Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken enchiladas are full of a perfectly seasoned chicken mixture, topped with enchilada sauce and cheese, and baked until bubbly for a delicious and hearty dinner the whole family will love.

We just got back from a camping weekend in the mountains, and it was glorious!

My kiddos can help with more things around the campsite now and really enjoy being part of the process. We had some yummy food, good fires, a great hike on Saturday and it was just lovely to be living outside for a little while.

(If your family loves camping, too, check out these 12 easy camping dinners I rounded up for keeping things simple and delicious.)

OK, let's move on to the food.

Enchiladas might be my love language.

Previously I’ve shared sweet potato and black bean enchiladas, which are crazy good and perfect for a vegetarian version.

And we love these salsa verde chicken enchiladas for a fun twist. And you can't beat this chicken enchilada skillet for an easy dinner with minimal clean up.

Today, I’m so happy to be sharing the classic recipe that’s always a hit in our house.

These chicken enchiladas are super flavorful, cheesy and so very scrumptious.

They are full of a chicken and green chili mixture that’s seasoned to perfection and then rolled in tortillas.

They get covered with a delicious red enchilada sauce and covered in cheese then baked until melty and bubbly. Swoon!

Plus, this chicken enchilada recipe is really easy to make.

We’re using rotisserie or leftover shredded chicken, seasoning it up and getting the filling ready in a pan, then you just assemble them and bake them off.

The whole thing is ready in 25 minutes, so it’s a great choice even for busy weeknights.

And everyone will be happy to sit down at the table when these are on the menu!

Both of my kiddos get super excited for enchiladas.

J, who is 7, said the last time I made these, “I love enchiladas! They’re so filling!”

I’m going to be in trouble when he’s a teenager and eating half the pan of these.

For now though, these are definitely a regular fixture on our dinner rotation menu. And I know you are going to love them, too!

You might also love these cream cheese chicken enchiladas with their creamy filling.

Another favorite around here that has some of these same delicious flavors is King Ranch chicken casserole. A must try if you haven't had it!

OK, back to today's recipe. Let’s get cooking.

Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make chicken enchiladas. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on making chicken enchiladas:

• Chicken: The chicken for this recipe needs to be cooked, so please plan accordingly. You can use a rotisserie chicken from the store or some Instant Pot shredded chicken or crockpot shredded chicken.
• Enchilada sauce: I use my homemade enchilada sauce, which is easy and SO flavorful, but you can definitely substitute store-bought. You’ll need 1 (10-ounce size) can.
• Cheese: Monterey Jack cheese is called for in the recipe, but you can substitute shredded cheddar or use a Mexican blend cheese if you’d like.
• Want to add some veggies? You know I support that. Add a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach to wilt down with the chicken mixture in the pan. You could also add some corn to the mixture if you’d like.
• Black beans are another great addition, and I’ve made them that way before. They definitely are more filling and you’ll get about 10 enchiladas instead of the 8 here.

Like it spicy?

You can add a diced jalapeño when you sauté the onion or you can opt for Pepper Jack for your cheese. You can also substitute cayenne for the black pepper.

Or you can just drizzle some hot sauce or sriracha on top of the enchiladas when serving. (I do this so my kids can have it not spicy and I can add a little kick just to mine.)

Speaking of toppings…

These don’t really need anything, but if you are a topping lover like me, feel free to load yours up.

Here are a few ideas to get you thinking.

Topping ideas for chicken enchiladas:

• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Sliced green onions or chives
• Sliced avocado or a dollop of guacamole
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Extra Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
• Hot sauce or sriracha

Also, if you want to prep these ahead, you can definitely make the chicken filling and have that ready to go.

Then you just need to roll and assemble the enchiladas before baking them off.

OK, now we are ready to eat!

Enchiladas are pretty filling and don’t really need a lot to go with them.

I usually just add a small green side salad and call it a day. (I love the southwestern style bagged salads from the grocery store for this.)

