Smoky Red Chicken Enchiladas with Charred Tomato Sauce

⏱ 55 min · Serves 4

Tender shredded chicken and melting cheese rolled into soft corn tortillas, blanketed in a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce and baked until bubbling. It tastes like a weekend project but comes together on a weeknight, and the charred sauce does all the heavy lifting.

Per serving: 880 kcal · 57.0g protein · 58.0g carbs · 47.0g fat

Ingredients

• 500g boneless chicken thighs (or 3 cups shredded cooked chicken)
• 6 ripe tomatoes (about 700g), halved
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1-2 chipotles in adobo, plus 1 tbsp of the sauce
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 250ml chicken stock
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt and black pepper
• 12 corn tortillas (15cm)
• 250g mature cheddar or Monterey Jack, grated
• 100g feta or crumbled queso fresco
• Handful coriander, chopped
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 4 tbsp sour cream, to serve

Method

1. Heat the grill (broiler) to high. Put the tomato halves cut-side down on a foil-lined tray with the onion quarters and unpeeled garlic. Grill 10-12 minutes until blistered and blackened in patches. Slip the garlic out of its skins.
2. Meanwhile, season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper and half the cumin. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry 5 minutes a side until cooked through. Rest, then shred with two forks.
3. Blitz the charred vegetables with the chipotles, adobo sauce, remaining cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, stock and sugar until fairly smooth.
4. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan, pour in the sauce (careful, it spits) and simmer 8-10 minutes until it coats a spoon. Season well.
5. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Stir 4 tbsp of the sauce and a third of the grated cheese through the shredded chicken.
6. Warm the tortillas briefly in a dry pan or 20 seconds in the microwave under a damp cloth so they roll without cracking.
7. Spread a thin layer of sauce in a large baking dish. Fill each tortilla with chicken, roll up and lay seam-side down in the dish, packed snugly.
8. Pour over the remaining sauce, scatter with the rest of the cheddar and the feta. Bake 20 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned at the edges.
9. Rest 5 minutes, then top with coriander, sour cream and lime wedges for squeezing.