If there’s one thing I crave weekly it’s Mexican food! Tex-Mex…Authentic…or Fusion. Doesn’t matter I love it all! And while I’m all for trading out my taco tortillas for lettuce wraps and guacamole for the cheese ( I share all that in my Sheet Pan Fajita post)…sometimes a girl’s got to live a little! And these Chicken Enchiladas with homemade Red Enchilada Sauce are what my heart desires!! Guys, this sauce is so good…it’s always a crowd pleaser… and so simple to execute that it’s even doable for a weeknight meal! A lot of you have asked about my food choices throughout my Intermittent Fasting Challenge, and while yes I am making a lot of healthier choices (isn’t it shocking how much weight I’ve lost in only 4 weeks?)…and while I’m all about making healthier food “substitutes” (did you see my CHEESY no cheese Pasta recipe…it’s amazing!!!)…I’m also all about moderation and living your life! While me and diary aren’t on best of terms these days, I’m ok giving it up most of the time, but sometimes…I just go all in! Put guilt aside and ENJOY!!! Like truly, sincerely, enjoy my food. And by making intentional decisions on when and how to go about that, it’s bringing a whole lot of joy back into my life. And if you want to talk about JOY…these Enchiladas are it!
Ingredients
For the Red Enchilada Sauce
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Four
1 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Fresh Herbs, chopped. I use oregano & parsley
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Cayanne (completely optional, but highly recommended if you like a kick of spice)
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1.5 cups Chicken Broth
For the Enchiladas
Corn Tortillas
Shredded Cooked Chicken
Cheese. I use a Mexican shredded blend in the tortillas, and top with a shredded queso fresco.
Toppings : whatever your heart desires. For us, cilantro, sliced jalapenos, chopped avocado & a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
To Make
Red Enchilada Sauce
This sauce moves quickly, so best to start by measuring out all ingredients:
In a bowl mix, flour, cumin, chili powder, fresh herbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper & cayenne (optional)
In another bowl, measure out tomato paste
In a cup measure out chicken broth
In a pot over medium high heat, heat up olive oil.
When a sprinkling of flour sizzles in the pan it’s time to start.
Using a whisk, mix in the herb mixture into the hot oil (pour slowly and away from yourself to avoid splashing). Stir continuously until all is incorporated and mixture begins to brown in color. About 45 seconds -1 minute.
While continuously whisking, add in tomato paste and incorporate. About 30 seconds.
Slowly, pour in chicken broth, whisking continuously until smooth.
Bring to a boil, lower temp to medium to ensure a soft continuous boil, stiring occasionally, until mixture thickens and easily coats the back of a spoon. About 4-5 minutes.
Remove from heat and use right away, or allow to cool, then store in a food safe container in the fridge for 3-4 days until ready to use.
Chicken Enchiladas
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Enchiladas can be fun, but messy to assemble. I prefer to make an assembly station, with ingredients in bowls all on a large cookie sheet. This helps with the mess after.
Assemble Enchiladas in this order : Take a spoonful of Red Enchilada Sauce and spread on Corn Tortilla. Sprinkle cheese, then shredded chicken. Roll the tortilla, and using the same spoon use a dot of enchilada sauce to “glue” the ends. Place enchiladas in pan ends down to prevent unrolling. Repeat until all tortillas are filled, being sure to reserve a bit of the sauce.
Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with cheese.
Place in oven and Bake 15-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and tortillas are golden.
