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Steamed Mussels with White Wine Pernod Broth

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Making mussels at home is an easy task. Especially when you have one of the best Chefs in Denver show you how. Cook Street Mussels with White Wine Pernod Broth. Make sure you have a loaf of French Bread to soak up every bit of that luscious broth.

Steamed mussels in white wine pernod sauce served with French bread.

You’re probably wondering how on earth us landlocked Coloradoans can possibly enjoy fresh seafood on a regular basis? We have Seattle Fish Company to thank for that. Back in 1905 Mose Iacino’s family made the move from Italy to Colorado in search of a better life. At sixteen he created the Seattle Fish Company and a way to transport fresh fish to Colorado. In his system fish were packed in ice and sawdust, and shipped via rail car with the ice replenished at stops along the way.

Today, fresh and frozen seafood, packed in special shipping containers to preserve quality, is transported to Denver seven days a week from hand-selected suppliers on the American coasts and in port cities around the world.

I see Seattle Fish delivery trucks all over Denver, but had no idea the history of this entrepreneur, nor knew it was a Denver based company. I suppose Denver Fish Company just wouldn’t have been the best marketing idea.

We learned about Seattle Fish Company this week in school as we were cutting off the heads of Striped Bass, which unbeknownst to me are farm raised by Colorado Catch in the San Luis Valley. Fresh and sustainable. How wonderful that landlocked doesn’t mean we’re just about meat and potatoes.

Easy mussel recipe cooked in wine and butter

Mussels were also part of our learning syllabus this week at Culinary School. Oh sure, I’ve enjoyed them at restaurants many times. I tried to cook them at home exactly once, but felt uncomfortable about my knowledge and skill set regarding this creature in a shell…that was alive. Until now.

Thanks to Chef Christino Griego, I’ve all of a sudden become confident about cooking mussels. So easy, so affordable and so delicious. They’ll be making a regular appearance in my kitchen.  

Let’s take a look and the flavor profile set in motion by Chef Christino.

Mussels with White Wine Pernod Broth

Easy mussel recipe steamed in butter and wine

I hope you give this mussels recipe a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.

And if you have a favorite mussels that you make at home, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

More Restaurant Quality Seafood Recipes

Looking for more elegant impressive and light sea food dinner ideas?

And if you’re looking for more seafood recipes, don’t miss my seafood category. You’ll find a ton of great recipe ideas. Including the most popular seafood recipe on my site for Heavenly Halibut.

Steamed mussels in white wine pernod sauce served with French bread.
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5 from 2 votes

Steamed Mussels in White Wine Pernod Broth

Mussels are easy to make at home. All you need is some white wine, butter and herbs.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course Seafood
Cuisine: French
Servings: 2
Calories: 517kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Fresh Mussels
  • 1 Tablespoons Parsley fine chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons Chives fine chopped
  • 1 large shallot peeled and minced
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • ½ bottle White wine
  • 2 Tablespoons Pernod
  • 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes different colors, and halved
  • salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

  • When you purchase mussels, transfer them from butcher paper to a bowl and cover with ice. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. 
  • When ready to cook, sort through mussels for any cracked shells. Discard any mussels with cracked shells. If you find a shell that is open, lightly tap the shell on a hard surface. If the shell doesn’t close, discard. This means the mussel is dead. Also look for any beards. Pull and remove the beards.
  • Heat a Dutch Oven over medium high heat. Add butter. When butter is melted, add parsley, chives, and shallot. Pour in the mussels and add half of the wine. Cover with lid and cook for 2 – 3 minutes.
  • Uncover and stir mussels and ingredients well. Add the rest of the wine and cover.
  • Cook for about 5 minutes more. All shells should be open. If a shell doesn’t open, discard. 
  • Add Cherry Tomatoes and the Pernod.  Stir well. Serve immediately with sliced French Bread.

Notes

So many flavors of compound butter would work well with this. We have used Lobster Butter and Tequila Butter = delicious.

Nutrition

Calories: 517kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 551mg | Potassium: 707mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1548IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 6mg

Steamed Mussels With White Wine Pernod Broth …They’re what’s for Dinner.

Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Caramelized Sweet Corn

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A perfect light Summer meal. Caramelized and charred sweet corn seasoned with jalapeno peppers, rings of shallots and lime juice is a great topping for flank steak. Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Caramelized Sweet corn is an easy, breezy fresh dinner.

Grilled flank steak with mexican street corn.

Yay for fresh sweet corn season. And Colorado delivers top notch kernels.

A short drive northeast of town to the Brighton area to true farmers’ markets like Palombos Farmer’s Market where you can purchase some of the best produce in the state.

