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.
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.
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.
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 Red Chili Sauce
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
Cinco de Mayo Recipes
-
- Aperol Grapefruit Margarita by Books n’ Cooks
- Authentic Enchiladas Verdes by Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids
- Blue Raspberry Margarita by Our Crafty Cocktails
- Cantaloupe Agua Fresca by Palatable Pastime
- Chile-Roasted Dutch Yellow Potatoes by Shockingly Delicious
- Dorito Taco Casserole by Making Miracles
- Easy Cheesy Beef Enchiladas With Verde Sauce by Our Crafty Mom
- Enchiladas with Red Chili Sauce by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Pozole Rojo with Chicken by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Slow Cooker Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork) by The Spiffy Cookie
- Taco Crepes by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Walking Taco Salad by Simply Inspired Meals
It look so good Heather! Looking forward to trying this recipe.
These sound and look delicious. So much better than a can.
These sound delicious! I agree, once you make a homemade enchilada sauce you’ll never use a can again. Can’t wait to try your recipe!
These look delicious. You are making me hungry!
Oh I love a good enchilada. I usually make mine with pulled chicken too, but I love your idea of using pork or beef inside. Oh the possibilities!
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Those look so good Heather! Looking forward to trying these beauties.
It’s been years since I’ve had enchiladas, time to try it again!
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.
Oh yum, love enchiladas. I have a recipe book to review this week so I will be making them on Thursday.
I LOVE enchiladas, but I have to confess I’ve never made my own sauce. I’m sort of embarrassed by it, actually. Thanks for the recipe!
Looks and sounds so good! I’ve always wanted to make my own enchiladas…a dish that is usually swimming in a pool of sauce. Yours look perfect!
I love me some enchiladas. These look so good. Mmm, red sauce!
OMG that’s the best sounding enchilada sauce ever!
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.
My family loves when I make enchiladas for dinner…and yours look top notch!!!
I could live on these enchiladas for the rest of my life! YUM!
I love enchiladas and I just love everything about your recipe!! Your pictures are beautiful!
Your sauce sounds amazing! I have always used a green sauce and now I can’t wait to try out your red one. Yum!