Economical Chicken Enchiladas

Published on September 20, 2013 | In Mexican | By The Social Chef |

- Prep Time
- 25 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 55 Minutes
- Difficulty Level

Chicken enchiladas can be a very economical meal. Feeding a family anywhere in the world has become increasingly more difficult to do. There are ways to make foods that can be utilized for multiple dishes and recipes. In this recipe the remains of a 6-lb whole chicken made the night before served as not only the filler for the enchilada, but the bones and chicken fat made a tremendous chicken stock that was used in making the homemade enchilada sauce and some was even used to cook the rice in to add more flavor. While the toppings are optional, I happened to have 1/2 a tomato, lettuce that was about to thrown out, and the jalapeño I had for another recipe and I love spicy food. The onions come from using 2/3 of green onions I purchased earlier in the year and replanting the bulb. Rice and beans were used inside the enchilada too and I made extra rice just in case you felt one enchilada wasn’t enough.

Homemade Chicken Stock

Will You Help Fight Hunger?

Recipe Rating

(1 Rating)

Ingredients

Enchilada Sauce
1/4 cup chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups homemade chicken stock
6 oz can tomato paste
Salt and pepper
Black Beans
1 can black beans rinsed and drained (NOTE: Dried beans are more economical)
1 tablespoon onion minced
1 garlic clove smashed and minced
1 cup water
1 slice bacon fried and chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Rice
1 cup rice rinsed until water is clear and drained
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 green onion chopped for garnish (optional
Chicken Enchilada
8 heaping tablespoons diced leftover chicken
2 tablespoon onion
1 garlic clove minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3 tablespoon chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 large flour tortilla shells
12 oz Montery Jack Cheese grated
1 small ripe tomato diced for garnish (optional)
1 green onion chopped for garnish (optional)
Sour cream or yogurt for garnish (optional)
1 jalapeño sliced for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Enchilada Sauce: Using a sause pan over medium heat add oil, onions and pinch of salt and sauté for 4-5 minutes
2. Add garlic sautéing for 30 seconds
3. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika sautéing for 1-minute
4. Add chicken stock, tomato paste and stir to combine and bring to a boil reducing heat to low and cook for 12-15 minutes, remove from stove and hold
5. Beans: In a small pot over high medium high heat add bacon and sauté until crispy
6. If not using bacon add 1 tablespoon oil
7. Add onion pinch of salt sautéing for 4-minutes
8. Add garlic sautéing for 30 seconds
9. Add beans, water and bring to a boil.
10. Reduce heat to simmer and cook covered for 30-45 minutes or until water is mostly evaporated
11. Rice: In a medium pot over medium heat add olive oil, onion, pinch of salt and sauté for 4-minutes
12. Reduce heat to medium adding rice and stir to coat well with oil and sauté for 4-5 minutes stirring often careful to not brown or burn rice
13. Increase heat to high for 30-seconds then add chicken stock and bring to a boil
14. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover until rice absorbs all water and is fluffy
15. Remove from stove covered and hold
16. Chicken Enchilada: In a saucepan over medium high heat add oil, onion, pinch of salt and sauté for 4-minutes
17. Add garlic sauté for 30 seconds
18. Reduce heat to medium low adding chili powder, cumin, oregano, sauté for 1-minute
19. Add chicken, chicken broth and sauté for 2-minutes
20. To Make Chicken Enchilada Preheat oven to 375
21. Spoon enchilada sauce on bottom of a 9-12 cake pan to lightly coat entire bottom
22. Lay out one tortilla at a time adding a 2 pinches of cheese, 2 tablespoon chicken, 2 tablespoon black beans, 2 tablespoons rice, two more pinches cheese, two tablespoons enchilada sauce
23. Roll wrap and place seam side down
24. Drizzle more enchilada sauce over each enchilada to cover
25. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake for 35-minutes
26. Serve with diced tomato, green onion, jalapeño, sour cream (all optional)
27. Serve remaining rice on each place and garnish with green onion

Servings : 4
Ready in : 85
Recipe Type : Chicken

Instructions

1. Enchilada Sauce: Using a sause pan over medium heat add oil, onions and pinch of salt and sauté for 4-5 minutes
2. Add garlic sautéing for 30 seconds
3. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika sautéing for 1-minute
4. Add chicken stock, tomato paste and stir to combine and bring to a boil reducing heat to low and cook for 12-15 minutes, remove from stove and hold
5. Beans: In a small pot over high medium high heat add bacon and sauté until crispy
6. If not using bacon add 1 tablespoon oil
7. Add onion pinch of salt sautéing for 4-minutes
8. Add garlic sautéing for 30 seconds
9. Add beans, water and bring to a boil.
10. Reduce heat to simmer and cook covered for 30-45 minutes or until water is mostly evaporated
11. Rice: In a medium pot over medium heat add olive oil, onion, pinch of salt and sauté for 4-minutes
12. Reduce heat to medium adding rice and stir to coat well with oil and sauté for 4-5 minutes stirring often careful to not brown or burn rice
13. Increase heat to high for 30-seconds then add chicken stock and bring to a boil
14. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover until rice absorbs all water and is fluffy
15. Remove from stove covered and hold
16. Chicken Enchilada: In a saucepan over medium high heat add oil, onion, pinch of salt and sauté for 4-minutes
17. Add garlic sauté for 30 seconds
18. Reduce heat to medium low adding chili powder, cumin, oregano, sauté for 1-minute
19. Add chicken, chicken broth and sauté for 2-minutes
20. To Make Chicken Enchilada Preheat oven to 375
21. Spoon enchilada sauce on bottom of a 9-12 cake pan to lightly coat entire bottom
22. Lay out one tortilla at a time adding a 2 pinches of cheese, 2 tablespoon chicken, 2 tablespoon black beans, 2 tablespoons rice, two more pinches cheese, two tablespoons enchilada sauce
23. Roll wrap and place seam side down
24. Drizzle more enchilada sauce over each enchilada to cover
25. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake for 35-minutes
26. Serve with diced tomato, green onion, jalapeño, sour cream (all optional)
27. Serve remaining rice on each place and garnish with green onion

Rate this recipe

1 People Rated This Recipe

Average Rating

(5 / 5)

About Chef

The Social Chef

Michael Van Horn (aka MJ) 'The Social Chef', has incorporated his passion for culinary with his love and artistic ability of photography, his infatuation with writing, his charismatic ways of ...