thoroughly.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheddar down the center of the enchiladas.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the enchiladas are heated through, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese browns, about 5 minutes longer.
- Serve, passing the remaining 1 cup sauce and the lime wedges separately.
Notes
I usually double or triple this recipe. Depends on how many people I have to serve. We have a BIG family.