This Mexican inspired Chicken Enchilada Recipe is absolutely the BEST! Enchiladas are easier than you think – flour tortillas filled with chicken in the most delicious homemade enchilada sauce, loaded with cheese.
This is a great make-ahead meal and is especially good topped with Pico De Gallo!
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Chicken Enchilada Recipe:
Chicken Enchiladas are a classic Mexican dish. Not only are the enchiladas easy to make, but they are so filling and loved by kids and adults alike. Enchiladas are essentially tortillas filled with chicken and smothered in a creamy homemade enchilada sauce and cheese.
Just like our Mexican Pulled Pork Carnitas, this enchilada recipe is sure to become a new favorite.
Hey, hey! Valentina with Valentina’s Corner sharing our EASY Chicken Enchiladas!
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas:
- Cook chicken – and shred chicken with two forks. Save time by using leftover cooked chicken (like our Instant Pot Whole Chicken) or even a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Prepare enchilada sauce – In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, add sour cream, enchilada sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, green chilis, and beat until combined.
- Prepare the filling – Divide this enchilada sauce mixture into two bowls, about ⅔ of the sauce mixture in bowl one and ⅓ of the mixture into a second bowl. Add the cooked chicken into the first bowl with 2 cups of shredded cheese.
- To Assemble Enchiladas – Take the cheesy chicken filling from bowl 1 and place it into the center of each tortilla.
- Arrange Enchiladas – Tightly roll up the tortilla and place seam-side-down into a 9”x13” baking dish. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Pour the reserved ⅓ part enchilada sauce mixture over all of the tortillas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese (you can add more cheese if you like a lot of cheese).
- Bake – Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese bubbles and begins to turn a golden brown.
NOTE: Use your favorite cheese. Mexican, Four Cheese or Colby Jack will all work great in this recipe.
What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas:
Though you can serve the enchiladas just as they come out of the oven, you can also add personalized toppings. Here are some of the most popular toppings to serve with enchiladas:
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Red onion
- Homemade Spicy Guacamole
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Pico de Gallo
- Jalapenos, fresh or jarred
- Jalapeno Ranch
Can I Prepare Enchiladas in Advance?
Yes! These enchiladas are great to prepare in advance. Prepare the recipe per instructions (don’t bake), cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. NOTE: Since the ingredients will all be cold, add an additional 5 minutes baking time to the dish when covered with foil.
I hope these homemade enchiladas become a family favorite. We especially love that you can add the toppings buffet style and allow the family members to each add their favorite toppings.
More Crowd-Pleasing Dinner Ideas:
- Shrimp Tacos with the Best Shrimp Taco Sauce
- Philly Cheesesteak Quesadillas – everyone loves these
- Shrimp Fajitas – so simple and delicious
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken– Ready in just 15 minutes
- Chicken Lo Mein– So much better than takeout
The BEST Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 flour tortillas, 10-inch burrito size
- 1 1/2 lb chicken breast or thighs
- 3 oz cream cheese, room temp
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 4.5 oz diced green chilis, with their juice
- 20 oz mild red enchilada sauce, (We used 2 - 10oz cans)
- 1 1/4 tsp salt, divided
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided (Mexican, Four Cheese or Colby Jack)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Shred pre-cooked chicken or cook your own: Add chicken to a saucepan, completely cover with water and season with 1 tsp salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Shred the chicken with two forks and set aside.
- Make the Enchilada Sauce Mix: In a bowl, beat the cream cheese. Add the sour cream, green chilis, enchiladas sauce, 1/4 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika; beat until combined.
- Divide the enchilada sauce mixture into two bowls, add 2/3 of the sauce into a large bowl. Set aside the remaining 1/3 of the sauce for the top.
- Add the shredded chicken with 2 cups cheese to the first bowl with 2/3 of the sauce. Mix with a spatula to combine.
- Generously add chicken filling to the center of each tortilla and roll up tortillas tightly. Arrange the tortillas in a 9x13 casserole dish.
- Pour the reserved 1/3 of sauce over the tortillas and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese (add more cheese if desired).
- Cover the dish with foil and bake at 400˚F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese melts.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
Can this recipe be made with corn tortillas?
Hi Greg! Corn tortillas can work. A few things to keep in mind, they are smaller and tend to crack when rolled. It helps to warm them up prior to filling. Some of our viewers like using corn tortillas in this recipe but have also reported that they can get a little bit mushy.
How far in advance can you prepare the enchiladas in the casserole dish? Is 24 hours in advance ok?
