Chicked Enchilada Recipe
Enchilada is a delicious Mexican dish. Like many Mexican dishes, it actually comes with a very spicy sauce. And although we have some familiarity with spicy food thanks to the Southeastern Anatolian cuisine, we still can't handle spice the way Mexicans do. That’s why I’ve prepared a sauce that suits the average Turkish palate.
Speaking of spiciness... The name "enchilada" actually comes from the word for spice. The famous hot pepper of Mexico is called chilli. “Enchilada” is the past tense form of the verb enchilar, which means “to add chilli pepper.”
This shows that originally, the dish was made only with chilli sauce. Tomato was added later on. I’m glad it was, because that’s what allowed me to try it and share it with you. If it were made only with chilli sauce, I wouldn’t even consider trying it—let alone actually trying it. I’m someone who only started eating spicy food after the age of 20. And when I say I eat spicy, the spiciest thing I’ve ever eaten is meatless çiğ köfte. So an enchilada made solely with chilli would be a bit too much for me.
In my opinion, what makes enchilada special is that it's like a summary of Mexican cuisine. As you can tell from other globally known Mexican dishes like tacos, quesadillas, and nachos, tortilla is one of the cornerstones of Mexican cooking.
Chicken, again, is the most commonly used meat in both tacos and quesadillas.
Let me give you another example. One of the most frequently used ingredients in Mexican cuisine is meltable cheese, as seen in the dish queso fundido.
And one of the best recipes that blends all these ingredients beautifully is undoubtedly the chicken enchilada. In short, I believe chicken enchilada is one of the best dishes to get to know Mexican cuisine.
Bon appétit!
Chicked Enchilada Recipe with Video
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken breast,
- 8 small tortillas ,
- 200 g cheddar cheese,
- 2 tablespoons of oil,
- 1 teaspoon of thyme,
- 1 teaspoon salt,
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper,
- 3-4 sprigs of parsley.
For the sauce;
- 3 tablespoons of tomato paste,
- 1 tablespoon of white flour,
- 3 tablespoons of oil,
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of grape vinegar,
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar,
- 1 teaspoon of cumin,
- 1 teaspoon of ground pepper,
- 1 teaspoon paprika,
- 2 teaspoons of salt,
- 1 glass of water.
Preparation
- Cut the chicken julienne (thinly),
- Heat the oil in a large pan, add the chickens and cook until they release their water and start to brown slightly,
- Add salt, pepper and thyme, mix and remove from heat,
- For the sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan,
- Add the grated garlic and turn it like this,
- Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and fry it, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes,
- Add vinegar, granulated sugar, cumin, ground pepper, chili pepper, salt and water and mix,
- Cook on low heat for 5 minutes more, stirring constantly.
- Spread one of the tortillas on the counter,
- Put one tablespoon of sauce on it and spread it with the back of the spoon,
- Put one eight of the chicken in the middle,
- Sprinkle one tablespoon of grated cheddar on the chicken,
- Fold the edges of the tortilla in the middle and roll it up,
- Prepare the remaining ingredients in the same way,
- Place the rolls in an oven tray where the tortillas that you have greased with oil can fit,
- Drizzle the remaining sauce over them,
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar on top,
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C degrees until the cheddar melts,
- Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped parsley on top.
Bon Appetit...