Latin American cuisine is distinct from country to country, and there’s no better example than the Honduran enchilada. When many of us think “enchilada,” we picture the Mexican version: stuffed tortillas, rolled and baked with sauce on top.
In Honduras, an enchilada is an open-faced fried corn tortilla, traditionally topped with tomato sauce, ground beef cooked with peppers, onions, and potatoes, chopped cabbage, slices of hard-boiled eggs, and grated cheese. This recipe is made lighter simply by making a few substitutions:
- Use flour tortillas and bake them instead of frying corn tortillas.
- Use fresh tomatoes in the sauce instead of processed sauce and condiments.
- Use ground chicken instead of ground beef.
Healthy Honduran-Style Enchiladas with Green Chile-Tomato Sauce
(serves 4)
Ingredients
For the Green Chile-Tomato Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 4-oz can mild green chiles
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
For the Honduran-Style Enchiladas
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 large red or green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and small-diced
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 6-inch flour tortillas
- 1 large stem tomato, thinly sliced
- 2 hard boiled eggs, thinly sliced
- Parmesan or other hard cheese, for grating
Preparation
For the Green Chile-Tomato Sauce
- Heat a saucepan or skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the tomatoes and chiles and cook about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and release their juices.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, and cumin and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes longer, until slightly thickened. Cover and keep warm.
For the Honduran-Style Enchiladas
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- To prepare the cabbage-cilantro slaw, combine the lime juice and sugar in a small bowl. Combine the cabbage and cilantro in a medium bowl and pour in the lime juice mixture. Toss well and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, and potato and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook about 6 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes soften. (Cover with a lid to hold in moisture, if needed.) Remove the potato mixture to a bowl.
- Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the ground chicken, garlic, and cumin and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, crumbling the chicken with a spoon or spatula until cooked through.
- While the chicken cooks, brush the tortillas with olive oil and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake about 6 minutes, until golden and crispy.
- Return the potato mixture to the skillet and stir well to combine. Cook 2 minutes to reheat the potato mix and combine the flavors.
- To build the enchiladas, spread the green chile-tomato sauce on the tortillas. Top with the potato-chicken mixture, then the cabbage-cilantro slaw. Lay 2 thin tomato slices on top, then top with 2-3 egg slices. Grate cheese on top and serve right away.
Pamela Steed Hill - Pamela Steed Hill is an editor, freelance writer, and home cook. She has published over 250 food articles and recipes online.
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