Ready to master gourmet sour cream chicken enchiladas from scratch? Check out the step-by-step process now!
What is an Enchilada?
An enchilada is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of tortillas filled with a savory mixture, then smothered in a rich sauce. Over time, the simple concept of a chili-dipped tortilla has evolved into a multi-layered dish, with modern variations featuring diverse fillings such as meats, beans, or vegetables, and sauces ranging from mild to spicy. The type of tortilla also contributes to the dish’s texture, with flour tortillas adding a soft and chewy element to the overall composition.
At its core, the enchilada remains a celebration of balanced flavors, and when both the chicken filling and tortillas are made from scratch, the dish reaches its full potential.
The Art of Preparing Sour Cream Chicken from Scratch
The key to these enchiladas is the homemade sour cream chicken filling, prepared with fresh, high-quality chicken, seared and cooked with aromatic spices. Instead of relying on pre-made fillings, making the chicken from scratch allows for complete control over seasoning and texture, resulting in a flavorful and tender filling that harmonizes perfectly with the richness of sour cream.
Cooking the chicken from scratch ensures it’s infused with layers of savory and smoky spices, providing a deep and complex flavor profile that enhances the overall dish.
Crafting Flour Tortillas from Scratch
Homemade flour tortillas serve as the perfect base for the sour cream chicken filling. The process of making tortillas from scratch requires attention to detail, with the result being a soft, pliable, and slightly chewy texture that store-bought tortillas cannot replicate.
Flour, salt, butter, and water are combined to create a dough that is kneaded until smooth. The dough is then divided and rolled into thin discs, cooked on a hot skillet until lightly golden. These fresh tortillas absorb the sauce and enhance the flavors of the filling, making them an integral component of the dish.
Assembling the Enchiladas
With the sour cream chicken filling and freshly made tortillas, assembling the enchiladas is both rewarding and straightforward. The chicken mixture is wrapped in each tortilla, covered with a rich enchilada sauce, and topped with cheese before baking. The freshly made tortillas absorb the sauce, while the cheese melts into the filling, creating a perfectly balanced and indulgent dish.
Though the preparation process requires time and effort, the final result is a restaurant-quality meal that is as impressive as it is flavorful.
Why Go From Scratch?
Creating both the sour cream chicken and the flour tortillas from scratch elevates the flavor and texture of the dish to an unparalleled level. While store-bought options are convenient, they cannot match the richness and depth achieved through fresh, homemade ingredients. The effort invested in preparing each component from scratch results in a truly exceptional enchilada experience.
A Truly Special Dish
For those seeking to expand their culinary skills, these sour cream chicken enchiladas with homemade flour tortillas represent the ultimate challenge. The attention to detail and mastery of techniques required to prepare each element from scratch will not only enhance cooking abilities but also create a memorable, satisfying meal that impresses any guest.
Ingredients
Sour cream chicken
(Check out how to make Sour Cream Chicken Recipe)
- 2 tablespoons / 30g Cooking oil
- 1 medium / 100g Onion (sliced)
- 1 teaspoon / 5g Salt
- 1 clove / 3g Garlic (crushed)
- 1 teaspoon / 1g Black pepper (optional)
- 1lb / 500g Chicken meat
- ¼ cup / 60g Water
- ¼ cup / 60g Sour cream
Tortilla
(Check out how to make Flour tortilla or Corn tortilla)
- 2 cups/ 240g Flour
- 1 teaspoon / 5g Salt
- ¾ cup / 180g Water
- 3 tablespoons / 45g Olive oil
Topping
- ¾ cup / 175g Sour cream
- 2 cups / 225g Grated cheese of choice (Gouda, Edam, Mozzarella…)
How to make Sour cream enchiladas
Sour cream chicken
(Check out how to make Sour cream chicken)
- Sauté the onions until a glassy / translucent look for about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and optional black pepper and saute until the garlic gets fragrant.
- Mix in the meat and sauté until at least one side of the meat gets some golden brown color.
- Add water, bring it to boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Mix in the sour cream. Take the lid off then increase the heat to medium and cook away about half of the added water to get a somewhat thick onion enriched sauce.
Tortilla
(For more detailed instructions check out how to make Flour Tortilla Recipe or Corn Tortilla)
- Knead flour, water, salt and olive oil until it comes together. Divide the dough into eight. Roll them into balls.
- Flatten the balls out into 4″ / 10cm discs.
- Place each side onto a medium to high heat cast iron skillet until golden brown spots start to appear, for about a minute. They may puff up and that’s a good thing.
- Fill some chicken onto the tortilla wrap. We can use both, flour and corn tortillas.
- Roll them up then place them into an oven proof dish. Spread sour cream on top then add cheese of choice. Heat everything together.
- Put tray onto the middle rack of the oven and broil it at max temperature until golden brown spots start to appear on the cheese, 15 – 25 min.
Enjoy!
There are more things to wrap our food around!
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Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas Recipe – Overkill
Ingredients
Sour cream chicken
- 2 tablespoons Cooking oil
- 1 medium Onion sliced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Clove Garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper optional
- 1 lb Chicken meat
- ¼ cup Water
- ¼ cup Sour cream
Flour Tortilla
- 2 cups Flour
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Water
- 3 tablespoons Olive oil
Topping
- ¾ cup Sour cream
- 2 cups Grated cheese of choice Gouda, Edam, Mozzarella…
Instructions
Sour cream chicken
- Sauté the onions until a glassy / translucent look for about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and optional black pepper and saute until the garlic gets fragrant.
- Mix in the meat and sauté until at least one side of the meat gets some golden brown color.
- Add water, bring it to boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Mix in the sour cream. Take the lid off then increase the heat to medium and cook away about half of the added water to get a somewhat thick onion enriched sauce.
Flour Tortilla
- Knead flour, water, salt and olive oil until it comes together. Divide the dough into eight. Roll them into balls.
- Flatten the balls out into 4″ / 10cm discs.
- Place each side onto a medium to high heat cast iron skillet until golden brown spots start to appear, for about a minute. They may puff up and that’s a good thing.
Assembly
- Fill some chicken onto the tortilla wrap. We can use both, flour and corn tortillas.
- Roll them up then place them into an oven proof dish. Spread sour cream on top then add cheese of choice. Heat everything together.
- Put tray onto the middle rack of the oven and broil it at max temperature until golden brown spots start to appear on the cheese, 15 – 25 min.
