Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
On busy weekdays, there’s not much time for cooking. Sometimes I’ll take shortcuts and I’ll end up ordering some enchiladas or burritos for takeout. Once I discovered these chicken enchiladas, though, that all changed! They take almost no effort to make and I typically have everything I need to make them already in my kitchen. These enchiladas are so saucy, cheesy, and they fulfill that craving for Mexican food! I used a rotisserie chicken to make these because, well, I just love them. But, I’ll also make these using up some leftover chicken from the night before. Nothing like sneaking leftovers into dinner without anyone noticing!
Olive oil – We need a little bit of olive oil to cook the chicken breast in. Other oils can be used as well such as vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil or grapeseed oil. Chicken – I used about 1.5 lbs of chicken breasts that I cooked and chopped up into cubes. You can also use shredded rotisserie chicken to save up time. You can shred up any pre cooked chicken; it’s a great way to use up leftovers. Taco seasoning – I love to add a little extra flavor into my enchiladas, but this ingredient is totally optional. Cheese – I used a Mexican blend shredded cheese which includes Monterey Jack, cheddar, Asadero and queso quesadilla cheese. If you can’t find you can also mix your favorite cheeses. Some that will work are marble, provolone, Tex Mex, Monterey Jack, or even some gouda. Green chiles – These are the canned kind and they come already chopped. If you’re worried about spiciness, don’t. I don’t find them spicy at all, however feel free to use as much as you like. Onion and garlic – You’ll want a nice large onion here and as much garlic as you like. Flour tortillas – Store-bought or homemade. You can also use corn tortillas instead. Enchilada sauce – Use store-bought or homemade. Salt and pepper – Season to taste. Parsley – Freshly chopped for garnish. Cilantro will work too.
How To Make Chicken Enchiladas
Enchilada Fillings
I wanted to make this recipe basic, made with staples in your kitchen that can be thrown together any night of the week. If you want these enchiladas to be a bit more loaded up or even add some nutritional value with veggies, there are tons of great ingredients you can add. Keep in mind the more add-ins you mix in, the more filling you’ll have. You may need an extra tortilla or two.
Corn or esquites Peas Tomatoes Hot peppers Bell peppers Olives Cilantro Beans Other meat such as carnitas, barbacoa, or (cooked) ground meats.
How To Serve Chicken Enchiladas
I like to offer up some toppings for my enchiladas. Some sour cream, hot sauce, freshly chopped lettuce, guacamole, and pico de gallo make for a wonderful spread. If you’d like to serve your enchiladas with some sides or finger foods, here are some of my favorites:
Beef Empanadas 3 Ingredients Mexican Rice Super Easy Taco Dip Mexican Street Corn Salad Antojitos Black Bean Corn Avocado Salsa Tex Mex Potato Salad Avocado Shrimp Salsa Homemade Salsa
Of course, no great meal is complete without a drink. Try a homemade mojito, piña colada, or margarita!
Leftovers
Make sure your enchiladas have fully cooled down to room temperature before storing. Transfer to an airtight container or cover the baking dish well with wither plastic wrap or bees wrap. Leftovers will last 3-4 days in the fridge. You can reheat at 20-30 second intervals in the microwave. It may help to cut the enchiladas in half width-wise to ensure the middles reheat. You can also reheat in the oven, covered, at 325F for 10 minutes or until heated through.
How To Freeze Chicken Enchiladas
If you’d like to turn this into a freezer-style meal, you can prep a pan ahead to make week night dinners easy. To freeze:
Unbaked Enchiladas
Prepare the enchiladas in the baking dish, and leave out the sauce and cheese. Wrap the baking dish well with both plastic wrap and foil. They will last 6-8 months frozen. To bake, let the enchiladas thaw overnight in the fridge. Take them out of the fridge for 1 hour before baking to let them come to room temperature. Top with the enchilada sauce and cheese, then bake as per the recipe instructions.
Baked Enchiladas
If you want to freeze some already baked leftovers, make sure they fully come down to room temperature before freezing. You can wrap the baking dish well with both plastic wrap and foil, or transfer them to an airtight container. Let the enchiladas thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Follow the reheating instructions in the previous “How to store leftovers” section.
Other Delicious Recipes To Try
White Chicken Enchiladas Easy Chicken Fajitas Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas Easy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas Chicken Enchilada Taquitos Enchilada Meatball Bake Cheesy Beef Quesadillas Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole Beef Enchiladas
title: “Easy Chicken Enchiladas” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-19” author: “Julie Trexler”
One of my friends left this comment to me: “From now on, Lisa, please convey all messages via photos of meticulously arranged food items. Thanks.” Challenge accepted. My trip to Portland will be a short one, but I still made sure to leave enough healthy provisions behind for my husband. You would think that a 30-something-year-old grown man could be able to sort this all out, but that cannot be further from the truth. The last time I went away for a few days, I came home to find that his lunch and dinners consisted of Star Wars-themed Lucky Charms, Drumstick ice cream, Milanos, and Ghirardelli chocolate. I think our bodies are too old to metabolize all that sugar now . . . I left a huge batch of these enchiladas at home so that I won’t find my husband in a sugar coma when I get back. I can only cross my fingers and hope. But on a more serious note, these enchiladas are some good stuff. That enchilada sauce I shared yesterday is the absolute STAR of this show. 8 ingredients – that’s it! You’re only 45 minutes away from one tasty meal, my friends! Let’s dig in.
MASTER MY MISTAKES / COOKING NOTES
Using the right tortillas: If you’re gluten free, make sure to use corn tortillas for this. I used a flour-based gluten-free tortilla the first time, and they just ripped apart too easily. I recently tried TortillaLand corn tortillas, and I think they’re great! They come refrigerated, and you have to cook them at home, but they’re well worth the effort.Cooking the chicken: My personal preference is to cook the chicken breasts whole and shredding it with my hands, but you can definitely chop everything up and cook them cubed.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Take a photo of your creation and tag me on Instagram so that I can give you a fist bump! Seeing your creations make my day!
