Using a few shortcuts, these Easy Chicken Enchiladas come together in no time and certainly don’t skimp on flavor!
As you probably know from scrolling through my blog, my family LOVES Mexican food! Add in a simple, kid friendly recipe and we are thrilled! This dish is just that! Simple, flavorful, kid approved, and even budget friendly!
Last week, I had this ready for the oven in about 5 minutes using pre-cooked chicken from my freezer! I added in some hatch peppers because I had them on hand, and dinner was set!
I even served my Instant Pot Mexican Rice and Instant Pot Refried Beans…..and still, the whole dinner was ready in 20 minutes! Impressive, right??!
Toppings: Well, with so many options, I definitely recommend making these your own. Add some sour cream on top! Maybe some diced tomatoes, avocados, or kick up the heat with diced jalapenos! My hubby loves some salsa on his, whereas I prefer mine plain and as is in recipe below! Get creative!
Seasoning: For the chicken, I had cooked up some chicken breasts earlier in the week. I love to keep cooked, shredded chicken on hand in my freezer for meals like this one. Typically, I take 1-2 pounds of chicken breasts, put it in my slow cooker with about 1/2 cup water, and sprinkle some of my homemade taco seasoning on hand. You can also use fajita seasoning or cook the chicken in broth alone and season depending on the meal its going into.
What to serve this with: Well, you are keeping it simple with this dish, so continue the trend and keep your sides simple. Maybe some Instant Pot Mexican Rice (here is the non Instant Pot version). Add some Instant Pot Refried Beans to the meal (non Instant Pot version here). Or, salad? Fruit? Just keep it simple! The enchiladas are filling, so you don’t need to add much!
Tortillas: I get sooooo many comments on my posts about using corn tortillas! Yes, I too LOVE me some corn tortillas, BUT…..I have found that in this recipe, tortilla holds up better. Corn tends to fall apart easier and be more appropriate for beef enchiladas, but that’s just my preference! If you prefer corn, go for it, I just recommend heating up the tortillas prior to adding meat and rolling!
Enchilada Sauce: Yes, I know, I cheated and used canned green sauce. Its good, what can I say! If you have your own recipe you love (please share it with me because I have yet to find a winner), you can definitely use homemade in place of canned! I tend to favor the Old El Paso brand for the green sauce, its not as spicy as the others I have tried and tastes pretty darn close to authentic!
Can you make this ahead of time? Absolutely! In fact, I encourage it! I love to make these in the morning and stick the pan in my fridge. The only thing I omit is the sauce when pre assembling. The tortillas sitting in the liquid can cause it to get a bit soggy after cooked. Not a good look/taste. I assemble, refrigerate, and when ready to pop into oven, pour the sauce on top and its ready!
That’s it! I think I covered just about all questions and options! If not, feel free to comment below asking anything! If you try these Easy Chicken Enchiladas, let me know! I love hearing feedback! Also try out my shortcut Beef Enchiladas!!
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- 1 lb chicken, cooked and shredded *season as desired
- 1/2 cup hatch peppers, diced (optional)
- 20 oz Green Enchilada Sauce
- 1 cup Mexican cheese, shredded
- 10 tortillas, flour
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Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 9x13 baking pan.
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In a bowl, combine the cooked chicken and peppers (if using).
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Place a scoop into the middle of each tortilla and roll up tight.
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Placing seam down, line the filled tortillas into the prepared pan. *You should be able to get 10 in a pan
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Pour sauce evenly on top of the filled tortillas, making sure to cover with sauce entirely.
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Sprinkle cheese evenly on top.
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Place pan in preheated oven and cook for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
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Serve and enjoy!
Jenny
April 24, 2019 at 2:40 pmWhat are hatch peppers? Thanks
Kristin
April 25, 2019 at 8:41 amHatch peppers are typically grown in the south. Similar to a green pepper, mild. If you don’t have any near you, you can use canned green chilis or green pepper diced!