If you love Mexican food, you’ll love this recipe for easy and quick chicken enchiladas. This casserole will feed a hungry crowd. The secret to enchiladas is the preparation of the chicken and the flavorful seasoning mixture.
If you’re looking for an easy chicken enchilada casserole with tons of flavor, you can’t go wrong with chicken enchiladas. How to make chicken enchiladas? This is one of our favorite chicken breast recipes. These chicken enchiladas are also great for holiday celebrations like Cinco de Mayo. Pop this casserole in the oven and watch the melted cheese turn delicious.
To make this chicken enchilada recipe, boneless skinless chicken breasts are sautéed and then tossed with aromatic spices. You can use store-bought canned enchilada sauce, but it’s super easy to make this sauce from scratch. This homemade enchilada sauce is made with a tomato sauce that coats each wrap with chicken broth, bold seasonings, and chipotle peppers.
Homemade Chicken Enchilada Sauce
Canned enchilada sauce works in a pinch, but it’s nowhere near as good as this homemade red enchilada sauce. The chipotle chili in adobe sauce, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and chili powder on a smoky chip is out of this world.
As the homemade enchilada sauce boils, it infuses the flavors together. After that, puree it in a blender or food processor until smooth. This is a spicy recipe, but you can tame it down by reducing the dry chili powder.
Choosing chicken
The best chicken to use for these enchiladas is a boneless skinless chicken breast. Pound the chicken breast pieces until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1 inch thick cutlets if you prefer. Love dark meat? does not matter! You can use boneless chicken thighs, but be sure to trim the fat before cooking them.
You can also use rotisserie chicken, instant pot chicken, or leftover roasted chicken to make this chicken enchilada recipe.
How to Season Chicken for Enchiladas
The bold blend of dried spices includes traditional Mexican cooking ingredients such as smoked paprika, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
You can use pre-made taco seasoning to make these chicken enchiladas. It’s good to have in the pantry so you can quickly make tacos or other Mexican recipes.
Cooking the chicken
We love cooking our chicken breasts on the stovetop for shredded chicken enchiladas. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit (71-74 degrees Celsius).
Once the chicken is cool, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces using two forks or your fingers.
Using corn or flour tortillas
Flour tortillas are gluten-free, so they are firm, soft, and flexible. Buy 6 inch round tortillas. When you eat tortillas straight from the store’s packaging, they can taste a bit pasty, so heat them on the stovetop until the surface is slightly charred.
If you want a gluten-free meal, you can use corn tortillas. Don’t let a corn tortilla soak up too much of the sauce as it may break after cooking.
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
This chicken and cheese enchilada recipe is a baked casserole with shredded chicken breast, tortillas, spicy red sauce, and cheese. Warm tortillas are dipped in the sauce before being filled with shredded chicken. Then, fill the tortillas with the meat mixture and place them seam side down in an oiled baking dish.
This chicken enchilada recipe calls for two types of shredded cheese: Monterey Jack cheese and sharp cheddar cheese. Want black bean enchiladas? Stir in a can of black beans.
Bake the enchilada casserole
After assembling your enchiladas, bake them at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. If you cover the casserole with aluminum foil, it keeps the cheese warm and helps it melt without burning.
If you like green enchilada sauce made with green chiles or cream cheese, chicken soup or heavy cream with white chicken enchiladas, adapt this great recipe for those sauces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use uncooked tortillas to make chicken enchiladas?
No, you must cook the raw tortillas before wrapping them for enchiladas. If you cook chicken enchiladas with raw tortillas, they will become soggy and not cook well.
What’s the best way to keep chicken enchiladas from getting soggy?
To keep your enchiladas from getting soggy, heat the tortillas before wrapping them. The surface of the tortilla will harden slightly to create a thick barrier between the tortilla and the sauce.
How do you roll chicken enchiladas without breaking them?
Lightly warm packaged flour or corn tortillas before wrapping. The heat will make them somewhat pliable and easier to fold. Also, dip the tortillas lightly in the sauce to help soften them.
