If you are craving some Mexican food, try this chicken enchiladas recipe. It's one of the easiest Mexican recipes to make at home. A great addition to your weekly meal plan. It's so affordable to make and very filling.
Here's another enchilada recipe to make for dinner tonight. This chicken enchiladas recipe is made from scratch, without canned enchilada sauce.
Easy Chicken Enchiladas
The tender chicken breast cubes are stuffed into tortillas and smothered in a tasty homemade enchilada sauce. It's so flavorful and cheesy.
This chicken enchiladas recipe can be made up to 24 hours in advance. The perfect meal to make ahead and it's so also freezable.
So let's talk about everything you are going to use.
The Ingredients You'll Need to Make Chicken Enchiladas
Tortilla, you can use corn (the Authentic Mexican style) or flour tortilla (Tex-Mex style). Just be sure to use a good quality tortilla that you know it will taste good. I also wrote some great tips on how to prevent soggy enchiladas here.
Filling. You can pretty much fill the tortillas with anything you like. In this recipe, I stuffed the tortillas with chicken, beans, diced green chilies, black olives, and corn.
Seasoning. I used a very basic taco seasoning to add flavor to the chicken. The seasoning is made of cumin powder, garlic, salt, and black pepper.
Enchilada sauce. You can use canned red enchilada sauce or this homemade red enchilada sauce. The homemade sauce is pretty easy to make and can also be used to make beef enchiladas.
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas in the Oven
The cooking process of this chicken enchilada is pretty simple. You just need to prepare the sauce, filling, then roll and bake!
Step 1. Prepare the Filling
- Cut the chicken breast into small cubes.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onion for about 2 minutes, add garlic then keep stirring for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken cubes into the skillet. Stir in cumin and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add green chilies and stir for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
- Add black bean, corn, and black olives. Stir for 1 minute.
Step 2. Fill and Roll the Tortillas
- Brush the tortilla with a small amount of red enchilada sauce.
- Add some of the chicken mixture, cheese, and green onion. Roll up the tortilla and put it in a greased baking dish. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas.
Step 3. Bake the Enchiladas in the Oven
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese, chopped green onions, and 1 tablespoon of diced black olives.
- Put the baking dish in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly at 350°F.
FAQ and Cooking Tips
Store the chicken enchiladas in an airtight container. The leftover will last up to 2 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Cover the enchiladas with foil and bake in the oven at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. You can also reheat the enchiladas in the microwave for at least 30 seconds.
Yes, you can. You can also use canned enchilada sauce if you're running out of time.
Check Out More Tasty Mexican-Inspired Recipes
- Ground Beef Enchiladas
- Skillet Beef Enchiladas
- Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
- Ground Beef Quesadilla
- Tofu Rancheros
- Albondigas Soup Recipe
Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds chicken breast, (cut into small cubes)
- 2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1½ tablespoon garlic
- 8 oz diced green chilies
- 1 can black beans
- ½ cup frozen corn
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- 2¼ cups homemade red enchilada sauce, (or use store-bought, red or green enchilada sauce)
- 14-16 corn tortillas, (or 8 pieces of flour tortillas)
- ½ cup chopped black olives
- 3 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt, (add more according to your liking)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, (add more according to your liking)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onion for about 2 minutes, add garlic then keep stirring for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken cubes and cumin. Cook for 2 minutes. Add green chilies and stir for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add black beans, corn, and black olives. Stir for 1 minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper.
- Brush a tortilla with a small amount of red enchilada sauce. Add some of the chicken mixture, cheese, and green onion. Roll up the tortilla then place in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Repeat this process with the remaining tortillas.
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese, chopped green onions, and 1 tablespoon of diced black olives. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are slightly crips on the outside. Serve with toppings of your choice.
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