Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas with Chipotle Tomato Rice

When I saw these enchiladas on Holly's blog, Phe/MOM/enon, I knew I had to try them. The flavor combination of honey and lime just sounded so good. Plus Holly assured me that these would rock.my.world. How could I not try them? :) A word of warning, though - if you don't like sweet flavors in your savory dishes, I would pass on this... sometimes when a recipe has the word "honey" in its title, it has a subtle hint of sweetness to it. Not these enchiladas! The honey flavor is quite prominent. I enjoy all things sweet, however, and loved these! They're a nice change from your typical enchiladas.


I especially love that they are easy and quick to make. The enchilada sauce is actually a rich, creamy sauce. I used the original quantity of heavy cream recommended in the recipe (one cup) but found it a little too rich. Next time, I will do what Holly did and only add one half cup.


I served these with Brianna's chipotle tomato rice. You can serve these with Spanish rice instead, but I found the smoky, spicy flavors of the chipotle rice to complement the sweet and creamy flavors of the enchiladas quite well.

This is the perfect meal to throw together on a weeknight, especially if you use a precooked, store bought rotisserie chicken. I will definitely be making both of these recipes again. You need to try them - you won't be disappointed!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
adapted from Phe/MOM/menon (who got it from Brittany at The Sisters' Cafe via Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe)

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (approx. 1 large lime) (I have used 1/2 cup and have found the flavor even better)
1 tablespoon chili powder (use a little less for a milder version)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (approx. 2 large chicken breasts) (I poached* my chicken. Save time by using a store bought rotisserie chicken. If you like a lot of filling in your enchiladas, I would recommend doubling this.)
8-10 flour tortillas (I made 6 enchiladas with 10" tortillas)
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded (I used a Fiesta blend of Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Queso Quesadilla and Asadero Cheese)
16 ounces green enchilada sauce (also good with red enchilada sauce)
1 cup heavy cream (I would recommend going with 1/2 cup, as it was a bit too heavy/rich)

* To poach your chicken, put the chicken breast halves in a large saucepan and add lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. The longer you do this, the more tender the chicken will be.  You can do this with frozen chicken breasts, too.

Mix the honey (tip: spray your measuring spoon with cooking spray before measuring out the honey), lime juice, chili powder and garlic together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (or toss together in a ziploc bag and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours).

Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken (approx. 1/4 cup) and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Serve with sour cream, rice and black beans.


Chipotle Tomato Rice
from Oishii

2 cups cooked rice (2/3 cup uncooked rice)
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or 1 tsp. chipotle powder) (halve this if you don't have a high heat tolerance)
1 tsp dried oregano
14 ounce can of diced tomatoes, with liquid
salt & pepper to taste
chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Prepare the rice by combining 2/3 cup uncooked rice with 2 cups of water in a rice cooker or in a sauce pan. When done, set aside.

In a frying pan, heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Cook the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Stir in the chipotle and oregano.

Add the canned tomatoes with liquid, reduce heat, and simmer until some of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.

Add the cooked rice, and stir until combined and heated through. Season to taste with salt & pepper and serve. Garnish with some fresh chopped cilantro if you have some.

Yield: 4 Servings