Mexican
Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken is simmered until it shreds, rolled into tortillas with cheese, and baked under enchilada sauce. The pan tastes saucy, mildly smoky, and rich where the cheese melts into the tortillas.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Cooking the chicken in the sauce seasons it all the way through.
- A brief bake melts the cheese without drying the tortillas.
- Rolling loosely keeps the tortillas from tearing.
- Resting the pan a few minutes makes the servings hold together.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F. Season the chicken with the salt.
- 2
Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. If the oil smokes, turn the heat off and let the pan cool slightly before continuing. Cook the onion for 4 minutes, then add the garlic for 30 seconds.
- 3
Add the chicken, 1 cup of the enchilada sauce, and the cumin. Cover and simmer until the chicken reaches 165°F, about 12 minutes.
- 4
Shred the chicken in the skillet and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar.
- 5
Divide the chicken among the tortillas, roll them up, and place them seam-side down in a baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar.
- 6
Bake 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce bubbles at the edges. Rest 5 minutes and top with the cilantro.
Pro tips
- Warm the tortillas for 15 seconds so they roll without cracking.
- Keep some sauce under the tortillas so the bottoms do not stick.
- Shred the chicken while it is hot; it pulls apart more easily.
Easy substitutions
- flour tortillas
- corn tortillas
- cheddar cheese
- a Mexican cheese blend
- chicken breasts
- boneless chicken thighs, still cooked to 165°F
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers covered for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat covered at 350°F for about 15 minutes, until the center is hot.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 552
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
Budget friendly · Oven, Stovetop · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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