Chicken enchiladas with homemade red sauce
Comforting baked enchiladas with shredded chicken, smoky tomato sauce and melted cheddar — great for a crowd.
These chicken enchiladas keep a weekday practicality while still feeling proper indulgent — shredded poached chicken wrapped in warmed corn tortillas, bathed in a smoky tomato sauce and topped with molten cheddar.
Make the sauce from scratch; it’s quick and packs better flavour than a tin. Use leftover roast chicken if you have it and this becomes a very speedy supper that feeds a hungry family.
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken thighs, boneless skinless
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 30 ml olive oil
- 60 ml vegetable oil — for softening tortillas
- 1 brown onion — large, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves — finely chopped
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- 10 ml ground cumin
- 10 ml chilli powder
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 400 ml passata
- 30 g tomato purée
- 5 ml brown sugar
- 15 g cornflour — for slurry
- 60 ml water — for slurry
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — to taste
- 12 corn tortillas
- 350 g grated mature cheddar — use a proportion for filling and topping
- 120 g soured cream — for filling and to serve
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped, to garnish
- 1 lime — cut into wedges to serve
Equipment
- baking tray
- large frying pan
- saucepan
- tongs
Instructions
Pour the chicken stock into a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the chicken thighs, cover and poach at a gentle simmer until just cooked through, about 18 minutes.
Remove the chicken to a plate and leave to rest for 5 minutes, then shred with two forks. Reserve 150 ml of the poaching liquid and discard the rest or freeze for another use.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown onion and sweat for 6–8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then stir in smoked paprika, ground cumin, chilli powder and dried oregano for 30 seconds to bloom the spices. Stir in the tomato purée, passata, reserved poaching liquid and brown sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes so the flavours meld. Mix the cornflour with the water to a smooth slurry, whisk into the sauce and simmer 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional.
Warm the corn tortillas so they roll without cracking: heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and warm 2–3 tortillas at a time for about 10 seconds each side until pliable, draining briefly on kitchen paper. Keep warmed tortillas covered with a clean tea towel while you finish the rest.
Spoon about one-third of the sauce into the base of a 23 x 33 cm baking tray. Place a warmed tortilla on a board, put roughly 75 g shredded chicken and a small handful of grated mature cheddar and a teaspoon of soured cream down the middle, then roll tightly. Place seam-side down in the tray. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the assembled enchiladas and scatter the rest of the grated mature cheddar on top. Bake in the preheated oven until bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden at the edges, about 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, scatter over the fresh coriander, squeeze over the lime and serve with dollops of soured cream.
Tips
- Poaching the chicken in stock keeps the meat moist — reserve some of the poaching liquid for the sauce to boost flavour.
- Warm tortillas just until pliable. If they crack, briefly cover and steam with a towel to re-soften.
- Make the sauce a day ahead; it keeps well and the flavours develop overnight.
- To keep the topping from burning, tent the tray with foil for the final few minutes of baking.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container for 2–3 days; reheat covered in the oven at 160°C fan/180°C conventional until piping hot.
Substitutions
chicken thighs, boneless skinless → leftover roast chicken, shredded — use the same weight
Stays closecorn tortillas → plain wheat tortillas, 12 pieces — will make the dish not gluten-free and slightly softer
Noticeably differentgrated mature cheddar → Monterey Jack or mozzarella, same quantity — melts better but less sharp flavour
Stays closesoured cream → Greek-style natural yoghurt, same quantity — tangier, thinner texture
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 1040
- Calories
- 52 g
- Protein
- 50 g
- Carbs
- 70 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make these ahead and freeze?
Yes — assemble in the tray, cover well and freeze for up to 2 months. Bake from frozen at 180°C fan/200°C conventional for about 35–45 minutes, covered for the first 25 minutes, then uncovered until bubbling.
How do I stop the tortillas getting soggy?
Warm them briefly in hot oil or a dry frying pan before filling to make them pliable; don't over-sauce the filling and bake at a high enough temperature so the top crisps slightly.
Can I use leftover chicken or a rotisserie bird?
Absolutely — leftover roast or rotisserie chicken works very well and speeds things up. Use the same weight and shred before filling.
Is there an easy way to make the sauce milder or hotter?
For milder, reduce the chilli powder or add an extra teaspoon of brown sugar. For hotter, add a finely chopped fresh chilli or 1 tsp chipotle purée if you have it.
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