As a food writer and influencer, my diet and lifestyle can’t always be described as healthy. There’s a LOT of experimenting, tasting, and eventually indulging once my recipes are completed and I’m happy with the outcome. So, as I try to balance a healthy lifestyle with my indulgent job, sometimes baby steps are the best way to make everything work.
Smoking meats slow and low on the Primo involves very little effort, only a sliver of skill, and no additional fattening ingredients to get the amazing flavors someone like me is looking for. Constructed with the highest quality ceramics, Primo’s oval design allows for unmatched cooking versatility. Today, we’re going to use the Primo like a crock pot and make some Veggie Wrapped Poblano Chicken Enchiladas.
There’s no denying the amazing flavors of the Southwest pair extremely well with smoked meats. There’s also no denying the American made quality of Primo’s ability to smoke those meats. So I prepped my Primo by filling it up 2/3 of the way with Primo’s 100% natural lump charcoal. I added a single Primo Quick Start as low down into the charcoal as I could. After lighting the Quick Start, I closed the lid and opened the vents until the grill reached 300 degrees. Then I closed the vents about 3/4 of the way so that the smoke would fill the oval and the temperature would hold for several hours.
To prep my chicken, I added 4-5 boneless, skinless thighs, some mild green enchilada sauce, and a TON of other Southwest ingredients into a 10” cast iron skillet. The cooking method was then simple.
I placed the skillet on the Primo, closed the lid, and walked away. I came back every 30 minutes or so to stir the ingredients around and check to make sure the temperature was okay. After about 4 hours, the chicken was so tender and juicy, I barely had to break it up with my forks to shred it.
Once the skillet was done, I placed some sliced zucchini and poblano pepper strips onto the grill to heat up and soften. Once they were finished it was time to plate!
I placed a few of the zucchini and poblano strips onto a plate and slightly overlapped them. Then I spooned a bit of shredded chicken into the center and wrapped it up. I topped it with some Cotija cheese, some cilantro, a bit of lime juice and some crispy tortilla strips. Not completely healthy, not completely decadent. But it’s a delicious start to a healthier lifestyle. Baby steps, right?!
Veggie Wrapped Grilled Chicken Enchiladas
Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 4 hours / Servings: 12 enchiladas
Ingredients:
5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
5 large Poblano peppers, sliced lengthwise into quarters
1/2 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen yellow corn
28 oz. green chile enchilada sauce
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
5-6 cherry tomatoes
3 green onions, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
1/4 tsp. Each salt and pepper
5 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4” strips
3 limes, quartered
1 cup crumbled Cotija Cheese
3.5 oz. crispy tortilla strips
Steps:
Fill your Primo Grill about 2/3 of the way with Primo’s 100% natural lump charcoal. Place a single Primo Quick Light as low to the bottom of the charcoal as possible and light. Open the vents and close the grill lid until the grill heats up to 300 degrees. Once the grill is up to temperature, close each of the vents 3/4 of the way so the temperature holds.
While the grill is heating up, prepare the chicken by adding the thighs to a large, 10” cast iron skillet. Chop up one of the poblano peppers and add it to the skillet. Add the black beans, corn, garlic, cherry tomatoes, green and red onions, cilantro, salt and pepper. Fill the remainder of the skillet up about 3/4 of the way with the green enchilada sauce.
Place the skillet on the grill and close the lid. Check the skillet about every 30 minutes, stirring to combine. Add the rest of the enchilada sauce about half way through, reserving about 1 cup for plating at the end. Allow the skillet to cook for a total of 4 hours, or until the chicken is tender and shreds easily with a fork.
Remove the shredded chicken from the grill and set aside. Place the remainder of the poblano peppers and the zucchini strips onto the grill to heat up and soften for about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove them from the grill and let them cool until you’re able to handle them.
To plate: Place 2-3 strips of zucchini and 1 strip of the poblanos onto a plate, slightly overlapping them. Place about 1/4 cup of the shredded chicken into the center of the slices and roll them up to make the enchiladas. Garnish with lime wedges, crumbled Cotija cheese, cilantro, crispy tortilla strips and a splash of the remaining enchilada sauce.