Green Tomatillo Chicken Enchiladas with Charred Chilli Sauce
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats, America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
Charring tomatillos, poblanos and garlic under the grill builds a smoky, tangy green sauce that bathes shredded chicken enchiladas before they're baked bubbling hot. Soured cream and crumbled queso fresco finish the dish with cooling contrast.
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Method
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Equipment
- grill (broiler) pan or rimmed baking tray lined with foil
- bowl and a plate to cover it
- blender
- medium saucepan with a lid
- instant-read thermometer
- two forks
- large bowl
- frying pan
- tongs
- wire rack
- baking dish (about 23 x 33 cm)
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 711 kcal |
| Protein | 53.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 55.8 g |
| of which sugars | 12.9 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 31.9 g |
| of which saturates | 12.7 g |
| Fibre | 10.2 g |
| Salt | 2.92 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
7.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Green sauce
- 700 g tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed
- 2 poblano peppers about 250 g
- 1 serrano or other green chilli (2 for more heat)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered about 150 g
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 250 ml low-sodium chicken stock
- 20 g coriander leaves and tender stems, plus extra to serve
- 3 g fine sea salt or table salt about ½ tsp
Chicken
- 600 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 750 ml water
- 1.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¼ tsp
- 150 g low-moisture mozzarella, grated (check the rennet) 100 g for the filling, 50 g for the top
Tortillas
- 12 small corn tortillas (15 cm) about 312 g
- 60 ml neutral oil, for softening the tortillas
To finish
- 60 g queso fresco or feta, crumbled (check the rennet)
- 120 g soured cream, loosened with 1 tbsp water
- 1
Char the vegetables. Heat the grill (broiler) to its highest setting, with a rack positioned about 15cm below the heat source. Spread the tomatillos, poblanos, serrano, onion and garlic over the lined tray and grill for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally, until the tomatillos are soft and blistered and the poblano skins are blackened in patches. Tip the hot poblanos into the bowl, cover with the plate and leave for 10 minutes; the trapped steam loosens the skins so they peel away easily. This direct heat also drives off some of the tomatillos' sharp acidity and builds a smoky base note for the sauce.
- 2
Blend and simmer the sauce. Peel, stem and seed the poblanos, then squeeze the softened garlic from its skins. Tip everything from the tray, with its juices, into a blender with the stock, coriander and the 1/2 tsp salt, and blend for about 1 minute until smooth. Pour into the saucepan and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until it has thickened slightly and reduced to about 750ml; the gentle evaporation concentrates the flavour so the sauce clings to the tortillas rather than running off.
- 3
Poach and shred the chicken. Rinse the saucepan if needed, then add the chicken, water and the 1/4 tsp salt and bring to a bare simmer. Cover, lower the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning the chicken once, until the thickest part reaches 74°C on an instant-read thermometer; poaching gently like this keeps the breast meat moist rather than drying it out. Lift the chicken out, leave to cool for 5 minutes, then shred into a large bowl using two forks. Toss the shredded chicken with 125ml of the sauce and 100g of the mozzarella so the filling is well seasoned before it goes anywhere near the oven.
- 4
Soften the tortillas. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) so it's ready for baking. Warm the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then use tongs to dip each tortilla in briefly, about 10 seconds per side, until soft and pliable but not crisp; never leave the hot oil unattended while you do this. Lay each one on the wire rack to drain as you go, since this quick dip stops the tortillas tearing or cracking when they're rolled around the filling.
- 5
Fill and roll. Spread 125ml of the sauce over the base of the baking dish to stop the enchiladas sticking. Spoon a line of the chicken mixture along each tortilla, roll it up snugly and lay it seam side down in the dish, packing the rolls close together so they hold their shape. Pour the remaining sauce over the top, making sure the ends are covered, and scatter with the remaining 50g mozzarella.
- 6
Bake until bubbling. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the centre of the dish is piping hot (74°C); covering the ends with sauce earlier stops them drying out before the middle catches up. Scatter with the queso fresco, drizzle with the soured cream and finish with a little extra coriander. Serve straight away while the cheese is still molten and the tortillas underneath have softened into the sauce.
Storage
Cool the enchiladas quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour; use within 3 days. Reheat a portion, covered, in a hot oven or microwave until piping hot (74°C) throughout, and only reheat once. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