Or if you live on the Western Slope near Olathe, you have access to Olathe Sweet Corn, boasting  the best corn in the entire United States of America. They even have The Olathe Sweet Corn Festival  to celebrate their claim to fame.

It seems from anywhere in Colorado that sweet corn hails, I could eat it every single day that it’s in season. Let’s take a look at a way to make a version of Mexican Style Street Corn off the cob.

Sweet Corn sauteed in butter until browned and caramelized. With rings of shallots, jalapeno pepper, and lime juice, this is a great Mexican Sweet Corn Recipe.

Why not turn that sugary fresh corn into a meal along with grilled flank steak? By frying it until it’s caramelized and starting to brown itself into bliss, it may just be the best thing I’ve ever tasted.

And, my attendance at Culinary School has renewed my passion for shallots which worked beautifully in this recipe. Those beautiful little bulbs that are a cross in flavor between an onion and garlic bring a savory flavor to this dish, and the rings of jalapeno a zesty heat.

A squeeze of lime juice brightens it up and brings the flavor level over the top. Topped with a little sprinkle of salty Cotija cheese and some slices of grilled flank steak and you got a complete meal with fabulous flavor. And it’s easy.

Mexican Flavored Corn topped with Grilled Flank Steak is an easy and healthy Summer meal.

Don’t just serve this dish in the Summer months. Keep this one in your back pocket for when the snow is flying. Armed with a grill pan for the flank steak, a bag frozen corn and you can enjoy this easy meal any time of year.

More Easy Grilled Flank Steak Dinner Recipes

Grilled flank steak with mexican street corn.
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5 from 1 vote

Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Corn, Shallot and Jalapenos

Frying the sweet corn in butter until caramelized and starting to brown, brings the flavor to a whole new level. Add shallots, jalapeno and lime juice for a kicked up side dish.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course Beef
Cuisine: Amerian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 248kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 14 ounces sweet corn kernels removed from cob. Or frozen corn
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large shallot peeled, thinly sliced into rings
  • 1 medium jalapeno pepper top, seeds and veins removed and thinly sliced into rings
  • juice from one lime
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 ounces Cotija cheese , crumbled
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves with tender stems
  • 1 pound Flank Steak

Instructions

  • Heat butter in a medium large sauce pan until it melted and bubbly over a medium-high heat. As soon as the bubbles subside, add the corn. Turn heat down to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the shallots and the rings of jalapeno. Continue cooking until corn starts to brown. 
  • In the meantime, light a grill to 500 degrees. Turn down to 350 degrees. Simply salt and pepper the flank steak and cook on each side for about 5 – 6 minutes. Tent to keep warm.  When ready to serve, slice against the grain.
  • When the corn looks browned and caramelized, and jalapeno and shallots are tender, remove from heat and squeeze on the lime juice. Add a serving of the corn to a dinner plate and top with a slice of grilled flank steak. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese.

Notes

Don’t just save this dish for the Summer months. Armed with a grill pan for the flank steak, frozen corn will work beautifully for this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 248kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 408mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 272IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg

Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Sweet Corn, Shallots and Jalapeno … It’s what’s for Dinner

Spicy BBQ Brisket Pizza

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Brisket pizza is a beef lover’s treat. With Sticky Sweet BBQ sauce for the sauce base, just add cheese, onion and chopped tomato. I’ve added a healthy amount of Jalapeno peppers to make this a spicy version and finished with ranch dressing and cilantro. You crowd will be howling for more. A delicious way to use left over beef brisket.

Slices of bbq brisket pizza drizzled with ranch dressing.

What You Can Expect From This Recipe

Cooking a full brisket will more than likely leave you with BBQ Brisket leftovers. And one of my favorite ways to use up some of that tender meat is to make Brisket Pizza.

I like to make this project as easy as possible, so I purchase pre-made pizza shells. After all, leftovers are supposed to be easy meals … right? Whole Foods has packaged version, King Soopers carries a copy-cat of this idea. And there’s always Boboli. Which I’ve never tried.

Recommended: You can also purchase fresh pizza dough from practically every grocery store. And I’ve even called ahead to my favorite pizza joint and ordered an already rolled out naked pizza shell. And they don’t charge much to do that.

With that said, I think you’re going to love using BBQ sauce for the base of this pizza.

I like to use a rich sticky sweet sauce. Stubb’s brand has a bottle with brown sugar and molasses for an authentic Southern flavor. It was a great base for this BBQ brisket pizza and complimented the toppings perfectly. It’s actually called Stubbs Sticky Sweet BBQ Sauce.

