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Chicken Enchiladas with Mexican Rice

A gently spiced homemade red sauce, roasted poblano filling, fluffy rice, and avocado-lime crema turn this baked enchilada dinner into a complete weeknight spread.

Chicken enchiladas with melted cheese and red sauce are served beside Mexican rice and avocado-lime crema.

These enchiladas lean on a red sauce with enough mild chile, cumin, and oregano to taste rounded rather than blunt. Toasting the tortillas first and saucing them thoughtfully gives the casserole tender centers, crisp edges, and a cleaner slice.

Toast the chile base

Cook the onion until it softens, then give the garlic, mild chile powder, cumin, oregano, and tomato paste a short turn in the skillet. That brief bloom removes the raw edge from the spices and gives the broth a deeper red, more savory direction.

Give the rice its own start

Toasting the rice before it meets broth keeps the finished grains distinct and gives the side dish a nuttier foundation. Let it cook covered while you assemble the casserole, then fluff it only after the grains are tender.

Warm corn tortillas hold chicken, roasted poblano peppers, red sauce, and cheese before being rolled. — Warm tortillas are filled with chicken, roasted poblano peppers, red sauce, and cheese before rolling.

Keep the tortillas sturdy

A dry skillet makes corn tortillas flexible without saturating them. Keep the warmed stack wrapped in a towel, fill promptly, and place each roll seam-side down so it holds together as the cheese melts.

Sauce with restraint

The chicken filling should be coated, not swimming, before it goes into the tortillas. Spread sauce beneath and across the rolls, but let a few edges stay visible; they crisp just enough to add texture and protect the casserole from a soggy finish.

A cut chicken enchilada shows roasted poblano filling, melted cheese, red sauce, and a crisp tortilla edge. — A close portion shows melted cheese, roasted poblano chicken filling, and a lightly crisp tortilla edge.

Cool the heat with crema

Avocado, sour cream, and lime make a creamy counterpoint to the warm red sauce. Serve it over rested enchiladas with a spoonful of rice, adding the crema at the table so its fresh flavor stays bright.

Chicken Enchiladas with Mexican Rice

4 servings

75 minutes total

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp neutral oil, divided
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp mild chile powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 3/4 cups chicken broth, divided
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 2 roasted poblano peppers, peeled and diced
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 lime

Method

Heat the oven
Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 375 F; lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some of the neutral oil.
Look for: The baking dish has a thin, even sheen and the oven is fully preheated.
Build the red sauce
Cook the yellow onion in 1 tbsp neutral oil over medium heat until softened, then stir in minced garlic cloves, mild chile powder, cumin, oregano, and 1 tbsp tomato paste for 1 minute.
Look for: The spices smell toasty and the tomato paste darkens slightly without scorching.
Simmer the sauce
Whisk 2 cups chicken broth into the spice mixture and simmer over medium-low heat until lightly thickened, then season to taste and keep the sauce warm.
Look for: The sauce coats a spoon in a thin red layer and tastes chile-forward but mild.
Cook Mexican rice
Toast the long-grain white rice in the remaining neutral oil over medium heat until it smells nutty, stir in the remaining tomato paste, then add 1 3/4 cups chicken broth, cover, and cook over low heat.
Look for: The rice is tender, the liquid is absorbed, and the grains remain separate.
Mix the filling
Combine the shredded chicken, diced roasted poblano peppers, 3/4 cup red sauce, and 3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese in a bowl until the filling is moist but not loose.
Look for: Chicken is coated in sauce with no pool of liquid collecting at the bottom of the bowl.
Soften the tortillas
Warm the corn tortillas in a dry skillet over medium heat until pliable and lightly toasted, stacking them in a clean towel as you work.
Look for: Each tortilla bends without cracking and has a few dry toasted spots.
Fill and roll
Spread a thin layer of red sauce in the baking dish, fill each warm tortilla with the chicken mixture, roll tightly, and place seam-side down in the dish.
Look for: The tortillas are snug in one layer with their seams held underneath.
Sauce and bake
Spoon the remaining red sauce over the enchiladas, leaving a few tortilla edges exposed, then scatter with the remaining Monterey Jack cheese and bake at 375 F.
Look for: The cheese is melted with browned spots and the exposed tortilla edges are lightly crisp.
Make avocado-lime crema
Mash the ripe avocado with sour cream and the juice of the lime until smooth enough to drizzle, adding a spoonful of water only if needed.
Look for: The crema is pale green, creamy, and falls from a spoon in a slow ribbon.
Rest and serve
Rest the enchiladas for 5 minutes, fluff the Mexican rice, and serve both with the avocado-lime crema while the cheese is still molten.
Look for: The sauce has settled enough for clean portions and the rice fluffs without clumping.