These simple Mexican-style hen enchiladas are made with juicy hen thigh meat and rolled into heat corn tortillas with a Mexican cheese mix, inexperienced onions, and jalapeños. I drizzle the baked enchiladas with a fast do-it-yourself cilantro-lime crema and prime them with avocado slices. Use store-bought or do-it-yourself purple enchilada sauce (recipe supplied).
What Makes These Hen Enchiladas Stand out from the Crowd?
These hen enchiladas are my husband’s absolute favourite dinner and go-to consolation meals—actually, we would as properly name them “marry-me enchiladas”! They’re excellent for meal prep, making forward, or freezing, which makes them preferrred for busy weeknights or after I have to feed a crowd of family and friends. You may wager these enchiladas can have everybody coming again for seconds particularly should you serve them with my Mexican avenue corn dip, fan-favorite cilantro-lime black bean rice, and do-it-yourself hen tacos! You’re in for a deal with – listed here are the recipe highlights:
- Cilantro-Lime Crema: Though I prime my enchiladas with the classics—avocado, inexperienced onions, and recent cilantro—I additionally drizzle on a creamy, Mexican-inspired (and do-it-yourself!) cilantro lime crema for a tangy, refreshing twist.
- Purple Enchilada Sauce Choices: You may positively use nice store-bought enchilada sauce for this recipe, however I’ve additionally included my do-it-yourself purple enchilada sauce under if you wish to go the additional mile!
- Straightforward to Customise: Use completely different proteins like pan-seared hen thighs, shredded rotisserie hen, floor turkey, floor hen or beef, or plant-based meat.
- Naturally gluten-free when made with corn tortillas: Most hen enchilada recipes on-line use flour tortillas, however conventional Mexican enchiladas are made with corn tortillas. My recipe sticks to custom, utilizing common corn tortillas (like Mission model). Corn tortillas maintain up higher within the sauce and supply a extra genuine taste. Serve this with Mexican avenue corn sheet pan loaded nachos made with do-it-yourself tortilla chips!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Hen choices: I used skinless boneless hen thighs that I cooked with spices on the stovetop – the darkish, juicy meat is ideal for hen enchiladas. You may also use store-bought rotisserie hen as an alternative. Shred not less than 3 cups of hen and mix with the spices, however style the hen earlier than including further salt and pepper as all rotisserie chickens from the shop are already closely salted.
- Floor meat: For those who want to make use of floor meats, go for it! Not possible meat (plant-based possibility), floor beef, floor turkey, floor hen, and even floor pork are nice replacements to shredded hen thighs.
- Cheese: Low moisture mozzarella cheese is a good substitute for the Mexican mix cheese that I exploit right here!
- Toppings: I’m topping my hen enchiladas with avocado sliced, chopped recent cilantro, and chopped inexperienced onions. I additionally advocate Cotija, bitter cream, sizzling sauce, and guacamole because the toppings. Combine and match!
- Bitter Cream or Yogurt and Mayo vs. Crema: If Mexican crema isn’t out there, you may mix 1 cup bitter cream or 1 cup yogurt with 1 cup mayo as an alternative!
- Corn tortillas style and carry out finest with this recipe. Nevertheless, if you want to make use of flour tortillas, be sure you get skinny tortillas the identical measurement because the corn, if doable.
- Cassava or Siete Almond Flour Tortillas: Cassava or Almond flour tortillas work simply in addition to corn tortillas! Be certain to observe the directions on the packages to make sure you are utilizing them correctly.
- Tip: The under photograph depicts each single ingredient you want. Take a screenshot on your procuring listing!
Easy methods to Make Hen Enchiladas (Step-by-Step)
- That is only a fast overview (with images)—discover the total recipe with precise measurements within the recipe card under.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and place a rack within the center.
- Season the hen: In a small bowl, mix the dried oregano, floor cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Season your hen thighs with the spice combine.
- Cook dinner the hen: Warmth a big skillet or nonstick pan with impartial oil over medium-high warmth. Cook dinner the hen on either side for about 3-4 minutes till it reaches an inside temperature of 165°F.
- Put together the hen filling: Take away the hen and canopy it with plastic wrap to maintain it heat and permit the juices to redistribute. As soon as the hen is cool sufficient, shred it with two forks and put aside.
- Assembling the enchiladas: Unfold 1 cup of enchilada sauce on the underside of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. I wish to microwave the tortillas wrapped in a moist paper towel for 30 seconds to make them extra pliable.