We’ll layer the pizza with cheddar cheese, chopped red onion, and chopped tomatoes. I’m adding jalapeno peppers to spice things up. We’ll finish by adding some of that leftover beef brisket that’s either been chopped or shredded. Smoked or BBQ’d.

Finished with cilantro and ranch dressing, this is a delicious Western style pizza pie. The combination of flavors here are outstanding.

You an finish the pizza with regular ranch dressing, or consider using my recipe for Spicy Ranch Dressing.

Let’s take a look.

Noteworthy Ingredients

Ingredients to make Brisket Pizza.
  • 12″ pizza shell. Use a pre-made shell or purchased raw pizza dough from your grocery store.
  • Tomatoes: I like to use Cherub brand tomatoes. They’re a type of grape tomato available year round. They’re sturdy and easy to slice.
  • Your favorite BBQ Sauce.
  • Jalapeno Peppers make this a spicy Brisket Pizza Recipe.
  • Cheese: I like to use an orange cheese here, just for presentation reasons. The bright orange color looks bold with the deep color of the bbq sauce. You can use any good melting cheese such as cheddar (sharp or extra sharp) , Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack or even one of my favorites, Muenster cheese.
  • Red Onion: I do like the bold flavor that red onion brings to this combination of ingredients, however, any variety of onion will work.
  • Brisket: Use leftover shredded or chopped bbq or smoked beef brisket meat.

Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy

Step 1: Spreading bbq on pizza shell to make brisket pizza.
Step 2: Adding grated cheese to make brisket pizza.
  1. Step 1: Use the back of a spoon to coat the pizza dough with bbq sauce.
  2. Step 2: Add the grated cheese.
Step 3: Adding jalapeno pepper and chopped onion to make brisket pizza.
Step 4: Adding chopped. brisket to make brisket pizza.
  1. Step 3: Sprinkle on the chopped red onion and chopped jalapeno pepper.
  2. Step 4: Add the chopped tomatoes.
Step 5: Adding chopped brisket to pizza to make brisket pizza.
Step 6: Cooked Brisket pizza topped with Ranch Dressing and Cilantro.
  1. Step 5: Add the chopped or shredded leftover brisket.
  2. Step 6: Cook the pizza in the oven. When finished, use a spoon to drizzle on the Ranch Dressing and add the chopped cilantro. Slice and serve.

Tips For Success

  • Don’t be tempted to pour on more bbq sauce. It’s a strong flavor that will dominate the other ingredients. If you add too much, it may make the crust soggy and it’s all you’ll tase. Less is more.
  • If using a pizza stone, place the stone in the oven while it pre-heats. A hot stone will help the pizza cook more evenly.
  • Use a large spoon to drizzle on the Ranch dressing.
  • If using fresh pizza dough, once rolled out sprinkle the pizza stone with corn meal before adding the pizza dough. This will add a nice crunch to the cooked pizza.
  • Removing veins and seeds before chopping Jalapeno Pepper will decrease the spicy heat level.

Storage and Reheating

Store any leftover pizza in the refrigerator wrapped in foil. To keep the crust nice and crispy, reheat any leftover for a few minutes in the oven, toaster oven or air-fryer.

Recipe for BBQ Brisket Pizza

Slices of bbq brisket pizza with jalapenos and drizzled with ranch dressing.

And if you’re looking for more recipe using bbq sauce, don’t miss my recipe for Meatloaf with BBQ Sauce. A unique and very tasty version of everyone’s favorite comfort food.

Three slices of brisket pizza on a cutting board.
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Spicy BBQ Brisket Pizza

Brisket pizza is a beef lover's treat. With Sticky Sweet BBQ sauce for the sauce base, just add cheese, onion, jalapeno, ranch dressing and cilantro. You crowd will be howling for more. A delicious way to use left over beef brisket.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course Beef
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 130kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 1 12" Pizza shell
  • ½ Cup Stubbs Sticky Sweet Legendary BBQ sauce or your favorite bbq sauce
  • 1 Cup cheddar cheese grated.
  • ⅛ Cup Red onion Chopped
  • ½ Cup Tomato Rough chopped
  • 1 – 2 Jalapeno Pepper chopped.
  • 8 ounces Leftover smoked or BBQ Brisket chopped or shredded
  • Fresh cilantro fine chopped and Ranch Dressing for topping

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 or 425 degrees. Depending on which pizza dough you use and instructions per that product. Sprinkle pizza stone or baking sheet with corn meal. Add the pizza stone to the oven to heat up while you build the brisket pizza.
  • Use the back of a large spoon to evenly coat the dough with the BBQ sauce. Leave about ½ inch from the edge without sauce. Sprinkle on the grated cheddar cheese.
  • Add chopped onion, chopped jalapeno pepper, chopped tomato, ending with the shredded or chopped bbq brisket.
  • Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until everything looks bubbly and cooked. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped cilantro and drizzle with Ranch Dressing.

