These Easy Chicken Enchiladas are cheesy, simple, and quick to make. You don’t need any sort of culinary skills to get this one right!
If you love enchiladas, be sure to try out our Red Sauce Enchiladas and White Sauce Enchiladas.
Table Of Contents
Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe Details
I love this Easy Chicken Enchilada recipe because it’s just so simple, and the flavors are satisfying and filling. This versatile dish also makes substitutions and add-ins really easy so you can make it just how your family likes it.
- TASTE: Juicy chicken, spicy chiles, and plenty of cheese, these Easy Chicken Enchiladas have plenty of great flavors.
- TEXTURE: This recipe is made with cheesy, creamy filling wrapped in a pillowy flour tortilla. Every bite is just right.
- TIME: This dish only takes 30 minutes to make.
- EASE: Simple ingredients and just a few steps, these Easy Chicken Enchiladas are just what the name suggests.
What You’ll Need
- Enchilada filling- Olive oil, Garlic cloves, White onion, All-purpose flour, Chicken broth, Cream cheese, Mild green chiles, and Shredded cooked chicken
- Shredded Mexican cheese
- Flour tortillas
How to Make Easy Chicken Enchiladas
- Saute the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and minced garlic and cook until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the flour and broth. Then add the flour and stir for about a minute, then pour in the chicken broth.
- Add the rest of the filling ingredients. Add the softened cream cheese, shredded chicken, green chiles, and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Reserve the other cup for topping.
- Fill the tortillas. Scoop out a heaping 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture into a warmed tortilla and roll tightly.
- Bake. Place each wrapped chicken enchilada into a greased 13×9 baking dish. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
Pro Tip: Warm your tortillas because this will make them more pliable and easier to roll without ripping.
Recipe Tips
- Use softened cream cheese- This ingredient adds lots of creaminess to the Easy Chicken Enchilada filling, but if it’s cold from the fridge it will leave chunks rather than melt right in.
- Shred the chicken into small pieces- You want the enchilada filling to be both creamy and chunky, so make sure your shreds of chicken are not too big.
- Save some cheese for on top- Baking some cheese on top gives the enchiladas that gooey, cheesy look that you want. It also gets brown and bubbly, adding lots more flavor to the dish.
- Allow them to cool- Don’t add your toppings right when the Chicken Enchiladas come out of the oven. They will melt and slide off if the dish is still super hot, so allow it to rest for a few minutes.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute rotisserie chicken- Save yourself time by using a rotisserie chicken that’s already cooked and ready to shred for this dish.
- Add some spice- If you like your enchiladas with some heat, add some spicier chiles, jalapenos, or hot sauce into the filling before rolling it into the tortillas.
- Make this dish gluten-free- Substitute the flour and tortillas with gluten-free flour and corn tortillas for a wheat-free meal.
- Add vegetables- Sneak some veggies into these enchiladas by chopping spinach, broccoli, or bell peppers, sauteing to soften them, and then adding them to the chicken filling.
FAQs
Before you roll your enchiladas, warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave so they don’t rip as you roll them. You could also lightly fry them so they don’t soak up too much moisture from the filling and get soggy.
This recipe doesn’t use a sauce, but you can add any type you like. Try green enchilada sauce, taco sauce, salsa, ranchero sauce, Picante sauce, sofrito sauce, or any homemade sauce you like.
Serving Suggestions
These Easy Chicken Enchiladas are so versatile and you can really pair them with almost anything. Here are a few tasty options.
- Beans and Rice: Serve this dish with classic rice and beans. You can even serve this Wild Brown Rice with them.
- Salad/Soup: A green salad would work well with these savory enchiladas, like this Best Broccoli Cranberry Salad or Spinach Salad. Or serve Chicken Tortilla Soup.
- Sides: Serve some tortilla chips with this Seven Layer Taco Dip Recipe. Or put out some Mexican Salsa with Roasted Corn, Guacamole, and Pico de Gallo as toppings.
- Vegetables: Roasted Air Fryer Vegetables, Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli, and Garlic Asparagus make great sides for this recipe.
Make These Easy Chicken Enchiladas in Advance
Make ahead: You can assemble this recipe ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you are ready to bake and serve it.
Storing: Store these Easy Chicken Enchiladas once they have cooled by wrapping the dish in plastic wrap or placing them in an airtight container. They can stay in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Freeze: To freeze this dish, wrap it in foil and plastic wrap once cooled and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remove the plastic wrap and bake in the oven until warmed through and the cheese has melted on top.
More Tasty Mexican-inspired Dishes!
- Easy Chicken Fajitas (VIDEO)
- Delicious Flank Steak Taco Recipe
- Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce
- Shrimp Fajitas
- Chipotle Chicken Bowl Recipe (VIDEO)
Full Recipe Instructions
Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup white onion diced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temp
- 2 cup shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cups shredded mexican cheese
- 4 oz mild green chiles diced in a can
- 6 flour tortillas
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion and minced garlic and cook until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add flour and stir for about a minute, then pour in the chicken broth.
- Add cream cheese, shredded chicken, green chiles, and 1 cup of shredded cheese. Reserve the other cup for topping.
- Scoop out a heaping 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture into a warmed tortilla and roll tightly.
- Place each wrapped enchilada into a greased 13×9 baking dish. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for 15 min.
Notes
- How to make ahead of time?
- How to freeze them?
- Add-ins and substitues
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted April 10, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
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Alina says
Can I freeze them once they are completely made to heat up for another day?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Alina, I’ve never tried freezing it after baking it. If you do freeze it, don’t add the cheese on top just yet. Maybe add it when you reheat it?
Anna says
What kind of chicken did you use and how do you shred your chicken? I have heard you can shred it in the kitchen aid mixer. Do you think it would still be good if I used already shredded canned chicken? Don’t judge me…… 😛
simplyhomecooked says
I used the chicken I had leftover after I made chicken stock. You can use rotisserie or canned chicken if you’d like. I’ve made it with the canned chicken from Costco and it was still pretty tasty 🙂
Katy | Her Cup of Joy says
Wow these look incredibly easy and delicious! Thanks for the step by step photos!
admin says
Thank you Katy 🙂 Hope you enjoy them!