- Then, one after the other, fill every tortilla with shredded hen, inexperienced onions, jalapeños (if utilizing), and 1 ½ cups of Mexican mix cheese.
- Prepare the stuffed tortillas within the dish, pour the remaining sauce excessive, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Cowl with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or till the sauce is effervescent and the cheese is melted.
- Make the cilantro-lime crema: Mix the Mexican crema, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender till clean. I like to recommend tasting the crema and adjusting the seasoning as wanted. Switch it to a squeeze bottle or measuring cup for straightforward serving.
- Serving: As soon as the enchiladas are out of the oven, take away the foil and prime with cilantro, inexperienced onions, avocado slices, and additional enchilada sauce if desired. Drizzle with the cilantro lime crema.
Variations
- Vegetarian/vegan: Change the hen along with your favourite vegetarian or vegan pleasant possibility! Jackfruit, tofu, mushrooms, candy potatoes, black olives, or beans! Change the cheese along with your favourite vegan cheese should you like!
- Mini serving: You may halve all of the elements if you wish to make a smaller portion and fewer leftovers!
- Smoky and spicy: You may mix 1 -2 canned chipotle peppers into your enchilada sauce previous to utilizing.
Storage Ideas
- Refrigerate: What I do is canopy the cooled enchiladas within the casserole dish with a lid or the aluminum foil I used to bake with. In fact, you too can place them in an hermetic container. They may maintain within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
- To reheat, place on a microwave protected plate or bowl and warmth till you attain your required temperature.
- To freeze, switch the cooled enchiladas to aluminum foil and wrap properly. It might final within the freezer for as much as 1 month.
- Thaw by inserting the frozen enchiladas onto a plate and go away it in your fridge in a single day. Reheat following the directions above.
Serve With
- Mexican Road Corn Pasta Salad with Black Beans and Bell Pepper
- Cilantro Lime Black Bean Rice
- Mexican Corn Dip
Extra Mexican Hen Recipes
Hen Enchiladas
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These simple Mexican-style hen enchiladas are made with juicy hen thigh meat and rolled into heat corn tortillas with a Mexican cheese mix, inexperienced onions, and jalapeños. I drizzle the baked enchiladas with a fast do-it-yourself cilantro-lime crema and prime them with avocado slices. Use store-bought or do-it-yourself purple enchilada sauce (recipe supplied).
Servings 6
Elements
Hen Filling
- 2 tablespoons impartial oil
- 2 kilos boneless skinless hen thighs pat dry
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon floor cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons pepper
- 6 medium inexperienced onions white and inexperienced components roughly chopped
- 3 small jalapenos finely chopped (elective)
- 3 cups Mexican mix cheese divided
- 12 corn tortillas
- 28 oz purple or inexperienced enchilada sauce store-bought or make it from scratch (see recipe under)
Cilantro Lime Crema
- 15 oz Mexican crema
- 1 medium lime zest
- 2 medium limes freshly squeezed juice
- 1 bunch cilantro stems eliminated
- 1 clove garlic
- salt and pepper to style
Elective Toppings
- cilantro roughly chopped
- inexperienced onion roughly chopped
- avocado slices
- additional enchilada sauce
Directions
Make Hen Filling
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Place a rack in the midst of your oven and preheat to 350 levels.
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Mix the dried oregano, floor cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
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Warmth a big skillet or nonstick pan with the impartial oil to medium excessive whilst you season your hen thighs throughout with the spice combine.
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Absolutely prepare dinner your hen on either side, about 3-4 minutes per aspect, or till they’ve reached an inside temperature of 165 levels. Take away and place in a medium bowl and canopy with plastic wrap to maintain heat, steam barely, and permit the proteins to calm down and reabsorb any juices.
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As soon as cool sufficient to deal with, shred the hen with two forks and put aside, masking loosely once more with the plastic wrap.
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Wrap your tortillas in a moist paper towel or kitchen towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Verify the pliability of the tortillas. For those who can’t roll them with out them breaking, return them to the microwave for one more 10-15 seconds.
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Place 1 cup of your enchilada sauce onto the underside of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and unfold evenly to cowl.
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Working with one tortilla at a time, ensuring to maintain the unused tortillas coated with the towel to maintain them heat, evenly fill every with the hen, inexperienced onion, jalapenos if utilizing, and 1 ½ cups of Mexican mix cheese. Repeat this course of till you’ve stuffed the casserole dish.
