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Skillet Chicken Tortilla Pie in a cast iron skillet.

Skillet Chicken Tortilla Pie


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4.8 from 17 reviews

  • Author: Pinch of Yum
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: Two 9-inch pies (about 12 servings total) 1x

Description

This Skillet Chicken Tortilla Pie has layers of chicken, cheese, homemade enchilada sauce, and tortillas. Simple, mild, and delicious!


Ingredients

Scale

For the Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 teaspoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes

For the Chicken Tortilla Pie:

  • 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons southwestern or taco seasoning
  • 30 small corn tortillas
  • 4 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese (Mozz melts the best!)
  • cilantro and Cotija cheese for topping

Instructions

  1. SAUCE: Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute for 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat and add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and garlic. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes until very fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the chicken broth, garlic, and tomatoes and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sauce is very deep red in color. Transfer (half at a time – it’s a lot of sauce) to a blender, puree, and set aside. Taste and adjust for saltiness as needed.
  2. CHICKEN: Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoning. Heat the pan from step one over medium low heat with a little oil and add the chicken. Cook for a few minutes on each side until nicely browned. Cover with sauce and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes so the chicken finishes cooking gently in the sauce. Remove chicken from sauce and shred with two forks. Set aside.
  3. ASSEMBLE: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Dip five tortillas in the warm sauce and layer in the bottom of a 9-inch round skillet or baking dish. Add a scoop of chicken, a handful of cheese, and about 3/4 cup sauce. Repeat layer. End with one more layer of tortillas, a scoop of sauce, and cheese. (Now go make another one! You should be able to make two pies/skillets with this recipe.)
  4. BAKE: Cover with foil that has been sprayed with nonstick oil to prevent it from sticking on the cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is ooey-gooey-perfection. Top with cilantro and Cotija.

Notes

This recipe is pretty mild. If you wanted to kick it up a notch, I would add a few chipotle peppers or jalapeños to the sauce.

I’ve made a version with pico de gallo layered in as well as corn – both were yummy!

Also, if you are in a pinch and you need to move quickly, you can replace the sauce with canned enchilada sauce. But I will warn you – I made it that way, too, and it’s not nearly as good as the homemade sauce.

  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired

Keywords: skillet chicken tortilla pie, chicken tortilla pie, skillet tortilla pie