Notes

Tips For Success: 
  • Don’t be tempted to pour on more bbq sauce. It’s a strong flavor that will dominate the other ingredients. If you add too much, it may make the crust soggy and it’s all you’ll tase. Less is more.
  • If using a pizza stone, place the stone in the oven while it pre-heats. A hot stone will help the pizza cook more evenly.
  • Use a large spoon to drizzle on the Ranch dressing.
  • If using fresh pizza dough, once rolled out sprinkle the pizza stone with corn meal before adding the pizza dough. This will add a nice crunch to the cooked pizza.
  • Removing veins and seeds before chopping Jalapeno Pepper will decrease the spicy heat level.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 143mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 238IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

BBQ Brisket Pizza … It’s what’s for Dinner

Easy Grilled Chicken Kebabs Recipe, with Ancho Chile Lime Marinade

By 1 Comment

A chicken breast kebab marinade of orange juice, lime juice, chile powder and chipotle peppers gives this easy chicken kebabs recipe a fabulous kick of flavor before it hits that hot grill. This is an easy and healthy grilled chicken recipe for a classic Summer dinner option.

And if you’re looking for more Mexican chicken recipes, don’t miss this one for Baked Chicken Cutlets. Stuffed with Green Chili and Cheese, this is a very popular recipe.

easy grilled chicken kebabs on a platter garnished with lettuce

About This Recipe and Why It Works

Easy Summer recipes are a must for me this year. As I’ve mentioned, I’m attending Culinary School in Downtown Denver.

The alarm announces the beginning of the day at 4:30 a.m. and the clanging of the light rail train announces my departure to downtown at 6:12. Outfitted in my chef coat and hat and industrial non-skid shoes, I’m at my post at 7:30 and learning cooking skills that I never even knew existed. I’m absolutely loving every second I spend at school.

Needless to say, I’m on my feet all day, cooking rich indulgent food all day, so fast easy healthy meals are important for our dinner routine.

Cue this easy chicken kebabs recipe with chili lime kebab marinade.

I can prepare the flavorful chili lime chicken marinade either the night before, or it only takes minutes to whisk together in the morning. Once I’m home, I can toss the cubed chicken into the marinade, enjoy a glass of wine, then light that grill and dinner is ready in about 10 minutes.

The combination of ancho chile powder, lime juice, orange juice and canned chipotle peppers bring a bright and lively flavor to the chicken. Not to mention a little sass in the form of latin spice.

One of my favorite Summer chicken kebab recipes, let’s take a look.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients to make easy ancho chili lime chicken kebabs
  • 3 – 4 limes. Two for juicing and one to slice and grill alongside the kebabs
  • Canned Chipotles in Adobo Sauce
  • Chicken Breast: boneless, skinless
  • Orange Juice
  • Lime Juice
  • Chile or Chili Powder
  • Garlic
  • Vegetable Oil

Ingredient Swaps or Substitutions

  • Chicken: Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe.
  • Orange Juice: Pineapple juice is a good substitution for orange juice, plus, it’s a great tenderizer for any meat.
  • Chile Powder: Use what ever you have on hand. Ancho chile powder is popular choice due to its medium head factor. New Mexico Chile Powder, Chimayo Chile Powder for example, is usually higher on the heat index scale and beautiful with earthy chile powder flavor. You can also use chili powder (with an i) which is a blend of spices readily sold in grocery stores. The kind you buy to season your chili soup.
  • Garlic: This recipe calls for three cloves of garlic, chopped. You can substitute ½ – 1 teaspoon garlic powder, depending on how garlicky you want the flavor. The garlic powder I buy is pretty strong, so I’d stick with the ½ teaspoon.

How To Make This Easy Chicken Kebabs Recipe

cubed chicken breast in a shallow pan waiting for chicken marinade
Step 1
  • Step 1: Cut the chicken breast meat in about 1 ½ inch chunks. Place them in a shallow bowl or pan.
marinade for chili lime chicken kebabs in a white bowl
Step 2:

Step 2: Whisk together the marinade ingredients

pieces of chicken breast marinating in chili lime sauce for chicken kebabs
Step 3

Step 3: Pour the marinade over the cubed chicken breast. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

ancho chile lime chicken kebabs on a white platter ready to grill
Step 4

Step 4: Thread the marinated chicken breast onto skewers. Use metal skewers or wooden skewers. If using wooden skewers make sure to soak them in water for at least an hour so they don’t burn on the grill.

grilling three chicken kebab skewers
Step 5

Step 5: You’re ready to grill. Place the chicken kebab skewers on an oiled preheated grill. Cook for about 4 – 5 minutes per side.

