Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
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Soon to be a family favorite! These easy, freezer-friendly Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas include lean chicken, hearty black beans, aromatic Tex-Mex spices and veggies, and gooey cheddar cheese, all wrapped in soft tortillas and smothered in a rich, flavorful red enchilada sauce. Be sure to double and freeze a batch for later.
About This Recipe
Hands down, this recipe is my husband’s and my favorite enchilada casserole. It’s simple to throw together in about 10 minutes or prep it days in advance. I feel confident serving this on a weeknight or to guests in my home, along with some Chips and Guacamole and Mexican Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette.
If your crew isn’t a huge fan of enchilada sauce, make sure to check out our Baked Chicken Fajitas. Similar concept but without the sauce. And just as good. 🙂
Ingredient Notes & Variations
Gather the ingredients below for Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas. Don’t be afraid to take some short-cuts from the store on items such as red enchilada sauce, canned black beans, and taco seasoning packets.
Notes on Ingredients:
- Tortillas: I made a choice to make this recipe a little easier by using flour tortillas than the traditional corn tortillas. That’s because the corn tortillas need to be warmed first so they don’t fall apart and dipped in the enchilada sauce before rolling. It’s messier and takes longer. But, if that’s your thang, go for it! I also like using whole wheat tortillas because they are a little healthier.
- Spice Level: You can adjust the spice level of this recipe by the ingredients you use. If you don’t like things to be too spicy, I would suggest buying “mild” for the salsa, taco seasoning, green chiles, and enchilada sauce. When I tested with mild salsa, medium chiles, and medium enchilada sauce, it was pretty spicy for my kids. (My husband and I loved it, though.)
- Gluten-Free Swaps: If you’d like to make this recipe GF, use an enchilada sauce that’s gluten-free like Siete brand. Use 8-inch gluten-free flour tortillas (I’ve found that the corn tortillas are too small and fall apart easily.)
- To Make It Healthier: If you want to up the nutrition ante on this casserole, use whole wheat organic tortillas (like Stacy’s Organic Tortillas found in health food stores), use an all-natural enchilada sauce (like Siete brand) or make your own, and cut back on the cheese a little. You could also add in diced bell peppers when sautéing the onions to include more veggies.
Note: Find our full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and directions at the bottom of this post.
Tip: Freeze Leftover Tortillas
If you have leftover tortillas, did you know you can freeze them? Here is the best way to freeze tortillas for later.
How to Make Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
Prep
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish (and reserve the rest).
Saute Onions and Chicken
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken and saute for 4 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
Cook Filling
Sprinkle the taco seasoning and garlic over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to coat. Stir in black beans, green chiles, and salsa and simmer for about 4 minutes, until sauce thickens and reduces.
Build Casserole
Arrange the tortillas on a flat surface. Top each tortilla with a generous 1/2 cup chicken/bean mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up tortillas and place them seam-side down, side-by-side in the baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas. Then, sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese evenly over the top.
Bake
Bake enchiladas for about 15 minutes, until heated through and top is golden.
Side Dish Ideas for Enchiladas
Freezing Enchiladas
What might surprise you is that these chicken enchiladas make a great freezer meal. Simply follow the directions below, and you’ll have a healthy freezer meal waiting for you to cook on a busy night down the road!
Freeze For Later: Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of 9×13-inch freezer-safe casserole dish. Prep the casserole, following Steps 2-4 in the recipe at the bottom, but don’t bake. Either snap on an air-tight lid or wrap the casserole in multiple layers of plastic wrap or foil, squeezing out any excess air. Label and freeze the casserole for up to 3 months.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw enchiladas in the refrigerator for approximately 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake enchiladas for 15 minutes, or until bubbling on the edges and cheese is golden brown on top. If the enchiladas are somewhat frozen when cooking, cover them in foil and bake longer until hot in the center.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can freeze chicken enchiladas before baking, if you use flour tortillas. (We have found that corn tortillas fall apart when freezing and thawing.) Wrap the enchilada casserole tightly in foil or plastic wrap and freeze. Thaw and bake when you’re ready to enjoy.
Yes, you can assemble the enchilada casserole ahead of time and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
You can reheat leftover enchiladas in the oven or air fryer at 350°F until heated through, or microwave small portions in 20-second increments until warmed through. Cover them with foil when reheating in the oven to prevent drying out.
