I will always have a soft spot for Mexican food. It's one of my favorite cuisines to eat and for good reason. There's just so much flavor to the recipes and ingredients, and there's many different classic dishes to choose from. While this enchilada recipe isn't an authentic version, this simple and easy chicken enchiladas recipe is great for a weeknight or as a meal prep. Simple ingredients, no fussing with homemade sauce either.
Enchiladas are perfect any time of year, and are considered a classic Mexican entrée. Most Mexican restaurants will have enchiladas on their menu.
This site needed to add some flavor to the comforting dishes that already exist like my four layer taco dip, slow cooker turkey chili, or my beef and bean chili. These chicken enchiladas are now right at home!
Jump to:
- Why you'll love these enchiladas
- What are the ingredients for these easy chicken enchiladas?
- What steps are needed for making this recipe?
- Recipe Swaps and Substitutions
- What to serve with these enchiladas
- Tips for making this recipe perfect
- Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
- Hungry for more?
- Did you like this recipe? Share it!
- Simple and Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Why you'll love these enchiladas
- This recipe is made to be pantry friend and accessible for busy families! No homemade enchilada sauce required.
- Perfect for meal prep for a dinner during the week
- Can be made entirely vegan, dairy free, or gluten free!
What are the ingredients for these easy chicken enchiladas?
- Chicken Breast - boneless, skinless chicken breast boiled and then shredded is the texture we're going for with this enchilada recipe.
- Enchilada Sauce - you can make your own, but I like to make this recipe a bit more "pantry" friendly for my busy families. I like Siete Foods or Somos enchilada sauce in a jar.
- Taco Seasoning - Primal Palate, Siete Foods, or McCormick makes incredible taco seasonings already prepared for you.
- Mexican Cheese - Pre-shredded cheese is totally fine to use here, or you can use a variety of blends such as monetery jack, queso blanco, or simply cheddar.
- Tortillas - we want sturdy tortillas in this recipe as they will bake and be topped with the enchilada sauce so they must be able to stand up to the toppings and baking.
See the recipe card below for specific information about quantities.
What steps are needed for making this recipe?
Step 1: Place chicken breast in a pot of boiling water and cook for 25 minutes, shred with two forks.
Step 2: Add the chicken to a bowl with the enchilada sauce and taco seasoning and toss to coat the chicken.
Step 3: Place the chicken into the tortilla with a sprinkle of cheese, roll up and place into a baking dish seam side down. Repeat until all the chicken and tortillas are used.
Step 4: Top the tortillas with the enchilada sauce and the remainder of cheese, bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted.
HINT: Be sure to place the tortillas seam side down so that they don't unravel when they bake in the oven.
Recipe Swaps and Substitutions
Gluten-free? Dairy-free? Here are my recommendations for this recipe to make it fit your dietary needs or preferences:
- Protein - if you'd rather make these with ground beef or ground turkey, simply brown the meat on the stove and add the seasoning and enchilada sauce directly to the skillet. You could also use a meat-alternative or a chorizo if that's your preference.
- Tortillas - I chose to use a low-carb flour tortilla for this, but you can use Siete Foods almond flour version or a corn tortilla.
- Cheese - swap the Mexican cheese for a dairy-free alternative.
- Filling - you can really amplify the flavor of the filling by adding bell peppers, chiles or beans.
What to serve with these enchiladas
These enchiladas go great with:
- Seasoned rice - some saffron or yellow rice would be a great add on. Heavy on the carbs, but tons of incredible flavor and texture.
- Beans - any type of beans will do such as black beans or refried beans on the side. You could also add beans to the inside as well for more protein.
- A light salad - a simple green salad to balance out the heaviness of the dish
- Roasted vegetables - roasted veggies like cauliflower, or even sautéed on the stove like zucchini or garlic green beans could work really well as a side to these enchiladas.
Tips for making this recipe perfect
There are few different tips I've learned over the last few times I've tested this recipe, so here are my top tips when making these chicken enchiladas:
- Keep the enchiladas seam side down. This prevents them from unraveling when they bake.
- Add some sauce into the casserole dish before placing the enchiladas down. Sometimes the tortillas can stick to the dish as they bake so adding a little sauce will prevent this from happening.
- Warm the tortillas beforehand so that they are easier to work with.
- Add cheese to the inside of the enchilada for added flavor.
*IF you don't want to spend the time boiling and shredding the chicken, simply buy a rotisserie chicken and take off the chicken from there and add to a bowl and continue the recipe. Way easier and a fun little time hack!
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
To Store: Place any leftover enchiladas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To Freeze: Wrap the entire casserole dish and place in the freezer. This will stay for 2 months. To cook from frozen you can place in the oven at 400º for 30 minutes.
To Reheat: The best way to reheat is in the oven covered at 300º for 15 minutes, then you can uncover to let the cheese get a little bubbly for another 10.
Hungry for more?
Check out these other yummy chicken dishes for dinner, meal prep and more!
Did you like this recipe? Share it!
If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you for being here!!
Simple and Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Equipment
- medium pot
- two forks or hand mixer for shredding chicken
- tongs
- large mixing bowl
- casserole dish
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 5 medium tortillas
- 1 jar enchilada sauce
- ½ teaspoon taco seasoning
- 1 ½ cups mexican cheese divided
Instructions
- Place chicken breast in a pot of boiling water and cook for 25 minutes, shred with two forks.
- Add the chicken to a bowl with the enchilada sauce and taco seasoning and toss to coat the chicken.
- Place the chicken into the tortilla with a sprinkle of cheese, roll up and place into a baking dish seam side down. Repeat until all the chicken and tortillas are used.
- Top the tortillas with the enchilada sauce and the remainder of cheese, bake for 20 minutes until cheese is melted.
Angela Crawford
You were right when you said these were going to be easy to make and really only needed pantry stuff. I loved how easy these were to prepare and bake right when my kids got off the bus. This is a staple recipe now!
Morgan Peaceman
Thank you!!!
Jamie
Totally delish! Can’t wait to make it again!