YaYa Shredded Salsa Chicken Enchiladas
Introduction
Today in the magic kitchen we have enchiladas! I have always enjoyed learning but not necessarily in school. Good thing learning takes place anywhere there is an open mind. The history we learned in the public schools of 1970s New York isn’t the history being taught today. Colonization was definitely not shown in its true light.
In previous posts, I mentioned that I grew up enjoying the classic hybrid Tex-Mex cuisine. The tradition of rolling tortillas around other food dates back to Aztec times. The people living in the lake region of the Valley of Mexico traditionally ate corn tortillas folded or rolled around small fish. It was during the time of Spanish colonization that this practice started to be referred to as enchilada, to fit it into the Spanish culture.
The Spanish word 'enchilar' means 'to add chili pepper to' or literally 'to season or decorate with chili'. Translated, “enchilada” means soaked, rubbed, or dipped in chile sauce. I love the variety of what you can roll inside an enchilada and the different sauces you can smother your enchiladas in. You can add any kind of vegetable and/or protein, beans, cheese… whatever you like. There are green and red chili sauces, cheese sauces, and more. The enchilada is quite a versatile staple of the cuisine.
There are many recipes for green and red enchilada sauces, and they are not too hard to make but they do take a little time to simmer and blend the flavors to get the best result. The difference between red and green sauces is really in how they are prepared. If the seeds and the veins of the pepper are removed before preparation, the sauce won’t be as hot. A red pepper (in red sauce) is riper so it can have a sweeter taste, while a green sauce may have a more herby flavor.
In this recipe, I use a store-bought green salsa verde enchilada sauce. I like this brand right out of the can. You can always add a little extra garlic or other seasonings to enhance the flavor of your store-bought jar or can. Using a good sauce or salsa from the store can save a lot of time with cooking a good meal like this at home and avoid eating out or just heating up a prepared meal.
I love that good food can unite people from every continent and all different backgrounds. I love that no matter the region, the kitchen remains a place to gather and wrap ourselves in comforting foods.
YaYa taco seasoning makes these chicken enchiladas delicious and Mama Miche makes your kitchen magic.
Tools
Instapot or Crock Pot†
Large measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons
Mixing bowls
Hand mixer or meat shredding tool
Cutting mat/board
Large knife
Skillet
Ladle
Mixing Spoon
9” x 12” Baking dish
Ingredients
Makes approx 6 cups of chicken filler for 16-20 enchiladas
3 lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs*
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups salsa (your choice!)
2 tbsp Yaya Taco Seasoning™
Lime (optional)
2 cups (16 ounces) salsa verde, store-bought
3 cups shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican cheese blend (reserve 1cup for topping)
1 package of large corn tortillas**
Toppings
Cilantro
Sour Cream
Jalapenos
Salsa
Guacamole
Directions
Prep Time - 15 minutes
Cook Time - 60 minutes*
Preheat the oven to 350º F
Shredded Salsa Chicken filling***
Trim the excess fat from chicken thighs. Pour broth and salsa into Instant Pot. Place chicken in the Instant Pot. Add 2 tablespoons of YaYa Taco Seasoning™. Close the lid, make sure the release valve is closed. Press the ‘manual’ button on the Instant Pot and set time for fifteen minutes. When the timer ends, you can let the Instant Pot sit and slow release, or you can open the valve and do a quick release.
Carefully open the lid and remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place into a large mixing bowl. Add a few ounces of the liquid from the Instant Pot to the bowl. Shred chicken. Add more liquid as needed to desired taste and consistency. To save time, you can use a hand mixer, but I find that a fork will work just fine most of the time.
Making the Enchiladas
Coat the bottom of the balking dish with some of the enchilada sauce.
Place a tortilla in a warm skillet over medium heat to warm it before rolling. This makes it much easier to roll****.
Add chicken & shredded cheese to the middle of each tortilla and roll into a cylinder, tucking the ends in as you roll the torltilla, so the filling does not spill out. Repeat the process, lining up tortillas, seam-side down, tightly in the dish.
Spread the remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with the reserved cheese.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven. Bake 30 minutes or until heated throughly***.
Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes longer, until the cheese is melted and begins to brown. Add about 1 cup of more cheese if you’re super cheesy!
Serving Options
Serve it with Jalapenos, salsa, cilantro, dollop of sour cream, guacamole. All the good and tasty things.
Notes:
†If you do not have an Instant Pot, I highly recommend getting one. But not to worry; you can use a crock pot or other slow cooking method, and extend the time to 4-5 hours from the 15 minutes noted above.
*You can substitute all white meat or use a mixture of both.
**You can substitue flour for corn tortillas, but the consistency of the flour tortilla may not be preferable.
***You can make this a day or so before and set aside until you are ready to roll! Your cooking time may be longer if your filling was refrigerated.
****Don’t try to roll a cold corn tortilla, it will not go well for you.
As we mentioned, we use our own blend of taco seasoning, which we are about to make available for sale. For now, use your own, but you really gotta try ours when it comes out!
