Easy Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

These easy shredded chicken enchiladas are a family favorite dinner that you can make using some rotisserie chicken and a few simple ingredients. It’s a tasty Mexican dish that freezes well so you can make this big batch and put half in the freezer for another day.

You might also like these low carb chicken enchiladas recipe!

I have to thank my sister Laurie for this easy shredded chicken enchilada recipe. I’m not sure if it’s exactly the way she made them but she gave me this recipe when I first got married and I’ve been making it ever since.

I love that it’s so easy to make, full of flavor and it freezes really well. I often make extra and freeze a pan for those days when I’m too busy (or don’t want) to cook. 😉

You can use rotisserie chicken to make the filling and canned enchilada sauce so this is a quick meal as well. Perfect for when you want Mexican comfort food for a busy weeknight dinner.

Recipe ingredients I used.

The reason this is such an easy recipe is that you don’t need to make homemade enchilada sauce, nor cook chicken breasts because you can use a store bought rotisserie chicken. No need for garlic, spices or chopping fresh chiles. You do have to chop an onion and shredded the chicken but that’s it!

So the simple ingredients I used were corn tortillas, cooked shredded chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, yellow or white onion, canned green chiles and canned red enchilada sauce.

Note you can use either regular Monterey Jack shredded cheese or pepper jack. I’ve used both and they aren’t much different. I was hoping for a little more heat from the pepper jack but it really wasn’t enough for us.

Also I use corn tortillas as that is the traditional choice for this dish. If you wanted to use flour tortillas I think that would work. However I would not soak the flour tortillas in the enchilada sauce though. And make sure to put some sauce on the bottom of the pan and over the top before sprinkling cheese and baking.

While I used rotisserie chicken in this recipe, you could also use leftover chicken that you have on hand. Also today I just chopped it but usually I shredded with my hands. Either way works great.

How to make shredded chicken enchiladas.

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2: If using a rotisserie chicken, clear the white meat off and shredded it with your hands or 2 forks. You can also just chop it like I did today.

Get out a large mixing bowl and add the shredded chicken, chopped onion, green chiles and Monterey Jack shredded cheese. Mix together and this is your chicken filling.

Step 3: Place the corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and heat up for about 1 ½ minutes to make them pliable.

Step 4: Pour the enchilada a sauce into a large shallow bowl. Then take a tortilla and dip both sides into the enchilada sauce. Try to let the excess sauce drip off or brush it off with your fingers.

Step 5: Spoon some of the chicken mixture onto the tortilla and roll up. Place into the baking dish seam side down. Continue until the tortillas are done.

Step 6: If you have excess sauce you can spoon a layer of enchilada sauce over the rolled up enchiladas then sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese.

Step 7: Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and browned. Let cool before eating. (Please scroll down to view and print the recipe card.)

We usually don’t eat anything else with these except maybe a salad. If you want you can top with sour cream, guacamole, fresh cilantro or avocado, etc. We just like them as is. 

How to freeze these easy enchiladas.

If you want to freeze a whole pan of enchiladas, cover them with plastic wrap after you’ve assembled them. Then I cover them in a layer of aluminum foil and place in the freezer. Or place them in a large airtight container.

When you cook them, make sure you take off the plastic wrap and keep the foil. And remember they will take longer to cook because they are frozen. Let them thaw a bit before baking them.

If you want to thaw a few for a quick lunch you can bake them in a glass oven and freezer safe container while you cooking the others. Take them out a few minutes before they are done and let them cool before place a lid on and freezing them.

You want to precook them so you can just microwave them for a few minutes when you are ready to eat them. I had 2 extra enchiladas this time and use these meal prep glass containers and baked it while I did the big pan.

Other tasty and easy freezable dinners to try.

If you like to have pre-made dinners in the freezer for those busy weeknight meals, here are a few more to try.

• the best homemade lasagna recipe
• mom’s turkey chili
• beef & barley soup
• Mexican chicken casserole
• taco stuffed peppers
• Paleo beef stew
• green bean and beef stew

Well I hope you give these easy shredded chicken enchiladas a try. It’s one of our favorite Mexican meals! I’m sure you will be including this recipe into your meal planning after you try them! Enjoy.

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Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

These easy shredded chicken enchiladas are a family favorite. We like to make an extra pan of these and freeze for another night of easy enchiladas!

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Ingredients

• ½ cup onions, finely chopped
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (or leftover cooked chicken)
• 4 oz can green chiles
• 1 cup Monterey Jack or Mexican blend cheese, shredded
• 28 oz can red enchilada sauce
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.
2. In a large bowl add your onion, green chiles, shredded chicken and Monterey jack cheese. This chicken mixture is your filling.
3. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
4. Empty the enchilada sauce in a shallow bowl large enough to fit one tortilla.
5. Wrap your tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 1 ½ minutes.
6. One at a time, dip your tortillas into the enchilada sauce and make sure it covers the whole thing. You can wipe off the extra sauce back into the bowl.
7. Take that tortilla and fill with some of the enchilada filling. Roll into an enchilada and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
8. Repeat with the rest of the enchiladas. The top with a little of the extra enchilada sauce on top.
9. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top and place in the oven.
10. Bake for 30 minutes or until nice and brown on top. You can top with sour cream, guacamole or cilantro if you want. We eat them plain though.

Notes

Recipe Notes

• Note you can use either regular Monterey Jack shredded cheese or pepper jack. I've used both and they aren't much different. 

•I always use corn tortillas but if you wanted to use flour tortillas I think that would work. However I would not soak the flour tortillas in the enchilada sauce though. And make sure to put some sauce on the bottom of the pan and over the top before sprinkling cheese and baking.

• While I used rotisserie chicken  but  you could also use leftover chicken.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 769mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 13g