Weeknight Chicken Enchiladas
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Classic chicken and black bean enchiladas! Easy to assemble with quick homemade enchilada sauce! Yes, please!
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This is yet another one of my weeknight quick fixer-uppers. Except the family (or guests) don’t really need to know this. It’ll be our secret, so shhhhhhhh.
But even as a lightning fast meal, these really may just be the best enchiladas ever. Using leftover rotisserie chicken, black beans, cilantro, Mexican blend shredded cheese, and a quick, homemade enchilada sauce, it does not get any better (or quicker).
Plus, the leftovers taste even better the very next day. Perfect to feed a crowd or even a friend/family who just had a new baby/recovering from surgery and would love a home-cooked meal.
tips and tricks for success
- Soften the tortillas. Warm the tortillas first so they are easier to roll. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds. You can also fry the tortillas, in batches, in a little bit of oil (about 1 tablespoon vegetable oil) until crispy but pliable.
- Do not overstuff. Size matters! Overstuffing may sound like a good idea since the filling is the best part, but this can result in ripped tortilla and overspill.
- Avoid a soggy bottom. Nobody likes soggy enchiladas! Be sure to pour the sauce on top, adding the filled enchiladas to the pan first.
what to serve with enchiladas
Weeknight Chicken Enchiladas: Frequently Asked Questions
We love this IP rotisserie chicken and this 6-ingredient lemon herb rotisserie chicken.
Absolutely! You can use corn or flour, it really just depends on personal preference. Corn tortillas are traditionally used for enchiladas as they maintain their structure a little more (less cracking and tearing when rolled) but either option will work great here.
Sweet potato, mushrooms, zucchini and cauliflower are all great options.
We love Mexican blend but Cheddar, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack and Monterey Jack can also be used.
Add your filled enchiladas to the bottom of the pan first, then pour the sauce on top to prevent them from soaking too much sauce (hence, soggy enchiladas).
Yes! Enchiladas is a great dish to make ahead of time and assembled the night before, letting it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to baking.
Weeknight Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 cups coarsely shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
- 8 8-inch flour tortillas, warmed
For the enchilada sauce
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 small poblano pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, black beans, cilantro and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Stir in 3/4 cup cheese.
- To assemble the enchiladas, lay tortilla on a flat surface and spoon 1/2-3/4 cups of the chicken mixture in the center. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down onto prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
- Top with remaining enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.
- Place into oven and bake until bubbly, about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
For the enchilada sauce
- Heat canola 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, chili powder, cumin, paprika and oregano until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in chicken stock and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?
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FYI this recipe may confuse folks as written. Perhaps I’m just dense. Instructions just say to whisk stock and tomato sauce and bring to a boil. At the end of the recipe is a note to sautee vegetables & herbs. At no point does it tell you to combine the two, or in what order. Why not just make step 2 sauteeing veggies, then deglaze with stock/sauce? I’m assuming that’s the order of operations here, but the instructions are not clear. Tasty though.
You are absolutely right, Daniel. There was a small error in the recipe that has since been fixed. Thank you for letting us know!
This is my favorite!
Can I assemble this a day in advance?
making ahead worked for us. I made the enchiladas and refrigerated them without the sauce. Then when I was ready to bake poured the sauce on and put the cheese on top. Worked pretty well although for me next time I would bake without the sauce to melt the cheese inside (for a short time) then add warm sauce and cheese and broil for a few. The tortillas got a bit mushy for our taste but we’re picky Texans when it comes to enchiladas and their texture.
These are a family favorite! They make the best leftovers too!
We followed this recipe exactly and it was delicious! All four kids liked it which is a super win in our household! Will definitely add this into our dinner rotation!
Best ever chicken enchiladas! Easy, and tasted like they came from a restaurant! We are so impressed!
I made this tonight, and it’s definitely a keeper! I didn’t have any leftover chicken, so used canned, and it was fine. I really liked the “from scratch” enchilada sauce. Some other of your recipes call for canned, and I have found those pretty flavorless. Also liked the cilantro forward flavor of this. I’m “so-so” on cilantro, in many dishes, but it makes this one. Mucho thanks for this recipe!
Can you make these ahead and bake later? Or do you recommend making and baking, then reheating the next day or two?
I’ve made these a few times and they always come out delicious. I like using leftover Thanksgiving turkey in place of the chicken. I like to double the sauce like other reviewers recommended.
Best enchiladas ever!! No weird ingredients. Easy to make and delicious. I did add 1/2 cup sour cream to enchilada mixture with everything else
This is my go-to website for inspiration to feed our family of 4 – first time review; loved this recipe. Fried a bunch of green onions and a red bell pepper along with a half a red onion and the poblano pepper. Used Whole Foods ready made enchilada sauce; just added oregano. Used two 15 oz bottles since we like a lot of sauce. Used 12 oz shredded cheese. Needed all 10 tortillas to hold all the stuffing. Served with Greek yogurt & sliced avocado. Easy to add variety and everyone loved it.
Turned out great! An easy, go-to recipe that lends itself to customisation as you like it.
A few minor tweaks that worked:
– We used a packet of enchilada/taco seasoning instead of chili powder (because chilli powder is totally different in Australia and 1Tb would blow your head off).
– Grilled up some chicken thighs instead of using a pre-roasted chook.
– popped some chopped (pickled) jalapenos on with the cheese at the end – as we like extra spice.
Delicious!!! I have been looking for a great enchilada recipe and tried this one for my grandson’s 3rd birthday. So yummy even he ate 2 servings! Best enchilada sauce recipe! I did add a Tablespoon of sugar to the sauce to balance out the acidity and enhance the natural sweetness of the tomatoes. (I do that for all my tomato based recipes). I will definitely add this to my family’s cookbook!
I have never left a review, ever. And I bake all day long. Love food, and love to cook for my family. This is by far the best thing I’ve ever made. Thank you for your contribution.
That makes us so happy! Thank you so much, Jennifer! 🙂
Hi Chungah! I made these last week, and my family really enjoyed them. The home made enchilada sauce was really delicious! The only thing I did was to put the sauce in a blender to make it smooth, because I have a daughter who refuses to eat onions. She didn’t even know they were part of the sauce. 🙂
We love that, Leah! 🙂
Has anyone made this ahead of time and kept it in the refrigerator for a few hours before cooking? How were your results? It’s usually easier for me to make/prep meals during my son’s nap.
Question. If freezing better to heat in oven as opposed to microwave?
I prefer to reheat in the oven. 🙂
Sounds delicious but I absolutely hate cilantro should I just omit it or do you recommend a substitute?
Yes, you can omit. 🙂
Absolutely delicious and even my picky 9 year old who won’t eat anything loved these! Will definitely double the sauce next time, as we all felt they could use more.
Thank you, Keri! More sauce is never a bad idea! 🙂
These are perfection and so easy!!
We love hearing that!
I made these last night and they were SO good. Served them with a “Mexican” salad (with a lime-y dressing) that I found on the Cookie + Kate blog. The only thing I’d add is that I’d double the sauce next time, because I like a lot of sauce on enchiladas and I think the leftovers might dry up a bit in the fridge. But, other than that, this is a delicious and easy weeknight recipe that I will be printing and saving and making again! Thank you!
Thank you, Emily!