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Chicken and Bean Enchiladas

A microwave-friendly dish of tortillas filled with chicken, beans, cheese, vegetables, and rice, topped with salsa and baked.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Beans and tomato match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,713 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Chicken and Bean Enchiladas

Time8 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the filling

  1. Place butter, green onions, and bell peppers in a 1 1/2 quart microwave-safe baking dish.

  2. Microwave uncovered on high for 2 minutes.

  3. Stir in water and packaged rice.

  4. Continue to microwave for 10 more minutes.

  5. Stir in beans, 1 cup of cheese, tomatoes, and chicken.

Roll and assemble

  1. Spread approximately 3/4 cup of filling on each tortilla and roll up.

  2. Spray a 9 x 13 inch microwave-safe baking dish with cooking spray.

  3. Arrange enchiladas seam side down.

  4. Top with salsa and remaining cheese.

Microwave and serve

  1. Cover with plastic wrap.

  2. Microwave on high for 8 minutes, turning the dish every 2 minutes.

  3. Let stand 5 minutes before removing plastic wrap.

  4. Rolled enchiladas may be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 6 hours.

  5. Top with salsa and cheese just before heating.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1278Calories
62 gProtein
30 gFat
185 gCarbs

Counts 9 of 13 ingredients. The other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 9 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Chicken100g cooked165
Tortilla1 medium flour (45g)140
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Green Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Wheatnot in our table0
Waternot in our table0
Beannot in our table0
Saucenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Beans + tomatotop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,713 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  2. Wheat + beanstop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together166 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove, smoky).

  3. Onion + beanstop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,242 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,923 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Wheat + tomatotop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together468 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-nonanal (fatty, waxy).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Tortillas
Flexible wrappers that hold the filling and form the enchiladas when rolled.
Refried beans
Add body and moisture to the filling, helping it stay thick and spreadable.
Monterey jack cheese
Melts into the filling and topping, adding richness and a stretchy, binding texture.
Chicken
Provides the protein and bulk of the filling.
Tomatoes
Add moisture and fresh acidity to the filling.
Packaged spanish rice and sauce
Absorbs the water as it cooks, forming a seasoned, flavourful base for the filling.

The step that matters

Covered microwaving with turning. Microwaves heat unevenly, so covering the dish traps steam to heat the filling through, and turning it every 2 minutes evens out hot and cold spots so the centre is fully heated.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (wheat, flour, butter, pepper, beans, cheese, tomato):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Spinachfits better
  3. Potatofits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against wheat, flour, butter, pepper, beans, cheese, tomato. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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