Mexican Chicken Enchiladas
Tortillas crack as you roll them because they are cold. The essential step: pass each tortilla through hot oil for 10 seconds a side before rolling — it turns pliable, rolls without splitting, and resists the sauce in the oven.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Calories
- 460
Photo: Alejandra Mendoza Santillan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Enchilada means 'seasoned with chilli'. Filled tortilla rolls covered in sauce and cheese and baked. A Mexican party dish you can assemble ahead and slide into the oven half an hour before eating.
Method
-
1
The sauce
Heat the oil and stir the flour into it for a minute, then add the paprika, chilli, cumin and oregano and stir for just 30 seconds (paprika burns).
⏱ 3 min -
2
Finish the sauce
Add the tomato paste and stock gradually, whisking so it does not lump, plus the salt. Simmer 8 minutes to thicken.
⏱ 10 min -
3
The filling
Mix the shredded chicken with the onion, beans, half the cheese and half a cup of the sauce.
⏱ 6 min -
4
Soften the tortillas
Heat oil in a pan and pass each tortilla through for 10 seconds a side until pliable. Drain on paper. This is the step that prevents cracking.
⏱ 10 min -
5
Roll
Spread a little sauce in the base of the dish, put filling in each tortilla and roll it, then arrange them in the dish seam side down.
⏱ 10 min -
6
Cover
Pour the rest of the sauce over so they are fully covered, and scatter the remaining cheese.
⏱ 4 min -
7
Bake
Bake at 190°C for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese melts and browns and the edges bubble.
⏱ 25 min -
8
Serve
Let it rest 5 minutes, then add the sour cream and coriander.
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Tips that actually matter
- Pass the tortillas through oil before rolling — it prevents cracking and resists the sauce.
- Seam side down so the rolls do not open in the oven.
- Paprika in the oil for 30 seconds only — longer and it burns and embitters the sauce.
- Assemble it fully and keep it covered in the fridge for two days, then straight into the oven with 10 extra minutes.
People also ask
Corn or wheat tortillas?
Corn is the original, with a stronger flavour that stands up to the sauce better, but it cracks more easily. Wheat is easier to roll and softer.
Why did my rolls turn so soft?
Too much sauce, or you skipped the oil step. The sauce should cover, not drown, and the oil creates a protective layer.
Can it be vegetarian?
Yes — a filling of black beans, sweetcorn, peppers and cheese. One of the most popular versions in Mexico.
Cook mode
Mexican Chicken Enchiladas
-
1
The sauce
Heat the oil and stir the flour into it for a minute, then add the paprika, chilli, cumin and oregano and stir for just 30 seconds (paprika burns).
-
2
Finish the sauce
Add the tomato paste and stock gradually, whisking so it does not lump, plus the salt. Simmer 8 minutes to thicken.
-
3
The filling
Mix the shredded chicken with the onion, beans, half the cheese and half a cup of the sauce.
-
4
Soften the tortillas
Heat oil in a pan and pass each tortilla through for 10 seconds a side until pliable. Drain on paper. This is the step that prevents cracking.
-
5
Roll
Spread a little sauce in the base of the dish, put filling in each tortilla and roll it, then arrange them in the dish seam side down.
-
6
Cover
Pour the rest of the sauce over so they are fully covered, and scatter the remaining cheese.
-
7
Bake
Bake at 190°C for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese melts and browns and the edges bubble.
-
8
Serve
Let it rest 5 minutes, then add the sour cream and coriander.
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