This recipe has become a family favorite since we first made it in 2001 when Monique bought a copy of the Weight Watchers Magazine Six O’Clock Solutions cookbook. Found on page 49, this recipe for chicken enchiladas is quick, easy and for those who follow the Weight Watchers points system each one is only 6 points. The original recipe calls for 8 servings; however, with doubling it I was able to actually yield 20 enchiladas, so the points per enchilada will actually be a bit less than stated. Essentially this changes the recipe from 2.5 ounces of chicken per enchilada to just 2 ounces each.
We prepared a double batch of these Monday night (06/22/09) in celebration of Bryan arriving to town, and within an hour we were diving into our favorite enchiladas, everyone went back for seconds too. The fresh chopped cilantro and jalapeno are sautéed with some onions and then the canned enchilada sauce is added with the shredded chicken. I’ve modified the recipe some as the original calls for boiling the chicken breast in water until done then shredding the meat. I prefer to grill the chicken instead, and before doing so I like to season the chicken first so I add some of my Finger Lickin’ Rub to the chicken breast meat and then grill it on both sides until done. Then I allow the grilled chicken breasts to sit for 5 minutes before shredding. The grilling does not add any more fat or calories because no oil is used, but it adds that charcoal grilled flavor that allows the chicken breast to develop that smoky outdoor tang that I just love.
This video short embedded below demonstrates the corn tortilla dunk, filling and rolling the enchiladas, topped them with cheese and baking in the oven. Then garnishing the pan of baked enchiladas with the diced tomatoes, sliced black olives and then served up on a plate over a bed of shredded lettuce ready to eat. I am sure you will enjoy this recipe with your family as much as we have over the years.
| Ingredients | ||
| 2 | Tbsp | Finger Lickin’ Rub |
| 2 ½ | Lbs. | Chicken breast, boneless, skinless |
| 1 | Tsp | Olive oil |
| ¼ | Cup | Onions, small diced |
| ¼ | Cup | Cilantro, chopped fine |
| 2 | Each | Jalapeno, seeded and minced |
| 60 | Ounces | Enchilada sauce |
| 20 | Each | Corn tortillas, 6-inch round |
| 3 | Cups | Cheddar cheese, shredded, reduced-fat |
| 1 | Cup | Tomato, diced |
| 1 | Cup | Ripe olives, sliced |
| 10 | Cups | Iceberg lettuce, finely shredded |
| Procedure Steps | |
| 1. | Preheat oven to 350° F. |
| 2. | Season chicken breasts with the rub then grill on both sides until done. Allow to rest for 5 minutes then shred with a fork and set aside. |
| 3. | Add the olive oil to a non-stick sauté pan and place over a medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, add the cilantro and jalapeno and sauté until mixed well, or about 2 minutes. |
| 4. | Add the shredded chicken and stir well to incorporate all the ingredients. Then add the enchilada sauce, stir well and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. |
| 5. | Dip the corn tortillas, 1 at a time into the enchilada sauce and transfer to a sheet pan. Then add a portion of the chicken and roll up the tortilla around the chicken with the seam side down. Continue until all tortillas are filled and rolled with the chicken. |
| 6. | Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, and then sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Bake in the pre-heated 350° F oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are heated through. |
| 7. | Remove from the oven and then evenly garnish with the tomato and olives. Serve each enchilada over a bed of ½ cup of shredded lettuce. |
17 responses so far ↓
1 Hugging the Coast // Jun 24, 2009 at 11:18 am
Wow, this really looks delicious! If you ask me, the more enchiladas the better!
2 Miranda // Jun 24, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Wow…This looks INCREDIBLE!!!!
I love Enchiladas with a big heaping serving of sour cream and guac.
3 Cookin' Canuck // Jun 24, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Sounds great with the grilled chicken!
4 Jessie // Jun 24, 2009 at 2:59 pm
that looks so good! I wish I could have some right now
5 Pink Foodie // Jun 24, 2009 at 8:46 pm
I love enchiladas. Wonderful video! I will have to try your finger lickin’ rub recipe.
6 Mathilde's Cuisine // Jun 25, 2009 at 8:02 am
Yummy, Yummy,Yummy.. I’m hungry now!
7 HoneyB // Jun 25, 2009 at 11:03 am
Love the WW recipes!