Tips and FAQ’s

How Do I Keep Chicken Kebabs From Drying Out On The Grill?

Whether using white chicken breast meat or dark meat from the thigh, it's important to not cut the chicken into chunks that are too small. They will dry out quickly on the grill. Larger chunks of 1 to 1½ inches are ideal.

Why Is There Oil In The Chicken Kebab Marinade?

A marinade containing a high oil content will not only flavor the chicken, it will also help keep the chicken from drying out on the grill.

Can I Add Vegetables To These Kebabs?

I like to use separate skewers for meats and vegetables. For meat I keep the pieces very close to each other with a only a small space between for a bit of circulation. For vegetable skewers, I simply make sure the chunks are of equal size. For me, separating the meats from the veggies insures easier control of cooking times. Then the meat and vegetables can be removed from the skewers and combined on a large plate for serving.

Can This Recipe Be Made Ahead of Time?

You can cut up the chicken and mix the marinade ingredients, but don’t marinate the chicken for any longer than an hour. The acid in both the lime juice and orange juice will compromise the texture of the chicken by “cooking” it. It will become tough.

Can These Chicken Kabobs Be Cooked Indoors

These chicken skewers are very versatile and can be cooked on either an out-door grill or indoor grill. Or even in the oven. To use an indoor stove top grill pan, just brush the pan with oil and heat the pan over medium high heat until hot. Add the chicken skewers and cook 5 – 7 minutes per side. If using an oven, the broiler is the way to go. Place chicken kebab skewers on a sheet pan. Place under broiler using the 2nd rack down. Watch them close and broil them about 5 minutes per side.

Tip:

Cut up the chicken in equal sized pieces to insure even grilling.

Ancho Chile Lime Chicken Kebabs, Easy Chicken Kebabs Recipe

Easy Mexican Grilled Chicken Kabobs Recipe

These grilled chicken kabobs are a great way to bring a delicious and easy entree to your Summer dinner table.

I hope you give this easy chicken kebab recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and leave a message about your experience with the recipe and leave a star rating. And if you have a favorite chicken kebab recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

What to serve with chicken kebabs? How about a simple green salad, Mexican Corn Salad with Citrus Aioli, or Purple Roasted Potatoes with Thyme and Green Chile.

More Grilled Chicken Recipes

And if you’re looking for even more chicken recipes, don’t miss my Chicken Category, you’ll find lots of great recipes, including the most popular chicken recipe on my site for Chicken Mushroom and Spinach Skillet.

If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.

And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.

easy grilled chicken kebabs on a platter garnished with lettuce
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Ancho Chile Lime Easy Chicken Kebabs Recipe

An easy grilled chicken kabob recipe that’s kicked up in flavor with an Ancho Chile, Orange Juice, Chipotle Pepper, Lime Juice Marinade. Your new go-to grilled chicken recipe the Summer.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course Chicken
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2
Calories: 544kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts skinless and boneless, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
  • ½ cup orange juice Fresh squeezed
  • ¼ cup lime juice Fresh squeezed
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder or New Mexico Chile Powder, or Chili Powder
  • 3 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce seeds removed, fine diced
  • 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Grilled lime halves for garnish and to squeeze over meal for additional flavor

Instructions

  • Place the chicken pieces in a large shallow bowl or baking dish.
  • Whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, chile powder, chopped chipotle peppers in Adobo, adobo sauce and garlic. Pour over the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator 1 hour.
  • Heat a grill to 500 degrees. 
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade and skewer. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and pepper. Turn the grill temperature down to 350 degrees and place the chicken on the hot grates.
  • Cook until each side is golden brown and slightly charred. About 4 – 5 minutes per side.  Close the grill lid and let cook through. About 1 – 2 minutes.
  • Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes. While the chicken is resting, place limes cut side down onto grill. Cook until grill marks appear on the flesh. About 1 – 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skewers and serve garnished with grilled lime wedges.

Notes

Tip: Cut up the chicken in equal sized pieces to insure even grilling.
These chicken skewers are very versatile and can be cooked on either an out-door grill or indoor grill. Or even in the oven. To use an indoor stove top grill pan, just brush the pan with oil and heat the pan over medium high heat until hot. Add the chicken skewers and cook 5 – 7 minutes per side. If using an oven, the broiler is the way to go. Place chicken kebab skewers on a sheet pan. Place under broiler using the 2nd rack down. Watch them close and broil them about 5 minutes per side.
Make Ahead: You can cut up the chicken and mix the marinade ingredients, but don’t marinate the chicken for any longer than an hour. The acid in both the lime juice and orange juice will compromise the texture of the chicken by “cooking” it. It will become tough.

