When the need for a straightforward weeknight dinner meets the craving for satisfying comfort food, chicken enchiladas are a guaranteed winner. They’re easy, filling, and take less than an hour to prepare from start to finish. This classic recipe not only perfects the staple chicken dinner, but is a perfect jumping off point to experiment with and make them completely your own. Keep reading on for everything you need to know to perfect these enchiladas:
What are enchiladas?
Originally a Mexican street food, enchiladas began simply as rolled tortillas dipped in chili sauce. As Mexican immigrants moved into Texas, also known as Tejanos, they brought their culinary traditions with them, adapting them along the way to create the Tex-Mex cuisine we know and love today. These enchiladas fall somewhere in between, but they’re definitely Tex-Mex at their core. They may not be authentic by, well, anyone’s standards, but they’re quick, easy, filling, and delicious.
Our top tips for how to make the best chicken enchiladas:
— The tortillas. Corn tortillas are our preference—they have more flavor than flour and are more traditional. If you prefer flour tortillas, you can use them instead! Whatever tortillas you use, make sure you warm them slightly before filling. This will help soften your tortillas and make them easier to roll.
— The sauce. We highly recommend making our homemade enchilada sauce in this recipe. It only takes 20 minutes to come together and really takes these enchiladas up a notch in the flavor department. But if you’re pressed for time, you can use store-bought in a pinch.
— The chicken. To make these enchiladas even easier, we’ll be cooking and shredding our chicken breasts ahead of time, making this an ideal make-ahead meal. After cooking, store your shredded chicken in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use, up to 5 days. Follow our guide to how to shred chicken perfectly for everything you need to know.
— Toppings. We love serving these enchiladas with sour cream, lime, and fresh cilantro, but feel free to experiment with your toppings. Add sliced avocado for added creaminess, or your fave hot sauce to amp up the heat.
Enchilada variations:
If you’re looking to expand beyond these classic chicken enchiladas, we’ve got plenty of options for you. If you’re not feeling chicken, then our vegetarian enchiladas are a perfect meatless option, or you can turn to our beef enchiladas if that’s more your thing. Serving a crowd, or looking for an enchilada hack? Our chicken enchilada casserole and green chile chicken skillet enchiladas are perfect ways to switch up the classic preparation and flavors.
Chicken enchilada serving ideas:
These enchiladas are a hearty meal on their own, but if you’re serving a crowd, some elote, black beans, or Mexican rice would make for A+ sides. Serve them with some sour cream and lime wedges, or add some guacamole, salsa, or salsa verde to the spread.
Ingredients
- 2cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, coarsely chopped
- 1/2yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp.neutral oil
- 1 tsp.ground cumin
- 2(10-oz.) cans or 20 oz. homemade enchilada sauce
- 8 oz.canned crushed tomatoes
- 3 c.cooked, shredded chicken
- 1/4 c.chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving
- 8 oz.shredded cheddar (about 2 c.), divided
- 8 oz.shredded Monterey Jack (about 2 c.), divided
- Kosher salt
- 8(8″) flour or corn tortillas, warmed
- Sour cream and lime wedges, for serving
Directions
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- Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. In a food processor, pulse garlic, bell pepper, and onion until finely chopped.
- Step 2In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
- Step 3Stir in enchilada sauce and tomatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup sauce mixture for topping enchiladas.
- Step 4In a medium bowl, combine chicken, cilantro, 1 cup cheddar, and 1 cup Monterey Jack. Add 1 cup sauce mixture and toss to combine; season with salt.
- Step 5Spread remaining sauce mixture in the bottom of a 13″-by-9″ baking dish.
- Step 6Spoon about 2/3 cup chicken mixture into the center of a warmed tortilla. Roll up tortillas and arrange seam side down on top of sauce along one short side of baking dish. Repeat with remaining filling and tortillas, placing each filled tortilla next to the last to form a row that stretches the length of the dish.
- Step 7Spread reserved 3/4 cup sauce mixture on top of tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheddar and 1 cup Monterey Jack.
- Step 8Bake enchiladas until cheese is bubbling and melted, 15-20 minutes. Top with sour cream and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges alongside.
- Step 1
