Chicken Enchiladas are a Mexican dish that most people usually order from Mexican restaurants, but you can easily make them at home. These enchiladas are made in a delicious homemade enchilada sauce and topped with melted cheese.

Enchiladas are easy to make with a basic filling of chicken, beef or just cheese and beans. They are rolled and topped with enchilada sauce and shredded cheese and baked until hot and melty.
A Word About the Chicken
One of the first courses in culinary school is butchery and you learn a whole lot about meat while taking this course. One of the first things I learned was the method in which it was cooked. If a protein is going to be double cooked, it’s best to braise or poach it to help retain moisture.
Enchilada recipes use precooked chicken. Grilled, oven baked or store-bought rotisserie chicken are all cooked using DRY heat. The end result? Very dried out chicken.
The answer? Cook the chicken over low heat in a liquid (full instructions below).
The Most Common Enchilada Mistakes
1. Not Frying the Tortilla
Tortillas are like spices to me. They have been stuck in a package for who knows how long and need something to ‘wake them up’. Tortillas can be brittle when cold. Pan frying them in a tad of olive oil for about 10-20 seconds fixes this. It prevents the tortilla from absorbing too much sauce and becoming soggy.
2. Using Canned Enchilada Sauce
This my friends takes such little effort, but has a huge payoff. We have a red enchilada recipe on our site that takes just a few minutes of prep time. It has over 100 comments and tastes way better than a can. You should check it out.
3. Overstuffing the Tortilla
It’s easy to do. We’ve all done it before, but you want the right amount of filling in each tortilla and you want it to be consistent. I use a ¼ cup measuring cup to fill mine.
4. Not Dipping the Tortilla in the Sauce
The enchilada sauce makes up a big part of the flavor in an enchilada recipe, so just pouring (usually too much) OVER the tortillas just doesn’t cut it. After frying the tortilla for a few seconds, using a pair of tongs, simple dip it right into the enchilada sauce. I use a 9×9 baking dish for this. Simply pour the sauce into it, dip the tortilla, fill and roll.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS:
- SHREDDED CHICKEN ~ Chicken breasts are seasoned with a blend of cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic, powder, and chili pepper and poached to retain moisture.
- TORTILLAS ~ The big question is flour tortilla or corn. It’s your choice. I prefer flour.
- ENCHILADA SAUCE ~ Again, it’s simple to make homemade enchilada sauce and it is ready in about 15 minutes!
- CHEESE ~ I use a blend of two kinds of cheese, Cotija cheese is a Mexican cheese that is salty and delicious. It is used in the filling along with the shredded chicken. Pre shredded Mexican cheese is put on top. If you don’t want to use a pre shredded cheese you can make your own blend. It is usually a combination of Monterey jack cheese, cheddar and queso quesadilla. I have found using just Cheddar cheese makes the dish very oily.
HOW TO SERVE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Serve these delicious enchiladas with a side of Mexican rice, extra salsa, guacamole, sour cream, diced avocado and tomatoes, refried beans and a very large Margarita.
Make Ahead and Storage:
- Make Ahead – these enchiladas can be made earlier in they day or even the day before and placed directly in the oven when ready.
- Fridge – Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be reheated in the oven at 350°F until warm or in the microwave.
- Freezer – they can be frozen BEFORE cooking as well as AFTER cooking for up to 3 months.

Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 1–2 Chicken Breasts
- ½ teaspoon salt, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper
FOR THE FILLING:
- ½ Cup Onion, diced
- 1 Clove Garlic, minced
- ¼ Cup Bell Pepper (green or red, diced)
- 1 Cup Mexican Cheese
- 1 Cup Cotija Cheese
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped (you can sub cilantro also)
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Cumin
- ½ Tbsp Chili Powder
- ½ Cup Enchilada Sauce
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
- 8 Flour Tortillas
- 8 oz Enchilada Sauce
- 1 Cup Mexican Cheese
Instructions
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- Season each side of the chicken breasts with the spice mixture.
- Heat about a cup of water (or chicken broth) in a sauté skillet and add the chicken. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Check periodically to see if more liquid is needed. Remove the chicken when it reaches 165°F from the water and let cool slightly. Shred the chicken with two forks into a large bowl and set aside.
FOR THE FILLING:
- Add 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil to a skillet and sauté the onions and peppers over low/medium heat until they begin to soften, approximately 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper as they are cooking to help bring out the water. The last 30 seconds, add the garlic and stir to combine.
- Take the pan off the heat and add the parsley (or cilantro), oregano, cumin and chili powder. Stir in the enchilada sauce and combine. Add this to the bowl with the shredded chicken mixture. Add the Cotija cheese. Stir to combine.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
- Pour some of the enchilada sauce into a low baking dish.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat that’s been sprayed with cooking oil or add a little oil to the pan. Warm each tortilla for 10-20 seconds per side. Using a pair of tongs, coat the tortilla in the enchilada sauce and then fill with about ¼ cup of the filling.
- Roll the tortilla into a cylinder and place it seam side down in a 9×13 pan that’s either been sprayed with cooking spray or coated with a thin layer of Enchilada Sauce.
- Top the enchiladas with the remaining enchilada sauce and the Mexican cheese
- Bake uncovered at 350° F for 20 minutes or the cheese is completely melted and they are warmed through.
- Serve with rice as a side dish or refried beans, chips and salsa.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS:
Mexican Rice
Guacamole
Salsa
Better than restaurant quality!! Amazing!
★★★★★
Absolutely delicious! I made it exactly as written and it turned out beautifully. Thank you so much for this recipe. It was rich and flavorful. I will definitely be making this again…and especially for company. It’s that impressive! 🙂
★★★★★
I pre made them last night and put some chopped jalapenos for a little heat. They were delicious!
I pre made them last night and put some chopped jalapenos for a little heat. They were delicious!
★★★★★
Totally worth the effort. Do not buy canned enchilada sauce, Debi’s recipe is outstanding and has so many positive comments. It takes so little time but it makes the recipe so much better. I love when you come out with new recipes. I’m the first to make them!~
★★★★★
This was such a good recipe. It took me a little longer to make than I had hoped it would take, but it was well worth the effort that I put in. I used the enchilada sauce too, and oh my goodness, it was spectacular. I love all of your recipes. Thank you!
★★★★★
aw thank you Krisi – I appreciate that!
The link to your enchilada sauce seems to be broken.
WHAT TEMPERATURE DO YOU BAKE THIS ENCHILADA RECIPE AT? YOU DIDN’T SAY? IT SOUNDS DELICIOUS.
350° Dianne