Red sauce enchiladas have been scarce on my dinner table for the last eight years. Shocking, I know, especially since they make up a huge portion of Mexican-food-loving fare. But I just haven’t been able to get behind them. I’ve tried dozen of recipes and my husband and I have concurred that we must be true enchilada snobs: far preferring these creamy green chile enchiladas (and these honey lime…and oh, wait, these shrimp enchies) to any red sauce variety.
Until this sweet little recipe entered my life, that is. I decided since it had been years (years!) since I’d attempted a red sauce enchilada, it was time. And this recipe spoke to me. It doesn’t hurt that originally it comes from America’s Test Kitchen, a source nearly always to be trusted, but with the rave reviews of other bloggers, I gave it a go.
And I have to say that my expectations were far exceeded. The beauty of this recipe is that you are able to whip up a from-scratch enchilada sauce in no time (my beef with other recipes, in large part, has been the canned enchilada sauce, I believe) and the chicken basks in the gloriousness of the flavorful, simmered sauce until cooked to tender perfection. Rolled up in tortillas (corn or flour…your choice!) with creamy cheese and fresh cilantro, these smothered enchiladas have renewed the love for red sauce chicken enchiladas in our home.
Long live the enchilada (all varieties, of course)!
One Year Ago: Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze
Two Years Ago: Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version
*Makes 12 enchiladas
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine
1 teaspoon canola oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons sugar
2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large chicken breasts)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn or flour tortillas (fajita-size for flour tortillas)
cooking spray
salt and ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a simmer.
Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts you are using. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool. Continue to simmer the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the leftover onion mixture from the strainer to a large bowl and set aside.
Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture in the large bowl. Also stir in 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese and the cilantro. Toss to combine.
Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
Heat oven to 400 F. Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake 20 minutes, or until heated through.
Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, if desired.
Recipe Source: adapted from Pink Parsley, originally from America’s Test Kitchen
{ 70 comments… read them below or add one }
I am going to be trying these this week. My hubby has been craving enchiladas and these look like they will fit the bill. I haven’t made enchiladas in years either! It’s about time, I think! Thanks for posting this one!
So delish looking!
I am a red enchilada sauce snob, too! If you love this recipe, I know I will love it. It doesn’t hurt that it is an America’s Test Kitchen recipe, either. They are such a trusted source for recipes and techniques! Thanks for sharing, Mel!
I was just thinking I need a homemade red enchilada sauce recipe. Thanks! I LOVE all your recipes!
Hi Mel! We moved back to Texas last month and I’m still waiting for the slow boat to bring the rest of my kitchen tools, but wanted to let you know this was the first recipe of yours I’ve concocted since I was in Taiwan and I’m so excited about it! The sauce is amazing and I’m a huge red sauce enchilada fan. Thanks for the inspiration! It’s 9:30 am here in Texas, and I’ve got lunch already whipped up.
I have been looking for a good homemade enchilada sauce recipe! How timely your post is!
I was just wondering one thing… do you thicken your sauce at all? Adding cornstarch to the 1 c. water before mixing it in? It seems like it would be so runny, otherwise… I appreciate your feedback! We love your site! Your tastes/recipes align with ours, so your website is a go-to for us! 
I love red enchiladas, but have never been able to do a from scratch sauce that I’ve liked. I have got to try this!!
Since finding your honely lime enchiladas we rarely even think about making any other type! We just might have to give these a try.
You should also try the ATK version BEEF enchiladas. They are so delicious, and reheat great, too. I’m going to try this chicken version, for sure!
These look delicious! Can’t wait to try them
I too am a red sauce snob, and I have to share this recipe I got from a beautiful old Mexican lady in our church years ago. It’s simple and we use it all the time:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup oil
4 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
Brown the flour in a plain skillet over medium heat until lightly browned. Add butter and oil, stir until absorbed. Pour in chicken broth, stir. Then and cumin and chili powder and stir until thick.
I can’t wait to try this recipe!! I have a large family..will doubling the recipe work? I’ve doubled some recipes before and they don’t work out as expected. I love everything you share!