Nutrition

Calories: 544kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 3797mg | Potassium: 1071mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 549IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg

Easy Chicken Kebab Recipe .. It’s what’s for Dinner.

Blue Corn, Red Chile Ground Beef Enchiladas (New Mexico Style)

By 10 Comments

Ground Beef and a wonderfully thick, rich and earthy red chile sauce come together for this cheesy, ground beef enchilada recipe. This classic Mexican and Southwestern recipe features seasoned ground beef, which is then sauced and rolled up into blue corn tortillas. With plenty of melted cheese, you’ve got classic style enchiladas.

New Mexico Red Chile Enchiladas served with smashed avocado and slice radishes.

What Are New Mexico Style Blue Corn Enchiladas?

This filled, rolled and sauced enchilada becomes a New Mexico Style Enchilada by using blue corn tortillas and New Mexico Red Chile Sauce. The filling can be your choice of shredded beef, chicken, pork or in this case ground beef. Rather than using Enchilada sauce, like Tex-Mex enchiladas, this enchilada takes advantage of a richer more robust red chile sauce. The most famous New Mexico enchiladas are Stacked Enchiladas, which are just as the name implies, stacked rather than rolled.

Why Use Blue Corn Tortillas For Enchiladas?

New Mexico’s Indigenous people first cultivated and consumed blue corn, a staple of Southwest cuisine. It is drought resistant and ideally suited to New Mexico’s arid climate. Blue corn products are prevalent in New Mexico. With it’s robust taste and striking indigo blue hue, blue corn tortillas have deep rooted cultural significance. Simply stated, it’s a natural choice for classic New Mexico recipes using corn tortillas.

About New Mexico Red Chile Sauce And What Makes It Different

This dish is built on New Mexico Red Chile Sauce, a foundational recipe in traditional Southwestern cooking. It’s not enchilada sauce from a can or a salsa. It starts with dried New Mexico red chile pods. Usually Hatch, sometimes Chimayo. Toasted. Soaked. Blended smooth. That's it. Simple. Pure chile flavor. You can also make Red Chile Sauce From Powder.

About Making “real” Southwestern Enchiladas

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times. If someone makes enchiladas for you it means they love you.

Enchiladas are a skill and a process that truly is a labor of love. From preparing the filling, making the red chile sauce, to frying and dipping the corn tortillas. It’s not difficult, but a process that can take at least a couple of hours.

Enchiladas are a Mexican food, tracing roots back to the Aztec empire. Masa was used to make corn tortillas to create enchiladas. Many people confuse enchiladas with Tex-Mex adaptations which can feature assembled rolled flour tortillas. I find this a misrepresentation of the true cultural nature, losing the dish’s historical soul. True Enchiladas made with corn tortillas, require frying and dipping in a red sauce before filling.

Let’s get started.

Key Ingredients

Ingredients to make red chile sauced ground beef enchiladas.
  • Corn Tortillas: Blue Corn, an ancient grain, is a staple of Southwestern cuisine, a crop that thrives in arid climates like New Mexico. Use them to make these enchiladas authentic New Mexican Cuisine. They can be hard to find, check your local Whole Foods.
  • Red Chile Sauce: This dish is built on New Mexico Red Chile Sauce, a foundational recipe in traditional Southwestern cooking.
  • Chile Peppers: I’m using roasted and chopped New Mexico Hatch Chile Peppers. I purchase them in the Fall from local chile roasters and keep a stash in the freezer to keep us warm all year. If you don’t have access to chile roasters, The Hatch Chile Store is a great resource to order on-line.
  • Flour: Toasting all-purpose flour will bring a nuttier rich flavor to the over-all dish.

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: How to toast flour to make ground beef enchiladas.
Step 2: How to toast flour to make ground beef blue corn enchiladas.

How To Toast Flour

It’s easy. Toasting flour for red sauce brings a nutty and complex flavor to the sauce. And creates a smoother texture.

