Earlier this year a friend of ours organized a virtual trivia night for a group of us. He put a lot of work into writing the questions and devising various categories that would stump us and make us laugh. I’m proud to say that my husband and I took first place and, since the organizer lives in New Mexico, our prize was a jar of green chiles from a company called Monroe’s. They were some of the best jarred green chiles I’ve ever tasted and I wanted to make something with them that would make them shine and thus, these enchiladas were born.
Unlike many recipes for green enchilada sauce (Enchiladas Verdes), these don’t use any tomatillos. While I love tomatillos, this variation lets the green chiles shine and makes this a very quick blender sauce. The sauce itself can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a few days and in the freezer for a few months and it also makes a great marinade for flank steak, pork tenderloin or chicken thighs.
Green chiles shine in this pantry-staple friendly enchilada sauce recipe.
2tbspneutral oil, divided
1small yellow onion, diced
1jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and diced
4cloves garlic, smashed
½cupvegetable or chicken stock (I like Better than Boullion)
14ozcanned green chiles, drained
1tspground cumin
juice of 1 lime
kosher salt
1lbground beef (85% lean recommended)
1can black beans, rinsed and drained
16small corn tortillas (warmed in advance, see note)
8ozMonterey Jack or Cheddar cheese (or a mix), shredded
1cupcilantro leaves, for serving (optional)
1
Preheat oven to 425F.
2
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add onion and jalapeño and sauté until softened. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
3
Transfer onion mixture to a blender or food processor. Add vegetable or chicken stock, green chiles, ground cumin, lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt if needed. Set sauce aside.
4
Use a paper towel to wipe out skillet of any residual onion mixture. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add beef in an even layer and cook, undisturbed until beef starts to brown and some edges are beginning to caramelize and get crispy. Season with 1 teaspoon salt. Stir beef and cook until meat is cooked through and has some crispy bits.
5
Off heat, add black beans and ¼ cup of reserved sauce to beef. Stir to combine.
6
In a 9x13 baking dish spread 2 spoonfuls of the reserved sauce to line the dish.
7
To assemble enchiladas, fill warmed tortillas with about ¼ cup filling. Do not stuff enchiladas too full or they will not roll well. Roll enchiladas and place in pan seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas. When all tortillas are assembled, sprinkle any extra filling on top of the enchiladas. Pour sauce over top, ensuring that all tortillas are covered. Sprinkle cheese on top.
8
Bake, covered with foil, until cheese bubbles, about 20 minutes. Remove foil, turn on broiler and broil until cheese is browned, about 1-2 minutes.
9
Sprinkle with cilantro leaves if desired.
Ingredients
2tbspneutral oil, divided
1small yellow onion, diced
1jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and diced
4cloves garlic, smashed
½cupvegetable or chicken stock (I like Better than Boullion)
14ozcanned green chiles, drained
1tspground cumin
juice of 1 lime
kosher salt
1lbground beef (85% lean recommended)
1can black beans, rinsed and drained
16small corn tortillas (warmed in advance, see note)
8ozMonterey Jack or Cheddar cheese (or a mix), shredded
1cupcilantro leaves, for serving (optional)
Directions
1
Preheat oven to 425F.
2
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add onion and jalapeño and sauté until softened. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds.
3
Transfer onion mixture to a blender or food processor. Add vegetable or chicken stock, green chiles, ground cumin, lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth. Taste and add salt if needed. Set sauce aside.
4
Use a paper towel to wipe out skillet of any residual onion mixture. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until shimmering. Add beef in an even layer and cook, undisturbed until beef starts to brown and some edges are beginning to caramelize and get crispy. Season with 1 teaspoon salt. Stir beef and cook until meat is cooked through and has some crispy bits.
5
Off heat, add black beans and ¼ cup of reserved sauce to beef. Stir to combine.
6
In a 9x13 baking dish spread 2 spoonfuls of the reserved sauce to line the dish.
7
To assemble enchiladas, fill warmed tortillas with about ¼ cup filling. Do not stuff enchiladas too full or they will not roll well. Roll enchiladas and place in pan seam side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas. When all tortillas are assembled, sprinkle any extra filling on top of the enchiladas. Pour sauce over top, ensuring that all tortillas are covered. Sprinkle cheese on top.
8
Bake, covered with foil, until cheese bubbles, about 20 minutes. Remove foil, turn on broiler and broil until cheese is browned, about 1-2 minutes.
Delicious enchiladas! Everything made as listed except I added two small tomatillos for their unique flavor. The family loved it!
I’m so glad you made and enjoyed them! And I love the tomatillo addition, yum!