THIS. IS. PERFECT! I was planning on making enchiladas tonight for dinner! Now I can’t wait!
Oh how I’d love to have these on my table tonight! Delivery perhaps?
Hey Mel, these enchiladas look delicious! Last year I found out that I’m allergic to gluten and soy which, as you probably know, excludes me from being able to eat practically anything processed. This website has been such a blessing because I can make tasty meals for my family without using a can of cream of ???? soup or canned enchilada sauce. I just wanted to thank you so much for your recipes and hard work, and wanted to make sure you knew that our family has certainly been blessed through your efforts. Thank you!
Mmm! I also stumbled across your site while looking for canned ‘cream of whatever’ subsitutes. Thank goodness! I’ve got 4 little ones (2 are twins) and all your yummy posts have renewed my love (and determination) of cooking.
Just one question: do you think the jarred jalapenos would work in this? I recall seeing a previous post that used them, and if they work for multiple recipes I would totally go grab a jar, as I don’t keep fresh ones on hand . . . yet. Thanks again for everything Mel!
Sara Q. – I’ve never doubled this recipe but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work (it makes quite a bit of sauce so you might get away with 1 1/2-ing the sauce and doubling everything else).
Lindsay – I make the sauce according to the recipe and it is on the thinner side but it didn’t bother us at all. Feel free to thicken if you want a thicker sauce, though.
Hi Julia – yes, I think the jarred jalapenos would work fine in this recipe (take care of the seeds in the jarred ones – they can add more spice than if you seed the fresh jalapeno yourself). Good luck!
Somewhat of an enchilada snob too, but for me it’s about the tortillas…we prefer corn to flour for enchiladas. I can’t find a corn tortilla that becomes pliable enough to be rolled. I warm them in the micro as directed, but they always split and tear on me when I roll them. Any tips??
I’m such a dork, but this recipe really excited me. I’ve already put the ingredients on my list.
Now not only do I love you, but my husband will love you now too
My roommate and I were literally talking yesterday about making some homemade chicken enchiladas! This recipe is so incredibly timely! I have an allergy to garlic, so making homemade sauces is critical in our house. I’m definitely going to give this one a go! All those yummy flavors should hopefully mask the absence of the garlic.
There’s just something about enchiladas that gets me every time. Love these!
So completely fabulous. We made these for dinner tonight and will be making them again soon. (I’m presently wondering if tomorrow is too soon.) We used Ancho pepper for the chili powder and served it with fresh corn. Also, I had pepper jack cheese instead of the Monterey Jack.
Brenda – the few times I’ve had success with corn tortillas are the times I’ve bought them from the local Mexican grocery store. They make them fresh every day and they are fantastic. You might check out any potential local Mexican grocery stores to see if they offer the same thing.
Looks good. I will have to try this. This Texas girl loves a good enchilada!
I was trying to decided from your picture but couldn’t tell for sure-do you use corn or flour tortillas when you make these?
Brittany – I’ve made them both ways but in the picture, they are flour tortillas. My husband isn’t a fan of corn tortillas. I am. So 50% of the time I make enchiladas with corn and 50% with flour. They are delicious either way.
I made these last night, and my quest for yummy red enchiladas is over! Like you, I had just about given up because of my dislike for canned sauce. Even my pickiest eater loved these, and suggested we have them more often. I loved the sauce which was perfectly delicious and didn’t drown out the other flavors. Thanks once again for a yummy dinner!
These were wonderful! Thanks for sharing your yummy recipe.
Keep the delicious recipes coming! I’ve made the Cuban street tacos several times and this recipe is going on my menu for next week. I am SO happy for all these fresh, tasty ideas.
I am always in the mood for enchiladas! They look great!
These look incredible! I’ve been searching for a great enchilada recipe!
These are incredibly tasty! Both my husband and I woke up thinking about them! And can’t wait for lunch to enjoy them again. If there is anything we love in our house it’s enchiladas! We made it Mexican night and made this dish with beans, salad and Sangria with limes, delicioso!
What can I substitute for the jalapeno? (and still have it taste like it’s suppose to but not spicy).
