Cooking Lesson #761: El Cholo-Style Chicken Enchiladas

… from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? El Cholo Spanish Cafe is a Los Angeles restaurant mainstay serving Mexican food. Founded in 1923, the restaurant is credited with the introduction of the burrito to the United States in the 1930s. It celebrated its 100th anniversary last year (2023).

In 1923, Alejandro and Rosa Borquez opened the Sonora Cafe at Santa Barbara Avenue and Moneta Avenue in Exposition Park, near where the Coliseum now stands. In 1925, a guest came into the restaurant and drew a caricature that he called an 'El cholo’–referring to "field hands" of the Spanish settlers. Alejandro liked the image so much he changed the name of his restaurant to "El Cholo" with the drawing becoming its mascot. Alejandro and Rosa's daughter Aurelia, and her husband George Salisbury, later opened a second location on Western Avenue (our family favorite).
 
When it opened, the restaurant advertised that it specialized in "Spanish food", which was a euphemism for Mexican food at the time. El Cholo is considered a forerunner of other Mexican restaurants. Carmen Rocha, a waitress at El Cholo, is credited with introducing nachos to Los Angeles in 1959. The dish—made of layered crispy tortilla chips, melted cheddar cheese, and slices of jalapeño peppers—was a recipe learned from her family in San Antonio, Texas.
 
The Borquez family has roots in the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora, and the food offered at the restaurant—enchiladas, tamales, albondigas, chile rellenos, refried beans—reflects the regional cuisine. The restaurant is also known for its seasonal green corn tamales (so good!).
 
There’s something so comforting about El Cholo enchiladas—when a dish of chicken-filled tortillas all snuggled up in a deep baking tray, can it really be anything but? It is as comforting as an American cheese grilled sandwich. I love this particular enchilada recipe because its simplicity makes it all the homier… just corn tortillas, shredded roasted chicken, jack cheese and a store-bought canned or homemade red sauce.
 
Before dredging the tortillas in the sauce, I lightly fry them in oil for a few minutes or so to prevent them from becoming soggy. After draining them we then fill them up with the chicken and cheese, do a little tuckin’ and rollin’ and slide the assembled enchiladas into the oven. I love how the sauce bakes into the tortillas and caramelizes slightly, so you get plenty of roasted goodness in each bite, without having to swim through a pool of sauce to find the chicken enchiladas.
 
For garnishes, I like tangy crema, chunky diced avocado, grassy cilantro and freshly chopped pico de gallo to add some brightness and creamy textures to the enchiladas. For my taste, I also add a squeeze of lime juice and a shake or two of Cholula Hot Sauce. My chicken enchiladas make for a simple but satisfying weeknight meal.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Fry time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  25 minutes
Yield:  12 enchiladas / 6 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 cups enchilada sauce, divided (store bought sauce—I prefer Las Palmas Red Enchilada Sauce or made from the red sauce recipe below)
4 cups leftover shredded roasted or rotisserie chicken
2 cups shredded jack cheese, divided
12 6-inch corn tortillas
Cooking spray for the roasting pan
1 cup diced avocado, for garnish
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
1/2 cup crema, for garnish
Pico de gallo, for serving
Hot sauce, for serving
 
Directions

1. Heat a large pot with oil to about 350⁰ F
2. Lightly spray a 13 X 19-inch baking dish with food spray
3. Spread 3/4 cup enchilada sauce down the center of the baking dish and set aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, the shredded rotisserie chicken, and 1-1/4 cups jack cheese and toss until the chicken and cheese are well coated in enchilada sauce; set aside.
5. Place 1 tortilla at a time and fry tortillas until they just start to crisp up, just a minute or so. Transfer the fried tortillas to a wide bowl filled with 3/4 cup red sauce and quickly dip both sides just to coat.
6. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
7. Take a dipped tortilla, add about 1/3 cup of the chicken filling, roll up the tortilla, and place it seam-side down on top of the sauce in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, nestling the enchiladas close to each other in a line down the middle of the baking dish.
8. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup jack cheese down the middle.
9. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
10. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Uncover, and bake 10 minutes more, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling on top.
11. Garnish with diced avocado, cilantro leaves and crema.
12. Serve with pico de gallo and hot sauce on the side.
13. Made to enjoy immediately.

                                            Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
Prep time:  40 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Yield:  4 cups+
 
Ingredients 
2 ounces dried guajillo chiles (8 to 10 peppers)
1-1/2 dried ancho chiles (4 to 5 peppers)
4 cups hot water
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil (I like grapeseed or peanut oil)
1/2 cup sliced white onion
3 medium peeled garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
 
Directions

1. Put on a pair of food safe gloves. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut the stems off the guajillo and ancho chiles and shake or scrape the seeds from the inside of each pepper. Discard the stems and seeds.
2. In a dry medium-size skillet over medium-low heat, toast the chiles until fragrant, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to scorch the chiles.
3. Transfer the chiles to a large bowl and cover with hot water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in the same skillet over medium heat, add the grapeseed oil, white onions, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onions have softened and are starting to brown; about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer the onions and garlic to a high-speed blender. Add the cumin, coriander, oregano, kosher salt, unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, apple cider vinegar, soaked chiles and 1-1/2 cups of the chile soaking liquid. Blend until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. If the mixture is too thick, add more liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, until smooth and completely puréed.
7. The enchilada sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Chefs Secrets:  While you go wild for my homemade red sauce that’s good on most south-of-border foods, I find Las Palmas Red and Green Sauces are spot on and save about an hour of prep time.

Quip of the Day:  Q. Did you hear they put a taqueria on the moon? 
​                             A. Great food, but terrible atmosphere.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

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                                                         ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2024

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