Pulled chicken enchiladas filled with lentils is a perfect weekend lunch recipe. This meal combines all the goodness – chicken, lentils and different vegetables which perfectly balance the variety of flavours.
I know saying ‘these are the best chicken enchiladas’ is quite (or very) brave, but guys… this really is the best recipe ever! I love the subtle flavour combination between pulled spicy chicken and peppery lentils. Add cheese and tomato sauce on top and you’ll get the best dish ever.
You could also go one step further and make your own tortillas, which would definitely elevate the flavour to the next level. However this time, I ended up using a pre-packed option, just because I wanted to save 30 minutes.
Lastly, what I really love about this chicken enchilada recipe is that you can adapt it to all your needs and cravings. I kept the filling quite simple by using just three main ingredients – chicken, lentils and peppers. Although, you can add a wide variety of vegetables such as onions, broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower or beans… whatever you fancy! Swap the chicken to tofu and you’ll also have a vegetarian dinner option.
Chicken Enchiladas Recipe Variations
This recipe is the perfect way to get creative.
You can swap-out so many ingredients that you’ll be surprised by just how many different meals you can end up having through just keeping the basics.
- Tortilla wraps – swap them to homemade tortillas to elevate the dish, or you can swap wheat tortilla wraps to any gluten free options.
- Sauce – in this recipe I used a traditional red tomato sauce, however you can make it more interesting by swapping half the tomatoes with sweet peppers.
- Protein – feel free to change the chicken to pork, beef or prawns. For a vegetarian option, you can use tofu, beans or add more lentils.
- Sides – serve the chicken enchiladas with different sides such as salsa, cheese sauce or fried corn salad.
Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Ingredients
Pulled Chicken:
3 chicken breasts
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon of dry parsley
½ teaspoon of garlic
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Tomato Sauce:
2 garlic cloves
½ leek
1 chilli pepper
1 broccoli stalk
100g cherry tomatoes
1 tin of tomatoes
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
50ml double cream
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Fresh parsley
Enchiladas:
8 tortillas
200g cooked puy lentils
1 pepper
100g grated cheddar cheese
To serve:
Avocado
Cherry tomatoes
Jalapeno pepper
Cheddar cheese
Method
Prepare the pulled chicken:
- Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
- Mix all the spices (sweet paprika, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dry parsley, garlic, salt and pepper). Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and mix until you get a thick paste.
- Rub this paste into the chicken breasts.
- Add the chicken into a baking dish, pour over 100ml of water and cover the dish with foil.
- Bake it for 1.5 hours.
- After the chicken is baked, shred it into small pieces.
Prepare the tomato sauce:
7. Finely chop garlic, leek, chili pepper, broccoli stalk and carrots.
8. Preheat the pan, drizzle some olive oil and lightly fry the veggies.
9. Add chopped cherry tomatoes and let them release the juices.
10. Add a tin of tomatoes, a tin of water and a tablespoon of tomato paste. Mix everything together and let the sauce gently simmer on low heat for 40 minutes.
11. Add double cream and season the sauce with salt and pepper to your liking.
12. Simmer for 10 more minutes.
Prepare the enchiladas:
13. Slice the peppers to your liking.
14. Mix the puy lentils with the shredded chicken.
15. Add the chicken mixture, peppers and grated cheese onto the tortilla and roll.
16. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.
Bake the enchiladas:
17. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees.
18. Pour the sauce into a baking dish.
19. Add the prepared enchiladas into the sauce.
20. Finish the dish with some grated cheese on top.
21. Bake the enchiladas for 30 minutes.
22. Add more cheese on top and bake until it melts.
23. Serve the enchiladas with avocados, jalapenos and cherry tomatoes.
