Enchilada sauce from scratch is a breeze, and the flavor is out of this world. I used to make my popular huevos rancheros for brunch at the restaurant using a variation of this sauce. I had huevos rancheros regulars who would show up every week, sometimes requesting extra corn tortillas to sop up the sauce.
When making enchiladas at home, I love to simmer the chicken directly in the enchilada sauce to marry the flavors. When the chicken is tender and beginning to fall apart, I toss the meat into my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer and use the paddle attachment to shred the chicken. It takes about 60 seconds all told, and it’s a lot less work than shredding it by hand.
Ingredients
For the Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
- 1 onion
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 2 cups water
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup peeled and finely cubed butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup sour cream
- 14 yellow corn tortillas, steamed
- 2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese
- ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese
For Serving
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- Sour cream
How to Make It
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To make the Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
- Peel and quarter the onion. Add it to a food processor, along with the chipotle pepper and garlic. Process until finely chopped.
- In a Dutch oven, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Cook the onion mixture, stirring frequently, for 90 seconds, or until tender and fragrant. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt. Toast the spices for 90 seconds. Pour in the tomato sauce and water, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until tender.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place the butternut squash on the pan, drizzle with the oil, and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender and beginning to caramelize. Set aside.
- Turn off the heat on the stove and remove the chicken from the sauce, reserving the sauce for assembling the enchiladas. Transfer the chicken to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and shred.
- Increase the oven temperature to 425°F. Grease a 13" × 9" baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, butternut squash, black beans, and sour cream. Stir together and season with salt to taste. Add ⅔ cup of the enchilada sauce to the filling to moisten it, stirring to combine.
- Spoon ¼ cup of the chicken filling onto the center of a warm tortilla, roll it up, and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until all of the filling and tortillas have been used. Coat the enchiladas with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes, or until they begin to turn golden brown on the edges. (This helps the tortillas firm up and keep some of their texture when baked in the sauce.) Remove the pan from the oven and pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Sprinkle with the Colby Jack and cotija cheeses. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.
- To serve, sprinkle the enchiladas with the green onions and cilantro. Serve with sour cream on the side.
