How To Make Chicken Enchiladas

Picture this: a bubbling baking dish fresh out of the oven, the edges of the tortillas crisping slightly where the sauce has caramelized. A blanket of molten cheese pulls apart in long strings as you lift the first one out. Underneath, tender shredded chicken sits in a smoky, flavorful red sauce.

It tastes like it simmered all afternoon. This is how chicken enchiladas should taste. This recipe helps you achieve that on a Tuesday night using ingredients from a regular supermarket. It’s a one-pan weeknight dinner that comes together in under an hour.

Whether you’re feeding four on a weeknight, serving twelve at a casual dinner party, or stocking your freezer for a busy month, this recipe scales easily.

How To Make Chicken Enchiladas

• 1 ¼ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 ounces sour cream
• 4 cups shredded Cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese blend, divided
• 1 cup refried beans (Optional)
• 1 (15 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (I used ROTEL )
• ½ (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 teaspoons chili powder, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, divided
• 12 (6 inch) flour tortillas
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• optional toppings: fresh cilantro, diced red onions, diced avocado, or sour cream.

1. If you’re using rotisserie chicken, pull the meat apart and shred it with two forks or your hands into medium pieces; not too fine, not too large. I didn’t have any, so I quickly baked a chicken pouch in the oven. Season the chicken breast with salt, chili powder, and cumin. Place it on foil, wrap it up, and bake it in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, and it’s done.

2. Once the chicken is roasted, take it out of the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes, and shred it while it’s still warm.

3. Next, heat a skillet over medium heat and add about 1 tablespoon of oil and some butter.

4. Add your aromatics: onions, green bell pepper, jalapeños, poblano pepper, and yellow bell peppers. Stir and sauté until they soften.

5. Season with salt to help cook the aromatics faster.

6. The aromatics should now be ready. Add in your tomatoes; I used Rotel and cream cheese. While these ingredients aren’t traditional for this recipe, I’ve found they make a big difference.

7. Stir to combine until the aromatics and cream cheese are well mixed.

8. Once it looks nice and creamy, add in the shredded chicken right from the foil pouch with all the juices. Stir to combine and then turn off the heat.

9. To make the sauce even creamier, add in the sour cream.

10. Next, add some of the shredded cheese. Save some cheese for toppings. Stir to combine until the cheese is fully incorporated. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust as needed. After turn off the heat as filling is now ready

11. Before we stuff our tortillas, we need to warm them up.

12. I like to spread some butter on each side.

13. Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat and warm each tortilla for 20 to 30 seconds per side until it blisters lightly and becomes flexible. Cold tortillas crack when you try to roll them and split open during baking. Fifteen seconds on each side should be enough.

14. I like my chicken enchiladas with refried beans, so I spread them in the center before adding the chicken filling. This is optional, so you can skip it if you want.

14. Now it’s time to assemble. Place a tortilla flat in front of you. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of chicken filling in a line down the center; resist the urge to overfill. An overstuffed enchilada will burst open during baking.

15. Repeat this process until the filling is finished. Roll the tortilla firmly around the filling and place it seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.

16. Ladle about 4 tablespoons of enchilada sauce into the bottom of your baking dish and tilt it to spread it into an even layer. The sauce prevents the tortillas from sticking and creates steam underneath during baking.

17. Nestle each stuffed tortilla snugly against each other. They should fit tightly in two rows of four in a standard 9×13 dish.

18. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled enchiladas, making sure every exposed tortilla edge is covered; any part left dry will become tough and papery in the oven.

19. Scatter a generous handful of the shredded mixed cheese evenly over the top.

 

20. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 190°C for 20 minutes. Baking covered helps trap steam, keeping the enchiladas moist and allowing the sauce to soak in.

21. Remove the foil and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes until the cheese is fully melted, bubbling, and golden in spots. The sauce around the edges of the dish should be visibly bubbling and slightly reduced.

22. Take it out of the oven and leave it uncovered for 5 minutes before serving. This rest period is important; it helps the sauce thicken slightly as it cools, and the enchiladas will hold their shape when you lift them.

23. Serve directly from the baking dish using a wide, flat spatula.

14. Enjoy, I like mine with a bit more sour cream and avocados, and!

Important recipe notes!!

1: Always sauce the bottom of the baking dish
This may seem like a small step, but it’s important. The sauce keeps the tortillas from sticking to the dish and tearing when you serve them. It also creates steam under the enchiladas during baking, which helps keep the bottoms moist and tender.

2: Dip the tortilla in warm sauce before you fill it
Dipping the tortilla adds flavor inside, not just on the surface. It makes the tortillas more flexible and easier to roll, which reduces the chance of cracking or splitting in the oven. This is crucial for corn tortillas, as they are more fragile than flour ones.

3: Place enchiladas seam-side down, and pack them snugly
Roll each enchilada tightly and lay it in the dish with the open seam facing down. This way, the weight of the enchilada helps press the seam shut against the bottom of the dish. As the enchiladas heat and the filling expands a little, the seam stays sealed, keeping everything in place. If you pack them tightly, they will maintain their shape during baking, resting, and serving.

4: Don’t overfill; stick to two tablespoons
Use two to three tablespoons of filling for each tortilla. It may seem like a small amount, but remember that the filling is just one part of a layered dish, not the entire dish. When you get the proportions right, each bite will have a good mix of filling, tortilla, sauce, and cheese, which is what makes it truly delicious.

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