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Chicken enchilada with homemade red enchilada sauce and melted cheese on top.

Jess's Chicken Enchiladas

These yummy enchiladas have a great chicken filling that can be made on the stove or in a slow cooker. The result is flavorful and filling!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Servings: 10 Enchiladas
Author: Carlee

Ingredients

Chicken Filling

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 Tablespoons lime juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup chopped red onion
  • 4 ounces diced green chiles or jalapenos
  • 1 Tablespoon dried Mexican oregano
  • ½ cup roasted red peppers chopped (optional)
  • Cholula to taste (optional)

Red Enchilada Sauce

  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1 Tablespoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For Assembly

  • Tortillas
  • Chihuaha or Jack Cheese

Instructions

Filling

  • Pan fry 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts in 1 Tablespoon olive oil until mostly cooked, then remove from pan and shred
    Skillet with browned chicken breasts inside.
  • Return shredded chicken to pan. Add 2 cloves garlic, 2 Tablespoons lime juice, salt and pepper, ½ cup chopped red onion, 4 ounces diced green chiles or jalapenos, 1 Tablespoon dried Mexican oregano, ½ cup roasted red peppers, and Cholula. Cook until chicken is fully cooked and any excess liquid has simmered down. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
    Skillet with shredded chicken that is seasoned and mixed with chopped roasted red peppers and green chilies.

Red Enchilada Sauce

  • Heat 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil in saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir in 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour and 1 Tablespoon chili powder. Reduce heat to medium and cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly.
    Saucepan with toasted flour, chili powder, and oil inside.
  • Add 8 ounces tomato sauce and 1½ cups water and stir well to combine.
    Saucepan after tomato sauce and water have been added to make the enchilada sauce.
  • Add 1 Tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons white pepper, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust to your liking as you go.
    Stirring spices into homemade red enchilada sauce.
  • Simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.

Assembly

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Spread about ⅓ of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a greased casserole dish (I used a 9×13 pan)
    Red enchilada sauce in bottom of pan, ready for enchiladas.
  • Roll filling into tortillas and place in pan seam-side down.
    Flour tortillas wrapped around seasoned shredded chicken filling arranged in pan with red enchilada sauce underneath.
  • Continue until all of the filling is used and pan is full.
  • Cover with remaining sauce and shredded cheese.
    Pan of chicken enchiladas with homemade red sauce and cheese on top, ready to go in the oven.
  • Bake uncovered until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted, around 30 minutes.

Notes

  • For a slow cooker filling, place all of the filling ingredients in your Crockpot and cook on low for about 6 hours. Then shred the chicken and use as the filling for your enchiladas. 
  • You can use a can of enchilada sauce if you prefer, but homemade is really tasty! 
  • These freeze well. You can  split the batch into two smaller pans and bake one and freeze the other. Thaw in the fridge overnight and put the cold dish in the oven right when you turn it on. Add a few minutes to the bake time. They are done with the tortillas are lightly toasted and the sauce is bubbly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 791mg | Potassium: 509mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 622IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg
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