Sour cream chicken enchiladas recipe
When I was in college, on Saturday afternoons a large group of us would celebrate the weekend by going to lunch at the local Tex-Mex restaurant. We’d toast our break with tall glasses of iced tea and salty chips dipped in salsa, and as we were in North Texas, most of us would order the house special—sour cream chicken enchiladas.
Tex-Mex is the large umbrella phrase that covers what people have determined to be Americanized Mexican food, but it’s a very broad term as a Tex-Mex plate found in North Texas will be very different than a Tex-Mex plate found near the Gulf.
This is what I discovered when I went to college in the small town of Sherman near the Oklahoma border. Green sauce was gone, with sour-cream enchilada sauce to be found in its place. Different, yes, but just as satisfying.
The sour cream enchiladas were stuffed with shredded chicken that had been spiced with generous amounts of salt and black pepper, a simple formula that still yielded plenty of flavor. The sauce itself was a creamy blend of sour cream and chicken broth.
Sometimes, a few pickled jalapeños were added, yet they provided more color than fire, as all that dairy mitigated any heat. What this sauce lacked in piquancy, however, it made up for it in creamy comfort and a taste so smooth I’d always order an extra bowl on the side.
My love for these enchiladas is firmly embedded into those four years I was in college—I hadn’t eaten them before and I had rarely eaten them since. While my tastes have changed since those days, I am still a fool for sour cream (give me a spoon and a carton and I’ll be eating myself silly in no time) so I decided to revisit this North Texas classic.
After following what was purported to be a close approximation of this restaurant’s recipe, I was struck by how bland the sour cream sauce was—I couldn’t believe I used to love it so much! I tried punching it up with some cayenne, garlic, and cumin, but it was still too flat for me—it needed some tang.
Because I was afraid lime juice would curdle the sauce, I pureed it with some tomatillos instead. A handful of cilantro was also added for an herbal boost.
I took another bite. This time, I wasn’t bored! In fact, this sauce was a nod to two long-ago favorites as it was the marriage of my Houston green sauce with my North Texas sour-cream sauce.
But I shouldn’t have been too surprised. While I’ve certainly changed since I was 18, why couldn’t my sour cream sauce change as well? And if I do say so myself, we’re both much improved by the changes made through the years.
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Sour cream chicken enchiladas
Ingredients
Ingredients for the filling:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon safflower oil
Ingredients for the sour cream sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 fresh tomatillos, husked and cut in half or 1 (10-ounce) can tomatillos
- 2 Serrano chiles, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Dash cayenne
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Ingredients for the enchiladas:
- 2 tablespoons safflower oil
- 12 corn tortillas
- 1/2 medium-sized onion, diced
- 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Sprinkle the chicken breasts on each side with the salt and black pepper. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet set on medium heat. When it shimmers, add the chicken and cook on each side for 3 minutes.
- Place the chicken in the oven and bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until an inserted thermometer is 165°F. When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven, keeping the oven on since you'll be using it again.
- Allow the chicken to cool, and then shred it with 2 forks. Taste the shredded chicken and add more salt and pepper if desired.
- Meanwhile, to make the sauce, in a medium pot melt the butter on medium-low. Add the tomatillos and diced Serrano chiles and while occasionally stirring, cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Whisk in the flour, cumin, salt, and cayenne and cook for 1 more minute or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Pour the chicken broth into the pot, and while whisking, cook until the broth has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and cilantro, then remove from the heat.
- Pour the sour cream sauce into a blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- To make the enchiladas, In a skillet, heat up the oil on medium-low heat. One at a time, heat up the tortillas in the oil, and then keep them wrapped in a cloth or tortilla warmer until all the tortillas are heated.
- Pour 1 cup of the sour cream sauce into the bottom of a 9z13 baking dish.
- To assemble the enchiladas, take each warm corn tortilla and place in the middle 1/3 cup of shredded chicken, 1 teaspoon of diced onions, and 1 tablespoon of cheese (I’m not usually this scientific but if you’ve never made them before and desire exact measurements this would be it!).
- Roll the tortillas around the filling and place the rolled tortillas seam side down in the baking dish. Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and cheese and bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until the the top is brown and bubbling.
- Serve warm topped with chopped cilantro.
I didn't know you went to Austin College! Being from south central Texas (San Antonio), the sour cream enchilada and I have never gotten along. I do have a great Junior League recipe for "Swiss" enchiladas made with a cream sauce similar but not the same. I love the good ole cheese enchilada with chili gravy. Not too easy to find in North Texas. I keep trying!
I'm now officially a "homesick Texan" myself! I'm putting these on the menu for this week, our first in the new home/new state. ~K
Just finished making the sauce and assembling the enchiladas – love everything so far! I'm in San Antonio, and we the sour cream version isn't as common here, but a friend from N. Texas used to make them. Can't wait to serve them tonight! Thanks so much!
You went to school in Sherman? Austin College I'm guessing? Small world! I grew up in Paris, not too far from there. I looove sour cream chicken enchiladas and can't wait to make these.
I have a question though, you say to bake the enchiladas in a casserole. It looks in your picture like you baked them in a cast iron skillet. Is this do-able too? Thanks so much!
Michael–I'm glad the picture made you happy!
Shawnda–Oh, good! I'm so pleased that y'all enjoyed them!
RoSe–Thanks for the tip!
AW–Then you definitely know what I'm talking about. Happy to help!
Monicaj66–I am indeed a kangaroo!
Deciverofmen–As you should, a whole chicken makes more sense economically!
Chelsea–Leftover sauce keeps for a week in the refrigerator and can also be frozen.
Chrsi–Oh, now that just made my day! And flour tortillas are really good, too!
FormerTexan–Wow! Arizona is only two states away–you'd think it would have a similar cuisine.
Michelle–That works!
Michelle Stiles–Excellent news! And have a good time in Texas!
JenJen–That's a great trick! Will be doing that next time! And you're very welcome. Glad y'all enjoyed them.
Waverly–Homemade food is always better, in my opinion.
Kristin–I hadn't thought about them in years either. They're definitely worth a revival!
SMcCobb–Here's my recipe for queso.
Kit–Nope, it was not a hallucination!
Sarah–Yay! Glad y'all liked them!
Tasty–I am indeed an AC alum. Sherman was peaceful, but that sometimes got my friends and I in a lot of trouble!
Davin–Terrific! I'm happy to hear that!
The Runaway Spoon–Oh, my! Now that's something I'll have to try!
Carol Ann–I bet at some point they'll start shipping them up there. We had them in NYC last year.
WyldTxn53–I believe that Manuel's is still highly regarded. I have a friend in Odessa and I'm pretty sure he recommended it to me as a place to eat.
Donna–Wonderful news! I'm thrilled they took you back home!
Suburban Housefrau–Ha! And I think a Tex-Mex Christmas is definitely the way to go! (And just between you and me–there is nothing wrong with flour tortillas!)
Jodie–Yep, I went to Austin College.
Kristin–Hope your move went smoothly. These enchiladas will help ease the pain!
Tina–I hope y'all like them!
Paige–You can use a cast-iron skillet. Matter of fact, I do most of my cooking in one!