Chicken with Homemade Enchilada Sauce
This incredibly flavorful chicken is pan-seared until golden and then braised in a rich, fiery enchilada sauce. If you’ve been using store-bought enchilada sauce on the regular, you need to try this homemade version! It’s mouthwateringly easy, ultra-thick, and totally customizable.
I’m a big fan of store-bought enchilada sauce, so I understand the temptation to use it! Most varieties are delicious, and they make mealtime a snap (since you just open the can and go). This time, I wanted to try a homemade version and now I think I’ll never go back to store-bought! This version is much thicker (you can thin it out if desired) and much deeper in flavor. Plus, it’s made with pantry staples!
You can make this enchilada sauce as spicy as you want. I made this dish for my son, and he loves tons of heat, so I used 2 chipotle peppers and about 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce from the can. You can use half that amount – or even less. It all depends on how fiery you want the sauce to be.
I used chicken breasts, but chicken thighs work well too. I used thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts and they cooked in a flash. Thicker chicken breasts will take slightly longer to cook, and chicken thighs even longer than that. All chicken should cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
How should you serve this enchilada chicken?
I served the chicken and sauce over fluffy rice so we wouldn’t miss a drop of the sauce. You can also serve the chicken in tortillas, or with pasta or mashed potatoes. Trust me, you’ll want something to soak up the sauce! Add a steamed or roasted veggie and/or a salad on the side and the meal is complete.
Chicken with Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1-2 minced chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, with 1 tablespoon sauce from the can/jar, adjust this amount to suit your taste
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and smoked paprika. Stir in the minced chipotle chilies and adobo sauce. Set aside.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and black pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides. Add the enchilada sauce and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Note, chicken thighs may take slightly longer to cook. If desired, you may thin the sauce with a little water or chicken broth. I kept my sauce thick.