Hearty Chicken Enchiladas

Thanksgiving 2020. We didn't travel to Las Cruces — the pandemic made that impossible this year, for Hector's sake more than anything. We did a video call instead: eight people on two screens, the big table here and his kitchen table there, sharing a meal across three hundred miles of screen. It was not the same as being there. I need to say that plainly: it was not the same. But it was something, and something was what we had.

Mom held up a spoonful of calabacitas to the camera and said "This is for Carlos." I held up my plate and said "This is for you." Hector told the championship story again to anyone who would listen, which at this point is everyone and no one, since everyone has heard it. He doesn't tell it for novelty. He tells it because it is his. Because he was there. Because I hugged him after the final whistle and said nothing and that nothingness was everything. He needs to tell that story. I let him tell it.

I made green chile posole — the full version, the one that takes all day. Six-hour broth, dried ancho and guajillo, the hominy bloomed from dried (not canned — I tried it once and once was enough to commit me permanently to the dried). The house smelled like something worth saving. Diego helped shred the pork. He's sixteen now, or close enough, and he is becoming himself in a way that is rapid and occasionally startling. He asked me over the shredding if I thought the spring season would actually happen. I told him I didn't know but I was acting like it would. He said, "Good. That's the right call." Sixteen years old, telling me it's the right call. I wanted to laugh and I wanted to cry and I just shredded pork with him until the pot was full.

The posole was the ceremony that year—the six-hour broth, the dried chiles, Diego shredding pork at my side—but if you want to bring that same depth of warmth to your own table without committing to a full all-day cook, these enchiladas are the recipe I reach for. They carry the same red-chile soul, the same sense that something worth saving is happening in your kitchen, and they give you enough hands-on work to stand beside someone you love and just… be there.

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) red enchilada sauce, divided
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
12 corn tortillas (6-inch)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream, for serving
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving
1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving

Instructions

Cook the chicken. Season chicken thighs on both sides with salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear 5–6 minutes per side until cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes, then shred with two forks.
Build the filling. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the shredded chicken, diced green chiles, and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Season to taste with salt. Remove from heat.
Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 375°F. Spread 1/2 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish in a thin, even layer.
Warm the tortillas. Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 45–60 seconds until pliable. This keeps them from cracking when you roll them.
Fill and roll. Working one at a time, spoon about 3 tablespoons of the chicken filling and a pinch of Monterey Jack down the center of each tortilla. Roll tightly and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, fitting them snugly in a single layer.
Sauce and top. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining Monterey Jack and all of the cheddar across the top.
Bake. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese is melted, bubbly, and beginning to brown at the edges, about 15–18 minutes more.
Rest and serve. Let the enchiladas rest 5 minutes before serving. Top with sour cream, fresh cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Nutrition (per serving)

Hearty Chicken Enchiladas — The Pot That Holds Us Together