With Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce
These enchiladas are quick and easy to make and are much healthier than traditional enchiladas. I buy the rotisserie chicken at the supermarket and use the white and dark meat in the recipe. I do not use the skin. I load up the filling with corn and black beans in addition to the chicken. This allows you to add layers of healthy flavors in the enchiladas. The homemade enchilada sauce is so easy to make and is much better than store bought. I have a few variations of enchiladas that I make depending on whether we are in the mood for chicken, meat or only vegetables. The dish can be altered to fit your taste so feel free to experiment. This is a perfect mid week meal to make since it will be ready in under an hour and if you make the enchilada sauce ahead of time then the enchiladas will be ready in 20-25 minutes.
Can I make the Enchiladas Vegetarian?
Yes, you can leave out the chicken and add in chopped zucchini, yellow squash, spinach or broccoli. Just make sure you blend all the ingredients together in a pan before filling the tortillas. You can also serve them as all bean enchiladas and substitute the meat with kidney beans. I would not add seafood to this recipe. I do have a great recipe for Baja Style Fish Tacos that I will be sharing later on.
Can I make the Enchilada’s Ahead of Time?
You can make the enchilada sauce a day or two before and heat it up when you are ready to make the enchiladas. This will cut down on the prep time before dinner. The sauce can also be frozen for a month. You can roll the enchiladas earlier in the day and refrigerate, do not top with sauce and cheese. When you are ready for dinner, top with enchilada sauce and cheese, cover with foil and bake in oven for 15 minutes at 350 until warm.
What Should I Serve with the Enchiladas?
I like a crisp green salad like romaine with tomatoes and a simple red wine vinegar and olive oil dressing. An easy Mexican rice is also perfect to serve with this. Sauté a cup of chopped onion in a tablespoon of butter until translucent, add uncooked long grain rice and cook as directed but substitute a quarter of the water with the enchilada sauce. When the rice is done toss in some green peas and allow to heat up in the rice.
This quick and easy enchilada recipe can be ready in 30 minutes. Serve with Jenn’s Spanish style rice.
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1½ tbsp chili powder (more if you like spicy)
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1½ cups water
- 1 tbsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- heat oil in pan
- whisk in flour and chili powder
- add tomato sauce and water
- add cumin, salt, garlic powder
- simmer to thicken sauce – around 10 minutes
Notes
Nutrition
Chicken, Corn and Black Bean Enchiladas
Ingredients
Enchiladas
- 2½ cups Jenn's View enchilada sauce
- 2½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken white and dark meat – no skin
- 1½ cups corn (frozen kernals are fine)
- 1½ cups rinsed black beans
- 8 flour tortillas (6 inch)
- 2½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
Enchiladas
- Preheat oven to 350
- line bottom of baking dish with a layer of enchilada sauce
- add shredded chicken to pan
- add corn and black beans
- add 1 cup of enchilada sauce
- add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese continue to mix well and simmer until cheese is melted
- Spoon into the middle of flour tortilla and roll up
- Place seam side down in baking dish
- Top with remaining enchilada sauce and and remaining 1½ cups of shredded cheese
- cover with foil and bake in oven until cheese is melted – around 10 min
- Optional toppings: avocado, cilantro, scallions, sour cream, crumbled cortija cheese
Nutrition
Spanish Style Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1½ cups water or vegetable broth
- ½ cup Jenn's View Enchilada Sauce
- 1 cup green peas frozen is fine
Instructions
- melt butter in sauce pan and saute onion until translucent
- add rice and stir for 1 minute
- add water and enchilada sauce and bring to a boil
- cover and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes
- fluff rice and stir in peas. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes