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Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Our homemade Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas are so hearty and delicious! The homemade red enchilada sauce is made with mostly pantry staples and takes this recipe over the top. Throw together an extra pan for a friend, neighbor, or new mom!

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Chessy Chicken Enchiladas

We love enchiladas. Whether they are Shredded Beef Enchiladas, Ground Beef Enchiladas, Pork Enchiladas, or Green Chicken Enchiladas, I’ll eat them all. In this recipe, we’re going to show you how to easily make a pan of shredded chicken enchiladas with red sauce, and add another to our growing list of Mexican-inspired favorites.

These chicken enchiladas would work really well as a freezer meal. You can freeze them in smaller containers for more individual portions. I cook for an army, but most of my recipes can be downsized for smaller families, or broken up and frozen in individual serving sizes. Foil bread pans would work great for this, and would still be oven safe. This would also work fine in a crock pot on low heat for several hours, or cooked in the pellet grill.

Want to give these a little smoke? This recipe would work perfectly on the Traeger Pellet Grill.

Check out my Traeger Verde Chicken Enchiladas!

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Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchilada shopping list

Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  • Chicken breasts
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Chili powder
  • Vegetable oil
  • Refried beans
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Salsa
  • Garlic
  • Oregano
  • Basil
  • Chili powder
  • Cumin
  • Crushed tomatoes
  • Corn tortillas

Try our Beef Shank Tacos sometime too!

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

How to make Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

1

Brown Chicken

Start these out by seasoning a few BIG chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and onion powder. Put a few tablespoons of oil into a pan, and brown on both sides.

2

Sauce

While those are browning, start your enchilada sauce by placing the oil and garlic into a medium sauce pan. Cook garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, and then add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce.

Stir that up well, and let simmer over low heat while the chicken is cooking.

3

Shred Chicken

After the chicken has browned, I added about 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of the pan and covered the pan to finish the cooking. My breasts were pretty large, so they needed this moist cooking to make sure they cooked through but didn’t dry out.

When the chicken is cooked through, shred it thoroughly. Did you know you can use your stand mixer to shred chicken? SO much easier than by hand. Toss it into your mixer bowl, attach your beaters, and beat on low for about a minute, or until the chicken is shredded. Perfect.

4

Beans

Now make your refried beans. I used a can of the regular style, then added 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, and 1/4 cup of salsa. Heat well, stir to combine, and then mix in with your chicken. Generously fill a taco size flour tortilla with the mixture.

5

Assemble

Roll up the enchiladas and place into a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray, and has been lightly covered with enchilada sauce.

Cover these with your enchilada sauce. As much or as little as you would like. I tend to like things SAUCY, so I go a bit crazy with it. After the enchiladas are sauced, cover with cheddar cheese.

6

Bake

Bake in a 350°F oven for 30-45 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the whole thing is heated through.

7

Enjoy

Enjoy hot with your favorite fixings!

Shredded Beef Puffy Tacos

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Homemade Chicken Enchiladas FAQ

Can this recipe be made in advance?

Yes! This is a great recipe to make ahead of time and keep in the fridge for a quick dinner, or to store in single-serving containers for easy homemade lunches.

What’s the best way to store and reheat chicken enchilads?

Store covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until steaming and hot.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

More recipes to love!

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Yield: 8 servings

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Sauce

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Easy Cheesy chicken enchiladas have their own homemade sauce, and are so simple to make! This is one of our all-time favorites!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 pounds chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup water

Beans

  • 1 can refried beans
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 - 1/2 cup salsa

Enchilada Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 3 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

Enchiladas

  • 16 corn tortillas
  • 4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Season the chicken breasts, place the vegetable oil in a pan, and brown over medium heat.
  2. Once both sides are browned, add 1/2 cup water to the pan, cover, and finish cooking. When the chicken reaches 165° internal temperature, drain water and shred either by hand or with your mixer.
  3. In a medium saucepan, saute garlic in the vegetable oil for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the rest of the enchilada sauce ingredients, stir well, and reduce heat to low. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for about 10-15 minutes.
  4. Heat the refried beans in a small pan and mix in salsa and cheese. Stir the bean mixture into the chicken.
  5. Generously fill tortillas, roll, and place into a pan that has been prepped with cooking spray, and the bottom covered lightly with enchilada sauce. Top with enchilada sauce, and cover with cheese.
  6. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes, or until heated through and cheese is bubbly.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 693Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 159mgSodium: 1443mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 9gSugar: 6gProtein: 58g

Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate.

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Nicole Johnson

Nicole Johnson, a self-taught expert in grilling and outdoor cooking, launched Or Whatever You Do in 2010. Her blog, renowned for its comprehensive and creative outdoor cooking recipes, has garnered a vast audience of millions. Nicole's hands-on experience and passion for grilling shine through her work. Her husband, Jeremiah Johnson, also plays a pivotal role in recipe development, adding his culinary flair to the mix. Together, they form a dynamic duo, offering a rich and varied outdoor cooking experience to their followers.

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