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This chicken enchilada recipe is quick, easy, and perfectly spiced. They are a top-requested family favorite!
We love to serve these enchiladas alongside Homemade Spanish Rice, Homemade Salsa, and Chicken Tacos.
A family go-to!
Because of my heritage, I’ve learned how to make so many Mexican recipes – and this enchilada recipe is the FIRST Mexican dinner I learned to make.
Since then, I’ve made it countless times and we’ve established enchiladas as a family favorite dinner (along with Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, Cheese Enchiladas and Beef Enchiladas).
Why we love them:
- Any and every night. A 20-minute prep time makes these perfect for a quick dinner and entertaining.
- Restaurant quality at home. Get those delicious classic Mexican flavors at home!
- Feeds the masses. This makes a good-sized batch and is also freezer-friendly, so make extras and save them for a quick meal later!
- For sharing. I love giving this chicken enchilada recipe (frozen) to new moms so they have a simple dinner for their family on crazy nights.
Ingredients
- chicken – Use canned chicken, Baked Chicken, or rotisserie chicken and shred it with a fork. I love to keep Shredded Chicken in the freezer to use in my favorite recipes.
- Colby jack cheese – Using a different cheese blend can certainly change the flavor. Try a Mexican blend, grated marble Colby jack, or a cheddar cheese and pepper jack blend.
- Las Palmas green chile enchilada sauce – or homemade Green Enchilada Sauce
- sour cream – or plain yogurt
- corn tortillas – We prefer corn tortillas since they are more traditional and add more flavor to the recipe, but you can swap the corn tortillas with similarly sized Flour Tortillas. No need to dip flour tortillas in the sauce before rolling.
- chopped green chiles
- salt and pepper to taste
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- CHICKEN MIX. Stir the filling ingredients in a small bowl.
- TORTILLAS. Boil the sauce and remove from heat. Dip each tortilla into the heated sauce for a few seconds to soften.
- FILL. Place the softened tortilla in the baking dish and spoon ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons of sour cream down the center (squeeze sour cream packages work great for this!)
- BAKE. Roll up the tortilla and make sure it’s seam-side down in the baking dish. Top with shredded cheese and bake for about 20 minutes.
Serving Size
This easy enchilada recipe makes 4 servings, but we usually double it to feed a larger crowd and use a 9×13 casserole dish.
Recipe Tips
- Soften the tortilla without dipping or frying. If the tortillas are falling apart while dipping, they could be old and should probably be microwaved instead. Warm tortillas in the microwave or on a pan in the oven. When they are just warm, keep them wrapped in a thick kitchen towel or a tortilla warmer.
- Soggy enchiladas. Enchiladas should be saucy, but not soggy.
- Bake uncovered and then let them cool a bit to allow steam to evaporate.
- Soften the corn tortilla so that it rolls easily, but don’t saturate it.
- Adding too much sour cream or enchilada sauce can cause it to be soggy. You can always add more sauce after they have baked.
- Toppings. Add olives, tomatoes, diced red onions, sliced jalapenos, fresh cilantro, salsa, chili peppers, black beans, or corn.
Serving Suggestions
The Mexican side dish options are endless for this chicken enchiladas recipe.
- Mexican Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice
- Homemade Salsa, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole
- Refried Beans
- Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Esquites, Mexican Corn on the Cob
- Chicken Tacos
SToring Info
- Make ahead of time. Make as instructed, cover them with foil or plastic wrap, and place them in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance. Take the excess sauce and place it in an air-tight container. Pour on the sauce and add the cheese before cooking.
- STORE.If stored properly, chicken enchiladas can last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on low in the oven.
- FREEZE.We LOVE to freeze these chicken enchiladas and save them for later. We often double the batch and then eat one and freeze the rest for another night.
- We suggest making them in a disposable pan. Cover tightly with foil and place in a freezer-safe bag. When done this way, they can last in the freezer for several months.
- To cook, let the enchiladas thaw in the fridge overnight and cook for about 25 minutes.
For Even More Enchiladas:
Beef Enchiladas
30 mins
Recipe Video
Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
40 mins
Cheese Enchiladas
47 mins
Recipe Video
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
1 hr 10 mins
Recipe Video
4.99 from 640 votes
Chicken Enchilada Recipe
By: Lil’ Luna
This chicken enchilada recipe is quick, easy, and perfectly spiced. They are a top-requested family favorite!
Servings: 4
Prep: 20 minutes mins
Cook: 20 minutes mins
Total: 40 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 2 cups Colby jack cheese, shredded
- 1 (19-ounce) can Las Palmas green chile enchilada sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 6-8 corn tortillas
- 1 (4 ½-ounce) can can chopped green chiles
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, combine chicken, 1 cup of cheese, green chiles, salt, and pepper.
In a small skillet, bring enchilada sauce to a boil. Remove from heat.
Dip each tortilla into the heated sauce for a few seconds to soften.
See AlsoInstant Pot Chili RecipeSpoon ⅓ cup of chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons sour cream down the center for each tortilla (I usually put the sour cream in a sandwich bag and cut the bottom tip which makes it easier to squirt right down the center).
Roll the tortilla and place seam-side down in 8×8 (or 9×9) inch baking dish.
Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour the remaining heated enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Video
Notes
FOR A 9×13 PAN…INGREDIENTS:
- 3 – 4 CUPS CHICKEN
- 3 CUPS MONTEREY JACK CHEESE
- 1 – 28 OZ. CAN LAS PALMAS GREEN CHILE ENCHILADA SAUCE
- 12-15 CORN TORTILLAS
- 1 – 2 CANS 4.5 OZ. CHOPPED GREEN CHILES
- 11/2 – 2 CUPS SOUR CREAM
- SALT & PEPPER
Make ahead of time. Make the enchiladas as instructed, cover them with foil or saran wrap, and place them in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance. To make them even better, take the excess sauce and place it in an air-tight container. Pour on the sauce and add the cheese before storing.
FREEZE.We LOVE to freeze these Chicken Enchiladas and save them for later. In fact, we often double the batch and then eat one and freeze the rest for another night.
Nutrition
Calories: 588kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 38g, Saturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 122mg, Sodium: 1700mg, Potassium: 342mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 1810IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 534mg, Iron: 2.7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
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Categorized as: Chicken, Cuisines, Main Dishes, Mexican Recipes, Recipes
About Kristyn
My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!
More About Kristyn
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