No Time For Traditional Enchiladas? Recreate the Deliciousness In a Skillet Perfect For A Weeknight Dinner
Hello friends!
Can you believe it? We’ve made it to the end of April! I certainly hope the we’re in for some consistently nice weather! We’ve certainly gotten enough rain to enjoy the reward of “May Flowers” 😉 Hopefully ones that don’t blossom much, because you know…allergies!
But getting to the point! As it’s getting warmer, I’m sure you will want to find yourself spending less time over a hot stove or heating up the house with the oven for extended periods of time. That is exactly why I love quick skillet recipes.
I was scrolling through Instagram, as one does, and I noticed that The Defined Dish added some new recipes to their blog. Naturally, I had to give this one a try, too. Not only did it sound good, but it was a skillet dinner. The last couple of skillet dinners I’ve had turned out awesome and made for a quick and simple dinner.
So let’s break it down, shall we?
As mentioned, this week’s review is another Defined Dish recipe and you can find the recipe right -> here!
Enchilada Skillet Chicken Prep
The fastest way to get this dish going is just to prep everything. I cut and sliced and the veggies before prepping the chicken. That also doesn’t take long at all. Honestly just having it all ready makes it go by very quickly. Ideal weeknight meal, right?
Once prepped, you can just go along with the directions. Start off my browning the chicken for about 3 minutes per side. That’s about the right amount of time to give each side of the chicken some color. To cook faster and evenly, I ended up butterflying the chicken breast.
Now, if you end up keeping the chicken breasts whole, then do keep in mind that you may need to either cook it longer in the pan, or leave the skillet in the oven longer than it is indicated on the recipe (“about 10 minutes”).
Enchilada Flavor Without the Tortilla–Does It Do The Trick?
So, this is basically like an enchilada without being wrapped up in a tortilla–plus, a lot more veggies. There is no doubt about that. Does it get the job done though?
I’d say so. Now, in the next section I’ll go over what I would do slightly differently, but if this first question is “Does it do the trick?” then…yes. The ingredients are colorful and coated in red enchilada sauce. There is no other seasoning on the veggies than the sauce and what the chicken is seasoned with…again…just…salt and pepper.
This recipe doesn’t call for taking out a bunch of spices from your cabinet. It’s literally designed to be as simple as possible. With full can of red enchilada sauce and the natural flavor of the veggies, it’s certainly not lacking in flavor.
Would I do anything differently? Well…I’ll discuss an idea below, but I’ll start off by saying that when the veggies are coated in the enchilada sauce and you only have the chicken breast–it may be a little too much acidity for you. This could vary with brands of enchilada sauce as well as with your tolerance. I used the Hatch brand of red enchilada sauce. I can’t do with too much acidity, so after eating dinner, I was left with a bit of a scratchy throat. Would I make this again if it left me feeling like that? Yes–I would just make a few changes.
Can This Enchilada Skillet Chicken Recipe Be Modified To Be Even Easier?
I think a very simple way to make this dish even easier to prepare and serve is to omit cooking the chicken and substitute in a rotisserie chicken. Rather than just using the breast, I’d shred the chicken and toss it into the veggie and enchilada sauce mix. Then, you can coat the skillet evenly with cheese and jalapeños (if you wish). I feel like that would balance out the acidity of the enchilada sauce a bit more.
I love a saucy dish, but straight up enchilada sauce is a bit too much for me. Now, mix it all in with rice or a tortilla on the side (to eat kind of like a fajita), and then we’re talking. I think it just needs a little something more.
Grey’s Grade: 4/5
I love the concept of easy dinners. I love tossing ingredients into a skillet that end up being a delicious meal. This recipe has all my favorite ingredients. I really enjoy enchiladas, so I figured this would be just as delicious just without the use of a tortilla.
The reason I am giving this recipe a 4/5 is from my own personal experience. I didn’t feel great after eating this dish, not because there was anything wrong with the ingredients, but because I am personally a bit more sensitive to acidic foods which leave my throat feeling sore. Same as when I have a few glasses of wine. Similar scenario.
However, if you make the changes that I recommend above, I think this will balance it out a bit more. I feel the chicken would absorb more of the sauce and more cheese will soften the blow of the sauce ;).
So, if you’re considering this recipe–I still recommend it, but at least if you got to the end of this review, then you know that some ingredients may be a bit too strong in flavor/acid for you. Fingers crossed that doesn’t happen to you, but I like to watch out for you all as best as I can :).
What are you favorite skillet recipes? Let me know in the comments below!
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