Marie – there really isn’t anything to sub for the jalapeno and have the sauce taste exactly the same. The sauce isn’t overly spicy – the jalapeno offers flavor but not heat, especially if you take out the seeds and membrane, but if you really don’t want to use it, simply leave it out.
These look and sound great! I can’t wait to try them out. Also can’t wait to try the creamy green chile ones. Yum
Super fabuloso! I doubled the recipe–however, I am sad to report that there is not enough for leftovers for tomorrow. I guess I am going to have to make dinner again tomorrow night.
These were the best enchiladas I’ve ever made! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! You photo alone was a quick sell – gorgeous shot!
I made these last night and they were fantastic! I substituted green chiles for the jalapeños. It gave them a kick, without being too spicy (because we are wimps). I have been making things from your site for a few months and everything has turned out wonderfully! Thank you so much for sharing with us!
This were so good..i could drink the sauce by itself!! very addictive flavor… Next time will make with corn, though. The flour tortillas were a little too soft.
I have been waiting for this recipe my whole life. Maybe not my whole life, but pretty darn near. I made it tonight, and WOW. I was honestly drinking the sauce from the bottom of the pan. My only mild complaint was how long it took to make. Maybe it’s because I used large bone-in breasts, but the chicken took 45 minutes to cook in the sauce. Next time I plan to use smaller breasts, and maybe even cut them in half to speed up the process. But otherwise it was just phenomenal. Thank you again for the continued tastiness!
I can’t stand canned enchilada sauce so I usually make creamy green chile enchiladas. Made these for dinner tonight. YUMMM…they were great! My 2 year-old helped me wrap the enchiladas and she had a hard time taking a break from scarfing the shredded chicken/cheese mixture to scoop it onto the tortillas for me. And she usually doesn’t like chicken. My sauce was a little too thick because I used extra tough chicken that had to simmer for a loooong time. I should have added a little water to compensate for my extra-long simmer time. Because of that the enchiladas were a little drier than I like them, but still fantastic. Thanks for the tasty recipe!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Many of the ingredients in other enchilada sauce recipes just aren’t readily available and/or are very expensive down here in New Zealand. I prefer to cook from scratch and I can so easily work with your recipe – though I wont be using cilantro as sadly I can’t stand the taste (my sister inherited the “cilantro enjoyment taste gene”, but not me).
I’ve bookmarked this recipe and just happen to have a packet of decent corn tortilla lurking in the freezer
My suggestion for a sub for jalepenos, would be Anaheim green chilies, or pasila (not sure I have the correct spelling on that one) as they are not quite as spicy as the famed jalepeno. The same rule of thumb also goes here to lessen any heat to remove the seeds and the membrane (especially as that is where most the heat is from).
A thought about corn tortillas that crack, if the microwave method doesnt work, try lightly coating with a pastry brush each tortilla with oil-very lightly- and warm them on a skillet. I stack 2-3 at a time and turn over swapping the center ones to the heat etc. This softens them and gives them a bit of flavor as well, but not overly oily.
Good grief these look beyond fabulous! What a brilliant recipe, one of a crazy amount on your site
I have never had a red chicken enchilada, we always do red with beef. I can’t wait to give this a try. The only enchiladas I haven’t been a fan of are the ones people make with hamburger and cream of crap soup…ick!
Made these last night and they were fantastic! I too never make enchiladas with red sauce cause I can’t find one that I like. Definitely a keeper!
Definitely the best enchiladas I’ve ever made. Not too spicy but packed with flavor. Corn tortillas are a must. Delish. Thanks Mel.
I made these for dinner tonight. So. Good. The roommate kept exclaiming it with every bite. I left out the garlic, used tomato puree instead of sauce (no garlic), and soy cheese, and it was fabulous! Thank you so much for the recipe! It’s a keeper!
whenever it’s an option, i go for the christmas enchilada plate, as i like both red and green sauces equally. long live the enchilada indeed!
