Foodedo recipe

Chicken and Pepper Enchiladas with Tomato-Chilli Sauce and Green Salad

Name: Chicken and Pepper Enchiladas with Tomato-Chilli Sauce and Green Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 500 g chicken breast (skinless and boneless, cut into 2 cm pieces); 3 tbsp olive oil (divided); 1 tsp fine salt (plus extra to taste); 1 tsp black pepper (plus extra to taste); 1 brown onion (medium, thinly sliced); 2 red peppers (deseeded and thinly sliced); 3 garlic cloves (crushed); 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp mild chilli powder; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 400 g chopped tomatoes (1 tin); 250 g passata; 8 flour tortillas (medium, about 20 cm across); 150 g mature Cheddar (coarsely grated); 2 little gem lettuce (shredded); 0.5 cucumber (halved lengthways and sliced); 2 spring onions (finely sliced); 1 lime (juiced)

80 min ·

Soft flour tortillas filled with chicken, peppers and a smoky tomato-chilli sauce, baked with Cheddar and served with a crisp lime-dressed green salad.

Ingredients

20 items

500 gchicken breastskinless and boneless, cut into 2 cm pieces
3 tbspolive oildivided
1 tspfine saltplus extra to taste
1 tspblack pepperplus extra to taste
1brown onionmedium, thinly sliced
2red peppersdeseeded and thinly sliced
3garlic clovescrushed
2 tspground cumin
2 tspsmoked paprika
1 tspdried oregano
1 tspmild chilli powder
2 tbsptomato purée
400 gchopped tomatoes1 tin
250 gpassata
8flour tortillasmedium, about 20 cm across
150 gmature Cheddarcoarsely grated
2little gem lettuceshredded
½cucumberhalved lengthways and sliced
2spring onionsfinely sliced
1limejuiced

Recipe notes (3)

Note: Use medium tortillas rather than large wraps so the filling-to-sauce ratio stays balanced and they fit neatly in the dish.
Note: For a hotter finish, serve with your favourite chilli sauce at the table rather than increasing the chilli in the baking sauce.
Note: The cook time includes browning the chicken in batches, baking and the 5-minute rest before serving.

Method

10 steps

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly oil a 20 x 30 cm baking dish. Prepare all the ingredients, keeping the raw chicken separate from the salad ingredients. Do not wash the chicken, and wash your hands, knife and board well after handling it.
Step 2. Season the chicken pieces with a pinch of the salt and black pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in 2 batches for 3-4 minutes per batch, turning regularly, until lightly coloured all over. Transfer to a plate; it does not need to be cooked through yet.
Step 3. Turn the heat down to medium and add another 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and peppers with another small pinch of salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until softened and starting to colour at the edges.
Step 4. Stir in the garlic, ground cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, chilli powder and tomato purée. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the purée darkens slightly and smells fragrant.
Step 5. Add the chopped tomatoes and passata. Stir well, scraping up anything stuck to the pan, and season with about 1/2 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, breaking up the tomato pieces with your spoon as the sauce thickens slightly.
Step 6. Spoon about 250 ml of the sauce into the baking dish and spread it over the base. Return the chicken and any resting juices to the pan. Simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked through and the filling is thick rather than watery. Check the thickest pieces with a clean probe thermometer: they should reach 75°C for 30 seconds, or 70°C for 2 minutes.
Step 7. If the tortillas feel stiff, warm them so they roll without cracking: stack them on a plate, cover loosely and microwave for 20-30 seconds, or warm them one at a time in a dry frying pan for about 10 seconds per side. Put an eighth of the chicken filling down the centre of each tortilla, roll up tightly and place seam-side down in the baking dish. Spoon any remaining sauce over the top, then scatter over the grated Cheddar.
Step 8. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Rest for 5 minutes before serving so the filling settles.
Step 9. While the enchiladas bake, whisk the lime juice with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Put the lettuce, cucumber and spring onions in a bowl and toss with the dressing just before serving.
Step 10. Serve the enchiladas hot with the crisp green salad alongside.