Busy weeknights call for dinner recipes that are quick, simple, and still totally satisfying, like this 4-ingredient Chicken Enchiladas Recipe. With just shredded chicken, a can of enchilada sauce, flour tortillas, and plenty of melty cheese, you'll have a comforting meal on the table in under 30 minutes!
Super yummy and flavorful enchilada, great for a weekday meal! Adding to the rotation!
-JC
🔍 Quick Look: Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
- 🕒 Ready In: 30 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 4
- 🔥 Calories: ~484 per serving
- ⭐ Main Ingredients: chicken, cheese, enchilada sauce, tortillas
- 👩🍳 Method: Oven
- ⭐ Difficulty: Beginner
These chicken enchiladas are the ultimate weeknight dinner: cheesy, comforting, and so easy. They are literally one of the most requested recipes in our house. My husband asks for them weekly, my picky oldest child will actually eat them without complaining, and I can easily throw them together with a baby on my hip and approximately zero minutes to spare.
If you love Mexican food, you'll also love my Creamy Chicken Quesadillas, Instant Pot Sweet Pork Tacos, and Peach Mango Salsa.
Jump to:
❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
- Just 4 ingredients - Shredded chicken, a can of enchilada sauce, tortillas, and cheese. That's literally all you need for this recipe!
- On the table in 30 minutes - Less than ten minutes of assembly, twenty in the oven, no homemade sauce or roasting chiles required.
- Kid-approved - Because it's so simple, this is one of those recipes that my picky eaters actually eat!
- One dish, easy cleanup - Everything bakes in a single 9x13 pan, so no huge pile of dishes to take care of after dinner.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Chicken breasts: For an easy shortcut, use rotisserie chicken or check out my tutorial for how to cook chicken in the Instant Pot (this is a great method for frozen chicken breasts!)
- Enchilada sauce: Use your choice of red or green enchilada sauce. Keep in mind that red tends to be spicier, while green is milder.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
🔄 Substitutions & Variations
- Tortillas: The recipe calls for flour tortillas, but you can also use corn tortillas.
- Protein swaps: Instead of chicken, try shredded pork, ground beef, or even just black beans and corn for a vegetarian version.
- Add some heat: Mix in a small can of diced green chilies or a few sliced jalapeños with the chicken filling. For even more kick, use a medium or hot enchilada sauce instead of mild.
- Load them up: Add a layer of Instant Pot Refried Black Beans inside each tortilla along with the chicken, or stir in some frozen corn, diced bell peppers, or chopped onion for extra texture and flavor.
🥣 How to Make This Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken with 10 ounces of the enchilada sauce.
Step 2: Warm tortillas in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 10-15 seconds per side until pliable and lightly toasted. (Quick alternative: wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20-30 seconds.)
Step 3: Spread 5 ounces of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
Step 4: Working with one tortilla at a time, sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of cheese down the center, add a spoonful of the chicken mixture, and roll it up.
Step 5: Place the rolled enchiladas seam-side down in the prepared pan.
Step 6: Pour the remaining 5 ounces of the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Step 7: Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the enchiladas are warmed through. Top with cilantro, if desired.
🌟Expert Tips
- Use freshly shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese from the bag has a coating on it that prevents clumping, but it also prevents that perfect, gooey meltiness. If you have an extra two minutes, shred a block of cheddar yourself.
- Don't skip the sauce on the bottom of the pan. That thin layer of enchilada sauce under the tortillas keeps the bottom from sticking and also from drying out. It also helps to add more flavor to every bite.
- Let them rest for 5 minutes after baking. I know it's hard to wait when they come out of the oven looking all bubbly, golden, and irresistible, but a few minutes of resting lets the filling set so the enchiladas hold together when you serve them instead of turning into a saucy mess on the plate.
- Roll tightly, but don't overstuff. Two to three tablespoons of filling per tortilla is the sweet spot. If you pack too much in, the tortillas split open, and the filling spills out during baking.
- Make a double batch and freeze one. These enchiladas freeze beautifully! Assemble the second pan, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat, bake straight from frozen at 350°F for about 45-50 minutes (covered with foil for the first 30 minutes, then uncovered to let the cheese get bubbly).
💭 FAQs
Let the enchiladas cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, cover with foil and bake at 350°F until warmed through.
Yes! You can assemble the enchiladas up to 24 hours in advance. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you're ready to bake, uncover and cook as directed-just add a few extra minutes if they're cold from the fridge.
To avoid soggy enchiladas, don't over-saturate the tortillas with sauce before baking. Just lightly coat the bottom of the pan and pour the remaining sauce over the top. Also, warming the tortillas before filling them with the chicken helps them hold up better.
These enchiladas pair great with simple sides like my Quick Mexican Rice Recipe, Instant Pot Refried Black Beans, Mexican Street Corn Elote or chips and Fresh Salsa. For something refreshing, serve one of my Mexican drinks on the side: Mexican Horchata, Strawberry Agua Fresca with Mint or Coconut Lemongrass Tea! And of course, you can't forget Homemade Churros for dessert!
Yes! Corn tortillas give a more traditional flavor, but they're smaller and more delicate. You'll need about 12-14 corn tortillas instead of 8 flour. Warm them in a dry skillet for about 15 seconds per side before rolling so they don't crack. Some people also lightly fry them in oil for a few seconds to make them pliable. This is actually the traditional Mexican method, and it adds great flavor!
🌮 More Mexican Recipes to Try
📋 Recipe
Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- 20 ounces enchilada sauce red or green
- 8 flour tortillas 10 inch
- 1 cup cheddar cheese divided
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese divided
- sour cream optional
- avocado optional
- cilantro optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken with 10 ounces of the enchilada sauce.2 cups shredded chicken, 20 ounces enchilada sauce
- Warm tortillas in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 10-15 seconds per side until pliable and lightly toasted. (Quick alternative: wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20-30 seconds.)8 flour tortillas
- Spread 5 ounces of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.20 ounces enchilada sauce
- Working with one tortilla at a time, sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of cheese down the center, add a spoonful of the chicken mixture, and roll it up.8 flour tortillas, 1 cup cheddar cheese, 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
- Place the rolled enchiladas seam-side down in the prepared pan.
- Pour the remaining 5 ounces of sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.20 ounces enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheddar cheese, 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the enchiladas are heated through.
- Serve warm with your favorite toppings like sour cream, avocado, or chopped cilantro!
Notes
- Storage Info: Let the enchiladas cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, cover with foil and bake at 350°F until warmed through.
- Make ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours in advance, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Add a few extra minutes of bake time if going straight from the fridge.
- Freezer-friendly: Wrap the assembled (unbaked) pan tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Freezes up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 350°F for 45-50 minutes, covered for the first 30 minutes.
JC says
Super yummy and flavorful enchilada, great for a weekday meal! Adding to the rotation!
Sally says
Says use half the can of sauce in the chicken, then half the can of sauce in the bottom of dish then half the can on top… that’s one too many half’s🤔🤔🤔
Ashley Amundsen says
Ooh, good catch! It should be 1/2 of the can mixed with the chicken, 1/4 of the can on the bottom of the dish, and then the remaining on top. 🙂
Les says
Thats what it did say,
1/2 that sauce.
Then 1/4 of the sauce,
Then the remaining sauce 1/4...🤔😅
Ashley Amundsen says
This is one of my go to recipes for busy weeknights. It's so easy to make and it's always a hit with my picky kids!