Chicken Enchilada Recipe

These easy Chicken Enchiladas are made with simple ingredients like juicy shredded chicken, gooey melted cheese, homemade (or store-bought) enchilada sauce, and corn tortillas. My all-time favorite enchilada recipe, this popular Mexican recipe is perfect for meal prepping and freezing!

Best Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken enchiladas are one of the easiest Mexican recipes to make at home. Unlike burritos which call for rice and beans and shredded lettuce or cabbage, all you need to make perfectly delicious enchiladas are a handful of tortillas, some enchilada sauce, shredded chicken, cheese, and sour cream.

You can add anything you’d like, of course, but after enjoying countless enchilada plates from Mexican restaurants and taquerias, plus a recent visit to Mexico, I’ve found that enchiladas are best when they are left simple. After all, these are not meant to be mini-burritos. 

This particular enchilada recipe is enchiladas con chile rojo, or enchiladas with red chile sauce and they are a family favorite! Perfect for meal prepping I’ll usually double (or triple) the recipe so that I have enough to get through the week or freeze extras for later.

Chicken Enchilada Ingredients

The key to making the very best enchiladas lies in three ingredients: the sauce, the tortillas, and the cheese.

• Red Enchilada sauce: Personally, I feel that homemade enchilada sauce versus store-bought makes an enormous difference in the overall taste of enchiladas. If you have the time, make your own. If not, use your favorite store-bought version (I love Trader Joe’s enchilada sauce).
• Chicken. To be honest, I didn’t do anything fancy with the chicken. I had made a big pot of homemade broth using a mix of chicken breast and chicken thigh meat, so I added a mix of the two. You may use leftover baked chicken, rotisserie chicken, or poached chicken (just take care not to over-cook chicken breasts when poaching).
• Corn Tortillas: Traditional enchiladas are made with corn tortillas. You may use yellow corn, white corn, half-corn/half-flour, or all-flour tortillas, but I recommend that you try at least partial corn tortillas. The combination of homemade enchilada sauce and corn tortillas really tastes so good, you guys.
• Cheese: I used all Monterey Jack. It melts nicely and has a smooth, subtle taste. Some shredded sharp cheddar cheese would also work and adds some nice color to the top of your enchiladas, but I find that having a mix isn’t really necessary unless you love super cheesy enchiladas (which is awesome).
• Taco Seasoning. I added a little bit of my Homemade Taco Seasoning since I added plain, unseasoned chicken without any seasoning or spice. I didn’t go crazy with the taco seasoning as I actually wanted to taste what I was stuffing into the tortillas.
• Sour Cream. I added sour cream to the chicken mix and added it to the top of the enchiladas after they were removed from the oven. You may also use plain Greek yogurt or Crema Mexicana (especially delicious drizzled on top) as any of these options will add a creamy element without actually making them creamy.

How to Make Chicken Enchiladas

1. Prepare your homemade enchilada sauce: If you are making your own enchilada sauce, allow at least 1 hour or make it the day before. If you are using store-bought, you can continue to the next step.

2. Preheat the oven and prepare your baking dish: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

3. Cook the chicken: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add your chicken (breasts, thighs, or a mix) and return to a boil. Allow chicken to boil, uncovered for 5 minutes, then cover with a lid and remove from heat. Allow the chicken to rest in the boiled water for an additional 20-25 minutes or until cooked through (cooking time will vary between chicken breasts and chicken thighs so use a digital meat thermometer to be safe). Remove chicken from the pot and allow to rest until cool enough to shred easily.

4. Quickly fry the tortillas to soften (and prevent cracking): Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When hot add one corn tortilla to the center of the skillet. Allow the tortilla to cook for several seconds then flip (with your hands or a spatula), and immediately add your second corn tortilla to the top (creating a two-layer stack). Continue to cook the first tortilla for several more seconds on the other side. This allows the tortillas to share the excess oil and prevents them from becoming too greasy. Remove the bottom tortilla to a clean plate and flip the top tortilla so that its “dry” side is now facing-down on the skillet. Repeat until all the tortillas have been warmed/browned/oiled, adding additional oil (in small amounts) to the skillet as needed. Remove the tortillas to paper towels wrapped in foil to stay warm until ready to roll. (I have tried warming in damp paper towels in the microwave and this DOES NOT work).

5. Combine the filling: Add the shredded chicken, 1 cup enchilada sauce, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning, and 1/2-1 cup sour cream to a large mixing bowl. Mix well to combine.

6. Assemble: Add approximately 1/2 to 1 cup of enchilada sauce to the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Spread evenly to cover the bottom. Unwrap your corn tortillas and, one at a time spread approximately 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture over each. Roll up each tortilla and place it in the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat until all tortillas have been filled (or you run out of space in your baking dish). Drizzle the top of the enchiladas with additional enchilada sauce and sprinkle with 1-2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

8. Bake: Transfer to the oven and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and melted.

How to Freeze Chicken Enchiladas

Keep the sauce and the rolled enchiladas separate. This is especially important if you use flour tortillas (rather than corn tortillas) as flour tortillas tend to get soggy much faster.

Next, you have two options– freeze the rolled enchiladas in a baking dish or roll them up, transfer them to a lined baking sheet and freeze them until solid, and then transfer them to a zip-lock bag. Both options are good options. For me, it depends on storage.

1. Freeze them in a baking dish. To freeze them in a baking dish, simply follow the steps, stopping after you’ve rolled all of your enchiladas. Do NOT add enchilada sauce to the bottom of your baking dish and do NOT top with enchilada sauce. Freeze your sauce separately. Cover your baking dish with a tight lid and place it in the freezer.
2. Freeze individually. To freeze individually, rather than placing the rolled enchiladas in a baking dish, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper leaving a little space between each one. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and allow them to freeze completely. Once frozen, transfer the rolled enchiladas to a freezer-safe bag. Freeze your sauce separately.

When ready to cook, simply reheat the enchiladas in a baking dish at 350 degrees until warm. Once warm, add the thawed enchilada sauce and continue with the instructions from there.

What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas

If you order enchiladas from a Mexican restaurant you will probably be served a side of Mexican rice or Spanish-style rice, refried beans, and a small serving of shredded iceberg lettuce. Other popular sides include chips and salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, and margaritas! And if I were entertaining guests, I may include all of the above with cilantro lime rice, pozole, or ground beef tacos.

Have you tried making this easy chicken enchilada recipe?

Tell me about it in the comments below! I always love to hear your thoughts. And tag me #theforkedspoon on Instagram if you’ve made any of my recipes, I always love to see what you’re cooking in the kitchen.