Rating: 4.5 stars
21 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 14
  • 4 star values: 6
  • 3 star values: 1
  • 2 star values: 0
  • 1 star values: 0

Like all good New Mexico food, these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are simple, earthy, and delicious. Its heat depends on the chiles; go with Anaheims if you scorch easily.

This Story Originally Appeared On sunset.com

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Credit: Peden & Munk; Styling: Amy Wilson

Recipe Summary

total:
50 mins
Yield:
Makes 5 servings; 10 enchiladas (serving size: 2 enchiladas)
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Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

Directions

Instructions Checklist
  • Peel, stem and seed chiles, then finely chop (mince Anaheims and poblanos, since they're sturdier). Preheat oven to 400°.

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  • Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in chiles, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes to blend flavors. Add 1 1/4 cups broth and simmer until reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, prepare tortillas: In a small frying pan, bring remaining 2 1/2 cups broth to a gentle simmer. Working with one at a time, very briefly dip tortillas into broth to barely soften. Transfer each tortilla to a large baking sheet (you may need 2 or 3 sheets). Do not overlap or tortillas will stick.

  • Divide 1 1/4 cups cheese equally among tortillas and top each with shredded chicken, dividing evenly. Wrap tortilla around filling and transfer, seam-side down, to a 9- by 13-in. baking dish.

  • Pour chile sauce over enchiladas, leaving an inch or so bare at either end of the enchiladas if you like a bit of crunch, and top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake until cheese is bubbling and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

  • *Find frozen flame-roasted New Mexico green chiles, mild to spicy, for $6 for 5 lbs. at newmexicanconnection.com. If using Anaheims and poblanos, broil until they blacken all over, 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, and let them cool before peeling.

  • Cooking with chiles

  • This recipe is best when made with New Mexico chiles, preferably northern varieties such as Chimayo. Anaheim chiles, which are a New Mexico variety, are widely available throughout the West and make a fine substitute for northern green chiles—roast them over a stovetop burner or under a broiler to blacken the skins. (And if you're sensitive to chiles, wear gloves when handling.) Canned green chiles just don't cut it here.

  • See "Finding New Mexico Chiles," (below) for mail-order sources.

  • Finding New Mexico chiles

  • Native Seeds/SEARCH. Grow northern New Mexico chiles from heirloom seeds. www.nativeseeds.org or 866/622-

  • New Mexican Connection. We couldn't find a reliable mail-order source for roasted northern green chiles, but we did find good roasted Sandia chiles here. $56 for 5 lbs., including shipping; www.newmexicanconnection.com or 800/933-

  • Santa Fe Farmers Market. The best place to find northern New Mexico chiles, both fresh and dried. Various locations and hours; contact www.santafefarmersmarket.com or 505/983-

Chef's Notes

You'll need about half the meat from a roasted 2 1/2- to 3-lb. chicken. Baked enchiladas can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Nutrition Facts

591 calories; calories from fat 50%; protein 42g; fat 31g; saturated fat 12g; carbohydrates 38g; fiber 4.9g; sodium 722mg; cholesterol 133mg.
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