These homemade Red Chicken Enchiladas are stuffed with shredded chicken and loads of cheese, then smothered in red enchilada sauce and baked until slightly crispy. This is a recipe that I learned from my dad and something he made regularly as I was growing up. Enchiladas are one of my absolute favorite comfort foods that’s also steeped in a lot of great memories!
While these shredded chicken enchiladas may taste like they took hours of prep, they’re SO EASY to throw together, even on a busy week night.
“This was absolutely delicious! My husband commented that it tasted better than any enchilada dish he’s ever ordered in a restaurant. Served it with Spanish rice. 10/10” – Stephanie, So Much Food reader
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This Chicken Enchilada Recipe Comes Straight From My Dad
While this recipe has a lot of nostalgia for me, it’s actually really easy to throw together! A creamy, cheesy chicken enchilada filling plus store-bought red enchilada sauce make this delicious enchilada recipe perfect for any night of the week.
The enchiladas are made by mixing shredded chicken with sour cream and two kinds of shredded cheese, green onions, and spices, then rolling in corn tortillas that have been dipped in a bit of enchilada sauce. The whole pan gets smothered in more sauce and cheese before baking. The enchiladas come out of the oven hot, bubbly, and full of flavor.
Best of all, this is a great recipe for meal prep! I usually double or triple the recipe and freeze before baking. Frozen enchiladas reheat like a dream, making enchiladas a fantastic freezer meal to have on hand.
Required Equipment
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shredded rotisserie chicken. I always have a stash of shredded rotisserie chicken on-hand for easy weeknight dinners, but you can bake, poach, or grill chicken specifically for this recipe (or just use whatever leftovers you have on hand!).
- Enchilada sauce. I usually just go for some high-quality store bought enchilada sauce, but if you want to make your own, here’s a great recipe from Isabel Eats.
- Sour cream. Sour cream helps bind the filling together and makes it ultra luxurious and creamy.
- Cheese. I always use a mix of Monterrey Jack and cheddar cheese, but you can swap in what you have. Just opt for something super melty!
- Green onions. I use the light green and white parts in the filling and then top the enchiladas with the green tops when they’re fresh out of the oven. They add the perfect light punch of onion flavor.
- Spices. A mix of cumin, chili powder, and a bit of paprika add Mexican-inspired flavor to the filling.
- Tortillas. I think that corn tortillas are best here, but you can swap flour in if that’s what you have.
- Toppings. I always top my enchiladas with thinly sliced onion, green onion tops, and cilantro while they’re still warm.
The 4 Simple Steps to Making Red Chicken Enchiladas
- Make the chicken and cheese filling. You can actually do this up to 3 days in advance and just store in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble.
- Lightly fry the tortillas. We’re using just 4 tablespoons of oil here, not deep frying! You always want to fry corn tortillas before filling; the oil softens the tortillas and makes them pliable. If you’ve had issues with tortillas cracking or breaking in the past, this will solve that issue! It also creates a barrier between the tortilla and the sauce so that your enchiladas don’t turn to mush.
- Assemble the enchiladas. Pour half of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a baking dish, then use the rest to coat the tortillas. From there, you can fill, roll, and place the tortillas in the baking dish. Top with whatever sauce is left!
- Top with cheese and bake. You’ll know the chicken and cheese enchiladas are done when the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is lightly browned.
Ways to Customize This Recipe
Red enchiladas are so easy to customize to your tastes! Try one of the following swaps the next time you make this recipe:
- Swap in different proteins. I’ve also made this recipe with shredded pork (carnitas), shrimp, shredded beef, carne asada, drained and rinsed black beans, and sautéed veggies.
- Try a different sauce. Mole or salsa verde would both work great here.
- Swap in flour tortillas. The recipe remains the same no matter which type of tortilla you use.
What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas
While red chicken enchiladas are great on their own, I love serving them with all kinds of sides!
- 5-ingredient guacamole
- Elote queso
- Corn salsa
- Instant Pot refried beans
- Borracho (drunken) beans
- Stovetop Mexican rice
And you’ve got to have a watermelon margarita on the side!
If you do give this recipe a try, I love hearing about it! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram.
More Easy Enchilada Recipes
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Red Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded, cooked chicken
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bunch scallion stalks, sliced (white and light green parts)
- 1 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar, divided
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 1/2 cups red enchilada sauce
- 3-4 tablespoons canola oil
Toppings
- chopped cilantro
- green onion (dark green parts)
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Make the filling. In a mixing bowl combine the shredded chicken, sour cream, spices, sliced green onion (white and light green parts), monterrey jack cheese, and half the cheddar cheese. Stir well to combine. This part can be done up to 3 days in advance.
- Fry the tortillas. In a nonstick skillet, heat 3-4 tablespoons canola oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, lightly fry the tortillas for 10-15 seconds per side until flexible. Transfer to a plate and let them cool. Alternately, spray both sides of tortillas with nonstick canola spray, lay them on a baking sheet, and bake 3-4 minutes until flexible.
- Assemble. Pour half the enchilada sauce in a shallot dish. Pour about 1/2 cup into the prepared baking dish in a thin layer on the bottom. Dip a tortilla in the enchilada sauce on both sides and shake off the excess. Place the tortilla on a cutting board, fill with about 1/3 cup or so of filling, and roll into a tight log. Place the enchilada seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.
- Bake. Drizzle the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 35-40 minutes uncovered until browned and the cheese is bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with cilantro and green onions.
Storage Instructions
- To store: Let your enchiladas cool to room temperature. Transfer them to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat: If reheating from frozen, let the enchiladas defrost in the fridge. Once defrosted, microwave them until warmed through.To freeze: If you want to freeze after baking, transfer your cooled enchiladas to an airtight container or freezer-safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. If you want to freeze before baking, follow the instructions up to assembly. After you assemble the enchiladas, you can place them in a baking dish or an aluminum baking tray. Top with sauce and cheese, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for 3 months. To bake after freezing, transfer the enchiladas to the fridge overnight to defrost. Once defrosted, bake as directed.
Nutrition
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Rate & Review This Recipe
This was absolutely delicious! My husband commented that it tasted better than any enchilada dish he’s ever ordered in a restaurant. Served it with Spanish rice. 10/10
So happy to hear it! This is one of my favorite childhood recipes and is definitely a favorite in our house!