These Easy Chicken Enchiladas are perfect for busy nights because they can be prepped ahead and come together with 7 ingredients with only about 15 minutes of hands on time! They are another great use for bulk shredded chicken or any leftover basic chicken.
I am trying to show you a variety of ways you can use my easy shredded chicken and this is one of our family favorites. This recipe was adapted from Healthy Seasonal Recipes to fit our families tastes. I usually make two pans at once. One for us and the second either for a friend who needs a meal or for the freezer for another busy week.
How to Make Easy Chicken Enchiladas
First mix together chicken (shredded, rotisserie or leftover simple grilled chicken), with defrosted or leftover corn, sour cream and your favorite salsa.
Next spread 1/2 cup of your favorite enchilada sauce on the bottom of your pan.
Spoon about 1/4 – 1/3 cup filling onto the center of a tortilla. Roll up and set, seam-side-down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Pour 1/2 – 1 1/2 cups of sauce over the top (amount of sauce is up to how much spice and sauce you prefer).
Then add the cheese and wrap to bake later or bake in a preheated oven until bubbly and the cheese is melted. (See specific saving instructions below).
We prefer less spice but I love the flexibility of this recipe to make it as spicy as you want for your families tastes.
Tips & Adaptations
- Instead of mild salsa you can use a medium or spicy
- For extra flavor & spice add chili powder & cumin to the chicken
- Use shredded chicken, a store rotissiere chicken, leftover basic grilled, roasted or poached chicken or this would also be a great leftover meal if you made my slow cooker chili lime chicken
- Every Enchilada Sauce is a little different in terms of spice level. We prefer the Trader Joe’s one to the Whole Foods one.
- Gluten Free: You can use your favorite gluten free or corn tortilla. I found the corn tortillas broke a little as I tried to roll them. I did not test them out with an almond flour tortilla.
- Make ahead and tightly wrap. You can refrigerate them for 1-2 days or freeze them up for up to 2 months.
- I usually serve these with a simple romaine salad or a cucumber, tomato & avocado salad and sour cream!
Ingredients
Enchilada Ingredients
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups Enchilada sauce divided we like it less saucy so do 1/2 on the bottom and about 1 cup on the top but feel free to add more
- 2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed under running water
- 1/2 cup mild salsa
- 1/3 cup sour cream preferably reduced-fat
- 6-10 regular corn or flour tortillas or a corn flour blend (number will depend on size depends on Note: If using corn: warm 5 tortillas in the microwave* for 20 to 30 seconds until pliable.
- 1 ½ cup shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese or enough to cover the top
Optional Serving Ingredients:
- Extra Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Avocado
- Cilantro
- Cucumbers
- Salad
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (if you are cooking right away).
Assmble
- Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread ½ cup Enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish.
- Stir chicken, corn, salsa and sour cream in a medium bowl until throughly combined.
- Spoon about 1/4 - 1/3 cup filling onto the center of a tortilla. Roll up and set, seam-side-down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Spread the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese
Save for later
- Wrap tightly (seal) with plastic wrap until you are ready to bake
- Place in the refrigerator for 1-2 days
- Place in the freezer for up to 2 months (thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before you are ready to cook)
Cook
- Place onto the bottom rack of the preheated oven and bake 10 minutes.
- Move to the top rack and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted (we like it just slightly browned).
- Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- The original recipe called for corn tortillas but I felt they fell apart on me so preferred to use flour. You can use a corn tortilla if you are gluten free just note they are very delicate and can split or fall apart as they bake.
