Gluten-Free Enchiladas (Chicken Red Sauce)

overhead shot of enchiladas in white baking dish topped with cilantro

Meaningful Eats

Gluten-Free Enchiladas (Chicken Red Sauce)

6 people

This amazing gluten-free enchiladas recipe has tender chicken, cheese and a flavorful homemade enchilada sauce! Made with 100% gluten-free pantry staples!

This recipe uses my favorite homemade gluten-free enchilada sauce.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mexican

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

Total Time 55

Author Erin Collins

Ingredients

For the Red Sauce:

1 medium onion diced
1 jalapeño seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon oil
3 medium cloves garlic finely minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
15 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

For the Chicken Filling:

1- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (2-3 large breasts)
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) sharp cheddar freshly shredded
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) Monterey jack cheese freshly shredded
1/2 cup fresh cilantro minced
1 lime
12 6-inch soft corn tortillas

Instructions

Make the Sauce:

In a large saucepan, add the onion, jalapeno and oil. Cook on medium heat until the vegetables have softened, 8-10 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, sugar and salt and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce and chicken stock and stir to combine. Nestle in the chicken. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove the chicken and place in a bowl. (Optional but recommended: Carefully pour the sauce into a blender and blend until smooth.) Season the sauce with a touch more salt, if necessary and set aside.

Make the Filling:

Preheat the oven to 400F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add 1 cup of the sharp cheddar cheese, 1 cup of the Monterey jack cheese, the cilantro and the juice of 1 lime to the chicken. Mix to combine. (Set aside the rest of the cheese for topping the enchiladas.)
Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap or damp paper towels. Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 20-30 seconds.
Scoop 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture on top of a tortilla and press it evenly down the middle. (You'll portion the filling to make 12 enchiladas.) Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. Bake covered for 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Recipe Notes

Freshly shredded cheese that you grate yourself from a block of cheese works best in these enchiladas. It has the best flavor and will melt beautifully!

For a mild sauce remove the ribs/seeds from the jalapeno. For a spicer sauce leave jalapeno seeds and ribs in.

To use rotisserie or pre-cooked chicken: If you want to use pre-cooked chicken that will work great! Just skip adding the chicken to the sauce as it simmers. Mix the chicken with the rest of the filling ingredients as instructed.

Nutrition