Baked Chicken Enchiladas

Saucy rolled tortillas under blistered cheese, a ten minute red sauce.

Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time55 mins
YieldServes 4 to 5
Baked Chicken Enchiladas
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Before You Start

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 is not a compromise here, it is the standard method.

Instructions

  1. 1

    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.

  2. 2

    Whisk in the tomato paste and then the stock gradually. Simmer 5 minutes to a smooth, pourable sauce. Season with salt.

  3. 3

    Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Stir a ladle of sauce and a handful of cheese through the shredded chicken.

  4. 4

    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.

  5. 5

    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.

  6. 6

    Bake 20 to 25 minutes until molten and blistered in spots. Rest 5 minutes, then finish with sour cream, coriander and lime.

💡 Baker's tips

  • 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.

Baking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.

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