Chicken Enchilada Skillet
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This deconstructed chicken enchilada skillet (lazy enchiladas) is a quick, easy, one pot miracle dinner using up leftover rotisserie chicken!
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I made this for lunch today and my hubby and I both LOVED IT! My hubby asked if this was another “Damn” recipe and I told him yes and she hasn’t failed us yet!! Everything we’ve tried, we’ve loved. Thank you for another great recipe!!
why you’ll love this chicken enchilada skillet
- One pot miracle dinner. We’re talking one skillet for the most effortless flavor-packed 45 min dinner, start to finish. Even with baking the tortillas on the oven rack, we’re still cooking in a single pot. Can we say easiest clean up ever? Yes, please!
- Short ingredient list. This recipe does not require much, including repurposing leftover rotisserie chicken and utilizing pantry staples. Want to go the extra mile and take your enchilada skillet to the next level? Use homemade enchilada sauce!
- Shortcut enchiladas (aka lazy enchiladas). Imagine an inside out enchilada. There’s zero rolling, zero wrapping, no nothing. You get all the favorited enchilada flavors without any of the work, all baked in a hot, cheesy skillet.
- Family-favorite meal. This is one of those dishes where family, friends, and weekend company will be begging for second helpings. Serve with your favorite toppings – avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream, cilantro, and lime wedges to name a few – there’s a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy.
- Flexible recipe. Swap out the shredded chicken for a different protein or use salsa verde or green enchilada sauce in place of the red enchilada sauce.
how to make the easiest deconstructed lazy enchiladas
- Toast. Toast the tortillas (corn or flour) directly on the oven rack at 400°F, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then break into pieces.
- Sauté the aromatics. Sauté the onion and poblano pepper in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat until tender. Then stir in the garlic and cumin until fragrant.
- Combine. Stir in the diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce (red or green), leftover shredded rotisserie chicken, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer. Reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for about 5 minutes, letting the flavors meld and deepen. Then stir in the toasted torn tortillas until well combined.
- Bake. Sprinkle the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses in an even layer and bake at 400°F until hot and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes.
- Serve. Add your desired toppings and serve warm from the skillet.
topping ideas
- Pico de gallo
- Corn salsa
- Diced or sliced avocado
- Guacamole
- Restaurant-style salsa
- Dollop or drizzled sour cream (or sub Greek yogurt for a lighter touch)
- Cilantro, lime wedges, or pickled jalapeños
what to serve with chicken enchilada skillet
- Taco Salad
- Mexican Rice
- Mexican Corn Dip
- Mini Chicken Quesadillas
- Southwestern Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Tools For This Recipe
Chicken Enchilada Skillet: Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have a recipe for rotisserie chicken?
Yes! I love this IP rotisserie chicken and this 6-ingredient lemon herb rotisserie chicken.
Can I use flour tortillas?
Absolutely! You can use corn or flour, it really depends on personal preference. Corn tortillas are typically used for enchiladas as they maintain their structure a little better (less cracking and tearing when rolled for traditional enchiladas) but either option will work well here.
What vegetables can I add here for my picky eaters?
Sweet potato, mushrooms, zucchini, and cauliflower can all be added.
Can I use a different kind of cheese?
I love Mexican blend but Cheddar, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, and Monterey Jack are all excellent options.
How can I store leftovers?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, reheating in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through.
Chicken Enchilada Skillet
This deconstructed chicken enchilada skillet (lazy enchiladas) is a quick, easy, one pot miracle dinner using up leftover rotisserie chicken!
Video
Ingredients
- 7 (5 1/2-inch) corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 2 ½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place tortillas directly on the oven rack in a single layer, baking until toasted and crisp, about 5 minutes; let cool 5-10 minutes before breaking into pieces.
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion and poblano, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cumin until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce and chicken; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors have blended, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in tortillas until evenly combined; sprinkle with cheeses.
- Place into oven and bake until bubbly and cheeses have melted, about 15-20 minutes.
- Serve immediately with desired toppings.
Equipment
Notes
- Toast the tortillas. Crisping the tortillas beforehand is a key step, creating a barrier and preventing them from becoming soggy.
