I make these Chicken Enchiladas at least twice a month because they’re easy to make, and my family loves them. This easy recipe is made with shredded rotisserie chicken (but you can use any type of cooked chicken!), lots of cheese, and our delicious red enchilada sauce. In my opinion, the homemade sauce really is the secret ingredient. It adds so much flavor to the dish and works out way cheaper than buying store-bought enchilada sauce. This recipe also stores really well in the fridge, so they’re perfect for meal prep!
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Chicken enchiladas are a popular Mexican dish, often made from rolled corn tortillas filled with chicken and topped with a savory chili-based enchilada sauce and cheese. They’re baked in the oven until warm, gooey, and delicious! My recipe is more Tex-Mex style, as I use flour tortillas over corn (but you can use whichever you prefer!) and canned green chiles in the filling. However, there are many variations of this dish, with different fillings and sauces depending on the region or personal preference.
Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Servings 4 servings (2 enchiladas each)Ingredients
- 2 cups homemade enchilada sauce*, divided ($0.84)
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken ($5.97)
- ½ tsp cumin ($0.05)
- ½ tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
- ¼ tsp salt ($0.02)
- 4 oz. can diced green chilies ($0.99)
- 8 flour tortillas ($1.98)
- 2 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided ($2.86)
Instructions
- Start by preparing the homemade enchilada sauce, or if you are using store-bought sauce, go ahead and set it aside. Then shred the cooked chicken.
- Add the shredded chicken to a large bowl and season with ground cumin, garlic powder, and salt. Mix together to combine. Now add the diced green chilies and ¾ cup of shredded cheese to the bowl. Mix together to combine.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Warm the flour tortillas in the microwave according to the package instructions or in a dry skillet over the stovetop.
- Next, spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spread it around until it covers the surface.
- Fill each tortilla with about ¼-⅓ cup of filling then roll to close. Place them in the casserole dish seam side down. Continue until all of the tortillas have been filled, rolled, and placed in the dish.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas, then top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes in the preheated oven until the cheese is fully melted on top. Serve hot with your favorite toppings*** and enjoy!
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Equipment
- 9×13-inch Baking Dish
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!how to make Chicken Enchiladas — step by step photos
Start by preparing your homemade enchilada sauce, or if you’re using store-bought sauce, go ahead and set it aside. Next, shred 3 cups of cooked chicken using two forks.
Place the shredded chicken into a large bowl and add ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp salt. Mix everything together until the seasonings are evenly distributed.
Pour in a 4 oz. can diced green chilis and ¾ cup of the shredded Mexican cheese, and stir to combine.
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Warm 8 flour tortillas either in the microwave following the package instructions or on the stovetop in a dry skillet (don’t add any butter or oil to the skillet).
Pour ½ a cup of enchilada sauce into a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread it around to cover the bottom of the dish.
Fill each tortilla with about ¼-⅓ cup of the shredded chicken filling and roll it to close. Avoid overfilling the tortillas; this recipe makes enough filling for 8 chicken enchiladas in total.
Place each filled and rolled tortilla seam-side down into the prepared baking dish. Placing them seam-side down helps stop them from potentially bursting open in the oven. Continue filling and rolling each tortilla until they’re all placed in the dish.
Pour the remaining 1 ½ cups of enchilada sauce over the filled and rolled tortillas. Then, sprinkle the remaining 1 ¾ cups shredded Mexican cheese on top.
Place the baking dish into your preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted on top. Add any toppings you like, if desired (I’ve shared some of my favorites above!), and serve.
Variations to Try!
I love how such simple ingredients pack a punch of flavor in this recipe, but I get that some people like to change things up now and then! Here are some variation ideas I think would work well:
- Use a different meat: You could easily switch the chicken to another pre-cooked meat, like ground beef, carnitas, or turkey.
- Try a different sauce: I’m not lying when I say our homemade red enchilada sauce is amazing, but you could try a green chile enchilada sauce instead.
- Add even more heat: This recipe for chicken enchiladas is more of a medium-spice level if you use our homemade sauce. You can level up or down the heat by adding more or less chili powder or cayenne pepper to the sauce. Or, if you’re using store-bought, opt for a hot variety.
- Add some beans: You could definitely mix in drained and rinsed black or pinto beans to the filling if you’d like. Canned corn could also be a fun addition!
Serving Suggestions
I usually keep the sides simple when I serve this dish because they’re pretty hearty on their own. But my kids love cilantro lime rice, so that’s often on the menu when I make these homemade chicken enchiladas! I personally go for something light and fresh to cut through the cheesy, saucy goodness, and our sweet corn salsa is my current go-to. Some tortilla chips and black bean dip wouldn’t be a bad idea, either!
Storage and Reheating
This recipe is great for meal prepping. They can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the oven or microwave.
I’ve never tried enchiladas before and decided to make this, and it was delicious! I added a bit of cream cheese to the filling, and am glad I did, but kept everything else the same. It was even better the second day, since the tortillas absorbed all the sauce.
Simply, easy and delicious!
Where’s the recipe for the enchilada sauce?
It’s under the notes of the recipe! But you can find it here! https://www.budgetbytes.com/red-enchilada-sauce/
Delicious! 😋
Making these this week
This looks tasty! I’ve been meaning to make enchiladas, and this recipe is the most straightforward I’ve come across. Thanks for the reliable recipes! Hope to try these this week.