8 curiousdomestic // Jun 25, 2009 at 2:05 pm
The video is a nice addition. Simple, straightforward, not fussy. I love enchiladas 8)
9 South of the Border // Jun 25, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Nicely done, Ryan. The video was a nice touch, hope you find more opportunities to include them.
Boiling the chicken would be the typical approach down here south of the border. I agree that grilling it would add some flavor.
Best regards
Ed
10 Cajun Chef Ryan // Jun 25, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Hey, glad to get so many positive comments!
Ed, I would bet that the boiled chicken is the traditional method, much easier too. Grilled them does give it a whole new dimension.
11 Vasanti // Jun 26, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Enchiladas look delicious! Video is a great idea!!
12 thepinkpeppercorn // Jun 26, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Fantastic – my kind of comfort food!
13 ruth // Jun 27, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Looks delicious. Saved it!
14 Frieda // Jun 27, 2009 at 6:38 pm
I love your idea of grilling the chicken…I’ve been microwaving it and will definitely grill it next time! If you need a very easy homemade enchilada sauce recipe, I’ve got one on my site!
15 Ingeborg // Feb 5, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Looks so delicious…I’m salivating…it’s almost lunch time!
16 Nancy // Jul 6, 2011 at 7:55 pm
Mine did not turn out right. The sauce with the shredded chicken was real soupy. The sheet pan was filled with sauce after I got done, none left to put on top of the enchiladas. It was all in the bottome of the pan….I tried a slotted spoon and even draining the sauce some from the chicken, but they still came out all soupy. I guess if I make this again, I will make the chicken in chunks instead of shredding it, maybe that will work better. (Sorry, I am just disappointed because I was making this for a family gathering.) So don’t shredd the chicken too fine!
17 Cajun Chef Ryan // Jul 7, 2011 at 10:26 am
Hello Nancy!
I am so sadden to hear that the enchiladas recipe did not turn out as you had expected!
I have never had a problem with this recipe as written in this blog post, my wife and I have made this recipe more than a few dozen times, so it has been thoroughly tested. I do not post any recipes on my CCR site until they have been made, cooked, tested, and eaten.
In reference to your comment, I am not convinced that the size of the chicken shredded, chunked, thinly sliced, or cubed is going to change anything with the level of liquid (sauce) that gets added to the enchiladas. However, without seeing a photo of the size of the shredded chicken that you mention, it is possible that if the chicken is shredded too fine that more surface area of the chicken would be exposed and therefore more sauce would be clinging to the chicken. So in that case, it could present an issue with too much sauce ending up on the inside of the tortilla and enchilada.
I suppose I should have made it more clearly expressed in the step description, however in step 5, it specifically states “Dip the corn tortillas, 1 at a time into the enchilada sauce and transfer to a sheet pan. Then add a portion of the chicken and roll up the tortilla around the chicken with the seam side down. Continue until all tortillas are filled and rolled with the chicken.”
The key element in step 5 is this statement “Add a portion of the chicken to the tortilla…” Now there will be some sauce clinging to the chicken as mentioned in reference to your comment and my reply about total surface area of the chicken, however, I always use a pair of tongs to transfer the chicken from the sauce and to the tortillas, and have never used a spoon.
If you watch the short video which is embedded in this post, I have provided the link here also (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_QeYVBG-Vg&feature=player_embedded), you will see that I am using tongs when transferring the chicken to the tortilla. And when rolling 20+ enchiladas (I say 20+ because the recipe calls for making 20 enchiladas, but I usually end up having enough chicken left to roll up a few more than 20) there should be enough sauce to pour over the top to coat them evenly.
In conclusion, I will tell you that sometimes recipes do not translate well for total execution, technique, and preparation; there are many variables that can alter the outcome of a recipe. This is a general fact, and one that amazes me why so many chefs are not willing to share their “prized” recipes. There are so many things that can alter the way a recipe comes out, anything from equipment, portions, product variables, temperature, humidity, oven temperatures, regional variables, etc…
I cannot count how many times a recipe has failed for me, but what I do is always revisit the recipe and try again, and improve the next time.
I hope you will continue to visit the CCR site when you are looking for recipes or cooking information.
I want to thank you for your candid comments and have attached a document entitled “Getting Started with Cajun Cooking” and several recipes which I typically sell for a small fee and as a small compensation for the experience you had using my enchilada recipe.
Once more, I am sorry that your enchiladas from my recipe were not up to your linking, and I do hope that you will try them again and trust that you will have a successful experience.
Bon appétit!
Cajun Chef Ryan