Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Enchiladas are delicious and easy to make with chicken, homemade enchilada sauce, Mozzarella, and Cheddar cheese. This dish is rich and creamy, with Mexican inspired flavors, and will be ready in no time. Perfect for any occasion and during any day of the week!
You can serve this meal on its own, or you can add side dishes like the Roasted Brussels Sprouts or the Chunky Mashed Potatoes with it. No matter what you are serving this dish with, this will be the perfect recipe to make.
Homemade Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Chicken Enchiladas are a perfect comfort Mexican food that is loved by everyone. Since we enjoy Mexican food, we make this dish at least twice a month. Also, we use our homemade enchilada sauce in this recipe, which is a really great compliment to this recipe.
With shredded chicken, enchiladas, and some chilies, this is the kind of meal that you can make all the time. It is a simple recipe to make even for beginners. It’s a great way to impress family and friends.
The great thing about this homemade recipe is that is easy to change based on your preference. For example, you can always replace the chicken with veggies and have a vegetarian meal. Or if you prefer beef instead of chicken, simply swap the meats. Similarly, use any of your favorite cheese for topping.
Can chicken enchiladas be made ahead of time?
- Yes, this dish can be made ahead of time. They can be made up to two days ahead of time. However, you need to cover and refrigerate them until ready to serve.
- Before serving, simply put them in the oven to bake. You should avoid storing them once baked because the enchiladas will become soggy.
How long should enchiladas be in the oven?
For best results, we recommend having the enchiladas in the oven for between 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. This is the part where most people are making a mistake. They are baking the enchiladas for too long in the oven, which makes them soggy. Therefore, try to check on them after the 15 minutes mark.
CORN or FLOUR TORTILLAS FOR ENCHILADAS
This is totally up to you. We prefer to use corn tortillas over flour once whenever we cook a Mexican inspired dish. We love the taste of corn tortillas better, plus they tend to be healthier.
Flour tortillas are usually made of refined flour and lard, which make them less attractive for us. Using flour tortilla might also result in a more doughy texture for the enchiladas, which we try to avoid. But this is not always the case, and if you love flour tortillas, by all means, uses them.
HOW TO SOFTEN CORN TORTILLAS FOR ENCHILADAS
I’ve heard people complain that when they use corn tortillas in tacos or enchiladas, they tend to fall apart as they try to wrap them up. To avoid this issue, we recommend trying the following:
- First, we recommend using high-quality tortillas. Or, if you can make them yourself, it’s even better. We usually get them at Whole Foods, and they work pretty well.
- Another thing you could do is to fry them shortly in olive oil. This will soften their texture. Similarly, you could just brush the enchiladas with olive oil.
- One technique that was brought to our attention was to wrap them in a paper towel (preferably a wet one) and microwave for 10-15 seconds.
What kind of cheese do you put in enchiladas?
Who doesn’t love their cheese on the chicken enchiladas? Simply, use any cheeses of your choice. However, for enhanced flavor and more authentic Mexican taste, we recommend picking any from the list below:
- Queso Fresco
- Añejo
- Adobe
- Cotija
- Panela
- Cheddar cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Mexican blend cheese
How to freeze chicken enchiladas
- In general, we do not recommend freezing them. As stated above, if the chicken enchiladas are already cooked, freezing will result in them getting soggy. However, you can still freeze them; just keep this in mind before doing so. Use a freezer-safe dish container. It is possible to freeze the whole dish or divide it into smaller dishes. Cover the container tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- When ready to eat, simply take them out of the freezer and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes, or until warm.
Tips for making Chicken Enchiladas
- You can use a combination of cheeses for this recipe. The more cheese you use, the better it will taste. We love using 2 cheese mixes for a creamier and cheesier taste.
- Also, serve the chicken enchiladas as is, or with some Spanish rice, or veggies on the side.
- With this dish, you don’t necessarily need to use chicken. You can substitute it with beef, pork, or turkey. For a vegetarian option, use tofu, beans, or your favorite veggies.
Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast skinless and boneless
- 1 small onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 1 can (15.5 oz) pinto beans drained
- 2 cans (4 oz each) diced green chiles
- 1 can (7 oz) chipotle peppers seeded and minced - this is optional, they are spicy
- 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 16 medium corn tortillas or flour tortillas
- 3 cups enchilada sauce canned or homemade
- 1 cup Mexican blend cheese shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Garnish:
- Chopped cilantro leaves
- Sour cream
- Chopped tomatoes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and once hot add oil.
- Season chicken breast with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook on each side for about 6-7 minutes, until no longer pink in the center. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate, cover with foil and set aside.
- To the same pan, add diced onion and cook for 1 minute. Add minced garlic, stir and cook for another minute.
- Add corn, beans, and chiles. Add chipotle peppers if using. Stir and cook for another minute. Add diced tomatoes and tomato paste, saute 1 minute. Add cumin and paprika.
- Pull chicken breasts apart into shredded strips and add to the pan, stir to combine.
- Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds to soften them.
- Coat the bottom of 2 (9 by 13-inch) pans with about 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce to each tortilla and lightly coat.
- Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Sprinkle the mixture with Mexican blend cheese. Fold over filling tightly, and place 8 enchiladas in each pan seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and sprinkle Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes in the preheated oven until cheese melts.
- Garnish with cilantro, sour cream, and chopped tomatoes before serving.
Nutrition
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