💨 Smoker
Taco Tuesday just leveled up. These aren't your average enchiladas — we're smoking a whole chicken on the Pit Boss, shredding it, mixing it with pepper jack, and rolling it all into corn tortillas. Then comes the move that makes this recipe: a homemade creamy poblano sauce made with a smoked poblano pepper, garlic, butter, heavy cream, and a little flour to thicken it, all brought together in a Lodge cast iron skillet until it's silky and smooth.
The whole thing goes back into the smoker at 400° for 15 minutes until that sauce bubbles and the tortillas get just enough color on the edges. This is a full backyard production and every single step is worth it. Dinner is served.
The Chicken
The Filling
Creamy Poblano Sauce
Assembly
Pat the whole chicken dry. Rub it down with olive oil then coat generously all over with the Fire & Smoke Society Chika Lika Bam Bam seasoning — don't be shy. Get it under the skin too if you can. Fire up your Pit Boss to 350°F and place the chicken directly on the grates. Smoke until the internal temperature hits 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh — typically 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the size of the bird.
While the chicken is smoking, place the whole poblano peppers directly on the grates alongside the chicken. Let them smoke until the skin is charred and blistered and the peppers are soft — about 30–40 minutes. Remove, place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 10 minutes to steam, then peel the skin off, remove the seeds, and roughly chop. The smoke on these peppers is what makes the sauce extraordinary.
Once the chicken hits 165°F, pull it off the smoker and let it rest for 10–15 minutes. Then pull and shred all the meat — breasts, thighs, legs, everything. You want good-sized shreds, not mush. Discard the carcass or save it for stock. Transfer the shredded chicken to a large bowl.
In your Lodge cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly pour in the heavy cream, whisking as you go to prevent lumps. Add the chopped smoked poblano peppers. Let the sauce simmer for 5–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to emulsify until completely smooth and silky. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Add the 2 cups of shredded pepper jack cheese to the bowl of shredded chicken and mix to combine. Add a few spoonfuls of the creamy poblano sauce into the filling and stir — this keeps the enchiladas moist and adds more poblano flavor inside.
Warm the corn tortillas briefly on a hot dry skillet or wrapped in damp paper towels in the microwave — 30 seconds — so they're pliable and won't crack when you roll them. Spoon a generous portion of the chicken and pepper jack filling down the center of each tortilla, roll tightly, and place seam-side down in the cast iron skillet.
Pour the creamy poblano sauce generously over all the rolled enchiladas in the skillet — don't hold back, you want full coverage. Top with extra shredded pepper jack cheese over the whole thing.
Bump your Pit Boss up to 400°F. Slide the cast iron skillet back in and cook for 15 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly and the edges of the tortillas are just starting to crisp up. Pull it out and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Serve straight from the cast iron. Top with fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. Taco Tuesday is officially handled.
Smoking the poblano peppers alongside the chicken is not optional — that char and smoke is what elevates this sauce from good to ridiculous. Don't substitute with canned or raw poblano. Also, blending the sauce after cooking is what gives it that restaurant-quality silky texture. Even a quick blitz with an immersion blender makes a big difference. And always warm your corn tortillas before rolling — cold tortillas crack and the whole thing falls apart.