Chicken Enjitomatadas

Last Updated on January 18, 2023 by Catrina

I love a good chicken enchilada, but my kids refuse to eat anything spicy, including enchilada sauce. That is why chicken enjitomatadas are the perfect solution! Enjitomatadas are prepared like enchiladas, but the sauce is made without chiles, making it a perfect meal for those who are spice adverse!

What are enjitomatadas?

Enjitomatadas (say it like: en-hee-toe-ma-TA-dahs) are essentially an enchilada, but with no spicy chiles used in the sauce. Typically, these are prepared by folding a tortilla and frying it quickly in oil. The fried tortilla is then dunked into the sauce and left to soak up some of that delicious tomato flavor. Toppings can include extra sauce, shredded cheese, thinly sliced or diced onion, Mexican cream, cilantro, parsley, shredded lettuce, thinly sliced radishes, or some combination of these toppings.

In some regions of Mexico, enjitomatadas are filled with shredded chicken, like in this recipe. They can also be prepared without a filling for a vegetarian option or used as a side dish for steak or cecina.

Enchiladas vs. Enjitomatadas vs. Entomatadas vs. Enmoladas vs. Enfrijoladas

It can be kind of confusing for someone not familiar with Spanish to mix up these different dishes. I mean they all include a tortilla and start with “en.” So, what is the difference between enchiladas, enjitomatadas, entomatadas, enmoladas and enfrijoladas? All have a rolled or folded corn tortilla base, but the difference is in the sauce:

• Enchiladas = spicy sauce with chile
• Enjitomatadas= light, tomato-based sauce without chile
• Entomatadas=light, tomatillo-based sauce without chile
• Enmoladas= mole sauce
• Enfrijoladas = bean sauce

I should note that jitomate is the word used in central Mexico for tomatoes. This is why the name, enjitomatadas, includes the word jitomate for the red tomato variety. However, this same dish may be called entomatadas in other regions where folks call tomatoes tomates or tomates rojos.

Here in central Mexico, the word tomate refers to the tomatillo. An entomatada would be the same as an enjitomatada, but with a green sauce instead of a red one. So, depending on where you are in Mexico, this dish is either called enjitomatadas or entomatadas.

How to make chicken enjitomatadas

This dish is so easy to make, I hope it makes it into your regular dinner rotation!

Make the sauce

I like to start by making the sauce. Place the tomatoes, onions, and garlic in a pot and cover with water. Simmer covered until the tomatoes are soft and the skins crack. Discard the water and place the sauce ingredients in a blender, along with the chicken broth and a bit of salt. Blend until smooth.

Prep the tortillas

Next, you will want to make the tacos. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet until shimmering and then quickly pass the tortilla through the oil for just a few seconds. The goal is to have a tortilla that is soft and pliable (makes for easy taco rolling), but not stiff or crunchy (not easy for taco rolling). Depending on how hot your oil is, this may be from 10-15 seconds total. Set the fried tortillas on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Divide the shredded chicken between the tortillas and roll into tight logs.

If you want a vegetarian version, don’t fill the tortillas with anything and simply fold them over in half or in triangles. Although I have not tested this recipe with vegetable broth, I think that substitution would work well for a vegan or vegetarian version.

Putting it all together

Now that the tortillas are ready to go, you will want to put the sauce into a large sauce pan (you could use the same one that you used for frying the tortillas) and warm through. Once the sauce is warm, place the rolled or folded tortillas in the sauce and allow them to absorb some of the tomato flavor. You will want to remove them after just a couple minutes in the sauce to avoid the tortilla becoming too soft and losing its shape (and filling)!

Divide the enjitomatadas among the dinner plates, cover with extra sauce and top with your favorite toppings!

Looking for spicy enchiladas? Try enchiladas suizas! Need another kid-friendly dish? Try enfrijoladas!