Enchilada Chicken Thighs
This mildly spicy, saucy chicken is coated with smoky spices, pan-seared until golden, and then simmered in a savory blend of salsa and enchilada sauce. The meat is buttery soft and the sauce is brimming with sweet corn and green peas.
This chicken dish is so easy! There’s no dicing or slicing because we’re getting all the aromatics (onions, garlic, peppers) from the salsa! And you can choose your favorite salsa for this dish, which means you can make the meal mild, medium, or hot.
Store-bought enchilada sauce adds great depth of flavor to the sauce. Enchilada sauce is smooth and rich, and the puree of chilies, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices makes an excellent base for this sauce – and it partners perfectly with salsa.
How should you serve you Mexican-inspired chicken? I suggest rice or tortillas on the side or underneath so you can soak up all the sauce! Choose corn or flour tortillas – both work great for mopping the plate clean.
This recipe works with chicken breasts too! If you’re more of chicken breast or chicken tender fan, simply swap either one in for the thighs. And if you only have bone-in chicken, no problem. Simply add an extra 10 minutes to the simmering time, until the chicken is cooked through and fork-tender.
For a fiery meal, serve this chicken with hot sauce! You can make this dish spicy by using using hot salsa and hot enchilada sauce, and then you can serve hot sauce on the side for extra fire. You can also make the dish mild and serve hot sauce for those who prefer it!
Enchilada Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 10- ounce can enchilada sauce
- 1 cup salsa of choice
- 11- ounce can corn, drained, or 1 cup frozen corn, kept frozen until ready to use
- 1/2 cup frozen peas, kept frozen until ready to use
- Fresh cilantro for serving, optional
- Hot sauce for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well.
- Pat both sides of the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Coat both sides of the chicken with the spice mixture.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs and cook until seared on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side.
- Add the enchilada sauce, salsa, and corn and bring to a simmer.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes to heat through.
- Top with cilantro (if using) and serve.