Here’s a few other ideas if you’re interested in rounding out your meal.

What to serve with chicken enchiladas:

- Make or buy a green side salad to go with the enchiladas.

- Serve with rice and black beans on the side.

- Or make some coleslaw or Mexican coleslaw to go with the meal.

- You could also serve these with some roasted or grilled veggies, such as a mix of zucchini and peppers.

- Serve with a black bean and mango salad or an avocado and veggie salad.

So many options.

Finally, let’s talk about what to do with any leftovers you might have.

How to store leftover chicken enchiladas:

- Once cooled, store the leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

- I prefer to reheat mine in individual servings in the microwave. Start with 1 minute, then check and add additional time as needed.

- Or if you have lots leftover or made the entire thing ahead and want to reheat it, place the casserole dish in the oven and cook, covered, at 325 for 10-15 minutes. Then uncover and cook for another 5-10 minutes until warmed through.

These reheat really well so they are great for lunch another day.

I hope you try these chicken enchiladas soon for a family-friendly dinner that everyone will love.

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

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4.50 from 10 votes

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken enchiladas are full of a perfectly seasoned chicken mixture, topped with enchilada sauce and cheese, and baked until bubbly for a delicious and hearty dinner the whole family will love.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Yield: 4 -6 servings

1x2x3x

Cook Mode

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ¾ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper (or cayenne for more heat)
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• 2 (4.5 oz.) cans diced green chilies, undrained
• 1 ¼ cups red enchilada sauce, divided (1 (10 oz.) can or homemade)
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
• 8 medium flour tortillas (we use whole wheat)

Optional toppings:

• Fresh cilantro, sliced green onions or chives, sliced avocado or guac, sour cream or Greek yogurt, extra shredded cheese, hot sauce or sriracha

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400.
• Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat,. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and cook for another minute.
• Add the chicken and chilies and stir to combine and warm through. Stir in ½ cup of the shredded cheese. Combine well then turn off the heat.
• Add ¼ cup of enchilada sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish and spread to cover most of the bottom of the dish.
• Add a heaping ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture in a line to the center of each tortilla, leaving a little room on the sides. Fold in the sides slightly then roll up the tortillas. Place each tortilla seam-side down in the casserole dish, fitting them tightly together in the pan.
• Top the enchiladas with the remaining cup of enchilada sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese.
• Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, until bubbly. Serve hot with desired toppings and enjoy!

Notes

Chicken: The chicken for this recipe needs to be cooked, so please plan accordingly. You can use a rotisserie chicken from the store or some Instant Pot shredded chicken or crockpot shredded chicken.

Enchilada sauce: I use my homemade enchilada sauce, but you can definitely substitute store-bought. You’ll need 1 (10-ounce size) can.

Cheese: Monterey Jack cheese is called for in the recipe, but you can substitute shredded cheddar or use a Mexican blend cheese if you’d like.

Want to add veggies? You know I support that. Add a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach to wilt down with the chicken mixture in the pan. You could also add some corn to the mixture if you’d like.

Beans: Black beans are another great addition, and I’ve made them that way before. They definitely are more filling and you’ll get about 10 enchiladas instead of the 8 here.

Like it spicy? You can add a diced jalapeño when you sauté the onion or you can opt for Pepper Jack for your cheese. You can also substitute cayenne for the black pepper. Or you can just drizzle some hot sauce or sriracha on top of the enchiladas when serving. 

Storing and reheating leftovers:

• Once cooled, store the leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• I prefer to reheat mine in individual servings in the microwave. Start with 1 minute, then check and add additional time as needed.
• Or if you have lots leftover or made the entire thing ahead and want to reheat it, place the casserole dish in the oven and cook, covered, at 325 for 10-15 minutes. Then uncover and cook for another 5-10 minutes until warmed through.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1½ enchiladas | Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 1085mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g

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