How Long Do Chicken Enchiladas Go In The Oven? (Timing Tips)

Chicken enchilada is known as an addictive dish that you can’t miss when thinking about street food.

This special delicacy is a perfect combination of tortillas, fillings, toppings, and unique sauce.

Originating from Mexico, chicken enchiladas are gradually becoming popular all over the world thanks to their attractiveness and irresistible taste. Such a warm dish at gatherings is definitely a wonderful thing, right?

But if you are still wondering how long do chicken enchiladas go in the oven, then keep reading for the answer.

Related: Popular Mexican foods you must know about!

How Long Do Chicken Enchiladas Go In The Oven?

20 minutes is the right amount of time for this dish. After taking out chicken enchiladas, you should let them cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

At that time, they will have a moderate temperature, which is not too hot for you to enjoy most deliciously.

What To Prepare Before You Cook Them?

You should buy the freshest and best quality products as these things will determine the perfection of the dishes. Here is the list of items you need to prepare for the dish:

Cake crust

Corn tortillas are an indispensable ingredient here. All other components will be together in fragrant and soft corn tortillas to create a taste of traditional chicken from Mexico.

In fact, you can replace the tortillas with Wheat flour. Although it does not keep the typical flavor of the dish, the plus point of wheat flour is that it helps you roll the ingredients in an easier way.

Chicken

The diced boneless chicken breast will be a reliable choice to make a perfect filling. If you are using chicken breasts, it is a good idea to sauté before processing them.

Actually, you do not always need to prepare new chicken breasts; the leftover ones from previous meals will not change the flavor. Besides, it is possible to save ingredients and preparation time when using pre-cooked ones.

Onion and green chiles

You need to clean and dice these for the filling. Besides that, substituting green peppers with colorful bell peppers is also an exciting way. This way will make your meals look more attractive than ever.

Beans

Beans may be unnecessary here, but they will be a source of extra protein if you need more protein in the meals. That is also an excellent substitute for chicken, which is suitable for vegetarians or on diets. So let’s try this alternative if you can, then you will find something interesting from these two different flavors.

Cheese

Cheese and Enchilada sauce are the last two ingredients to complete this dish. Now, enjoy your hobby with cheese garnishes, short or long cheese strands, cheese crumbs, or sliced cheese, for example.

Enchilada sauce

Enchilada sauce is always available in stores and supermarkets; you can find them whenever you want and add them to your dishes. However, pre-cooked sauces aren’t always as good as homemade sauces because sometimes they do not suit your taste. Let’s discover the recipe that you can follow to make enchilada sauce:

The necessary ingredients include flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt, optional cinnamon, tomato paste, and broth.

Recipe of sauce:

  • First, put a little oil in the pan and warm the oil until it can melt the seasoning.
  • Then, pour all the above ingredients into the pan (apart from tomato paste and broth) and constantly whisk for 1 minute.
  • When you smell the fragrance of the mixture, add the tomato paste and whisk it into the mix, after which add the broth and beat until there are no lumps.
  • Next, continue to maintain a moderate temperature and beat well for 5-7 minutes. You get the result when your mixture is a bit thick (has trouble stirring).

One thing to note is that you can adjust a reasonable dosage of ingredients if you want.

Also, you can find out some side dishes that go with this type of food through this link.

Why Should You Use An Oven To Cook?

People usually prepare this dish by frying or baking.

But in reality, the oven is often preferred because of the healthiness and efficiency it brings. As we all know, frying consumes a lot of oil if you want the fried food to be tasty.

So for those who are on diets or are looking to limit fat in meals, using an oven is essential. But in reality, the oven is often preferred because of the healthiness and efficiency it brings.

Besides, baked dishes always bring expected results. Your foods will be evenly cooked without turning as many times as when frying. Therefore, you will have a perfect meal that is not only delicious and nutritious but also beautiful.

What Temperature Should You Set For This Dish?

This is one of the questions people ask the most.

The most suitable temperature to have an even and delicious one is 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), no more, no less.

Moreover, remember not to increase the temperature too high as it will make the ingredients inside overcooked. Also, if the filling is too soft, it will make chicken enchiladas no longer perfect.

How To Make Them Crispy?

  • Step 1: Take the Corn tortilla and spread it on a flat surface. Put all the ingredients which are used to make the fillings on the Corn tortillas and roll them. Then, put it on the baking tray that you have prepared.
  • Step 2: Continue to follow step 1 until there is the number you want.
  • Step 3: After putting it all in the tray, finish with Enchilada sauce and cheese.
  • Step 4: Start baking in the oven.

For those who love crispy enchiladas, here is a helpful tip for you. Before using tortillas to roll the filling, pre-fry the cake in oil for about 2-3 minutes. In this way, you will have slight difficulty while scrolling because they are not as soft as before, but they will reduce the ability to absorb the sauce during the baking process.

Why Your Enchiladas Might Be Soggy?

There are many reasons to explain why yours are soggy after taking out of the oven.

The cause may be that your sauce is not thick enough, so chicken enchiladas have absorbed it during the baking process. Another reason is that you have poured too much sauce on them.

To solve these problems, you need to mix the sauce until it has a moderate consistency. You also should pour the seasoning on top of the chicken and in the openings. Do not pour the sauce under the tray.

Pros And Cons Of Making This Dish At Home

First and foremost, homemade meals guarantee the quality and nutritional value of foodstuff.

Also, we cannot deny homemade food always makes us feel more appetizing when we can enjoy making it with family. What’s more, dishes cooked based on your own recipe and preferences will be more suitable than those at restaurants.

Meanwhile, we still have many problems with our dishes, such as wrong-way processing, failure, etc. They make us depressed to continue.

Wrapping Up

Making chicken enchiladas at home is not challenging as you may think.

Hopefully, the above information that we have provided will solve some problems that you are struggling with. Indeed, you surely will have tasty meals beside your family and friends with chicken enchiladas.

Tamara Pierce

Tamara Pierce is a food writer at Elapasony, passionate about exploring diverse cuisines and sharing recipes and food experiences. From trendy restaurants to local hotspots, she's always on the lookout for new and exciting flavors.

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