Butter Chicken Enchiladas (nut-free and soy-free with gluten-free option)

I mean, why not use that amazing butter chicken sauce in every possible way and every possible format? That’s what is going on with all of these these butter chicken-inspired dishes that I’ve been coming up with. There’s the butter chicken lasagna bake, butter chicken ramen, Butter chickpeas, and butter chicken bao.

And now I’ve created this butter chicken enchilada. It has a hearty mushroom, pepper, and chickpea filling with a quick version of butter chicken sauce made by simply mixing together the ingredients in a bowl.

Add half of the sauce to the filling, and cook it, then fill up the tortillas. Use the rest of the sauce over the tops of the rolled tortillas along with some cheese and hot sauce and bake. 4 steps!

That’s it!

This recipe basically came about because I would make different varieties of enchiladas to use up our leftovers.  And sometimes there are a lot of leftovers, because I’ll cook several dishes on the same day. When I do that, hubbs ends up eating smaller portions each of the dishes, leaving leftovers of everything.

Eating the same dish more than a couple of times can be difficult. So, I get creative and combine dishes to create formats so we finish all the food. That’s how this butter chicken enchilada recipe was born! I fill up the tortillas with leftovers and make the quick sauce to brush all over, bake and serve.

Why You’ll Love Butter Chicken Enchiladas

• hearty enchiladas in creamy, Indian butter chicken sauce
• ready in under an hour
• amazing mix of flavors and textures!
• nut-free and soy-free with easy gluten-free and oil-free options

More Vegan Enchiladas

• Lentil Black Bean Enchiladas
• Cauliflower Bean Enchiladas
• Skillet Enchiladas with Soy Curls

Ingredients and Substitutions

• tomato paste and coconut milk – This is the base for your quick butter chicken sauce. Make sure that you use full fat coconut milk for the best flavor and texture!
• ground spices – Paprika, garam masala, coriander, fenugreek, garlic, and salt season the butter chicken sauce.
• aromatics – Onion and bell pepper are the veggies in the enchilada filling.
• mushrooms – Adds a meaty texture and more flavor to the filling.
• ginger-garlic paste – Seasons the filling even more!
• chickpeas – Adds protein and hearty texture to the butter chicken enchilada filling.
• salt, pepper, and lime juice – Finish seasoning the filling.
• tortillas – Use medium size flour tortillas for these enchiladas, gluten-free if needed. I use a six-inch wheat tortilla, but if you’re using larger tortillas, you will get three or four enchiladas. For smaller tortillas, you can get about six to eight.
• hot sauce and vegan cheese shreds – These will top the enchiladas before baking.
• garnishes – Just before serving, garnish with chopped red onion, cilantro, and more hot sauce.

Tips

• Make sure to mix the sauce well, so all of the tomato paste dissolves into the coconut milk mixture.
• Spread the sauce well onto the bottom of the pan to prevent the enchiladas from sticking.

How to Make Butter Chicken Enchiladas

In a shallow bowl, add all of the butter sauce ingredients and mix really well. Press and mix, so the tomato paste fully dissolves into the coconut milk mixture. Set the sauce aside.

Now, make the filling.

Heat the oil in a medium to large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, peppers, mushrooms, ginger-garlic paste, and a good pinch of salt and mix well.

Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then mix in the chickpeas, salt, black pepper, and lime juice.

Then, mix in half of the butter chicken sauce. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the sauce is thickened a little bit. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.

Once the filling is cooked down to preference, then take it off of the heat.

Then, it’s time to assemble and bake the enchiladas.

To the remaining sauce, you can add some hot sauce, if you like. I usually add 1 to 2 teaspoons of hot sauce to the remaining enchiladas sauce and also thin it out with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

Pour about 1/3 of the remaining sauce into a large baking dish that will fit at least 4 to 5 rolled tortillas and spread it out.

Take one tortilla at a time and fill it with the filling. Roll it up in an overlapping fashion, and place it seam-side-down in the baking dish. Repeat for all of the tortillas. I use a 6-inch wheat tortilla, but if you’re using larger tortillas, you will get 3 or 4 enchiladas. For smaller tortillas, you can get about 6 to 8.

Once all the tortillas are filled and placed in the baking dish, drizzle the remaining butter chicken sauce all over the tortillas to coat well. You can brush it all over, as well. Then, top it with the vegan cheese.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling really well and some of the edges of the tortillas are starting to turn golden.

Remove the baking dish from the oven, and top with chopped onions, cilantro, and more hot sauce, if you like. Serve immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is butter chicken sauce?

Butter chicken sauce is an Indian sauce made with tomato, cream but we use coconut milk for dairyfree, and spices. It’s normally simmered on the stovetop with chicken, but here we are making a quick, no-cook version of the sauce and using it as enchilada sauce!

Is this recipe allergy friendly?

This recipe is nut-free and soy-free. It can be easily made gluten-free using gluten-free tortillas. To make it oil-free, use broth to sauté the filling. To make this without coconut milk, use cashew milk instead.