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Home » Poultry

Easy Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Published: Nov 5, 2019 · Modified: Oct 17, 2022 by Scott · This post may contain affiliate links where I earn a commission, at no charge to you, if you make a purchase using my link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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These quick and easy chicken enchiladas with red sauce are a great meal for busy weeknights that the whole family will love.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients for the EASIEST chicken enchiladas
  • How to make chicken enchiladas
  • Storage and Reheating Tips
  • Make ahead enchiladas
  • How to freeze enchiladas
  • Other Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Even more weeknight recipes to try

Ingredients for the EASIEST chicken enchiladas

  • Chicken - Rotisserie chicken is the easiest choice for enchiladas, but baked chicken, poached chicken, or any other cooked chicken will work well for this. If I plan ahead I like to put a batch of chicken breasts in my Instant Pot and top with salsa for this recipe.
  • Veggies - I use diced onion and green pepper in the filling. Black beans are great too. If you like a little spice seeded and diced jalapeno is another good addition.
  • Sauce - This recipe calls for canned enchilada sauce. If you have a bit more time you can make a quick homemade sauce too. If you prefer tangy green enchilada sauce check out my Enchiladas with Green Sauce recipe!
  • Tortillas - Corn tortillas are the traditional choice, but my family prefers flour tortillas in our enchiladas. The flour tortillas get soft and gooey when baked with the sauce and they're less likely to break making them easier to work with.
  • Cheese - For this recipe I went with store bought Mexican shredded cheese. Shredding your own will give you a better melt but we're going for easy here and sometimes every minute counts!

How to make chicken enchiladas

  1. Add oil to a large skillet set over medium heat and saute the onion and green pepper until the onion is softened and translucent, around 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for around 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Add the shredded chicken, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and ⅓ cup of enchilada sauce to the pan and stir to combine, then remove from heat.
  3. Pour around ⅔ cup of enchilada sauce to coat the bottom of your baking dish. Fill tortillas with chicken filling and approx 1 T of shredded cheese, roll and place seam side down in baking dish. Continue with remaining tortillas. Note: I recommend covering the tortillas with a paper towel and heating them in the microwave for about 20 seconds to soften them up before filling.
  1. Top with remaining enchilada sauce, then remaining shredded cheese. Then cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes then remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted sauce is bubbling

Storage and Reheating Tips

Store leftover enchiladas in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Reheat leftovers in a 325°F oven until warmed through. Smaller portions can be reheated in the microwave.

Make ahead enchiladas

These red chicken enchiladas are perfect for an easy make ahead dinner! Prepare the enchiladas as directed, up to the baking step. Then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

When ready to bake, remove the enchiladas from the fridge for around 10-15 minutes. I do this while the oven preheats. Remove the plastic wrap and cover the dish with foil and bake as directed.

How to freeze enchiladas

These enchiladas also freeze really well. Whenever I make them I usually make a double batch and freeze one batch in foil pans for later. To freeze, cover the unbaked enchiladas tightly with plastic wrap then cover with foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to bake remove the plastic wrap and cover with foil, then bake as directed. Add around 20 minutes to the baking time if baking from frozen.

Other Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas

  • Lemon Dill Salmon
  • Chicken Marsala
  • Oven Baked Chicken Tenders
  • Lemon Garlic Chicken and Potatoes
  • Easy Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
  • Beef Tenderloin Tips in Mushroom Gravy

If you try this recipe don't forget to leave a RATING or COMMENT below. I would love to hear from you!!! And FOLLOW me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all the latest recipes!

📖 Recipe

Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

These easy chicken enchiladas are a perfect meal for busy weeknights that the whole family will love.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Share Rate
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Servings: 5
Calories: 475kcal

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Chefs Knife
  • 12 inch Saute Pan
  • 9x13 Baking Dish

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded chicken
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • ½ cup green pepper, diced
  • 1 tbsp garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • 2 10 oz cans red enchilada sauce, divided
  • 2 cups shredded cheese, divided
  • ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 10-12 tortillas, 6" fajita sized

Instructions

  • Add oil to a large skillet set over medium heat and saute the onion and green pepper until onion is translucent, around 5 min. Add garlic and cook for around 30 seconds until fragrant.
  • Add chicken, paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and ⅓ cup of enchilada sauce to the pan and stir to combine, then remove from heat.
  • Pour around ⅔ cup of enchilada sauce in your baking dish, just enough to coat the bottom.
  • Fill tortillas with chicken filling and approx 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese. Then roll and place in the baking dish with the seam side down . Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  • Top the enchiladas with remaining sauce, then remaining shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Notes

Storage and Reheating Tips
Store leftover enchiladas in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat leftovers in a 325°F oven until warmed through. Smaller portions can be reheated in the microwave.
Make ahead instructions
Prepare the enchiladas as directed up to the baking step. Then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
When ready to bake, remove from the fridge around 10-15 minutes before baking. Remove the plastic wrap and cover the dish with foil and bake as directed.
How to freeze enchiladas
To freeze place the enchiladas in foil pans or a freezer safe baking dish. Cover the unbaked enchiladas tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake remove the plastic wrap and bake as directed. Add around 15-20 minutes to the baking time if baking from frozen.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 475kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 29gFat: 21gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 1359mgPotassium: 84mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6g

* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Chicken Enchiladas
Tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating above and mention @disheswithdad or tag #disheswithdad on social media!

Even more weeknight recipes to try

  • Sheet Pan Salmon and Veggies
  • BBQ Chicken Nachos
  • Instant Pot BBQ Chicken
  • Greek Chicken Meatballs
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About Me

Hello, I'm Scott! ! I'm a former professional cook and a long-time home cook. I created this space to share my favorite quick and easy, family-friendly recipes and hopefully inspire you to try some of them for yourself!

Read More →

Lighter Favorites

  • Grilled Balsamic Steak Salad
  • Asian Chicken Meatballs
  • Kale and Farro Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
  • Greek Chicken Souvlaki Kebabs
  • Tropical Green Smoothie
  • Baked Lemon Dill Salmon

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  • Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole (Without Soup!)
  • Enchiladas with Green Sauce
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  • Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

About Me

Hello, I'm Scott! ! I'm a former professional cook and a long-time home cook. I created this space to share my favorite quick and easy, family-friendly recipes and hopefully inspire you to try some of them for yourself!

Read More →

Lighter Favorites

  • Grilled Balsamic Steak Salad
  • Asian Chicken Meatballs
  • Kale and Farro Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
  • Greek Chicken Souvlaki Kebabs
  • Tropical Green Smoothie
  • Baked Lemon Dill Salmon

See More →

Featured Recipes

  • Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole (Without Soup!)
  • Enchiladas with Green Sauce
  • Lasagna with Homemade Noodles
  • Instant Pot Pork Roast and Potatoes
  • Brioche French Toast Casserole
  • Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta

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