Instant Pot Enchilada Chicken with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Home cooks unite! Every time you cook you join forces with millions of others, all of us stirring, simmering and making meals with the common goal of feeding our families. You may be spending time with your family all day, but you’re not really together until you gather around the dinner table to eat. We connect, we talk, we share – not just food, but spirit.

Speed and ease of clean up have never been more important than they are now, as is the all important question: if I don’t have it on hand, can I make it using what I do have? Case in point: enchilada sauce. Made from basic pantry ingredients, it’s full of all the flavor that you do want but not the preservatives that you don’t. Use any kind of flour (all-purpose, whole wheat) that you like in this recipe. I tried Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour and got good results making this gluten-free.

This delicious DIY enchilada sauce is the soothing solution to tonight’s dinner and at least one more. Double the sauce recipe, then measure out half to freeze. Add chicken to the remaining sauce in your Instant Pot to make the recipe below, or use the flavorful shredded chicken as a filling for enchiladas, tacos, burritos or quesadillas. Spoon it over beans, rice, a halved baked potato, or a salad. Comforting and quick, it’s a delicious dinner you can make in no time.

Instant Pot Enchilada Chicken with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Enchilada Sauce

1 1/2 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon ground chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon apple cider or white vinegar
freshly ground black pepper

Combine flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, and salt in a small bowl and stir together. Set Instant Pot to sauté and add oil. Once oil becomes hot, add flour and spices and whisk until fragrant – about 1 minute. Whisk in tomato paste, then slowly add broth, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook, continuing to whisk, until sauce thickens – about 5 minutes or more. Whisk in vinegar and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or let cool and transfer to a wide mouth jar or freezer bag to freeze.

– modified from cookieandkate.com

Enchilada Chicken

enchilada sauce
1 1/2 – 2 pounds chicken breasts or tenderloins (can use frozen)
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Add chicken and water to enchilada sauce in Instant Pot and secure lid with valve set to sealing. Set manual/pressure cook button for 12 minutes (15 for frozen). When time is up, let sit for 5 minutes then move valve to venting. Remove lid and transfer chicken to cutting board. Shred with two forks then stir back into sauce along with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cheese melts. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, avocados, and sliced olives.