Name: Chicken enchiladas
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 2 red onions sliced; 2 red peppers sliced; 3 red chillies 2 deseeded and chopped, 1 sliced; small bunch coriander stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped - plus extra to serve (optional); 2 garlic cloves crushed; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 6 skinless chicken breasts cut into small chunks; 415g can refried beans (we used Discovery); 198g can sweetcorn drained; 700ml bottle passata; 1 tsp golden caster sugar; 10 tortillas; 2 x 142ml pots soured cream; 200g cheddar grated

3 tbsp olive oil
2 red onions
sliced
2 red peppers
sliced
3 red chillies
2 deseeded and chopped, 1 sliced
small bunch coriander
stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped - plus extra to serve (optional)
2 garlic cloves
crushed
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp cumin seeds
6 skinless chicken breasts
cut into small chunks
415g can refried beans
(we used Discovery)
198g can sweetcorn
drained
700ml bottle passata
1 tsp golden caster sugar
10 tortillas
2 x 142ml pots soured cream
200g cheddar
grated

Method

step 1
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in your largest pan, then fry the onions, peppers, chopped chilli and coriander stalks with half the garlic for 10 mins until soft. Stir in 2 tsp ground coriander and 2 tsp cumin seeds, then fry for 1 min more. Meanwhile, in another frying pan, fry the chicken in the remaining oil, in batches, until browned – add it to the pan of veg as it is done.
step 2
Stir the beans, sweetcorn, coriander leaves and 150ml of the passata into the veg and chicken. In a bowl, mix the rest of the passata with the other crushed garlic clove, the remaining spices and the sugar, then set aside.
step 3
To assemble, lay the tortillas onto a board and divide the chicken mixture between them, folding over the ends and rolling up to seal. Divide the passata sauce into the dishes you are using, then top with the enchiladas. Dot over the soured cream, sprinkle with grated cheese and scatter with the sliced chilli.
step 4
Cool and freeze (see freezing tips, below) or, if eating straight away, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6, then bake for 30 mins, scattering with more coriander leaves to serve, if you like.

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.