The level of spiciness depends on the enchilada sauce, salsa, green chilis, and any added spices. Go with “mild” spice level if you’re sensitive to heat.
Since everything is already fully cooked in an enchilada casserole, you only need to bake it until it’s hot throughout and bubbly on the edges, about 15-20 minutes.
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Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
These easy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas include lean chicken, hearty black beans, aromatic Tex-Mex spices and veggies, and gooey cheddar cheese, all wrapped in soft tortillas and smothered in a rich, flavorful red enchilada sauce. Soon to be a family favorite!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (15-16 ounces) red enchilada sauce (rec: Siete Enchilada Sauce)
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, juice and all
- 1/3 cup salsa (rec: Mateo’s Salsa, mild or medium)
- 6 (8-inch) flour tortillas (rec: Stacy’s Organic Whole Wheat Tortillas)
- 1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (sub: Monterey Jack)
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of the dish (and reserve the rest).
- Saute Onions & Chicken: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add chicken and saute for 4 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Cook Filling: Sprinkle the taco seasoning and garlic over the chicken/onion mixture and stir to coat. Stir in black beans, green chiles, and salsa and simmer for about 4 minutes, until sauce thickens and reduces.
- Build Casserole: Arrange the tortillas on a flat surface. Top each tortilla with a generous 1/2 cup chicken/bean mixture and 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up tortillas and place them seam-side down, side-by-side in the baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas. Then, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake: Bake enchiladas for 15 minutes, until cheese is golden.
Freeze For Later: Pour 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of 9×13-inch freezer-safe casserole dish. Follow Steps 2-4. Either snap on an air-tight lid or wrap the casserole in multiple layers of plastic wrap or foil, squeezing out any excess air. Label and freeze the casserole for up to 3 months.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw enchiladas in the refrigerator for approximately 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake enchiladas for 15 minutes, or until bubbling on the edges and cheese is golden brown on top. If the enchiladas are somewhat frozen when cooking, cover them in foil and bake longer until hot in the center.
Notes/Tips
-
- I made a choice to make this recipe a little easier by using flour tortillas than the traditional corn tortillas. That’s because the corn tortillas need to be warmed first so they don’t fall apart and dipped in the enchilada sauce before rolling. It’s messier and takes longer. But, if that’s your thang, go for it! I also like using whole wheat tortillas because they have more fiber and are bigger than the corn tortillas. I highly recommend using Stacy’s Organic Whole Wheat Tortillas because of their clean ingredients. I find these at health food stores.
- Spice Level: You can adjust the spice level of this recipe by the ingredients you use. If you don’t like things to be too spicy, I would suggest buying “mild” for the salsa, taco seasoning, green chiles, and enchilada sauce. When I tested with mild salsa, medium chiles, and medium enchilada sauce, it was pretty spicy for my kids. (My husband and I loved it, though.)
- Gluten-Free Swaps: If you’d like to make this recipe GF, use an enchilada sauce that’s gluten-free like Siete brand. Use 8-inch gluten-free flour tortillas (I’ve found that the corn tortillas are too small and fall apart easily.)
- To Make It Healthier: If you want to up the nutrition ante on this casserole, use whole wheat organic tortillas (like Stacy’s Organic Tortillas found in health food stores), use an all-natural enchilada sauce (like Siete brand) or make your own, and cut back on the cheese a little. You could also add in diced bell peppers when sautéing the onions to include more veggies.
- Where We Get Our Chicken: We get our meat from ButcherBox. The chicken is organic and curated from small, trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, wild salmon, and grass-fed beef–and have used it for years ourselves. Read my honest review here.
Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
If I use regular I remade taco seasoning, how much would I use?
About two tablespoons
In the top pic it looks like you have some Mexican rice. Do you have a recipe for that? Thanks!
We don’t at this point. Sorry, Cheryl.
Amazing! I made a triple batch the first time I made this and I forgot a few steps, but still turned out great. I forgot to add salsa and cheese to the inside of tortilla mixture…so I just added to the top of rolled tortillas. Planning to make this again, only using the crock pot next time. Shredding chicken is so easy, just stir with wooden spoon inside crock pot.
