Shredded chicken combined with jalapeno, garlic and thyme creates the hearty filling for this cheesy Mexican classic covered in a savory tomato sauce made from scratch to help cut back on sodium.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 medium white onion, minced
- 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, halved lengthwise
- Kosher salt
- 3 to 4 tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), cored and roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups shredded muenster cheese (about 6 ounces)
- 1 cup mixed fresh parsley and cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the jalapeno, garlic, thyme and half of the onion. Cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken, 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook until the chicken is tender, about 6 minutes.
- Remove the chicken to a plate. Transfer the cooking liquid and vegetables to a blender; add the tomatoes and allspice and puree with the lid ajar. Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and place over medium-high heat. Add the tomato mixture and cook until slightly reduced, 6 minutes. Pour into a baking dish.
- Brush the tortillas with olive oil and put on a baking sheet; bake 5 minutes. Shred the chicken. Top each tortilla with chicken and cheese, then roll up and arrange in the baking dish, seam-side down, spooning some sauce on top. Bake until the cheese melts, 4 minutes.
- Toss the herbs, remaining onion, and salt to taste. Sprinkle on top.
- Per serving: Calories 452; Fat 23 g (Saturated 9 g); Cholesterol 74 mg; Sodium 852 mg; Carbohydrate 35 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 27 g
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 452 calorie |
| Total Fat | 23 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 9 grams |
| Cholesterol | 74 milligrams |
| Sodium | 852 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 35 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 grams |
| Protein | 27 grams |
Reviews
I thought this was delicious! Definitely a lighter enchilada flavor which I preferred to the usual heavy, cheesy and smoky chili flavor. I used thighs (that’s all I had) and added a little lime juice (just a leftover 1/2 lime from another recipe) & 1/2 tsp salt to the tomato puree after blending. I didn’t have regular tomatoes so I used heirloom grape tomatoes. My sauce probably had a sweeter/more acidic flavor than traditional enchiladas but I really enjoyed it! I also didn’t have corn tortillas, so I used flour. I agree it was a lot of work with a sink-full of dirty dishes by the time I finished, but I got almost everything cleaned up and into the dishwasher while the enchiladas ‘cooked.’ I didn’t think I’d like the meunster cheese but it was perfect. I’ll make this again.
Followed the recipe to a t and it came out delicious!
Well, I took some other reviewers advice and added more seasoning to the tomato sauce but that didn’t save this dish. It was just not that flavorful, even the chicken that I sautéed in the garlic, onion and jalapeno–not that much flavor–even after I added ancho chile powder, cumin, oregano, salt, chili powder, coriander—I just don’t know. Never really picked up a ton of flavor. My hubby and I both commented that for all the work, it wasn’t worth the end result–just ok. Probably won’t make this again
I agree that this is a good “base” recipe, but definitely needs some modification for an “authentic” taste.
Here’s what to do with the tortillas: heat up some water in an 8″ or 10″ skillet (not boiling), then just give each tortilla a quick dip before rolling. Softens them up just enough, with less fat!
For the tomato puree, I used the following for the spice mix: 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano (mexican oregano if you’ve got it), and 1/2 tsp chili powder. I also added 1/2 tsp dried chipotle, but that’s up to you. Add some adobo sauce to the tomato puree as well (open up some canned chipotle peppers – it’s what they pack them in – just pour some out) – a tablespoon is plenty. I also threw in about 1/4C of cilantro before pureeing.
When filling, I’d suggest a mix of shredded RF Mexican cheese and RF jack, for a better taste and melt. Also add some canned chopped mild green chiles (really, they’re not hot!) to the filling. Don’t pour all of the sauce into the baking dish, but reserve about 1 Cup to pour over the rolled enchiladas, and add a generous sprinkling of leftover cheese.
Cilantro (no parsely in a mexican recipe, please) and onions worked great as a garnish, and don’t forget some light sour cream (or mexican cream fresa) and avocado slices (or guacamole) on top of each serving as well!
Yummy and relatively fast!
This was a great base recipe, but I made some changes as well. I doubled up the chicken put it in the crock pot with the jalapeño, tomatoes, onion, 1 garlic clove, cumin, ancho chile powder, parsley, and cilantro for 4 hours. I removed the chicken and shredded and I puréed what was left in the crock. I used reduced fat Mexican cheese. Tortillas were perfect in the oven at 3 mins. I served w/ light sour cream and an avocado. It was awesome and my family loved it!
Well i haven’t made it yet but it sounds so delicious and all that healthy sounds good also!!
the allspice blend wasn’t great..it just made everything taste of cinnamon..i’m gonna try again with some fresh ground cumin,coriander seeds,cayenne pepper and a bit of paprika along with some fresh chillies and the stalks of the fresh coriander..i reckon some red beans won’t hurt in the sauce once it’s transferred back to the pan to reduce and to avoid it going soggy i think i’ll just mix the whole thing inside the tortilla,top with a bit of the remaining sauce and a mix of cheddar and mozzarella (some inside the wrap too) then bake it unit it crisps a bit on a slightly lower heat for longer..the method for steaming the chicken,using the onion and juices in the salsa then shredding the chicken was the best part of this recipe.
Followed the recipe. It was tasty, but I wouldn’t have minded a little more kick (even with two jalepenos –it was on the sweet side. Also, like a previous reviewer, I had trouble rolling the tortillas after I had baked them for five minutes. They kept breaking– so I used ones that were not toasted and they ended up being a little soggy. I think maybe next time I’ll bake them for three minutes and maybe add some crushed red pepper. Oh, and I think try a mexican style cheese.
Great Base recipe, loved the homemade sauce — I just made a few changes: Definitely use the 2 jalapenos for good flavor and I used 2 chicken breasts instead of 1. Absolutely substitute a Mexican cheese mix for a better enchilada flavor. Main change; I can’t stand raw onion! So, for the last step, I used half of 1 of the tomatoes, chopped and mixed it with the fresh herbs, salt and pepper to create the topping. Yummy!