WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Chicken enchiladas offer a rich and complex combination of flavors and textures, but traditional cooking methods require a whole day of preparation. We wanted a recipe for chicken enchiladas
that could be made in 90 minutes from start to finish. We created a quick but flavorful red chile sauce with onion, garlic, spices, and tomato sauce. We poached the chicken directly in the sauce, which both enhanced the flavor of the
sauce and ensured moist, flavorful meat for our enchilada filling. Sharp cheddar cheese complemented the rich filling nicely, while canned jalapeños and fresh cilantro rounded out the flavors and provided tang and brightness. As in our other enchilada recipes, we brushed the tortillas with oil and microwaved them to make them pliable. After experimenting with oven temperatures and times, we found that baking the assembled enchiladas covered for 15 minutes resulted in perfectly melted cheese but didn’t dry out the edges of the tortillas. Serve with sour cream, diced avocado, sliced radishes, shredded romaine lettuce, and lime wedges.

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips
• 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ cup jarred jalapeños, chopped
• 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (3 cups)
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
2. Add onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Stir in chili powder, garlic, coriander, cumin, sugar, and salt and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Stir in chicken and coat thoroughly with spices.
5. Stir in tomato sauce and water, bring to simmer, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
6. Drain mixture in fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing on chicken and onion to extract as much sauce as possible; set sauce aside.
7. Transfer chicken mixture to separate bowl, refrigerate for 20 minutes to chill, then stir in cilantro, jalapeños, and 2½ cups cheese.
8. Adjust oven rack middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
9. Spread ¾ cup sauce over bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
10. Brush both sides of tortillas with remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
11. Stack tortillas, wrap in damp dish towel, and place on plate; microwave until warm and pliable, about 1 minute.
12. Working with 1 warm tortilla at a time, spread ⅓ cup chicken filling across center of tortilla.
13. Roll tortilla tightly around filling and place seam side down in baking dish; arrange enchiladas in 2 columns across width of dish.
14. Pour remaining sauce over top to cover completely and sprinkle remaining ½ cup cheese over enchiladas.
15. Cover dish tightly with greased aluminum foil.
16. Bake until enchiladas are heated through and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes.
17. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.