These Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce are made with corn, tomato sauce, and other fresh ingredients. They all combine to make an exquisite dinner everyone loves.
Another fantastic chicken enchilada recipe is my White Sauce Chicken Enchiladas or these cheesy Chicken Enchiladas.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
When craving Mexican food, delicious enchilada recipes are where I turn. What better way to enjoy Cinco De Mayo or a summer holiday than with these cheesy Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce?
- TASTE: These enchiladas are super cheesy and savory. The red sauce is just a little spicy with some sweet corn to balance the dish.
- TEXTURE: Gooey cheese, juicy chicken, and thick red sauce make these enchiladas absolutely delicious.
- TIME: They will take an hour and 15 minutes to make.
- EASE: This recipe is fairly quick, incredibly easy, and you can find all the ingredients at your local grocery store.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Cheese- Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack Cheese are great melting cheeses that will make these enchiladas creamy and gooey with a hint of heat.
- Red enchilada sauce- This sauce is cooked and thickened with seasonings, garlic, and onion for a rich and unmistakable flavor. You can use homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought.
- Shredded chicken- You can cook and shred chicken breasts or even a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Mild green chiles- These will add some spice to the dish, but won’t go overboard.
- Corn tortillas- These offer authentic flavor to the dish. If you have none, you can use flour tortillas in their place.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add other seasonings- Make these enchiladas with homemade taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, or oregano.
- Substitute the chicken- You can make these Enchiladas with Red Sauce with other meats, such as beef or shredded pork. Or you can make them meatless.
- Use other cheeses- Other cheeses, such as manchengo, cotija, asadero, or cheddar cheese, make great substitutes for the jack and pepperjack cheeses in this dish.
- Add beans- Make this more protein-packed and flavorful with some black beans, refried beans, or pinto beans added in.
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce
- Cook the onion and garlic. Sauté garlic and chopped onion in a frying pan.
- Add in the sauce ingredients. Add the tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, and some cumin to the skillet. Sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Make the chicken mixture. In a bowl, combine the shredded chicken, more cumin, some sautéed onion, corn, green chilies, chili powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Add the cheese and sauce. Add some of the red sauce to the chicken mixture. Then mix in shredded pepper jack cheese and Monterey Jack cheese.
- Prepare the baking dish. Spread a little bit of the red sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 inch deep baking dish, just enough to cover the bottom.
- Fill the tortillas. Microwave the corn tortillas to soften them. Scoop 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture into the middle of each warmed corn tortilla and roll it up tightly. Place the rolled up enchiladas into the baking dish, seam side down.
Pro Tip: Warm the corn tortillas in the microwave before filling. This will make it easier to roll the enchiladas.
- Add sauce and cheese on top. Cover with the remaining sauce. The sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 370 degrees Fahrenheit.
Recipe Tips
- Shred the cheese from a block- Shredding block cheese is better than pre-shredded bag cheese because the starch used to keep the cheese from sticking together inhibits its ability to melt well.
- Add sauce to the bottom of the casserole dish- Doing this keeps the enchiladas from burning to the bottom as the cheese melts and also keeps them from drying out.
- Warm your corn tortillas- Corn tears easily so warm the tortillas to make them more pliable and easier to wrap.
- Don’t overfill the tortillas- Only add about 1/3 cup of the enchilada filling to each tortilla. If you overfill them, they won’t close easily and will likely tear.
FAQs
I baked my chicken enchiladas for 45 minutes at 370 degrees Fahrenheit. This gives all the flavors time to really meld together and it makes the cheese melt perfectly. But if you’re in a rush, you can pull it out early because all the ingredients are already cooked. Just make sure the cheese has melted and the center is warm.
When it comes to enchiladas, corn tortillas are the traditional choice. They also have a very distinct flavor that adds more to the enchiladas than flour tortillas do.
Serving Suggestions
Since this is a Mexican dish, serve something Mexican or Tex-Mex with it. But it’s versatile flavors will work with lots of sides and veggies of all types.
- Toppings: Top these Enchiladas with Red Sauce with black olives, cilantro, sour cream, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, chopped tomatoes, or green onions.
