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Chicken Enchiladas in Homemade Cream Sauce

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Spicy, tangy, homemade chicken enchiladas topped with a “from scratch” cream sauce and sprinkled with cheese. An easy, delicious dinner that you can make ahead.

authentic chicken enchiladas in a creamy homemade sauce|restlesschipotle.com

Chicken or turkey enchiladas are delicious – and if you have only eaten them at a Tex-Mex chain restaurant you haven’t really eaten them at all. When made right the flavors are fresh and intense no matter what the filling is.

And the filling? It doesn’t have to be just ground beef. Chicken, turkey, cheese, vegetables of different kinds – well the variations are endless. That’s before you even start decided on which sauce you want to use!

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I think one of the biggest mistakes that people make is that they try to make enchiladas with a dry tortilla. You have to dip the tortilla in the warm sauce to soften it before you roll it up. It helps infuse the whole dish with flavor that won’t happen otherwise. And can we talk tortillas for a minute? I realize that many of you will prefer the white flour tortillas but corn tortillas have so much flavor! AND texture… and they are better for you. They won’t get soggy when you dip them so they are my tortilla of choice for enchiladas.

Y’all know I am right.

This chicken enchiladas recipe has chicken, corn, onions, and plenty of other good things stuffed inside a corn tortilla dipped in homemade enchilada sauce.  If you eat enchiladas a lot you can even make the sauce ahead in a double batch and keep it in the fridge.

Knowing how to cook the chicken for the enchiladas is key. First it’s browned and then simmered to flavorful perfection. The chicken is tender, the tortilla is soft and full of flavor, while the sauce has that perfect combination of tangy and hot – with plenty of cumin to remind you that this is Texas food. The cheese is melted gooey perfection and is absolutely addictive.  The cream sauce pulls everything together in a surge of southwestern flavor that you won’t easily forget. Want to make a couple of batches for later? Go right ahead. These freeze well and, if anything, reheating makes them even better.

Really, how can you resist something like that? Yeah. Me either!

authentic chicken enchiladas in a creamy homemade sauce|restlesschipotle.com
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5 from 2 votes
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Quick and Easy Chicken Enchiladas in Homemade Cream Sauce

Spicy, tangy, chicken enchiladas topped with a cream sauce and sprinkled with cheese. An easy, delicious dinner that you can make ahead.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time35 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Marye Audet

Ingredients

Enchiladas

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoons cumin powder
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 onion , chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups corn , fresh is best but you can use thawed frozen
  • 1 can Ro*Tel tomatoes
  • 1 cup spicy V-8 juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 16 corn tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese , reserve 1/2 cup for topping

Cream Sauce

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup of flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth , hot, but not boiling
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream , hot but not boiling
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 small (4 oz can) chopped green chilies

Instructions

Enchiladas

  • Preheat the oven to 375F.
  • Grease a 13x 9 inch baking pan.
  • Add a little oil to a large sauté pan and add the chicken.
  • Brown it quickly on both side and then cut it into cubes.
  • Add onion, cumin, garlic, corn, Ro*Tel, and cilantro to the chicken and simmer until the juice is reduced.
  • Remove chicken and vegetables and set aside.
  • Add a little more V-8 if necessary and bring the liquid to a simmer.
  • Cover the bottom of the baking pan with a little of the liquid.
  • Dip in one tortilla into the pan and let soften (but don’t let it get mushy).
  • Lay the tortilla out on a plate, spoon about 3 tablespoons of filling inside, sprinkle with cheese, and roll up.
  • Place seam side down in the baking pan.
  • Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Cream Sauce

  • Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour.
  • Cook, stirring constantly,
  • Whisk in hot chicken broth and cream - bring to a boil, stirring.
  • Add cream cheese and blend well.
  • Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and chilies.

Finishing

  • Pour the sauce over the enchiladas in the pan, top with ½ cup cheese.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese is melted.
  • Serve hot.

Notes

Serve with sliced avocado, sliced tomatoes, and buttered rice.

If you like Quick and Easy Chicken Enchiladas in Homemade Cream Sauce you may also like…

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup

Frito Chicken Casserole

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Comments

  3. Girl – of course you are right. I didn’t know about dipping the tortillas. Glad to be in your tribe to get the real scoop. Can’t wait to try these Marye, thanks!

    Reply

  4. I love chicken enchilaadas…these look great! I’m always on the lookout for new versions to try. My family doesn’t love corn tortillas…I do though. Sometimes I make them with the corn, but usually with the flour version. My husband’s Lebanese grandmother, who emigrated to the US through Mexico first, used to make her enchiladas with Syrian bread. And they were delicious too!

    Reply

  8. Marye,
    These enchiladas look like perfect comfort food. I eat seasonally, and I start to anticipate the upcoming ripe veggies with relish. With the Hatch chile harvest approaching I’m eyeing ways to incorporate them. My local grocery store gets cases of Hatch chiles and roasts them in the parking lot–then I pick up a tub and am good to go. Those chiles would be perfect for this!
    Thanks!

    Reply

  20. not sure about two things
    1. rotel – tomato with chilis or without?
    2. v8 – when and how much to add?
    sorry if these questions sound silly
    thanks

    Reply

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