Made these tonight and they were perfect. Hubby loved them. Even the pickiest eater in the world ate them. (Amazing!!!) And the 6 year old asked for seconds. I did make a few minor changes: I used green pepper instead of jalapeno, and I left the strained onions and peppers out of the chicken mixture. For me, it was perfect. I don’t like a lot of heat. But thank you, thank you for posting this. It was just what I’ve been looking for!
I made this recipe tonight with rave reviews from my family! I made one pan of corn and one pan of flour… my husband and daughter voted for the flour but I loved the corn..so authentic!! Thank you for this recipe, I too had stopped making enchiladas because the canned sauce was terrible. I am so excited to be able to add it back to my regular rotation for the fall and winter! I also made your buttermilk banana bread…I will let you know how we like it but it looks and smells fabulous!
Delicious. I usually cook green chili and sour cream chicken enchiladas. My family loves them, but I have been in the mood for red enchiladas. This recipe was awesome. We ate them. They were different than what we usually have in AZ and I loved it. I didn’t have cumin on hand, but they were great anywas. My new red enchilada favorite.
Made these last night and they were a hit! Leftovers were even tastier today. Love that the chicken cooks in the sauce. I omitted the jalepeno since my kids don’t love spicy and used corn tortillas. Corn tortillas are the way to go with this delicious dinner. Thanks for another staple for my family. We have now converted to red because green is normally all we eat and now I can mix it up a bit. Thanks, Mel! Great recipe!
To keep tortillas from splitting and tearing, I always microwave a stack of them between 2 damp paper towels (one on top and on bottom) and it softens them without drying this out. Hope this helps!
I tried these last week and LOVED them! My husband isn’t a huge fan of red sauce but he loved these as well. This recipe will for sure be a repeat! Thanks for all the work you do and for giving us such yummy recipes!
made this tonight and couldn’t get enough! thanks for sharing – so delicious!
I just tried these a few days ago, they came out delicious!
This was A-FREAKIN-AMAZING. Is that a word? Thank you for the recipie. Just found you and made this for supper last night. I used chicken thighs instead of the chicken breasts, but everything else was the same for the base and I made a crepe like noodle for the wrap instead of the actual wraps. LOVE LOVE LOVE. This is a keeper.
What kind of chili powder do you use? Ancho chili powder or just regular chili powder lableled as “chili powder?”
I know everyone has said it but I had to add in… I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!! and I’m not an enchilada lover. Made these a few weeks ago and I am making them again tonight. YUMM
My whole family loved your recipe!
Thank you!
Your recipe looks tasty and sounds straight forward. How much prep can you do ahead of time? as maybe 1 day ahead? or would it be soggy? Thanks so much for what looks yummy and fresh. Could I make it all and throw in the frig. then pull out only to add grated cheese and bake? I need a timesaver for actual day of dinner.
Beverly – I’ve never made them in advance so I’m not sure if they would get soggy but I’ve made other enchiladas in advance so it may work. I’d suggest maybe only making them 8 hours ahead of time. You could make all the components (like sauce/chicken/grated cheese) ahead of time and then pull it out and assemble quickly before dinner. Good luck!
I just made these last night for dinner and my husband said it was the best enchilada sauce he has ever had!!!!! love your blog.
I have made this no less than 3 times since I decided to try it. The hubby loves it, by the way. It’s a good thing it’s such a delicious recipe, because it gets lots of requests at my house…but it’s a bit labor intensive. I tried to find ways to cut back in the labor department… I cooked the chicken in a crock pot with a jar of salsa until it was falling apart. I made the sauce as usual, and then (since I was running late) I made it casserole style by layering tortillas, sauce, meat and cheese in a 9X13 pan. They turned out delicious and the whole family loved them (again) including the grumpy pants who doesn’t like anything new. I’m trying to figure out if there is a way to make this a mostly crock pot meal. The chicken is so tender this way. And packed with flavor, too!
Mel this recipe looks fantastic! I plan to make it on a week night for dinner. Woul it work to cook the chicken ahead of time in the crockpot and shred that way or will it not be as flavorful? Thanks!!
Ashely – I think the chicken will be missing a bit of flavor, but I’m all about shortcuts so I definitely think it’s worth a try. Let me know how it goes!
{ 4 trackbacks }