Hi Natalie! If you’re making them ahead, I wouldn’t keep them longer than 24 hours before baking them. You may also reserve the extra sauce to put on top before baking in case they get too soggy,
The name of this recipe is spot on, “The BEST Chicken Enchiladas Recipe” ! Thank you for sharing 😋
You’re welcome! It’s the best indeed!
My daughter made this and it was delicious
These were excellent, thank you! I do like a little crispier tortilla so may try baking it for awhile and then add a little sauce over the top for the last half. What do you think? Or maybe just a little less sauce to start with?
Glad you love this recipe! You can bake them a bit longer and uncovered, add slightly less sauce and finish baking. You can also broil them for 1–2 minutes at the end to deepen the color and texture.
Hands down THE BEST chicken enchiladas I’ve recipe I’ve ever made.
I added a bit of cumin and chili powder but other than that, stuck to recipe.
It’s so rich, flavorful.
Your recipes are Godsend.
I’m so happy you found a favorite on my blog, Pia! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome review with me!
This is a great recipe and I have made them several times. They always turn out delicious, and my family loves them! I simply love all of your recipes and look for them when I go to make many dishes! You are a rock star!
Thank you so much, Carla!
First time ever making chicken enchiladas. Sorry to say but I didn’t like this. I think it depends on the brand of enchilada sauce (in my case it was Las Palmas). I also think I need to tweak how much sauce goes into each filling. Mine turned out soggy. I was hoping it would look just like your pic. The pictures shown above as part of the preparation doesn’t even show a red sauce as part of the mix. Sorry but I need to keep looking for the one true recipe. Thank you anyways.
Hi Merilee, I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you. What kind of tortillas did you use?
Hi! If I were to use a chopped-up/ shredded Rotisserie chicken……how many cups would you use for the recipe? I am very excited to try a chicken enchilada recipe that uses a red sauce.
Hi Julie, I haven’t measured it in cups, but I would still use the same weight in chicken (1.5 lbs). I hope that helps.
I make this recipe using a cooked rotisserie chicken and pull off as much good meat as possible. I’ve never weighed it but when mixed with the rest of the ingredients it fills 6 large tortillas and tastes amazing!
Can I prep and freeze them for later use ?
Hi there. I haven’t tested that but I think it can work. Also- leftovers freeze and reheat well.
We love this recipe I’m making ahead to feed a bunch of family. Should I assemble and freeze? Or bake as directed then freeze?
Hi Taylor, I haven’t tried freezing before baking, but the leftovers freeze and reheat well.
Can I use corn tortillas? I have several on hand. Thanks!
Hi Karen! Corn tortillas can work. A few things to keep in mind, they are smaller and tend to crack when rolled. It helps to warm them up prior to filling. Some of our viewers like using corn tortillas in this recipe but have also reported that they can get a little bit mushy.
to avoid your tortillas from cracking you should lightly fry them in oil before you use them. Don’t over or under fry them. they can be too soft if under fried or too crispy of over fried. Fry them to make them maleable but so they wont be soggy either. I am Mexican, this is how we make enchiladas, with corn tortillas only.
Hi Natasha, I love all of your recipes! I’ve made your chicken enchiladas several times and it is a winner!! I recently had a chicken burrito with a mole sauce in a restaurant and wanted to experiment. Do you think your recipe here would work with a mole sauce on top or do have another idea on how to incorporate a mole sauce in a Mexican dish?
Hello Sherry, thank you for sharing. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! I have not tested that variation to advise but feel free to experiment! We’d love to know how it goes.
These are the best! Easy to make, and my friends all love them!!
Can I substitute chicken for ground beef in this recipe?
Hi Tiffany! Yes, it can work with other meat to.
I was out of town and did not have my usual chicken enchilada recipe. I located this recipe by going to Natashas Kitchen, who ALWAYS has great recipes. Wow! This recipe is scrumptious…definitely beats my old one. Everything about this recipe was perfect. Thank you!
Aw, thank you, Cynthia! I’m so glad you gave it a try.
I’ve made this several times and it is the best recipe ever for red sauce enchiladas! Easy, delicious and everyone loves it! I highly recommend making your own enchilada sauce.
The enchiladas were delicious, but even after generously greasing the bottom of the 13×9 dish, the flour tortillas on the bottom became a bit dry and were very difficult to cut.
Reserve a little extra topping and pour some on the bottom of the dish before adding your enchiladas. Hope this helps.
What enchildada sauce do you use? Can I use green sauce?
Hi Lucida! You can use your favorite brand. I just purchase what’s available at my grocery store. Green sauce will work too, but it will change the flavor.
Hi Natasha,
Can this be made a day ahead and refrigerated? Would love an easy Monday night meal.
Hi Katie! Yes, it works great to prep ahead. Just add 5 mins to the baking time since they will be cold.