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This is my go-to recipe for red sauce enchiladas. Fast, incredible flavor, and stress free to make. Sound too good to be true? mexicanplease.com
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4.39 from 18 votes

Easy Red Sauce Enchiladas

This is my go-to recipe for red sauce enchiladas. Fast, incredible flavor, and stress free to make. You might even have all the ingredients on hand already.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 690kcal
Author: Patrick Calhoun | Mexican Please

Ingredients

  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1/2 onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 3 chipotles in adobo
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • 1 cup stock (or water)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • oil
  • 1 chicken breast
  • 8-10 corn tortillas
  • Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
  • Crema (optional)
  • Cotija cheese (optional)
  • Basic Guacamole (optional)

Instructions

  • Start by roasting 3 tomatoes in the oven at 400F.
  • If you are poaching the chicken, cover the chicken breast with cold water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until the chicken is no longer pink inside, approx. 20 minutes. You can also add salt, onion, and cilantro to the simmering water for a hint of additional flavor.  Once cooked, set aside to cool and then shred using two forks. 
  • Saute a roughly chopped 1/2 onion and 3 whole, peeled garlic cloves in a dollop of oil over medium heat.
  • Add the roasted tomatoes to the onions and garlic, along with 3 chipotles in adobo, 1 Tablespoon adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 cup stock (or water), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
  • Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes and then add it to a blender.  Blend well and return to the saucepan.  Taste for seasoning. ( I added additional pinches of salt and oregano to this batch).  Let simmer for 5-10 minutes on mediumish heat.
  • Meanwhile, heat up 8-10 corn tortillas.  I covered them with damp paper towels and nuked them for 60 seconds. 
  • Add a dollop of the enchilada sauce to a plate. Dredge a tortilla in the sauce and flip.  Fill with shredded chicken, chunks of cheese, and some bits of finely chopped raw onion.  Roll tight and place on a baking dish seam side down. You can line the baking dish with enchilada sauce to prevent sticking.
  • Continue rolling the enchiladas until all the chicken is gone. A single chicken breast will make 7-9 enchiladas.  Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and give them a jiggle.
  • Bake at 400F for 8-10 minutes
  • Serve immediately with your choice of Crema, Cotija cheese, Arroz Rojo, and Guacamole.

Notes

Mexican oregano works really well in this dish so use that if you have some, but you will still get a great result without it.
I used a homemade chicken stock but virtually any stock (or even water) would work for this dish.
Be sure to warm up the tortillas before building the enchiladas. This makes them easier to roll. 

Nutrition

Calories: 690kcal