Thursday, February 24, 2011

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas


Certain flavor combinations have always called to me. Chocolate and peanut butter. Peanut butter and banana. And sure, some savory combos, too – I put garlic and onions in almost everything. One of my more recent flavor loves is the combination of honey and lime. Mixed together, these sweet and tart flavors can be found in cuisines all over the world. (And in my favorite Thai Honey Peanut Chicken/Tofu.)


Today’s recipe takes honey and lime south of the border for some Mexican-style fare. Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas. Don’t they just sound delicious? I mean, really. Shreds of juicy chicken coated in a sweet and tangy marinade. Gooey Monterey Jack cheese. Creamy, dreamy, green enchilada sauce enriched with a (not so) healthy dose of cream or half and half. More gooey cheese on top to add a gorgeous golden brown crackle. Heaven.


The fact that these enchiladas are simple to make is really just the icing on the cake. The important thing to note is that you need precooked chicken for this recipe. Otherwise you have to cook some up before you can get on with the filling, the rolling, and the baking. And, you know, the eating. You can use any simply flavored leftover chicken you have on hand; you want the chicken to have relatively plain flavor since you are going to be putting it in a marinade. You can also use store-bought rotisserie chicken. If you don’t have cooked chicken on hand, you can quickly poach some chicken breasts or cook them in a little chicken broth in a slow cooker for a few hours.

One Year Ago: Tex-Mex Stuffed Shells

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen CafĂ©  

Ingredients:
6 T. honey
5 T. fresh lime juice (about 2 to 3 limes)
1 T. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
8-10 flour tortillas (I used whole wheat)
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
16 oz. green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream, half and half, or sour cream

Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, chili powder, and garlic powder. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes. (You can also cover the bowl, pop it in the fridge, and let it go all day.)


When you are ready to make the enchiladas, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce into the prepared pan. Shake the pan to evenly coat the bottom.


Fill the tortillas with chicken and a little bit of cheese. (Make sure to reserve about half of the cheese for the topping.)


Place the filled tortillas seam-side down in the pan.


Take the bowl with the remaining marinade (whatever’s left after you take out the chicken) and add the remaining enchilada sauce and the cream/half and half/sour cream. Stir to combine then pour the sauce over the tortillas.


Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the tortillas.


Bake for 30 minutes, or until the enchiladas are bubbly and golden brown on top.


Serves 4 to 6.

23 comments:

  1. These look delicious. Can't wait to try them out.

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  2. What an unusual take on one of my dietary staples - where did you get those gorgeous tortillas? I'm going to make this tomorrow for a comforting Saturday supper (hello cold weather, you're back)!

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  3. With an H. - Thank you! I hope you like them :)

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  4. LC - I hate to tease you with this since I know you don't have one nearby, but I got them at Trader Joe's. They are whole wheat tortillas. I bet you could find something similar at your grocery store. (If not, add them to the list for your next TJ's/Whole Foods road trip!!)

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  5. Honey & lime sounds wonderful!

    They look incredible as well!

    I am also in a place with not only no Trader Joe's, but not much in the way of good tortillas so I make my own. Not that hard, but I work from home so have time. Warning, though, once you make your own...

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  6. Ann - I've never tried making homemade tortillas. I can only imagine how delicious they would be!

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  7. This dish is so tasty, I can't wait to make it for my daughter when she visits us in May. The leftovers are a big plus -- I scooped them up with tortilla chips.

    Of course those are Trader Joe tortillas! I used to buy them all the time when we lived in San Diego. Perhaps my daughter will throw a couple of dozen in her suitcase for her southern mama!

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  8. LC - I'm glad you like them! Scooping up the leftovers with tortilla chips sounds delicious.

    P.S. I think tortillas are perfectly acceptable carry-on items.

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  9. I tried your recipe this week and it was wonderful. The honey and lime were a great compliment to each other along with the chili and enchilada sauce. It's a keeper for me. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Kyle - You're welcome! I'm so glad you liked the enchiladas!

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  11. I made these last night for my girlfriends!! They LOVED them. I used corn tortillas instead of flour, and used less sour cream than you called for... but they were perfect. I'm planning on using this chicken marinade for a lot more than just these enchiladas! I actually have leftover chicken I can't wait to put on a salad.

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  12. Made these a few night ago for my family and they were a big hit. Even our picky 17 month old liked them (we dipped each bite in sour cream to take some of the heat out for him). The only change I made was to use half the amount of honey since I have had recipes that used the two together come out really awful in the past. Not so in this case! My brother especially liked the taste of the chicken. Would be great to use as taco filling, as well. Will definitely be making again! Thanks for the recipe!

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  13. Heather - I agree, this marinated chicken would be delicious in so many ways!

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  14. Rose - You're welcome! I'm so glad this is a recipe your whole family can enjoy - and I think your baby gets a pretty good deal getting all of his bites dipped in sour cream! Yum :)

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  15. These are so good! I followed the recipe exactly (used half and half) and my husband and I really enjoyed it!

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  16. Bet - Thanks for letting me know you liked it!

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  17. I made these for my daughter's fourth b-day party (since we had the family over). I found a green enchilada sauce recipe on-line and made it from scratch. Then followed your recipe. Can I just say these are some of the best enchiladas I have ever tasted and my whole family wanted the recipe too. Thanks for posting.

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  18. The Toplovs - You're welcome! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed the recipe!

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  19. I made these for my family tonight, but added black beans and corn to the chicken mix since I just love sneaking in the veggies when the kids don't expect them. They were a HUGE hit! Even Genevieve who is two ate them up! Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely be doing these again, and again, and again.

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  20. This is still my go to recipe for enchiladas since trying it last year! I'll have to try Aleshia's suggestion on the black beans and corn in the filling when I try it next.

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  21. Bet (above) is my sister, and she made these for me when I had my baby a few months ago. She froze a batch for me and for herself. She thawed hers before baking, and said they turned out kind of soggy, but I popped mine directly into the oven from the freezer, cooked them about 45 minutes, and they were PERFECT! Thanks! Making them as a freezer meal next week for a mom-to-be on bed rest. :o)

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