Red Chile Chicken Enchiladas with Cheddar and Lime Crema
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
Chicken thighs simmer in a cumin and chilli tomato sauce, then are shredded with cheddar and jalapeño, rolled in warm corn tortillas, sauced and baked until bubbling.
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Method
- 1
Make the sauce. Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, chilli powder, ground coriander, cumin, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant; frying the spices briefly deepens their flavour.
- 2
Poach the chicken in the sauce. Stir in the chicken strips, then the passata and water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes, until the thickest strip reaches 74 °C. Cooking the chicken in the sauce flavours both.
- 3
Strain and shred. Pour everything through the sieve into the bowl, pressing to keep all the sauce. Leave the chicken to cool for 5 minutes, then shred it with the forks into the large bowl and mix in the chopped coriander, jalapeño and 225 g cheddar.
- 4
Warm the tortillas. Heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan) and spread 180 ml of the sauce over the base of the baking dish. Brush both sides of the tortillas lightly with oil, lay them overlapping on the trays and warm them in the oven for 2-3 minutes until soft. Warm tortillas roll without cracking.
- 5
Roll. Spoon about 80 ml of filling down the centre of each tortilla, roll it up tightly and lay it seam side down in the dish, in 2 rows. Pour the remaining sauce over, making sure the ends are covered so they don't dry out, and sprinkle with the last 60 g cheddar.
- 6
Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for 5 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and the centre reaches 74 °C.
- 7
Finish and serve. Stir the soured cream and lime juice together, drizzle it over the enchiladas and scatter with the onion rings and coriander leaves. Serve 2 enchiladas per person.
Storage
Refrigerate within 1 hour and use within 3 days. Reheat once, covered, in a 180 °C oven until piping hot (74 °C). Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Equipment
- medium saucepan with a lid
- sieve set over a bowl
- 2 forks
- large bowl
- 33 × 23 cm baking dish
- 2 baking trays
- pastry brush
- ladle
- foil
- instant-read thermometer
- small bowl
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 618 kcal |
| Protein | 33.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 43.6 g |
| of which sugars | 9.8 g |
| of which free sugars | 1.7 g |
| Fat | 36.2 g |
| of which saturates | 15.2 g |
| Fibre | 8 g |
| Salt | 2.16 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