  1. Step 1: Place flour in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Step 2: Stir frequently and shake the pan, until the flour turns a rich tan color and smells like toasted nuts. This will take about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and wipe out skillet.
Step 3 to make New Mexico Blue Corn Ground Beef Enchiladas.
Step 4 to make New Mexico blue corn ground beef enchiladas.
  1. Step 3: Place ground beef in the skillet. Cook, breaking the meat up, until the pink is just starting to go away. Add chopped onion and Hatch chile peppers. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. 
  2. Step 4: Stir in tomatoes and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to stick to the skillet.
Step 5 to make New Mexico blue corn ground beef enchiladas.
Step 6 to make New Mexico Style Ground Beef Blue Corn Enchiladas.
  1. Step 5: Add red chile sauce and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. 
  2. Step 6: Add toasted flour and toss until coated. You’ll have somewhat of a paste consistency.
Step 7 making red chile sauce for New Mexico Style Ground Beef blue corn enchiladas.
Step 8, frying blue corn tortillas to make New Mexico Ground Beef Enchiladas.
  1. Step 7: Whisking constantly, add broth, bring to a simmer, cook stirring frequently on medium low until red chili sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes.
  2. Step 8: Using about two tablespoons of oil, start frying the blue corn tortillas in a skillet, one by one. You’ll find more thorough instructions on this process in the recipe card.
Step 9, preparing blue corn tortillas to make New Mexico style red chile enchiladas.
Step 10, adding red chile sauce to baking pan to make ground beef enchiladas.
  1. Step 9: Use the spatula to remove the tortillas, letting the oil drip off and place on a plate with paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas, stacking each on top of the other with a paper towel in between.
  2. Step 10: Spread 1 cup red chile sauce lengthwise down the center of a baking dish.
Step 11, rolling and filling blue corn tortillas for red chile enchiladas.
Step 12, rolling and filling and adding cheese to make blue corn red chile enchiladas.
  1. Step 11: Start placing blue corn tortillas in the baking dish one at a time. Spread ¼ cup beef gravy mixture down the center of each tortilla.
  2. Step 12: Add a couple tablespoons of shredded cheese and roll them, coating them with some of the sauce as you go.

What Cheese Is Typically Used On New Mexico Enchiladas?

  • Cheddar cheese shows up a lot. And preferably sharp cheddar. It’s familiar and it melts clean as long as you grate your own cheese rather than using pre-grated bagged cheese. Packaged grated cheese contains a chemical to keep it from clumping in the bag, which also keeps it from melting as smoothly.
  • I’ve always been a fan of Longhorn, it’s my quiet favorite. Mild, creamy and nostalgic. Monterey Jack works when you want the chile to do all the talking. And Pepper Jack will add more heat. Give Muenster cheese a try. It’s a great melting cheese and a cheese I learned to use at my first tamale making party.
  • Please no queso blends, no mozzarella experiments, this isn't that dish.
Step 13, rolled blue corn tortillas to make enchiladas.
Step 14, finishing blue corn enchiladas with cheese before they are baked.
  1. Step 13: Fill the pan, snuggling the enchiladas together.
  2. Step 14: Top with a generous sprinkling of grated cheese.

Tips For Success

  • Corn Tortillas: If you can’t find blue corn tortillas, purchase yellow corn tortillas. They’re sturdier than white corn tortillas and better suited for frying and rolling enchiladas.
  • Pyrex: I always use my enchilada sized Le Creuset baking dishes. This recipe also works well using a couple of Pyrex baking dishes, which we all have in our kitchens.

Make Ahead, Storage and Freezing

  • Make Ahead: Assemble the enchiladas, cover them tight with plastic wrap, refrigerate and bake later. One tip from experience. Hold off on the final cheese layer until baking day. The cheese will melt better and with a creamier texture.
  • Storage: Cooked enchiladas will keep in the refrigerator, covered well for 4 – 5 days.
  • Reheat gently. If needed add a spoon of sauce before reheating so they don't dry out. I like using the microwave for individual servings. The 50% power feature is your best friend. Place one or two enchiladas on a microwave safe plate and heat in 30 second increments until warm. With this gentler heat, you’ll avoid those microwave food explosions. You can also heat them in the oven in their original pan. Cover with foil, and again at a lower heat, like 200 degrees, to avoid drying out.
  • Freezer: I have a pan of these cooked enchiladas in the freezer as I type this. Place plastic wrap over the surface of the enchiladas, and then cover well with foil. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

What To Serve Them With

  • Beans are an ideal side dish to go with enchiladas. Take a look at my recipe for Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans.
  • Garnish: Keep it simple, there’s a lot of flavor in those enchiladas. I like a dollop of simple smashed avocado, or guacamole. Chopped raw onion is a traditional topping for enchiladas. Sliced radishes add interesting color and crunch. And cilantro if you’re a fan. Don’t drown these in sour cream, it will dilute the rich flavor profile. Instead a sprinkle of Cotija cheese is a better idea.

