Pork Tenderloin and Caramelized Onion Enchiladas in a Homemade Enchilada Sauce
My husband was in the mood for Mexican food so I made these pork tenderloin and caramelized onion enchiladas in a homemade enchilada sauce for dinner. I made a homemade sauce that turned out to be spicy, flavorful, and really delicious. My husband and I both really loved these enchiladas and thought they had a nice kick and they were hearty without being heavy. I loved mine with fresh avocado and sour cream while my husband opted for avocado and extra hot sauce.
How to Make Pork Tenderloin and Caramelized Onion Enchiladas in a Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Enchilada Sauce:
Heat the canola oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the minced garlic, chile powder, cumin, coriander, and oregano then stir constantly for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes and juice along with the chicken broth. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, and add the honey then cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
After the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes, blend the sauce with an immersion blender (or regular blender) until smooth. Pour through a sieve to remove the excess pulp, if desired. Taste and re-season if needed. Set aside
Enchiladas:
While the sauce is simmering, caramelize the onions. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for 20-30 minutes, or until tender and caramelized. Side Note: If the onion gets too dry while cooking, add a few tablespoons of water to keep them moist. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Heat the remaining olive oil in the same skillet you cooked the onions in. Remove the silverskin from the pork tenderloin (click this link for instructions).
Cut the pork into medallions then dice into bite-sized chunks. Spread the diced pork out evenly on the cutting board. Sprinkle the pork evenly with a bit of sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, and coriander.
Cook the pork in 2 batches, seasoned side down, in the hot pan. Season the other side of the pork then leave it alone for 2-3 minutes, until it’s caramelized then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove to a plate and cover with a tin foil tent; cook the second batch of pork. Side Note: Pork will NOT be cooked through – it will finish cooking in the oven.
Wrap the flour tortillas in a dishcloth then place them into the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until the tortillas are pliable. Pour enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Place some of the pork, a spoonful of beans with sauce, and a spoonful of caramelized onions down the center of the tortilla.
Roll and place the seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and ingredients. Pour more sauce over each rolled enchilada then top with the cheese.
Cover with tinfoil then place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil then continue to bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve with chopped green onions on top along with diced avocado, sour cream, and hot sauce on the side. Enjoy.
Ingredients
Enchilada Sauce:
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 small sweet yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 ½ tbsp chile powder
- ½ tbsp adobo chile powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp oregano
- 2 (14 oz) cans of fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chiles and garlic
- ½ cup of chicken broth
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1 tsp honey
Enchiladas:
- 1 ½ tbsp canola oil divided
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1 Pork tenderloin cut into bite-sized chunks
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- Garlic powder to taste
- Cumin to taste
- Oregano to taste
- Coriander to taste
- 8 small flour tortillas
- 1 (14 oz) can of chili beans with sauce
- Extra sharp white cheddar shredded
Serving:
- Green onions diced
- Cilantro chopped
- Avocado diced
- Sour cream
- Hot sauce
Instructions
Enchilada Sauce:
- Heat the canola oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the minced garlic, chile powder, cumin, coriander, and oregano then stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Add diced tomatoes and juice along with the chicken broth. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, and add the honey then cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
- After the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes, blend the sauce with an immersion blender (or regular blender) until smooth.
- Pour through a sieve to remove the excess pulp, if desired. Taste and re-season if needed. Set aside
Enchiladas:
- Caramelize the onions while the sauce is simmering, by heating a tablespoon of oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for 20-30 minutes, or until tender and caramelized. Side Note: If the onion gets too dry while cooking, add a few tablespoons of water to keep them moist.
- Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Set aside until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in the same skillet you cooked the onions in. Remove the silverskin from the pork tenderloin (click this link for instructions).
- Cut the pork into medallions then dice into bite-sized chunks. Spread the diced pork out evenly on the cutting board. Sprinkle the pork evenly with a bit of sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, and coriander.
- Cook the pork in 2 batches, seasoned side down, in the hot pan. Season the other side of the pork then leave it alone for 2-3 minutes, until it's caramelized then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove to a plate and cover with a tin foil tent; cook the second batch of pork. Side Note: Pork will NOT be cooked through but it will finish cooking in the oven.
- Wrap the flour tortillas in a dishcloth then place them into the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until the tortillas are pliable.
- Pour enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Place some of the pork, a spoonful of beans with sauce, and a spoonful of caramelized onions down the center of the tortilla.
- Roll and place the seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and ingredients.
- Pour more sauce over each rolled enchilada then top with the cheese.
- Cover with tinfoil then place into the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil then continue to bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Serve with chopped green onions on top along with diced avocado, sour cream, and hot sauce on the side. Enjoy.
wow Pam..you are my inspiration! These enchiladas look out of this world delicious and comforting!
I love that you used homemade enchilada sauce! I usually buy mine from TJ’s!
Homemade enchiladas are one of my favorite things to make! They take some work but the end result is perfection!
These do sound incredibly tasty… can’t wait to try the homemade sauce!!!
Great looking smothered burritos Pam. The sauce and the stuffings both sound delicious. We had your tenderloin Diane the other night and really enjoyed it – I’ll post about it in a week or so.
We are definitly at the same wave lenght this week with tenderloin recipes, Pam 🙂
This looks so tasty and I’m sure my family will love this dish, must try it this weekend,
I need to try your homemade sauce! I’ve yet to find one I really LOVE.
The list of ingredients seems daunting at first glance, but they really do look quite easy!
This looks like a recipe that my family would enjoy eating.
I love spicy food! This looks and sounds delicious!
Oh my goodness, these look wonderful!
Yum, I want these for dinner.
I don’t usually think of pork for enchiladas but you made me rethink that with this recipe. Looks good.
yum, yum, yum, and yum! this is kind of a unique take on enchiladas, and it’s one i like very much!
Pinned this one too! I’m an enchilada freak and like making our own sauce too. I have a hard time deciding on a favorite, they’re all great. I think my fave might be chicken/cheese with a cream/salsa vedre sauce.
Recipe looks scrumptious but i thought that tortillas weren’t Paleo. Just wondering. I’d be happy just cooking the pork through and using butter leaf lettuce as a wrap. And the cheese is ok? Please be patient because I’m a newbie here and I want/need to do this the right way.
Bunnyetoes,
I don’t know much about the Paleo diet so I am not sure what is okay and what is not. I will say that these enchiladas are awesome!
Pam
This looks amazing!! Going on my list for meal prep this week!
i really like the way how you difine this whole thing.
It looks very delicious. Will try it.
Sounds delicious. I haven’t cooked them…. Yet, but I will, thanks for a change from chicken.
For the love of cooking springs from the heart and dances with ingredients. It’s a soulful symphony, blending flavors and stories. In the kitchen’s embrace, we find solace, creativity, and a delicious way to paint emotions on the canvas of life.
This dish sounds like a delightful fusion of flavors! The tenderness of pork tenderloin combined with the rich sweetness of caramelized onions, all wrapped up in homemade enchilada sauce, promises a unique and mouthwatering culinary experience. The blend of textures and the interplay between the savory and sweet elements make these enchiladas a must-try for anyone looking to savor a creative twist on a classic dish.
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nice reciep. This dish sounds delightful.
Impressive! This dish is definitely making it onto my meal prep agenda for the upcoming week.
This looks and sounds delicious!