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Ladle 1 cup of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, evenly coating them. Pour the remaining sauce right into a small sauce pot, cowl, and carry on low warmth on the range.
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Sprinkle the remaining 1 ½ cups of Mexican mix cheese on prime, wrap with aluminum foil, and bake for 20-25 minutes or till the sauce is effervescent and the cheese is melted.
Make Cilantro Lime Crema
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Whereas the enchiladas are baking, mix the Mexican crema, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper to style in a blender or to a big cup that may match an immersion blender inside. Mix till clean and regulate with salt and pepper. Switch to a squeeze bottle or measuring cup with a spout.
Serving
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As soon as the enchiladas are completed cooking, take away the foil. High with cilantro, inexperienced onions, avocado slices, additional enchilada sauce if desired. Serve and drizzle with the crema, additional toppings, and additional sauce should you like. Serve alongside calabacitas, rice, beans, or any aspect you like to eat with enchiladas!
Notes
- Layered vs. rolled enchiladas: For those who want to layer your tortillas and filling as an alternative of rolling the fillings inside, don’t neglect to frivolously coat every tortilla you utilize in your layers with enchilada sauce. This helps maintain your enchilada moist.
- Combining all filling elements collectively: To expedite the filling course of, you may mix the inexperienced onion, jalapeno if utilizing, and 1 ½ cups of Mexican mix cheese with the shredded hen previous to rolling your tortillas.
- For those who don’t need to make the crema, you may simply use bitter cream to prime your enchiladas.
- This recipe works properly with both purple or inexperienced enchilada sauce! You may’t go flawed!
- You may warmth the tortillas in a heat pan sprayed with oil as an alternative of microwaving. It should take a bit extra time, however the tortillas have a tendency to carry up a bit of higher when rolling. It does add a bit of bit extra fats to this recipe, but when that’s not a priority, be happy to make use of this methodology.
- Do-it-yourself or store-bought purple enchilada sauce — each work nice right here. I wished to maintain this recipe so simple as doable, so I’ve examined it with each canned enchilada sauce and my do-it-yourself model (you’ll discover the recipe slightly below the recipe card). Truthfully, they each work very well, so go along with whichever possibility is best for you.
Straightforward Substitutions
- Hen: You should use shredded rotisserie hen (not less than 3 cups) as an alternative of cooking skinless, boneless hen thighs.
- Floor Meat: You an additionally sub the hen with floor beef, turkey, hen, pork, or plant-based meat like Not possible model.
- Cheese: Don’t have Mexican mix? Use shredded low-moisture mozzarella.
- Toppings: I prime mine with avocado slices, chopped cilantro, and inexperienced onions. You may also use Cotija cheese, bitter cream, guacamole, or a drizzle of sizzling sauce as toppings.
- Crema Substitute: Combine 1 cup bitter cream or yogurt with 1 cup mayo.
- Tortillas: I used corn tortillas, however you too can use skinny flour tortillas of comparable measurement as an alternative. I additionally love to make use of Cassava or almond flour tortillas (like Siete model) for hen enchiladas.
You have to these provides:
- knife
- slicing board
- heavy skillet or nonstick pan
- 9 x 13 casserole dish
- massive bowl
- blender or immersion blender
- paper towels or kitchen towel
- zester
- citrus juicer
Do-it-yourself Purple Enchilada Sauce
The Elements
- 3 tablespoons impartial oil (like vegetable or avocado oil)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup chili powder (use gentle, American-style chili powder). Style it earlier than utilizing it. In case your chili powder is simply too sizzling, use smoked paprika as an alternative.
- 1 teaspoon floor cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (elective for warmth, particularly should you use gentle, American-style chili powder)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (regulate to style)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 ½ cups hen broth (Beef broth is nice, too! Or vegetable broth for a vegetarian model)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar (provides brightness)
Easy methods to Make Purple Enchilada Sauce
- Make a roux: In a medium saucepan, warmth the oil over medium warmth. Whisk within the flour and prepare dinner for about 1 minute, stirring always, till frivolously golden.
- Add spices: Whisk within the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne (if utilizing), and salt. Cook dinner for 30 seconds to mix the spices.
- Add liquids: Stir within the tomato paste, then regularly whisk within the broth to keep away from lumps. Deliver to a simmer.
- Simmer: Let the sauce simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, stirring often, till barely thickened.
- End: Stir within the vinegar. Style and regulate salt or chili powder if wanted.
