Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce

5 from 3 votes

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce

If you’re looking for a perfect dish to serve for your Cinco de Mayo celebration, look no further. Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce is easy to make, and absolutely delicious to eat!

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Cinco de Mayo, Main Course

Cuisine: Cinco de Mayo, Mexican

Servings: servings

Calories: 548kcal

Ingredients

1 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion chopped (about 1 cup)
3 medium cloves garlic minced
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 pound (16 ounces) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into ¼-inch wide strips
2 cans 8 ounces each tomato sauce
1 can 4 ounces pickled jalapeños, drained and chopped (about ¼ cup)
11 ounces (2 ¾ cups) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
10 corn tortillas 6-inches
Vegetable cooking spray

Instructions

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with spices, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and ¾ cup water; stir to separate chicken pieces. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have melded, about 8 minutes. Pour mixture through medium-mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on chicken and onions to extract as much sauce as possible; set sauce aside. Transfer chicken mixture to large plate; freeze for 10 minutes to cool, then combine with 2 cups of cheese and jalapenos in medium bowl and set aside.
Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300° F.
Smear entire bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish with ¾ cup chili sauce.
Place tortillas on two baking sheets. Spray both sides lightly with cooking spray. Bake until tortillas are soft and pliable, about 4 minutes.
Place warm tortillas on counter-top. Increase oven temperature to 400° F. Place ⅓ cup filling down center of each tortilla. Roll each tortilla tightly by hand and place in baking dish, side by side, seam-side down. Pour remaining chili sauce over top of enchiladas. Use back of spoon to spread sauce so it coats top of each tortilla. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup of cheddar cheese down the center of the enchiladas.
Cover baking dish with foil. Bake enchiladas on lower-middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately, garnishing with sour cream, avocado, lettuce, lime wedges, etc. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

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