One of my most favorite resources for recipes is America’s Test Kitchen
. I love how they find the best possible way to make a dish by testing it over and over again with different ingredients and different methods until they find the best possible combination of taste, texture, etc. for a perfectly foolproof recipe. Their website says they test each recipe between 30 and 70 times! They also test kitchen tools, food products, and kitchen appliances and rate them so you can make informed decisions. So, of course, I was super excited to try the America’s Test Kitchen Chicken Enchiladas recipe.
The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2017: Every Recipe from the Hit TV Show with Product Ratings and a Look Behind the Scenes
PRO TIP: You can get every single America’s Test Kitchen Recipe from the TV show from 2001 through 2017 in the brand new The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook
. The book also contains product ratings and behind the scenes information to help you choose helpful products and learn more about the show.
The book is 1,032 pages so it’s a huge resource and you can know for sure that every recipe has been tested and re-tested. They even have at-home testers that try the recipes to make sure the instructions are clear and easy to follow. You can’t go wrong with this must-have cooking encyclopedia. You will want to keep this book within easy reach in your kitchen. The book gets amazing reviews!
America’s Test Kitchen has cookbooks, a magazine, a TV show, an online cooking school and a membership site that allows you to access all of their content. I had originally purchased the America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook, but that doesn’t seem to be as available anymore, though you can get it used
. The America’s Test Kitchen Chicken Enchiladas recipe I am about to share with you came from that book, but I do wonder if they included it in their new TV Show Cookbook
.
There is a little bit of effort involved ahead of time prepping this recipe because you have to cook and shred the chicken, but then you can clean up while the enchiladas cook in the oven.
Kitchen Gizmo 2 Sided TPU Anti-Bacterial Cutting Board, Thick Yet Flexible, Knife Friendly, Scratch Resistant, Juice Groove, Dishwasher Safe, Antimicrobial and FDA Approved (Green/Brown)PRO TIP: I hate dealing with raw meat. Whether I need to cut it or just set it somewhere so that I can then dip it in something to coat it like these pork chops I am coating in Parmesan cheese. Wood cutting boards can harbor bacteria and the plastic ones are bulky and don’t always have a groove around them to catch the meat juice. Ewwww. I can never tell if I cleaned everything the meat juice may have touched. This Kitchen Gizmo cutting board is anti-bacterial, flexible and dishwasher safe. Perfect for dealing with raw meat of all kinds. If you have to cut veggies or other ingredients, it’s flexible so instead of scraping the food into the dish, you simply bend the sides of the cutting board and pour it into your dish. Super versatile! It’s knife-friendly and guaranteed for two years!
Once you have the chicken ready, you can prep the tortillas.
Add the filling and roll.
Lodge STW13RCT33 Stoneware Baking Dish, 9PRO TIP: I love using colorful dishes for my Mexican food. It just makes it feel more authentic. Lodge
is one of my most favorite brands and they have a beautiful blue 9×13 inch casserole dish. It’s oven safe up to 450 degrees so you can use it for this recipe.
You can bake, serve, store and reheat in it and it is dishwasher and microwave safe. It’s made from all natural ceramic. Just don’t use it on the stovetop. This casserole dish will look beautiful on the table when you serve the enchiladas.
Cover with sauce and cheese.
And bake!
Whew, finally you get to enjoy the world’s most perfect enchilada recipe.
Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed & pounded if necessary
- Salt & pepper
- 2 1/2 cups of enchilada sauce store bought or from scratch
- 1 cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
- 1 4 oz. can of green chiles
- 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 12 6-inch soft corn tortillas
- Olive oil spray or you can use olive oil in a little bowl with a brush
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Lime wedges optional
- Sour cream optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Combine the chicken and enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan & simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat. Then flip the chicken over, cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until chicken reaches 160-165 degrees with an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove chicken from pan and shred into bite-sized pieces. Combine shredded chicken, 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, queso fresco, chiles and cilantro in a bowl. Add salt and pepper if desired. Cover to keep warm.
- Lightly coat both sides of 6 tortillas with vegetable oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake until tortillas are soft & pliable, about 2 to 4 minutes.
- Quickly place tortillas on a flat surface and place 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture into each one. Tightly roll each tortilla around the chicken and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining 6 tortillas.
- Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 more cup of enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with the cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Serve with remaining enchilada sauce, optional lime wedges and optional sour cream.
Notes
Serve!
This recipe turned out really good. I forgot the green chiles on the shopping list so I added some chili powder, but it still could have used a bit more kick. We also used canned MILD enchilada sauce, I think next time I am going to try and make the sauce from scratch and cook the chicken in the crock pot all day to make it easier to shred. Everyone liked this dish. My kids each ate 3 enchiladas! We will definitely be making this again.
Note that this is easily a gluten free recipe provided you check your ingredients. Most corn tortillas are technically gluten free, but read the labels to be sure.
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Caroline says
The only things I changed was I made my own enchilada sauce, added sauteed onions to the chicken mixture (next time I won’t saute them), topped the rolled enchiladas with sliced black olives, and PRESTO. It turned out great, I thought, in my humble opinion.
Lois Ringelheim says
Buy an already barbecued chicken in most super markets, remove skin and shred while still warm
Skip the directions for cooking the chicken and just add the shredded chicken to the sauce and follow the rest of the recipe directions. It will taste pretty much the same and save time
Kim says
Thanks for that helpful tip!
Dee @ Cocktails with Mom says
Oh those look really good. I NEED a cookbook like that. I am trying to get more into healthier cooking.
Bryn says
We make enchilladas similar to this on a weekly basis…so good.
One way I speed up the cooking process is boiling my chicken. I buy the chicken tenders or breasts frozen, so I always have some on hand.
Boil a big pot of water, throw in some taco seasoning (or just garlic powder and chili powder), then just throw in the chicken frozen, boil for about 8 minutes, and pull one out, cut it open to check if it’s done inside. Take two forks, and shred the chicken up for tacos, BBQ chic sandwiches, enchilladas, etc. The chicken is so moist, and you don’t have to worry about thawing it first!
courtney says
mm i love chicken enchiiliadas.. these looks soo good! thank you!
st3phanini says
This look so yummy and easy to make I can’t wait to try it out, I’ve always wanted to make enchiladas but couldn’t find a good recipe and this one looks perfect!
Jeanette says
These healthier enchiladas look like the regular “normal” ones – I would never know. Great photos!
Henrietta says
It’s pretty amazing that something that yummy looking can be good for you! Yum!
Lorie Shewbridge says
This sounds really delicious and I like the idea of making the chicken in the crock pot, I love my crock pot.
Your photos are purdy, too!
Now where are mine???
Mary Beth Elderton says
Yummy! I was raised on Tex-Mex since babyhood and LOVE it! This recipe is similar to one I make–add a dollop of guacamole to serve.
Jen says
p.s. Just noticed your little blurb – I didn’t realize you were an architect! I have the same background, though I never got my license 🙂
Jen says
Mmmm…enchiladas never get old, and this looks like a really great recipe.
Alison says
Wow these look sooooo good! Thanks for sharing it with us Kim!