- Salads: Serve them with a Taco Salad Recipe (VIDEO), Spinach Salad, Tomato Garlic Salad, or Avocado Corn Salad.
- Sides: Enjoy these enchiladas with some 7 Layer Taco Dip, Loaded Chicken Nachos, Air Fryer Corn on the Cob, or Wild Brown Rice.
- Fajitas/Tacos: Pair them with some Flank Steak Tacos, Shrimp Fajitas, Fish Tacos, or Easy Chicken Fajitas (VIDEO).
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: You can prepare the ingredients and assemble the enchiladas ahead of time. Keep them in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to bake and serve.
Storing: Store these Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce in the refrigerator covered with foil for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven until warmed through.
Freeze: You can make this meal ahead of time and freeze it, even with the sauce. I recommend using a disposable aluminum tray for the enchiladas. Just follow the recipe, but before baking, cover the tray with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, just remove the plastic wrap and foil and bake for 45 minutes at 370 degrees F.
More Delicious Mexican Dishes!
This recipe was originally posted May 3, 2016, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.
Full Recipe Instructions
Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 2 cups enchilada sauce
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 1 cup corn
- 4 oz diced mild green chilies
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin divided
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese
- 24 oz shredded monterey Jack
- 16 corn tortillas
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic and chopped onion until it becomes translucent. Reserve 1/3 cup of the sautéed onion and garlic.
- Add tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, and 1 tsp cumin into the skillet. Sauté for another 2 minutes.
- In a bowl combine shredded chicken, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/3 cup sautéed onion, corn, green chilies, chili powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Add 1/2 cup of the red sauce to the chicken mixture. Then mix in 8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese and 16 oz Monterey Jack cheese.
- Warm the corn tortillas in the microwave (2 at a time for 10 seconds). This will make it easier to roll the enchiladas. Scoop 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture into the middle of each warmed corn tortilla and roll it up tightly.
- Spread a little bit of the red sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 inch deep baking dish (just enough to cover the bottom). Then place the rolled-up enchiladas into the baking dish.
- Cover with the remaining red sauce. Then sprinkle with about 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 370 degrees Fahrenheit.
Notes
- Shred the cheese from a block- Shredding block cheese is better than pre-shredded bag cheese because the starch used to keep the cheese from sticking together inhibits its ability to melt well.
- Add sauce to the bottom of the casserole dish- Doing this keeps the enchiladas from burning to the bottom as the cheese melts and also keeps them from drying out.
- Warm your corn tortillas- Corn tears easily so warm the tortillas to make them more pliable and easier to wrap.
- Don’t overfill the tortillas- Only add about 1/3 cup of the enchilada filling to each tortilla. If you overfill them, they won’t close easily and will likely tear.
Nutrition
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Clare Albarado says
I definitely want to make this ,only thing I would do is put a layer of the tortillas on the bottom, then add a layer of the filling, then cheese, and continue layering.
Dina says
I hope you enjoy it Clare!
Vera says
These enchiladas are amazing! I always double the recipe to freeze for later! Thank you!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you! So happy to hear that you love this enchilada recipe! Love the idea of doubling it and freezing for later 🙂 Thank you for your kind feedback 🙂
Kim Gillenwater says
I didn’t even see the AMOUNTS of the ingredients until afterwards, as they were like a P.S. at the very end of this, but DID see the LIST of ingredients. My printer was misbehaving, so it didn’t print. Instead of TWO pounds of cheese (!!) I only used one….half a pound of each kind. That was plenty. I used flour tortillas, and that was fine, too. I used more chili powder, and it was just absolutely DELICIOUS! I had more filling than I needed, so served that on tostada shells the next day. I will be making this as a “regular recipe,” in my life, as it was a definite HIT.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for the positive feedback Kim. I’m glad this enchilada recipe has become a staple in your home 🙂
Olya says
This is our family favorite “Mexican food” recipe! If my husband asks for enchiladas, he means THESE enchiladas! I’ve made them for guests too and the compliments were endless. Thanks Dina!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for the kind feedback Olya! I’m so happy your family loves this recipe 🙂