Enchiladas are a construction project with a great payoff: shredded chicken rolled in tortillas, drowned in a chilli-tomato sauce you make in ten minutes, and baked under cheese until the edges char into the corners everyone fights over. Rotisserie or leftover chicken isn't a compromise here, it's the standard method.
Everything you need
- 3 cups (about 400 g) cooked chicken, shredded
- 8 flour or corn tortillas, 20 cm
- 2 tbsp (27 g) vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp chilli powder (mild, ancho-style)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups (226 g) shredded cheese (cheddar-monterey mix)
- sour cream, coriander, lime, to serve
Weigh, don't scoop. Measuring flour by cups can overpack it and dry out your bake. Tap any ingredient to open its converter.
Method
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Make the sauce: heat the oil, stir in the flour for a minute, then the chilli powder, cumin, garlic powder and oregano for 30 seconds until fragrant.
For this step
- 8 flour or corn tortillas
- 2 tbsp (16 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp chilli powder (mild
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp (3 g) garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
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Whisk in the tomato paste and then the stock gradually. Simmer 5 minutes to a smooth, pourable sauce. Season with salt.
For this step
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken stock
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Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Stir a ladle of sauce and a handful of cheese through the shredded chicken.
For this step
- 3 cups (about 400 g) cooked chicken
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups (226 g) shredded cheese (cheddar-monterey mix)
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Spread a thin layer of sauce over the base of a 23 x 33 cm dish. Warm the tortillas briefly so they roll without cracking.
For this step
- 8 flour or corn tortillas
-
Fill each tortilla with chicken, roll snugly, and lay seam down in the dish. Pour the rest of the sauce over, edge to edge, and cover with the remaining cheese.
For this step
- 3 cups (about 400 g) cooked chicken
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups (226 g) shredded cheese (cheddar-monterey mix)
-
Bake 20 to 25 minutes until molten and blistered in spots. Rest 5 minutes, then finish with sour cream, coriander and lime.
For this step
- sour cream
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Worth knowing
- Every exposed tortilla edge must be sauced or cheesed. Bare corners bake into shrapnel, sauced ones into the best bite in the dish.
- The quick flour-and-chilli sauce is real enchilada sauce, not a shortcut. Jarred salsa is a different, wetter, lesser outcome.
Make it your own
- Black beans and roasted sweet potato instead of chicken for the vegetarian tray.
- A green version: swap the red sauce for blended tomatillo salsa and use monterey jack.
Storing & freezing
Fridge for 3 days, reheating at 180°C covered in foil. Assembled and unbaked it freezes for 2 months: thaw overnight, bake 35 minutes.
Frequently asked
Corn or flour tortillas for enchiladas?
Corn is traditional and tastes of more, flour is sturdier and easier to roll. Warm either first. The dish forgives the choice completely.
How do you stop enchiladas going soggy?
A thick sauce used judiciously, a hot oven, and a 5 minute rest before serving. Drowning them in thin sauce is the classic route to enchilada soup.
Cooking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.
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A note on cooking safely. Recipes are provided for informational purposes only and are not medical or nutritional advice. Cooking times, temperatures and quantities are suggestions: use your own judgement, and check that meat, poultry, fish and eggs are properly cooked before serving.
Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making dietary changes, particularly if you have allergies, a medical condition or specific nutritional requirements.