Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce

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Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce combine chicken in a mildly spicy homemade enchilada sauce rolled in tortillas then topped with sour cream and cheese for an awesome Mexican meal.  This recipe originally appeared on my blog May 5, 2013 but I’ve updated the photos and the content.

Enchiladas with Chili Sauce

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  It’s time for a Mexican Fiesta and I can’t wait to see what everyone is serving.  I am a huge Mexican food fan and generally cook Mexican at least once a week at home.

In my younger days I would go out with friends on Cinco de Mayo and we would drink margaritas, eat chips with white cheese dip, and share platters of burritos, enchiladas, and quesadillas.  Now that I’m older I still like to make a Mexican meal on Cinco de Mayo, and I even like to make my own margaritas, but now we stay at home and celebrate.

Everything you need to make Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to make this week because there are so many great dishes that I’ve made in the past.  A few of my favorites are Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic and Chipotle Pulled Pork Tacos, Chicken Tamale Pie, and BBQ Pork Tacos with Slaw and Guacamole.

This week I decided to share these delicious Enchiladas with Red Chili sauce.  They are stuffed full with chicken, green chilies, jalapenos, and cheese.  What really makes them special is the homemade sauce.  Once you make this you’ll never go back to the canned stuff again.

The sauce is spiced with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.  I use the sauce inside with the chicken as well as poured over top of the enchiladas.  These enchiladas are a bit spicy so we cooled them off with a few margaritas on the rocks.  It was really the perfect Cinco de Mayo combination.

Filling a Chicken Enchilada

Pro Tips & Substitutions:

  • The sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
  • Shredded pork or ground beef can be substituted for the chicken in this recipe.
  • These enchiladas can be frozen.  Make them up until the step where you put them in the oven.  Instead of putting them in the oven cover with plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake remove from freezer, remove plastic wrap, and bake at 400 degrees with the foil on for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cooked through and the cheese is bubbly.
Enchiladas with Chili Sauce

Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce

Homemade spicy enchilada sauce poured over top of chicken, cheese, and jalapeno enchiladas that are topped with sour cream and avocados.
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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Author: Hezzi-D

Ingredients

For the enchiladas:

  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 bell pepper chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 T. chili powder
  • 1 t. corriander
  • 1 T. cumin
  • 1 t. salt
  • 1 t. black pepper
  • 1 lb. chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 16 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 c. fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 5 oz can diced green chilies
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
  • 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 T. lime juice
  • 8 tortillas

For the toppings:

  • 1/2 c. cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 c. sour cream
  • 1 avocado diced

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  •   Heat the oil in a large skillet. over medium-high heat.  Add in the onion and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes.
  • Add in the garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
  • Stir in tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of water.   Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 6-7 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, heat the chicken breast pieces in a large skillet for 5-7 minutes or until it is no longer pink in the center.  Spoon a half cup of the sauce mixture into the chicken and mix well.
  • Remove the chicken from heat and stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese, green chilies, jalapenos, cilantro, and lime juice.
  • Divide the chicken mixture between the tortillas, then fold in the sides and roll up.  Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Pour the sauce over top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven a serve with sour cream and avocado.

Notes

Recipe adapted from What's Cookin', Chicago?

Homemade chicken enchiladas

Cinco de Mayo Recipes

18 Comments

  1. Ooooooh, the recipes this week are so good and your enchiladas is no exception, Heather. These sound so saucy, flavourful and delicious! I also fullheartedly agree with washing these down with margaritas. It’s the perfect meal! I can’t wait to try this recipe.

  2. I haven’t had a good enchilada in a long time. I really haven’t enjoyed the ones I’ve had in restaurants. Thanks to you I now have a recipe to make them at home.

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