Brazilian chicken enchiladas are thin savory pancakes filled with shredded chicken and topped with tomato sauce. It's a quick baked casserole served with a fresh salad or steamed vegetables!!!
Memories of home swirl around me constantly.
This time I was remembering all the great times that I spent laughing and chatting in the company of my Aunt Elizabete.
All while eating her famous Chicken Panquecas ('Panquecas de Frango' or Brazilian Chicken 'Enchiladas').
Not to mention her wonderful cooking. Simple and delicious.
My favorite savory dish of hers was without a doubt these chicken panquecas or panquecas de frango.
I have tried to recreate her recipe for old times' sake, but I have to admit that although mine is pleasing, hers is better.
In my madly insane routine, I have never got the chance to get her on the phone and write down her recipe in detail.
But when I do, I think it will be a great opportunity for us both to catch up on the latest news.
Panquecas ( pancakes in English) are thin pancakes filled with savory filling such as ground beef or chicken which is topped with tomato sauce and baked.
It lays between the American pancakes and the French crepes.
HOW TO MAKE BRAZILIAN CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
To make the panquecas discs: Blend all the ingredients together in a blender.
Heat a lightly oiled, small frying pan over medium high heat.
Pour or scoop the batter onto the pan, using approximately ¼ to ⅓ cup for each panqueca.
Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. Cook it for about 1 minute or until the bottom is light brown.
Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Reserve and prepare filling. I made about 8-12 small panquecas discs with this panquecas batter.
To prepare the panquecas filling: Rub chicken well with salt, pepper, cumin, chicken bouillon, garlic and onion powder.
Coat a large sauté pan with oil and brown chicken over medium heat, allowing 7 minutes for each side or until no longer pink.
Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.
Sauté onion and then garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and olives.
Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, sauté for 1 minute.
Pull chicken breasts apart either by hand into shredded strips or use a food processor to shred the cooked chicken.
Add shredded chicken to sauté pan, combine with vegetables. In a separate bowl, mix the tomato sauce with the heavy cream. Reserve.
Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch glass pan with a ladle full of tomato sauce that has been mixed with heavy cream.
Spoon about ¼ to ⅓ cup chicken mixture onto a panqueca disc.
Fold each disc over the filling. Place 8-12 filled panquecas in the pan with seam side down. Top with remaining sauce and cheese, and sprinkle the oregano.
If using parsley, reserve to sprinkle just before serving the panquecas.
Bake for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F (180° C) oven until cheese melts. Serve with fresh salad or steamed veggies.
NOTE: * These ingredients are my personal touch to the traditional recipe, which most commonly uses ground beef.
In my Aunt Elizabete's home in Recife, Brazil as well as in mine, we use shredded chicken.
Love enchiladas? Try our Flatbread Ham and Cheese Brazilian Enchiladas
PIN & ENJOY!
Chicken Panquecas (Brazilian Chicken Enchiladas)
Ingredients
- For the panquecas discs:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups warm milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- For the panquecas filling:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast about ½ kg
- Salt and pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chicken flavor bouillon Knorr
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup frozen corn* thawed
- ¼ cup green olives* chopped
- ¾ cup canned stewed tomatoes
- 1 - ½ cups tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream* optional
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella*
- * About 1 tablespoon dried oregano or ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley (both optional)
Instructions
- To make the panquecas discs: Blend all the ingredients together in a blender. Heat a lightly oiled, small frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the pan, using approximately ¼ to ⅓ cup for each panqueca. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. Cook it for about 1 minute or until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Reserve and prepare filling. I made about 8-12 small panquecas discs with this panquecas batter.
- To prepare the panquecas filling: Rub chicken well with salt, pepper, cumin, chicken bouillon, garlic and onion powder. Coat a large sauté pan with oil and brown chicken over medium heat, allowing 7 minutes for each side or until no longer pink. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.
- Sauté onion and then garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and olives. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, sauté for 1 minute.
- Pull chicken breasts apart either by hand into shredded strips or use a food processor to shred the cooked chicken. Add shredded chicken to sauté pan, combine with vegetables.
- In a separate bowl, mix the tomato sauce with the heavy cream. Reserve.
- Coat the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch glass pan with a ladle full of tomato sauce that has been mixed with heavy cream. Spoon about ¼ to ⅓ cup chicken mixture onto a panqueca disc. Fold each disc over the filling. Place 8-12 filled panquecas in the pan with seam side down. Top with remaining sauce and cheese, and sprinkle the oregano. If using parsley, reserve to sprinkle just before serving the panquecas.
- Bake for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F (180° C) oven until cheese melts. Serve with fresh salad or steamed veggies.
- NOTE: * These ingredients are my personal touch to the traditional recipe, which most commonly uses ground beef. In my Aunt Elizabete's home in Recife, Brazil as well as in mine, we use shredded chicken.
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
Diana says
This was very good. I will use the panqueca "pancakes" instead of tortillas in my Mexican enchiladas from now on. There is a consensus in my family that they are better than tortillas for enchiladas.