The Best Chicken Enchiladas
The BEST Chicken Enchiladas! These enchiladas have a delicious chicken and cheese filling with homemade enchilada sauce. They are full of flavor and perfect for a family dinner or feeding a crowd!
Best Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
I can’t believe that it has taken me this long to share my chicken enchilada recipe! Chicken enchiladas are one of our favorite dinners, and we make them all the time. This is my very favorite enchilada recipe, dare I say we love it even more than my Beef Enchilada Recipe and these Vegetarian Enchiladas, which are both really amazing, too.
These chicken enchiladas are cheesy and stuffed with a flavorful chicken and black bean filling. They are the absolute best when you make them with my easy homemade Enchilada Sauce!
One of the things I love most about this recipe is that it’s such a great make ahead meal. The enchiladas taste even better on the second day, and they freeze beautifully. I make this recipe often when we’re having dinner guests, assembling the enchiladas ahead of time so that all I have to do when our guests are here is pop them in the oven. If you’re looking for a meal to bring to a family with a new baby or a friend in need, these enchiladas are perfect!
These were the best chicken enchiladas I have ever made. Delicious!
Vickie
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
This recipe comes together quickly! You can get a head start on the prep work by making the enchilada sauce and cooking the chicken ahead of time.
Make the enchilada sauce, or use store-bought sauce.
Cook and shred the chicken.
Make the enchilada filling. Sauté onion and garlic, and then combine with the other filling ingredients.
Fill and roll the enchiladas. Grease the baking dish and spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom to prevent the enchiladas from sticking. When you put the filling down the middle of the tortillas, put it slightly to the side of the center of the tortilla. This makes it easier to roll the enchiladas tightly.
Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melty, about 20 minutes. Then enjoy with your favorite toppings!
Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
Enchilada Sauce
I highly recommend making my homemade enchilada sauce for this recipe. It’s quick to make with pantry ingredients. To make the sauce, you’ll sauté some garlic in olive oil. Then you add the remaining ingredients to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. You can make it more or less spicy, depending on your tastes.
How to Cook Chicken for Enchiladas
To cook the shredded chicken, you have a lot of options:
- Poached Chicken
- Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
- Crockpot Shredded Chicken
- Baked Chicken Breast
- Or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Whichever cooking method you choose, here are my tips for How to Shred Chicken. (My favorite way is to use my stand mixer!)
Should I use Corn Tortillas or Flour Tortillas?
Corn tortillas are traditional for enchiladas, but I prefer flour tortillas because they are easier to roll up and they hold their shape well. I find that corn tortillas fall apart easily. This question is really one of personal tastes though, so use what you prefer.
To make tortillas more pliable and easier to roll, you can warm them in the microwave, layered between two damp paper towels. Or, you can fry the corn tortillas briefly in a little oil in a skillet, just enough to soften them (you don’t want them to crisp up). Dipping corn tortillas in enchilada sauce can also make them easier to roll without tearing.
Make Ahead Instructions
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the enchiladas up to one day before baking. Cover the dish and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake them.
- To Freeze: You can freeze a pan of enchiladas before baking, for up to 3 months. (I add the sauce and cheese on top before freezing.) Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then bake as directed in the recipe.
- Leftovers: Leftover baked enchiladas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw if frozen, and reheat until steaming hot. I prefer the microwave for reheating.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- For enchiladas without beans, substitute the black beans with more chicken or canned corn.
- You can add diced bell pepper to this recipe. Sauté it with the onion.
- Make the enchiladas saucier by making 1.5 times the enchilada sauce recipe or using two 10-ounce cans of store bought sauce.
- I like to use a combination of cheddar cheese and Monterey jack cheese in this recipe. You can use just one type of cheese, or Mexican cheese blend also works well. A few readers have used mozzarella cheese with good success.
What to Serve with Enchiladas
Here are some suggestions for enchilada toppings:
- Guacamole or Avocado
- Salsa or Pico de Gallo
- Sour Cream
- Chopped Red Onion or Green Onion
- Chopped Cilantro
On the side, we like to serve our enchiladas with:
Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken*
- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles, do not drain
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups enchilada sauce, (about 16 ounces) homemade or store-bought
- 12 ounces shredded cheese, (about 3 cups) cheddar, Monterey jack, Mexican cheese blend, or a combination
- 8 large flour tortillas
- Optional, for serving: fresh cilantro, chopped green or red onion, sour cream, avocado, pico de gallo, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
Make Enchilada Filling:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Turn off the heat.
- Add the cooked chicken, black beans, diced green chiles, chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, salt and ½ cup of enchilada sauce to the skillet. Stir until well combined.
Assemble the Enchiladas:
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce over the bottom of the dish. To assemble each enchilada, take one of the tortillas and put ½ cup of the chicken and bean mixture down the middle of the tortilla, slightly to the side of the center. Top with ⅓ cup of cheese.
- Roll up the tortilla as tightly as you can. Put the enchilada, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, enchilada filling and cheese.
- Spread the remaining sauce over the tops of the enchiladas. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.
Bake Enchiladas:
- Bake enchiladas for 20-25 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Let rest for 5 minutes and then serve, with toppings as desired.
Notes
- Shredded Chicken: You can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken in this recipe, or cook the chicken yourself. I recommend my Shredded Chicken Recipe or make Instant Pot Shredded Chicken or Crockpot Shredded Chicken.
- Leftover baked enchiladas may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw if frozen, and reheat until steaming hot. I prefer the microwave for reheating.
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the enchiladas up to one day before baking. Cover and store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake them. You can also freeze a pan of enchiladas before baking, for up to 3 months. (I add the sauce and cheese on top before freezing.) Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then bake as directed in the recipe.
I originally shared this recipe in August 2020. Post updated June 2024 with new photos and updated text. Here is one of the original photos:
I made it last night for my men’s group. Used two 12oz jars of Trader Joes Hatch Valley Salsa Verde. Layer of the salsa on the bottom added flavor and made clean up simple too. Did not use beans or corn as it felt like just filler. Went straight for the meat. Made 10 in one 9×13 dish which completely filled it. 4 guys and there was 1 left. Will definitely make again. A little more salsa on the side next time as I like it extra juicy. those Hatch Valley Chilis from New Mexico are the bomb.
Thanks for the recipe, these were great and really tasty heated up for lunch as leftovers too. Am now going to look through your other recipes for my next dinner!
If I say a meal is a “Kristine” meal – the expectations are high – and this one did not disappoint! The homemade enchilada sauce is key – I doubled the recipe (so we could try the beef enchilada recipe, too), and my husband and daughter ended up pulling it out of the fridge and adding more sauce as they ate. They put it on nachos for tailgating the next day. Terrific recipe – prepared it exactly as recipe directed.. added to family rota!
I made this tonight but didn’t have black beans or chili peppers….and it still turned out so good! My husband and 6 year old son loved it!
Absolutely the BEST enchiladas out there – this recipe is how I found your website and kept coming back for great dishes. I have made these chicken enchiladas again and again for company. My family loves it and requests in often. The homemade sauce is perfect and really puts this dish over the top!
I am thrilled that you love my enchilada recipe! I agree, the homemade sauce is so worth it. Thanks for your thoughtful words, they made my day!