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Easy Chicken Enchiladas are a family favorite and an easy meal to put on the table. Warm, cheesy chicken, diced green chiles and peppers are baked in whole wheat tortillas with a cheesy enchilada sauce on top.
If someone was to ask me what the best thing you can give a new Mom as a gift is I would say a meal. Hands down when I had a baby I found cooking and putting a healthy meal on the table to be one of the hardest things to do. Today’s Chicken Enchiladas are one of the meals I like to bring friends when they need a helping hand. They are the best chicken enchiladas.
They are easy to put together and refrigerate until they are ready to be eaten. Aside from giving these to friends, my family also loves them. They are on rotation at my house. I like meals that use shredded chicken from the crockpot, or a rotisserie chicken that you can shred to create a quick meal. We rotate between today’s Easy Chicken Enchiladas these Easy Vegetarian Enchilada Recipe and Beef Enchiladas. I also like using this Homemade Enchilada Sauce in other dishes like these Chicken Enchilada Sliders, Chicken Enchilada Soup, Beef Enchilada Casserole and this One Pot Chicken Enchilada Pasta.
Recipe Ingredients
See full list of simple ingredients below in recipe card with exact measurements.
- Chicken
- Diced Tomatoes
- Vegetables: Bell Pepper, Onion, Diced Green Chilies
- Spices: Cumin, Cayenne Red Pepper
- Cheese
- Enchilada Sauce
- Tortillas
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
Step 1: Cook Chicken: Start by deciding if you are going to cook chicken, leftover chicken or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken. If you use a rotisserie chicken you will first shred the chicken. If you are cooking the chicken breasts go ahead and do that and then chop or shred it.
Step 2: Create Filling: In a large mixing bowl stir together the shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, green chilis, chopped green pepper, sweet onion, cumin, red pepper and 1 cup of cheese. Mix until well combined and set aside.
In a 9×13 inch baking dish use 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce and coat the bottom of the dish. Set aside.
Step 3: Assemble: Place tortillas on a large plate. Then using a spoon place 2-3 spoonfulls of the chicken mixture into the center of the tortilla and roll it until closed. Place seem side down in the dish. Continue to do all of the tortillas laying them side by side.
Step 4: Add Sauce: Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Step 5: Bake: Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven on 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the enchiladas are warm on the inside. Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with mexican rice. Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Recipe Variations
- Beans: You can use black beans, kidney beans, red beans or pinto beans. Sometimes I will also do a layer of refried beans.
- Cheese: There are a lot of cheese options. Try monterrey jack cheese, sharp cheddar, pepper jack, cojita or colby.
- Vegetables: I love adding chopped up veggies to the mixture that goes in the enchiladas. Try any bell pepper, poblano, zucchini, sweet bell peppers, red onion, green onions, poblano peppers, sweet potatoes, diced green chiles or carrots.
- Protein: You could swap the chicken for sausage, ground chicken, ground turkey or ground beef.
- Garnishes: Load on toppings if you would like. Bake the enchiladas and add avocado, cilantro, tomatoes or salsa. I love adding salsa like pico de gallo, guacamole, salsa verde, pickled red onions or cowboy caviar.
- Sauce: You can use a red enchilada sauce or a green enchilada sauce.
Storage Tips
Store leftover enchiladas in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat you can heat in the oven or the microwave.
More Mexican Recipes
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Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked {shredded}
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 cans diced green chiles
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped (can use red, yellow or orange)
- 1/4 sweet onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper , {or more if you like it a bit spicier}
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups sharp cheese , shredded {divided in half} {or cheese of you choice}
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce, divided
- 8 whole wheat tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat over to 350 degrees. The way I cooked the chicken is by placing the four chicken breasts in a wide pan with a dash of salt and pepper, 1 bay leaf and 1 teaspoon of thyme. Put water in the pan so 2 inches covers the chicken.
- Bring the chicken to a boil and turn the heat down to a simmer, cooking for 10 minutes. Turn heat off and cover and let sit for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- To shred chicken: Use two forks to shred the chicken. You can also use a stand mixer by placing the cooked chicken breasts in the mixer and use the paddle attachment to slowly mix the chicken breasts which will shred it.
- In a large mixing bowl stir together the shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, green chiles, chopped green pepper, sweet onion, cumin, red pepper and 1 cup of cheese. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- In a 9×13 inch baking dish use 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce and coat the bottom of the dish. Set aside.
- Place tortillas on a large plate. Using a spoon place 2-3 spoonfulls of the chicken mixture into the center of the tortilla and roll it until closed. Place seem side down in the dish. Continue to do all of the tortillas laying them side by side.
- Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the enchiladas are warm on the inside. Garnish with cilantro and green onions.
Notes
- You can use a variety of cheese for this dish. I like to mix sharp cheddar with pepper jack cheese for some spice.
- I like to assemble these enchiladas ahead of time to save myself time.
- You can assemble them up until the step where you add the enchilada sauce and cheese to the top of the enchiladas. Place the enchiladas in the refrigerator covered until you are ready to cook them. Then you can add the enchilada sauce and cheese when you are ready to cook.
- This also works great if you want to give this meal to a friend. Just deliver the pan of assembled enchiladas with the enchilada sauce and cheese on the side so they can add that before cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh yeah! I definitely need these in my life!
Oh, yum! I love enchiladas. I have no idea why I don’t make them more often. I think I will have to try your recipe tomorrow night when I can stock up on more tortillas!
Enchiladas are my favorite! I seriously make them once a week over here. I usually cook the meat over the weekend so during the week I can just roll up some enchiladas and cover them in sauce and cheese and bake! Perfect new mom/busy mom meal!
You really can’t go wrong with enchiladas!
My daughter’s favorite food is an enchilada. She will love these. I’ll make for her soon.
Hope you like them 🙂
Mmmm, this looks fabulous Julia!!!
Thanks Aimee!
I agree – meals for new moms are such a BIG help!! This looks like a super meal to make or give away 🙂
Thanks Becca! They really are such a big help when you are sleep deprived and not thinking straight!
Julia! These look DELICIOUS! I wish some could magically appear at my house for dinner 🙂
I always bring meals to my new mommy friends, and you can definitely see the relief in their eyes when they receive them! I usually bring some sort of casserole, and enchiladas are high on the list! These look great!
Enchiladas are great too because you can modify them a lot depending on your friend’s tastes! Casseroles are a great option too, I agree!
With a baby on board and lots of friends due…soon…this is one timely, timely post! Plus, who doesn’t LOVE enchiladas!?!? Mmm!
Your new Mama friends will love these! 😉
Similar to what I make! Glad you created a recipe for me to try as well!
I hope you like it! 🙂