I stole this recipe for Chicken Enchiladas from a cookbook called Magnolia Table (original recipe was for beef). This is a very easy recipe for homemade chicken enchiladas. Chicken is cooked with onions and seasonings, and then shredded. Corn tortillas are lightly pan fried and placed on a plate with red enchilada sauce. The chicken mixture and some shredded cheese are sprinkled on top then the tortilla is rolled up. After placing all the rolled tortillas in a baking dish, red enchilada sauce is poured on top with more cheese sprinkled on before baking.
Did you know? The first known Mexican-American enchilada recipe was not published in the Southwest. It was published in Ohio in 1876 by the territorial governor of Arizona, who wrote “any one who has ever been to a Spanish speaking country will recognize this as one of the national dishes, much as pumpkin pie is a New England specialty.”⁵ (see more trivia in the Trivia tab)
For this recipe you will need: 1 medium chopped onion, 1 lb chicken breasts, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, Kosher salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 cup canned diced green chiles, 8 corn tortillas, 1 ½ cups red enchilada sauce and 2 cups grated Mexican cheese.
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium heat. Then stir in onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook over medium-high heat, flipping occasionally to brown on both sides, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Next, remove chicken from skillet, shred and then return to skillet. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, ½ tsp salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring often for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in green chilies.
While the chicken cools slightly, fry the tortillas. In medium skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Line a plate with paper towels. Briefly fry a tortilla for about 10 seconds on each side, using tongs to flip it. Transfer to the paper towels and very lightly season with salt.
Next, spread ¼ cup enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Pour about ½ cup of enchilada sauce onto a plate. Working one tortilla at a time, place it in the sauce on the plate to coat the bottom. Spread ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture down the center, sprinkle a little cheese.
At this time, roll up the tortilla. Place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with all tortillas, nestling each roll against one another in the dish.
Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls, and then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
Bake until browned on top and gently bubbling around the edges, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Serve warm with green onions and sour cream.
If you liked this recipe for Chicken Enchiladas you can try the original Beef Enchiladas or you can try other enchilada recipes like Creamy Chicken Enchiladas or Breakfast Enchiladas.
Chicken Enchiladas
This is a very easy recipe for homemade chicken enchiladas. Chicken is cooked with onions and seasonings, and then shredded. Corn tortillas are lightly pan fried and placed on a plate with red enchilada sauce. The chicken mixture and some shredded cheese are sprinkled on top then the tortilla is rolled up. After placing all the rolled tortillas in a baking dish, red enchilada sauce is poured on top with more cheese sprinkled on before baking.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 lb chicken breasts cut into larger pieces
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup canned or frozen diced green chiles
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 ½ cups red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups grated Mexican cheese 8 oz
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions for serving
- Sour cream for serving
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 F.
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In a large skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook over medium-high heat, flipping occasionally to brown on both sides, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet, shred and then return to skillet. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, ½ tsp salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in green chilies.
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In medium skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Line a plate with paper towels. Fry a tortilla for about 10 seconds on each side, using tongs to flip it. Transfer to the paper towels and very lightly season with salt. Continue with remaining tortillas, stacking them between paper towels. Add more oil to skillet if needed.
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Spread ¼ cup enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Pour about ½ cup of enchilada sauce onto a plate.
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Working one tortilla at a time, place it in the sauce on the plate to coat the bottom. Spread ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture down the center, sprinkle a little cheese, and roll up the tortilla. Place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat to form a total of 8 rolls, nestling them against one another in the dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the rolls, and then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
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Bake until browned on top and gently bubbling around the edges, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes.
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Serve warm with green onions and sour cream.
Recipe Notes
I use 10 smaller corn tortillas.