This Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce recipe is made with a homemade enchilada sauce and tortillas stuffed with delicious chicken and cheese!
A HOMEMADE CHICKEN ENCHILADA RECIPE
Ever since I shared my recipe for Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas, I've had a lot of requests for a red sauce version. Of course, I still keep it simple to make but I definitely had to make sure I made a homemade enchilada sauce!
TIPS FOR MAKING ENCHILADAS ROJAS:
- Traditional Enchiladas are made with corn tortillas. Corn Tortillas need to be heated up before they are rolled or else they will tear. You can warm them up in the microwave or you can gently heat them in a pan on the stovetop with a little oil in the pan. Or, place some enchilada sauce in a pan over medium heat and dip the corn tortilla in the enchilada sauce to soften it up and then fill with chicken mixture.
- This is a great recipe for leftover chicken or turkey. You can also purchase a cooked rotisserie chicken and cut and shred the chicken. This adds a lot of flavor to the recipe.
- This enchilada recipe is also amazing with my CROCK POT MEXICAN SHREDDED BEEF RECIPE. Give it a try - it is outstanding!
- Your favorite store bought red enchilada sauce can be used but I think you will love this version homemade enchilada sauce.
- A Mexican blend of cheeses can be used in place of the cheddar cheese.
- If cilantro isn't your thing, just leave it out.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- butter
- chili powder
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- ground cumin
- cornstarch
- chicken stock
- tomato sauce
- granulated sugar
- kosher salt
- shredded cooked chicken
- shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- fresh cilantro
- flour or corn tortillas (fajita size)
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH RED SAUCE:
In a medium-sized sauce pot melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin whisk to combine and “fry” in the butter until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Whisk in the cornstarch and cook an additional minute. Slowly pour in the chicken stock while whisking constantly until combined. Whisk in the tomato sauce, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened, set aside.
In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken, 1 cup of the cheddar, the sour cream, cilantro, and ¼ cup of the sauce. Stir to combine, set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, pour in 1 cup of the sauce, making sure to cover the bottom of the dish.
To the side, lay out the tortillas and evenly distribute the filling among them, using about ¼ cup of the filling per tortilla.
Roll the tortilla around the filling and place it in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
Pour the remaining sauce on top and smooth it out to make sure all of the tortillas are covered in the sauce.
Top with the remaining shredded cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dish is bubbly.
Let them cool for about 10 minutes in the dish and serve with your favorite toppings.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce
Ingredients
For the enchilada sauce:
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
- 1 pound shredded cooked chicken
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided use
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- 10 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas (fajita size)
- Toppings of your choice: Sour Cream, Diced Tomatoes, Chopped Cilantro, Guacamole, Sliced Jalapenos
Instructions
- In a medium-sized sauce pot melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin whisk to combine and “fry” in the butter until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.
- Whisk in the cornstarch and cook an additional minute. Slowly pour in the chicken stock while whisking constantly until combined.
- Whisk in the tomato sauce, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened, set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken, 1 cup of the cheddar, the sour cream, cilantro, and ¼ cup of the sauce. Stir to combine, set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, pour in 1 cup of the sauce, making sure to cover the bottom of the dish.
- To the side, layout the tortillas and evenly distribute the filling among them, using about ¼ cup of the filling per tortilla.
- Roll the tortilla around the filling and place it in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Pour the remaining sauce on top and smooth it out to make sure all of the tortillas are covered in the sauce. Top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the dish is bubbly. Let them cool for about 10 minutes in the dish and serve with your favorite toppings.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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