I tripled the batch so I could eat one now and freeze 2 batches later. We ended up making 18 rolled enchiladas.
Great idea to use the crockpot! And you are super smart to make such a big batch at once. Love it!
Hi I’m a little late reading your post. I’m a newbie at freezer meals. Could you fully cook this dish then freeze? If so how long would it be good for? How would you prepare after frozen?
I think this dish would do best to freeze before baking it as a whole casserole. But, you can certainly freeze any leftovers after baking it easy-peasy. I do it all the time. Wrap it up very tight (air is the enemy of freezer foods), stick it in the back of the freezer, and it’s probably good to go for up to 2 months. To prepare after being precooked and then frozen, I recommend just using the defrost setting on the microwave or thawing in the fridge over night. Then warm up in the microwave just like any other leftovers. Good luck!
My husand dislikes red enchilada sauce. What could i substitute with?
I actually dislike enchilada sauce as well so we just skip it. There is so much flavor in the enchiladas that you don’t miss it. You didn’t ask about this but another sub you can do is sub beans for grilled green and red peppers. I’m not a bean lover so we do this as well and can’t get enough.
Try green enchilada sauce! We don’t like red either but we love green! Or salsa verde works too if you want to be fancy!
Hi! I just made these and they look delicious! I plan to take these to a friend that just had a baby tomorrow. I made a double batch of these, and I plan to bake ours two nights from now. Are they okay to just sit in the fridge until then? Thank you!!
As long as your ingredients are fresh and chicken won’t expire, I think that would be fine.
Getting ready to try these!! Would it work okay to use 6″ soft taco size tortillas, and just use a couple more of them? That’s what I had on hand. Thanks!
I’m sure it’d be great!
I really liked this recipe but do u know how many calories is there in one serving?
I don’t, but you can enter in the recipe at Spark People and check. There are a lot of free apps that do this too. One of these days we won’t be wrangling kids at home while blogging and can compute nutrition info for all our recipes, too. 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made them last night and they were a big hit at our house. It will become a new staple for us.
So glad to hear it went over well, Bonnie! Thanks for letting me know and thanks for reading.
Wanted to let you know I’m featuring this yummy recipe as my personal favorite at Weekend Potluck linky party. C’mon over and grab the Featured Button. =) http://www.thebetterbaker.blogspot.com/2013/01/gooey-grape-salad-weekend-potluck-49.html
Awesome, thanks so much! Sure will.
Oh these look fantastic. Healthy too! Thanks a million for linking up at Weekend Potluck….I am printing this recipe to try one day soon. MMM good!
Thanks so much! It’s one of our favorites.
Oops – I meant that we've read the book many times. 🙂
Sorry – I just now checked your blog again! Oops! Yes, it's my husband, and we own that book – many times since my husband's last surgery! In fact, we just made a big batch of the pumpkin muffins! Love the recipes in it. I definately agree that it's different with each person – I feel like we've gone the complete circle that everyone talks about – medicine, to the "all natural/diet/nutrition based/Jordan Rueben" method, and then when a flare up comes up again, you realize again that it IS autoimmune, despite whatever you do, and end up on medicine again. *Sigh* 🙂 I'd love to be able to cook the same meal for the three of us – insoluable fiber included!
Alisa,
Sorry…I reread your original comment and realized that it is your husband who has Crohn's (not your child). Regardless, I know it's hard when someone you love has to struggle with this.
Rachel
Alisha,
I'm so sorry to hear about your son. I know how difficult a Crohn's diagnosis can be, especially when you have to watch your child go through it. From what I understand, everyone is different, especially when it comes to foods that are tolerated. Jack can eat beans…in fact, at this point, he eats just about anything. However, I realize that beans and other high-fiber foods, can wreak havoc on a Crohn's digestive system–especially during flares. One book I've found especially helpful is called "What to Eat with IBD" by Tracie M Dalessandro. She is an RD and has Crohn's herself. She gives great suggestions for foods that are healing for the gut and foods that are harmful. And, she includes quite a few recipes, as well. Hope that helps! Please feel free to email me sometime (rachelcasteel@hotmail.com). I'd love to connect more.
Did your son eat these? I'm always looking for new recipes to cook since my husband has Crohn's Disease as well – usually beans tear him up inside – if your son ate them, did you do anything special to his? Thanks!