Easy Chicken Enchiladas
These Easy Chicken Enchiladas are made with Authentic Red Enchilada Sauce, made with dried peppers as the major ingredient. So, they’re much more flavorful than those that are mostly tomato-based.
They work well with either freshly cooked, rotisserie, or leftover chicken. Top them with your toppings and you have a complete meal.
What you Need
For the Filling
- Chicken: Freshly cooked or leftover chicken. The chicken can be stewed, slow-cooked, chicken breast cooked in the Instant Pot, or shallow fried. Chop it well after cooking.
- Onion: Finely diced onion since it won’t be cooked.
- Green Chiles: Use canned or roasted chilies from your garden.
- Garlic: Finely minced garlic.
- Spices: Cumin, coriander and chili powder.
To Assemble
- Corn Tortillas: You can use flour tortillas, but corn tortillas are traditional.
- Vegetable Oil: Just a little bit in a skillet to soften the tortillas.
- Enchilada Sauce: You can use canned sauce, but it is well worth your while to take the time to make your own. Here is a recipe for Enchilada Sauce.
- Cheese: You can use a Mexican cheese like cotija or queso fresco, but you can use a mild cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese or a pre-grated taco blend.
- Toppings: Shredded lettuce, chopped fresh tomatoes, avocado, salsa, Mexican creme, cilantro or any of your favorite toppings.
How to Make Easy Chicken Enchiladas
If you’re using a fresh chicken, place it in a large pot with celery and onion and cook it until it measures 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. If you use leftover chicken, skip this step.
Let the chicken cool until it is cool enough to handle. Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Soften the tortillas on the first side in hot oil until they bubble. Carefully flip them with tongs. Just fry on the other side for a minute or so.
Let some of the oil drip back into the pan for a few seconds. Place the tortillas on paper towels to absorb some of the oil. Place more paper towels between the layers of tortillas. Let them cool.
While the tortillas cool enough to handle, chop the onion and garlic.
Mix the shredded chicken with the green chilies, onion, garlic and spices in a large bowl.
Warm the sauce in the microwave if it has been refrigerated to thin it out a bit. Dip a softened tortillas into the sauce. Fill it with a couple of tablespoons of the filling mixture. Begin to roll it into a log.
Continue to roll it into a log.
Fill the baking dish with tortillas seam-side down and pour more sauce onto the enchiladas. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes until everything is hot. Then remove from the oven and top with grated cheese. Return the baking pan to the oven to melt the cheese. Serve hot.
I usually use whole fryers because they are so economical. The other added bonus is that I have lots of fresh chicken broth that I can freeze for later use. You could substitute a rotisserie chicken or use leftover chicken to save time.
What to do With Leftovers
Let leftovers cool to room temperature. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 3-4 days.
Single-serve portions can be double-wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil. Refrigerate for 2-3 months.
To reheat, thaw frozen enchiladas in the refrigerator. Place the enchiladas on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high power for 1½-2 minutes. If they aren’t hot, break them up with a fork and microwave at 30-second intervals until hot.
If you love this authentic red sauce for enchiladas, you’re gonna love this delicious recipe for sour cream chicken enchiladas.
What to Serve with Enchiladas
More Delicious Mexican Food
- Pork Carnitas Enchiladas
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Chicken Tacos
- Chorizo Tacos
- Steak and Chorizo Taquitos
- Pork Taquitos
Use this Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe to take your enchiladas to the next flavor level! It makes all of the difference in the world! What are you doing for Cinco de Mayo? Parties, bars, or just relaxing at home and making some great Mexican food? Let me know in the comments below. Make some of our deliciously easy chicken enchiladas.
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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today.
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded or cubed chicken pieces or substitute rotisserie chicken
- 1 can diced green chilies
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or use garlic powder
- 2 tsp Chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 24 corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
- for garnish, avocado slices, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, Queso fresco, salsa of your choice
- 2-3 cups red sauce, recipe below. Store bought can be substituted for homemade
Instructions
- Mix chicken, chilies, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly.
- Heat oil over fairly high heat in a small frying pan,
- Add one tortilla at a time to soften. Just a few seconds on the first side, until tortilla bubbles. Then flip on the other side for a few seconds. Drain between paper towels.
To assemble enchiladas
- Heat oven to 350°F. Place a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ baking pan.
- Dip enchilada in enchilada sauce, one at a time. Fill with 2 tbsp. of filling, on the bottom third of the tortilla. Roll tightly. Place slit side down on the baking pan,Roll all enchiladas. If you have additional filling it can be saved in the freezer, or use for tacos.
- Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce, depending on how wet you like them. Cover pan with foil and bake approximately 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Remove lid, top with shredded cheese. Return to oven to melt cheese.
- Serve with desired toppings.
- Recipe for Enchilada Sauce
See all of my favorite tools and gift ideas on my New Amazon Store!Check out Binky’s Amazon Store!Notes
- lettuce
- tomato
- sour cream or creme fraiche
- queso fresco or cotija
- avocado
- hot sauce
- salsa
Nutrition
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Originally published May 1, 2018. Updated, January 12, 2025.
This chicken enchiladas look to die for. I love the look and the sound of those. In Europe I think we are more into Asian food I must make more Mexican dishes for sure. I’m going to try those definitely.
That’s what Brian said! You poor things!! I am so sorry for you!! 🙂 You really must give it a try!
I saw your enchilada sauce the other day and it sounds wonderful, I really do keep meaning to work on Mexican food, we ararely see it on this side of the Atlantic, these are definitely on my must make list!
They are so good! I am truly sorry for you, Brian!! Mexican is one of our favorites!
This looks perfect for Cinco de Mayo and I love the idea of using a whole roast chicken. Can you say creamy chicken soup? Thanks for sharing this!
You could use chicken soup, as well! I try to keep it a bit lighter!
Looks so delicious, flavourful and easy to make. Will be adding this to our list to make this weekend. This is perfect because we will be making rotisserie chicken too. Thanks for this recipe!.
Yes, this is the perfect recipe for rotisserie chicken! Thank you Arjhon!
Chicken enchiladas are one of our favorite dinners! Love to see your take on this Mexican dish, interested in your homemade enchilada sauce, too!
You will love the homemade sauce, Alina! Thank you!
These would be so perfect for Cinco de Mayo! So delicious!
I’m making it again on Saturday! I just have to! Thanks Jessica!
yessss! This is the perfect recipe for me. Looks VERY tasty! Now, this recipe will be one of my favorites. Is good food and this looks like one of the BEST! THANK YOU!
Thanks Veena! I appreciate your comment! Happy Cinco de Mayo!
My hubby loves Mexican food so I know he would love this. I am interested to try the homemade enchilada sauce with this as I bet it tastes way better than store bought.
It is absolutely far superior! Thank you Vicky!
I’m in total agreement about loving Mexican food. I think we could eat it 7 days a week. Your enchilada recipe looks so good and easy. Got to try it!
Oh, we could too! Totally! I can’t even look at this and I want to make more! LOL!