Chicken Enchilada Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good enchiladas? ›

Fry each of your tortillas in hot oil before adding in your enchilada filling. This will help keep the tortillas from soaking up too much of your sauce too quickly, which can also cause them to break apart.

While some recipes use flour tortillas, corn tortillas are traditional — and for good reason — are the better option for enchiladas. Corn tortillas have a distinct flavor that plays a key part of the enchilada experience, compared to flour tortillas, which are more like a blank slate.

For restaurant-style cheese enchiladas, look for a Mexican-style shredded cheese blend at the grocery store. These contain the perfect mix of cheeses that both stretch and melt when hot. Here are two blends to look out for (though there are lots more!): Monterey Jack cheese, Asadero, Queso Quesadilla.

Las Palmas makes the best green enchilada sauce at the grocery store. It's a little tangy, super savory, and it tastes very fresh, even though it's canned enchilada sauce. If you're a green sauce lover, you will be thrilled with this premade enchilada sauce.

It isn't necessary to cover enchiladas while baking. All of an enchiladas components are cooked and you are just heating them through when you bake them. Ideally your ingredients will be room temperature, not ice cold, when you assemble the enchiladas.

After you fry the tortillas, dip both sides in your delicious sauce and cover the entire surface. Then stuff and roll.

Before frying your tortillas, spread about a cup of sauce lengthwise down the center of your baking sheet. After frying the tortillas, dip each side in your sauce to coat the whole surface. This method will ensure even distribution—and less sauce means your tortillas are less likely to fall apart.

Chopped salad, rice pilaf, fresh guacamole, and street corn dip – these all go great with chicken enchiladas! This iconic tortilla dish can be made with slow cooker shredded chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken, a great main course!

Compared to its yellow counterpart, white corn tortillas tend to be softer with a more tender texture. They also have a higher moisture content, which makes them more pliable. These corn tortillas can be easily rolled and folded without cracking or breaking — ideal for enchiladas and flautas.

Why do my enchiladas turn to mush? ›

The thing with enchiladas is that they're going to become mushy, that's because of the liquid you prepare them with. But if you want that process to be slower, all you have to do is deep fried corn tortillas first (not to the point to get tostadas).

This Mexican enchiladas recipe is the real thing. Corn tortillas are dipped in a homemade sauce, fried, filled with Mexican queso fresco, then topped with sour cream, lettuce, and tomato.

If you are making enchiladas, you may be wondering, “Which sauce should I use?” This is an excellent question, and the most straightforward answer is whatever you prefer. If you are making beef enchiladas, it is more common to pair them with a red sauce, and chicken enchiladas usually have a green sauce.

Queso Blanco

Translated to “white cheese,” this option is yet another crumbly cheese for Mexican food. It's softer than Cotija, making it a more subtle option for refried beans, salads, and enchiladas. Queso Blanco is unique in that it melts well without melting completely.

Add seasonings - Cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano, etc. are great ways to punch up the flavor of canned enchilada sauce. You might also consider adding a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.

Cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes remove foil. Continue baking 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with cilantro and sour cream.

If you would like to make a pan of enchiladas in advance, follow the recipe instructions through step 3 (assembling the enchiladas). Wrap the pan tightly with foil. Then you can either refrigerate the enchiladas for up to 3 days, then bake as directed.