Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas that did not skimp out on flavor!
The Facts
The first point worth mentioning is the type of enchiladas we are looking at. Unlike a traditional or typical enchilada, sour cream enchiladas are not based in a chili-based sauce, rather a cream-based sauce. This cream, as the name suggests, is rooted in sour cream. Other cream-based enchilada sauces could also use heavy cream or potentially dairy-free options.
To start, let’s get into the filling. The protein for this variation is chicken, and as such our dataset was built around chicken. None of the recipes we sampled included cooking instructions for the chicken. We use a store bought rotisserie chicken and shredded it from there, but you could also cook chicken breast and shred it prior to the instructions we have provided.
However, despite not cooking the chicken for the recipe, it is important to season the filling. Of the recipes we sampled very few did anything to the chicken besides combine it with cheese. We saw this as a missed opportunity. Not only did we combine it with green chilis and some onions sautéed in butter, but we also upped the salt content to make sure the filling was good in of itself. Additionally, to help further distinguish it from the sauce we added some lime juice.
For the sauce itself, we noticed that the cream-based enchiladas had much lower spice content, if any at all. We wanted to keep our spice content up, using a simple 1:1:2 spice mix of coriander, cayenne, and cumin. This adds depth of flavor to the cream-based sauce and helps complement the cream and chilis in the sauce. Additionally, since sour cream is not the deepest cream flavor, we elected to start with a roux, which about 2/3 of the recipes we analyzed did. When combined with the filling, the deep flavored cream provides the perfect base for the filling to sit in.
Since the enchilada meat is already cooked, as is the sauce, the time in the oven is really just for the cheese. Letting the cheese get golden and crispy is essential and takes the dish to a whole new level. The time in the oven helps solidify and meld all the flavors together. We also highly recommend topping with tomatoes, cilantro and the remainder of the onion to bring even more fresh flavors into every bite.
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
For the chicken filling:
- 2 cups Rotisserie Chicken shredded (about 1 lb)
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Lime juiced
- 1/2 of a 7 oz can of Green Chilis
- 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
- 1/2 Yellow Onion diced
- 1 Garlic Clove minced
- 1 tbsp Salted Butter
For the sour cream sauce:
- 3 tbsp Salted Butter
- 3 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 2/3 cup Sour Cream
- 1 Garlic Clove minced
- 1/2 of a 7 oz can of Green Chilis
- 3/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
Additional ingredients:
- 8 Burrito sized Flour Tortillas
- 1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
- 1/2 Yellow Onion diced
- 1 Roma Tomato diced
- 1/2 bunch of Cilantro chopped
Instructions
To prepare the chicken filling:
- In a medium bowl, combine together the 2 cups of Shredded Chicken, 1/2 tsp of Kosher Salt, 1/2 of of a 7 oz can of Green Chilis, 1 cup of Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, and 1/2 Lime juiced.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the 1 tbsp Salted Butter. Add in the 1/2 of diced Yellow Onion and the 1 clove of Garlic until the onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant.
- Stir the onion mixture into the chicken mixture and set aside.
To make the sour cream sauce:
- In the same medium saucepan from the onions, melt the 3 tbsps of Salted Butter. Once melted, add in the 3 tbsps of All Purpose Flour and stir to fully combine.
- Slowly pour in the 2 cups of Chicken Broth, stirring well to allow the mixture to thicken. Once all broth has been added, allow mixture to come to a soft boil and allow to continue to thicken for just another 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the 2/3 cup of Sour Cream, 1 clove of Garlic, and 1/2 of of a 7 oz can of Green Chilis. Then stir in the 3/4 tsp of Kosher Salt, 1/2 tsp of Cumin, 1/4 tsp of Cayenne Pepper, and 1/4 tsp of Coriander.
To assemble:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray a 9x13 pan with oil and set aside your assemble station.
- Place 1 Flour Tortilla on a cutting board or flat surface and add in 1/2 cup of the Chicken Mixture. Folding in the sides of the tortilla and then rolling up to tightly form the enchilada.
- Place the rolled enchilada into the 9x13 pan, repeating this process with all 8 tortillas.
- Once all 8 tortillas are tightly packed into the pan, pour the sour cream sauce over the top. Fully coating each enchilada and filling in the sides.
- Top with the remaining 1 cup of Monterey Jack Cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese has turned a golden brown.
- Top with the remaining diced onion, diced tomato, and cilantro.
- Enjoy!