Chicken enchiladas

What kind of tortillas should you use for enchiladas?

You can use either flour or corn tortillas to make enchiladas. Many varieties of corn tortillas also contain a proportion of wheat to get the balance between authentic flavour and pliable texture. For 100% corn tortillas make sure the packet says gluten-free.

How do you roll enchiladas?

Technique 1:

• Warming the tortillas in the microwave before shaping them will make them more pliable and less likely to tear.
• You can simply spoon the filling along the centre line and roll up. Make sure you tuck all the rolled-up tortillas seam-side down in a dish before covering with sauce.

Technique 2:

• Another technique that encases the filling more securely involves tucking in the ends as you would with a burrito.
• Fill the tortillas down the centre and fold in at the top and bottom, then in on one side, lightly press, then simply roll over. Flip the whole thing so it is sitting on the seam and press down lightly in the dish before baking.

You may find this video for how to wrap a burrito helpful. ​​

As you are not picking these up with your hands but eating with cutlery, either technique works fine.

What do you serve with enchiladas?

Enchiladas are very filling and rich, so you don’t need any side dishes, apart from a simple salad. Try some baby gem with cherry tomatoes with a lime and chilli dressing or our Mexican salad with tortilla croutons.

If you want to create more of a Mexican fiesta vibe, you could serve a few dishes of tortilla chips and extra dips such as salsa and guacamole. A large dish of Tom Kerridge’s Mexican fiesta rice can also be a lovely accompaniment to mop up with any leftover sauce. Or for a vegetarian rice dish, try this Mexican tomato rice which is spiked with smoky spicy chipotle.

How to freeze enchiladas

• Enchiladas can be fully assembled in a foil or metal baking dish or individual dishes so that they are oven-ready, covered and frozen for one month.
• Either freeze the whole recipe in different-size dishes for separate occasions, or freeze the passata sauce, chicken filling, grated cheese and soured cream in portions in separate freezer bags – remembering to label the quantities on each bag. Then defrost and assemble to cook.
• The individual tortillas will also freeze for up to two months if well wrapped, or keep in unopened packs in your cupboard.

How to reheat enchiladas

When you are ready to serve, defrost in the fridge overnight and bring to room temperature. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and bake in an ovenproof dish covered with foil for 1 hr. Increase the heat to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, then bake for a further 15-20 mins until bubbling and delicious. Scatter with chopped coriander before serving.