- Use red or green enchilada sauce. Use your favorite brand of enchilada sauce, mild or spicy. Homemade enchilada sauce is even better.
- Use leftover rotisserie chicken. Save time on those busy weeknights and repurpose leftover rotisserie chicken (or any other leftover protein).
- Control the consistency. If the sauce looks too thick, add a small splash of water or broth until the desired consistency is reached.
- Mix it up. Swap out the chicken for crumbled ground beef (or turkey) seasoned with taco seasoning or make it vegetarian by skipping the chicken and adding in black beans + bell pepper + broccoli (or cauliflower) + leafy greens.
- Make it gluten-free. This recipe can easily be made GF by swapping out the tortillas for gluten-free tortillas.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Quick, easy and delicious. Got rave reviews as do all of your other recipes I’ve tried. Your website is aptly named. Thanks for sharing.
Sauté the tortilla (preferably corn) in a little olive oil to soften. Total game changer!!!
So, I made this for my wife tonight. We both really liked it. I did use an Anaheim chili instead because that is what I had. The diced tomatoes where a can with Hatch chilis. Pepper jack and cheddar. Other than that it was true to the recipe. Store bought enchilada sauce (I was out of my home made). Will do this one again!
Can I sub green enchilada sauce
This was super delicious and you can easily add veggies and I will add some corn next time. This time had asparagus. Will brown the tortilla pieces before the chicken next time.
I made this for lunch today and my hubby and I both LOVED IT! My hubby asked if this was another “Damn” recipe and I told him yes and she hasn’t failed us yet!! Everything we’ve tried, we’ve loved. Thank you for another great recipe!!
I already had some boneless, skinless chicken that I had grilled a couple days earlier. I cubed it and used this recipe. I made minor changes and added chopped black olives and extra cheese. It was great…
Sounds very good!
What if I wanted it to feed 9 people how will I change it
This recipe yields 6 servings so you can multiply the ingredients by 1.5 or 2 – it’s up to you! 🙂
Flour tortillas get gummy, I prefer corn!
I absolutely LOVE your recipes! I will be making this for dinner tomorrow, only because tonight we are having your Chicken with Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce 😀
Question: I’ve made this mistake before, when you say corn tortillas cut into strips…you mean the soft ones right? And they will crisp up in the pan?
Thanks!
Yes, that is correct but they will not really become crisp per se – they have a similar texture as traditional enchiladas.
New to your website. Love your passion for easy, healthy, and fun eating/cooking. Any possibility of including total calories, carbs, prot, etc. in your recipes that are in your blog?
Your niece is just adorable. If I could magically transport myself to LA for visits, forgoing the drive, that would be ideal.
Thanks for fab buffalo chicken quinoa bites with Gr. yogurt
Thank you for the kind words!
Nutritional information is actually provided only for select and new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, it is best that you use free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information.
I add black beans, corn, and rice to this to stretch it out! It’s fantastic for breakfast with a fried egg on top.
This was amazing!!!! Your recipes rock!!! 🙂
I’m curious — have you ever tried freezing this meal? I’ve been looking for ways to freeze my favorite recipes for nights when I don’t have time to cook an entire meal from start to finish…and making freezer meals myself is so much healthier than buying them at the grocery store! So…have you ever frozen this recipe and then made it later?
Unfortunately, I have not tried freezing this as there were no leftovers to freeze! I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Another great “easy” dinner! This is the third recipe I’ve made from your wonderful site and my family has really loved them all. I can’t wait to try the Orange chicken.
Great recipe! Thank you, made it tonight and loved it. Used pepper jack cheese and skipped the tomato sauce. I fried my own tortillas (chile whole grain ones). It is similar to what we in the Southwest call “migas” (often a breakfast dish). Not sure I cold stretch it to six servings, but that might be because it is soooo good!
Made this last night for dinner. So quick (especially when you cook your chicken in the Ziploc Zip N Steam bags. Seriously LOVE those btw. You should look into a sponsorship!) and tasted great! Never would have thought to fry the tortilla bites like that. Added something extra to the dish. Will certainly be making this again!!
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This is probably my new favorite recipe. Thanks for sharing.
This is amazing, and so easy to bring together. I served ours with rice. This dish is definitely a keeper. 🙂