These easy fried chicken enchiladas are great for meal prep and are always a family favorite!
Hello friends! Have you ever had a craving for enchiladas but aren’t convinced by the recipe process? I feel you. Enchiladas seem like a lot of work, but trust me, they’re easy to make with a few shortcuts. It’s one of my favorite family meals; The girls are crazy about her.
These fried chicken enchiladas are my weekend favorite Food preparation. I make one or two large trays that can be stored in the fridge or freezer and made during the week. They’re also the perfect meal to bring to friends or family who need an extra helping hand (baby food, comfort food, etc.).
A few tricks I swear by to make enchilada making easier are: 1) Don’t make your own sauce (but if you want, here is my recipe) and 2) buy pre-cooked fried chicken.
We usually serve the enchiladas with rice, beans and a big ol’ salad on the side. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Easy enchiladas with fried chicken
Fried chicken enchiladas are practically the perfect meal. They are easy to prepare, taste fantastic and are full of healthy ingredients. If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious recipe to make at home, chicken enchiladas should be at the top of your list.
The best thing about chicken enchiladas is that you can make them according to your taste. Use flour or corn tortillas, add black beans or diced green chiles and don’t forget secret ingredient That makes them something very special. The sauce and cheese on top makes everything better, and with a sprinkle of Monterey Jack it will be a melt-in-your-mouth experience.
The best thing about chicken enchiladas is that you can make them in advance. Simply place the enchiladas in a baking dish, pour the remaining sauce over the top, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
As far as health benefits go, chicken enchiladas are a fantastic option. Use Roast chicken Instead of cooking yourself, this saves time and is often lower in fat. Additionally, you can pack all kinds of nutritious vegetables and spices to get your daily dose of healthy nutrients. Drizzle some olive oil over the top for an extra kick of flavor and healthy fats.
This chicken enchilada recipe makes two pans full of enchiladas; about 12 servings. If you want to make one pan, you can make two! Freeze the rest or give it to a friend or neighbor!
Ingredients:
2 rotisserie chicken, shredded and placed in a large mixing bowl
2 cans red enchilada sauce. I like the brand Las Palmas or La Victora
1 sweet onion, diced
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
32 ounces shredded cheese (I like to use Mexican cheese)
12 flour tortillas – You can also use corn or Siete tortillas
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and make sure you have two 9×13 inch baking dishes ready to go.
Start with the sauce. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in a little butter for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add oregano and cumin and stir well. Stir in the canned enchilada sauce.
Add 4-6 ounces of sauce and two large handfuls of cheese to the shredded chicken. Stir to combine. This is your filling!
Heat the tortillas. They should be soft and pliable so that they don’t break when stuffed.
Place a ladleful of sauce on the bottom of each baking dish and spread it all around so that the bottom is lightly covered with sauce.
Take a tortilla and place the chicken mixture lengthwise in the center seam. You want there to be a decent amount of chicken and cheese mixture in there, but make sure it’s not *too full* to roll cleanly. Roll it up and place it in the pan. Continue filling and rolling until you have made 12-14 enchiladas.
Cover each pan with the sauce until no more tortilla edges are exposed. You can soak it a little, it’s okay.
Top each pan with cheese and cover with foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbles form.
You can grill the enchiladas for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is nicely browned.
Finish with your favorite toppings like sour cream, salsa, chopped scallions, or cilantro and serve! We also love these with guacamole.
Press
Easy enchiladas with fried chicken
A heartwarming Mexican comfort food dish made lighter with store-bought sauce and fried chicken.
- Preparation time: 25 minutes
- Cooking time: 40 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12–14 1X
2 Roast chicken, shredded and placed in a large mixing bowl. You can also use cooked skinless chicken breasts, but season well with salt, pepper and oregano
2 28-ounce cans of red enchilada sauce. I like the brand Las Palmas or La Victora
1 sweet onion, diced
3–4 Garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin
32 ounces grated Mexican cheese mixture (a mixture of cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese works well)
12 Flour Tortillas – You can also use corn or Siete tortillas
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and make sure you have two 9×13 inch baking dishes ready to go.
Start with the sauce. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in a little butter for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Add oregano and cumin and stir well. Stir in the canned enchilada sauce.
Add 4-6 ounces of sauce and two large handfuls of cheese to the shredded chicken. Stir to combine. This is your filling!
Heat the tortillas. They should be soft and pliable so that they don’t break when stuffed.
Place a ladleful of sauce on the bottom of each baking dish and spread it all around so that the bottom is lightly covered with sauce.
Take a tortilla and place the chicken mixture lengthwise in the center seam. You want there to be a decent amount of chicken and cheese mixture in there, but make sure it’s not *too full* to roll cleanly. Roll it up and place it in the pan, seam side down. Continue filling and rolling until you have made 12-14 enchiladas.
Cover each pan with the sauce until no more tortilla edges are exposed. You can soak it a little, it’s okay.
Top each pan with shredded cheese and cover with foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbles form.
You can grill the enchiladas for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is nicely browned.
Top with chopped scallions or cilantro and serve!
Notes
This recipe makes two large pans of enchiladas. Freeze the excess for later or give to a neighbor or friend!
What are you waiting for? Make a batch of easy chicken enchiladas tonight and watch your friends and family devour them with joy. They’ll love the taste and they’ll love the health benefits. It’s a win-win situation!
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Do you have a favorite enchilada recipe?
