From Scratch Chicken Enchiladas

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From Scratch Chicken Enchiladas are a favorite Mexican dish around here. The homemade sauce is a little spicy and a bit smoky, the chicken is perfectly seasoned, then rolled in homemade tortillas, sauced with a homemade red enchilada sauce ... and once you add the cheese, you have a slightly spicy, cheesy plate of deliciousness.

From Scratch? Really? Every part of it?

OK ... so here's the deal. Yes, this recipe is intended for every bit of it to be from scratch. I mean, short of butchering the chicken and making the cheese!

However, if you don't want to make homemade tortillas, DON'T! Or if you want to buy enchilada sauce in a can, DO IT! You do you in your own kitchen, but I simply wanted to let you know that you can do it all on your own should you choose!

The components for From Scratch Chicken Enchiladas

Of course, there's chicken! I use my recipe for Chicken Tinga ... the same one I use for Chicken Tinga Tacos. I usually make a big batch of the chicken for a Taco Tuesday, then use the leftovers to make enchiladas later. I either make them later in the week, or freeze the chicken to use later.

HUGE TIP: work ahead! Make one meal while prepping for another! (See the notes on the recipe card for an alternative way to prep the chicken.)

The chicken tinga is shredded cooked chicken that is stirred together with a delicious tomato/chipotle sauce.

I make homemade corn tortillas. Sometimes, I even make these ahead or make extra on taco night. If I've made them ahead, I use my cast-iron griddle on a low heat to reheat them before rolling the enchiladas. If the tortillas are soft, they are so much easier to roll. If you don't have time to reheat them, just use them flat and make more of an Enchilada Casserole, layering the tortillas, chicken, cheese, and sauce as you go. (See the notes on the recipe card.)

And finally, the sauce. I use my Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce. It's easy to make and has so much flavor. Again, even though this particular recipe is titled "From Scratch Chicken Enchiladas", you can still use a store bought enchilada sauce. Read the notes on the recipe card to find out why I don't. Or why, when I DO buy a store-bought sauce, I read the label like a novel.

Now we have the components, let's make some enchiladas!

Put some red enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Lay tortilla shells out on a board one at a time, add a bit of seasoned chicken, a bit of cheese, then roll it up. Put each roll in the baking dish seam side down.

Fill the pan with rolled enchiladas, then cover with lots of enchilada sauce, and top it all off with plenty of cheddar cheese and Monterrey jack. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and browned.

How to serve From Scratch Chicken Enchiladas

I usually serve From Scratch Chicken Enchiladas with rice and beans, a bit of chopped jalapenos, some sliced avocadoes or guacamole, maybe some sour cream or Mexican crema, and some Pico de Gallo or chopped tomatoes. I keep the toppings separate so that everyone can add what they like. What is your preference?

Other recipes you might like:

• Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
• Homemade Corn Tortillas
• Avocado Tomatillo Salsa
• Homemade Pico de Gallo
• Salsa Verde Braised Pork

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