FAQ’s

How Spicy Are Red Chile Enchiladas?

That’s the beauty of cooking with chile peppers. You can choose your heat tolerance level by choosing mild, medium or hot peppers. Mild red chile peppers bring warmth and a little sweetness. And hot peppers will most certainly get your attention. Want less heat without losing flavor? Mix mild and hot pods.

Can I Use Flour Tortillas Instead?

You could, but please don’t as you’d turn it into a different dish. Flour tortillas are more commonly used for Burritos.

Can I Make These With Pork or Chicken?

Absolutely yes. Ground pork, or ground chicken would make a good substitution without any alterations to this recipe. You could even use leftover shredded pork.

Are Blue Corn Tortillas Healthier?

From what I’ve read, they are higher in protein and antioxidants. But for me, I think they taste better and have a better texture.

Ground beef red chile enchilada garnished with smashed avocado and sliced radishes.

Explore More New Mexico Southwestern Recipes

Love Southwest Style Mexican dishes? Don’t miss this favorite for New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas. Topped with a fried egg, this is a New Mexico specialty. And don’t miss my category for Southwest New Mexican Recipes.

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Ground Beef Red Chile Sauce Enchiladas.
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Ground Beef Enchiladas With Red Chile Sauce

Ground Beef and a wonderfully rich and earthy red chile sauce come together for these cheesy, New Mexico Style Ground Beef Enchiladas.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time35 minutes
Course: Mexican
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 18 enchiladas
Calories: 361kcal
Author: Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 pound ground beef (20% fat), preferably grass fed
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 8 ounces Hatch Chile Peppers roasted, seeds and stem removed, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 14.5 ounce Chopped tomatoes canned
  • 1 cup Red Chile Sauce or enchilada sauce
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • salt
  • ½ Cup Neutral Oil Canola or Vegetable oil work well here. You may need a little more oil.
  • 18 Blue corn tortillas or Yellow corn tortillas
  • 8 cups shredded cheddar cheese or more if needed

Instructions

  • Toast flour in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently and shaking the pan, until tan colord and smells like toasted nuts, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and wipe out skillet. Set aside.
  • Place ground beef in the skillet, add kosher salt. Cook, breaking the meat up, until the pink is just starting to go away. Add chopped onion and Hatch chile peppers. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. About 30 seconds.
  • Stir in tomatoes and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to stick to the skillet, about 8 minutes. Add red chile sauce and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Add toasted flour and toss until coated. You'll have somewhat of a pastie consistency.
  • Whisking constantly, add broth, bring to a simmer, cook stirring frequently on medium low until red chili gravy has thickened, about 30 minutes.
  • Spread 1 ½ cup red chile saucee lengthwise down the center of a baking dish. I use 3 Le Creuset 6" by 10" casserole pans. They're perfect size for the corn tortillas. Each pan will hold 6 enchiladas. You can also use a 9 x 13 pyrex. You'll need more than 1 cup of sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.
  • To Assemble The Red Chile Enchiladas
  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Set up your enchilada station. Add a new fry pan to the stovetop to fry the corn tortillas. Place the pan with ground beef red chile sauce next to the stove top. Then a dinner plate.
  • Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-high until oil bubbles immediately when edge of tortilla touches the surface. Working one at a time, fry tortilla, turning once, until just starting to brown and crisp. Cook 30 seconds on one side then using a spatula, turn and cook 10 seconds more. Use the spatula to remove the tortillas, letting the oil drip off, and place on a plate with paper towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas, stacking each on top of the other with a paper towel in between.
  • Working one at a time, place a tortilla in the baking dish. Spread ¼ cup beef red chile sauce down the center of a tortilla. Add a couple tablespoons of grated cheese and fold one side over filling, then continue to roll enchilada onto itself, coating the enchilada in some of the sauce that you've placed on the bottom of the casserole dish. Once the enchiladas are in the pan, top with more grated cheese. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melty, 20 minutes.
  • Garnish with radish, smashed avocado or guacamole, a dollop of sour cream or crumbled Cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro.

Notes

Tips For Success
  • Corn Tortillas: If you can’t find blue corn tortillas, purchase yellow corn tortillas. They’re sturdier than white corn tortillas and better suited for frying and rolling enchiladas.
  • Pyrex: I always use my enchilada sized Le Creuset baking dishes. This recipe also works well using a couple of Pyrex baking dishes, which we all have in our kitchens.

Nutrition

Serving: 1enchilada | Calories: 361kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 724mg | Potassium: 212mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 304mg | Iron: 1mg

Ground Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce … It’s what’s for Dinner