Chicken Enchiladas
Yields 9 Servings
Made with corn tortillas to keep them Gluten-Free and loaded with chili pepper flavor! These enchiladas have been a friend and family favorite. Definitely a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs or 1 1/2 pounds. You could use white meat if you prefer.
Corn tortillas, 20 count.
1 pound of munster cheese, shredded.
1 Tbsp avocado oil or any high heat oil.
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt, or any salt you prefer.
Pinch of fresh ground pepper.
Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:
10 mini red bell peppers or about 4 large ones.
7 mini green bell peppers or about 3 large ones.
6 hot chili peppers such as Chile de árbol. The chili peppers I used were fresh but you can use dried. If you use dried chilis, soak them in hot water for about 30 minutes before using.
1 Tbsp of harissa paste. This gives the enchilada sauce a rich depth of flavor and heat. If you don’t have harissa paste, any chili paste will do, or you can leave it out and add more hot chilis for the heat.
1 large yellow onion.
5 large cloves of garlic.
32oz of low sodium chicken stock.
2 Tbsp avocado oil or any high heat oil.
1 1/2 Tbsp of ground cumin.
1 Tbsp of ground paprika.
1 Tbsp ground coriander.
1 tsp fresh ground pepper.
2 tsp pink Himalayan salt, or any salt you prefer.
2 Tbsp corn starch.
Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F and place chicken thighs on a sheet pan.
Rub the 1 Tbsp oil onto each thigh and season with salt and pepper.
Bake chicken until an internal temperature reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer, it takes about 30 minutes.
While the chicken is in the oven, get started on the enchilada sauce.
On a hot pan or a hot griddle, char the outsides of the peppers and onion. You can brown the garlic slightly but be careful not to burn it.
Remove peppers, onion and garlic from hot pan or griddle and place in a large bowl. Set aside to cool.
Once peppers are cool enough to handle, remove stems and seeds.
Place the peppers, onion, garlic and half of the chicken stock into a blender or food processor.
Blend until well puréed.
Strain purée through a fine mesh strainer.
Using a spoon, press the liquid through the fine mesh strainer. Don’t throw away the leftover pulp, it’s delicious! We used it on eggs and as a relish for hot dogs, yum!
Put 2 Tbsp of oil in a large heavy bottomed pot, such as a dutch oven, set to medium high heat.
Pour the strained liquid into the pot with hot oil. You should hear a sizzle sound as the sauce fries in the oil.
Make sure you check on the chicken. Once it’s cooked through, pull out of the oven and set aside to cool.
Add the rest of the chicken stock to the pot except for 1/4 of a cup, set the reserved amount aside.
Add in the cumin, paprika, coriander, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground pepper.
Bring enchilada sauce up to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
Combine the corn starch with the 1/4 reserved chicken stock in a small cup or bowl.
Pour corn starch slurry into simmering enchilada sauce while stirring it.
Continue stirring until sauce thickens.
Turn off heat and place your pot of enchilada sauce on a table or countertop that you plan to use for building enchiladas.
Once your chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it using your hands or two forks removing the skin and bones.
Place your shredded chicken in a medium size bowl and ladle about a cup of the enchilada sauce on it so it can soak up the flavor.
Set up your enchilada building station with the chicken, sauce, shredded cheese, tortillas, desired baking dishes, and aluminum foil. I used a 9x13 and an 8x8 glass baking dish.
Dip tortillas in the enchilada sauce, this makes it more pliable, add a little chicken and cheese to the tortilla and roll it up. Place in baking dish.
I fit 13 enchiladas in the big pan and 6 in the small pan.
Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Cover pans with aluminum foil and place in a 350°F oven just to heat through and melt the cheese. About 15 minutes.
Optional garnishes: Sour cream and chopped green onion.
Enjoy!
