These Easy Chicken Enchiladas are made with a short list of simple ingredients and ready for the oven in about 15 minutes!
This recipe is one of the many ways that I use the tender, shredded chicken from my Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos recipe. It’s rolled up in tortillas and baked with enchilada sauce and cheese for an easy Mexican-inspired meal.
Enchiladas were heavily requested by my boys through their high school years. Thankfully, with the help of my trusty slow cooker, this easy chicken enchilada recipe worked for me in my busiest times. I love it just as much today!
I recently embarked on an intense recipe testing spree until we seriously had enchiladas coming out of our ears! I’m sharing all of the results of those tests with you in this post to help you make the BEST homemade enchiladas. Many of these tips also apply to my Shredded Beef Enchiladas, another delicious choice.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: The fabulously tasty chicken filling is from my beloved Crock-Pot Chicken Taco recipe. There is so much more flavor in this chicken than you would get if using plain rotisserie chicken. You can cook the chicken the same day, or a day or two in advance. You’ll only use a portion of the shredded chicken for this recipe, which means you can easily get two meals out of one batch. And, it freezes very well.
- Tortillas: While corn tortillas are super tasty, they are typically lightly fried in oil to soften them and prevent cracking when they are rolled. If you want to skip the mess and trouble of this step, flour tortillas work very well, but my favorite choice are 50/50 blend tortillas. They are pliable, like flour tortillas, but have a slightly more substantial texture like corn tortillas. See my tips below for how to prep your tortillas.
- Enchilada sauce: You can make a batch of my homemade enchilada sauce or grab a can of store bought sauce to make it even easier. I love Hatch Red Enchilada Sauce and they also make a green sauce that’s very good. I will not apologize for this shortcut and neither should you. We’re busy people and this sauce is good stuff!
- Cheese: Shredded sharp cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese. Pepper Jack is a great choice too.
- Optional toppings: I like topping these enchiladas with sour cream, thinly sliced green onions, cilantro, diced tomatoes, and sliced black olives.
Prepping the Tortillas
The method you use to prep your tortillas will vary depending on which type you’re using.
50/50 Blend Tortillas or Flour Tortillas: These tortillas are easiest to work with and in my tests, yielded the best result. Just stack the tortillas on a plate and microwave them just until warmed through.
Corn Tortillas: You can use any of the methods below if using store bought corn tortillas, but for the best result, I recommend lightly frying them. I’m not sure if brands have changed how they are making corn tortillas, but in my recent rounds of testing I found that when I used any method other than frying, the tortillas became super soft after topping with sauce and baking. Still delicious, but more like an enchilada casserole.
- Microwave: Warm the stack of 8 tortillas between a layer of damp paper towels in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds (very soft enchiladas).
- Dry Skillet: Toast them on both sides in a dry skillet (slightly more sturdy result).
- Fry: Lightly fry them in oil (sturdiest result).
How to Make Easy Chicken Enchiladas
- Coat the bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with a thin layer of enchilada sauce.
- Spoon a few tablespoons of shredded chicken towards one end of a tortilla.
- Sprinkle with a bit of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar.
- Tightly roll up the tortilla. Repeat this process to assemble the remaining enchiladas.
- As you assemble the enchiladas, place them seam side down in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top.
- Sprinkle both types of cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
Tips for the Best Chicken Enchiladas
Avoid soggy enchiladas. Don’t cover the baking dish or it will steam and soften the tortillas as they bake. The enchiladas will still taste delicious but will be too soft to hold together well when you scoop them from the pan.
Don’t use cold filling. If the shredded chicken was made ahead and refrigerated, warm it a bit in the microwave before rolling the enchiladas. If the chicken filling is very cold, the enchiladas will require a longer bake time.
Let them rest. Let the enchiladas rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. They’ll firm up a bit and be easier to scoop out of the pan without falling apart.
Storage Tips
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container and use them within 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, enchiladas can be frozen for up to 2 to 3 months. Freezing and defrosting enchiladas may soften the texture of the tortillas a bit. Defrost them completely in the refrigerator before reheating them in the microwave or in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
Rice: Make a batch of my Restaurant Style Mexican Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, or Salsa Rice.
Beans: Just warm a can of beans and you’re good to go! Black beans, pinto beans, or refried beans are classic choices. Or, try my Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Beans – a little more work but so worth the effort!
Chips and Salsa: Set out a bowl of tortilla chips with my easy Blender Salsa, Creamy Tomatillo Avocado Salsa, or both!
Guacamole: Copycat Chipotle Guacamole or Corn Guacamole are both easy choices and perfect for serving with enchiladas.
More Enchilada Recipes You’ll Love
- Shredded Beef Enchiladas
- Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Browse my entire collection of Mexican recipes for more ideas!
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Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 8 tortillas, 50/50 blend, flour, or corn tortillas
- 2 cups Crock-Pot Chicken Tacos, shredded chicken from recipe
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce, homemade or a 15 ounce can (I love Hatch Brand)
- 1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Optional for Garnish
- cilantro, thinly sliced green onions, diced tomato, chopped avocado, sliced black olives, sour cream, lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- If using corn/flour blend or flour tortillas, warm a stack of 8 on a plate in the microwave just until softened, about 40 seconds. If you're using corn tortillas, see the recipe notes below.
- Pour just enough enchilada sauce into the prepared baking dish to cover the bottom with a thin layer.
- Spoon a few tablespoons of shredded chicken towards one end of a tortilla. Sprinkle with a bit of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar and roll tightly. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted. Remove the dish from the oven and let the enchiladas rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- Garnish cooked enchiladas as desired and serve.
Notes
- Microwave: Warm the stack of 8 tortillas between a layer of damp paper towels in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds (very soft enchiladas). When assembling the enchiladas, keep the remaining tortillas wrapped in the damp paper towels while working.
- Dry Skillet: Toast them on both sides in a dry skillet (slightly more sturdy result).
- Fry: Lightly fry them in oil (sturdiest result). Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add a bit of vegetable or canola oil. Gently fry the tortillas ensuring not to let them get crispy. Transfer the fried tortillas to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
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