Made with shredded chicken, melty cheese, and red enchilada sauce rolled into corn tortillas, these chicken enchiladas are an easy weeknight dinner ready in about 45-minutes!

A baked casserole dish of enchiladas topped with melted cheese, sliced jalapeños, avocado, and cilantro on a striped cloth.

5 star review

“Such a quick, easy recipe that was absolutely DELICIOUS! Will definitely be adding this recipe into the rotation!”

– Caylee
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Easy Shredded Chicken Enchiladas with Corn Tortillas

These chicken enchiladas have been on rotation in my house ever since I figured out a little “trick” to making them feel restaurant-worthy without the restaurant effort. The shortcut is shredded chicken, which you can pull from rotisserie, or my slow cooker enchilada chicken, then tucked into warm corn tortillas with melty cheese and then smothered in red enchilada sauce. The whole dish bakes up bubbly and golden in about 25-minutes, and the result truly tastes like the kind of comfort food you would order out!

Be sure to warm the corn tortillas before rolling them for best results. Cold corn tortillas crack and tear the second you try to fold them, but a quick 20-second microwave or 30-seconds on a hot dry skillet softens them up so they roll smoothly without breaking. If you have flour tortillas on hand they work too, but corn tortillas are the traditional choice and I feel like they hold up better to the sauce, too.

You can use store-bought red enchilada sauce when you are short on time, or make my homemade red enchilada sauce when you want full control over the flavor and spice level. The filling is also a great place to sneak in extras like black beans, sautéed peppers, or corn, and shredded rotisserie chicken makes the prep even faster. Pair these with my black bean and corn salsa for a fresh contrast, and head to my full guide on what to serve with enchiladas for more side dish ideas to round out the plate!

A plate with enchiladas topped with avocado slices, jalapeños, and a side of black bean and tomato salad, next to a baking dish of enchiladas on a striped cloth.
A spoon dipping into a clear glass jar filled with homemade enchilada sauce.
Shredded enchilada chicken in a clear glass bowl on top of a striped blue napkin.
Overhead shot of a pan of chicken enchiladas sprinkled with cheese on top of a striped blue napkin.

Robyn’s Testing Tips for Homemade Chicken Enchiladas

  • Don’t pour all of the sauce on at once, since when I tested with the full amount of sauce upfront the tortillas turned soggy before they could set; spread a thin layer in the bottom of the pan, fill and roll, then pour the rest over the top.
  • I mix a small handful of cheese along with the chicken filling, since when I tested with cheese only on top, the interiors came out dry; the inside cheese melts into the chicken for that creamy bite in every forkful!
  • For the cheesiest result, I use a mix of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack rather than a pre-shredded Mexican blend, but use the pre-made blend for fastest prep.
Plated enchiladas with sliced avocado and jalapenos on top, with a striped blue napkin and white background underneath.
A baked casserole dish of enchiladas topped with melted cheese, sliced jalapeños, avocado, and cilantro on a striped cloth.
5 stars (8 ratings)

Easy Chicken Enchiladas (Red Sauce)

Developed and tested by A woman with long blonde hair, smiling, holds and pours a bottle of oil in a modern kitchen setting.Robyn Conley Downs
Servings: 6
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
These easy chicken enchiladas wrap shredded chicken and cheese in corn tortillas under homemade red sauce, baked until bubbly in 45 minutes!
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Ingredients

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Heat the oven to 350F.
  • In a medium bowl, mix the chicken with 1 cup enchilada sauce and ¼ cup of the cheese.
    • Note: If using my slow cooker enchilada chicken, just stir together with the cheese, no additional sauce required.
  • Spread ½ cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.
  • Add a few tablespoons of the chicken mixture to a warmed tortilla. Roll and place in the prepared casserole dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
  • Pour over the remaining enchilada sauce, spreading into an even layer. Sprinkle over the remaining ½ cup cheese.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the sauce begins to bubble along the sides.
  • Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
  • Serve with toppings of your choice.

Notes

  • Enchilada Sauce: I like to use my homemade enchilada sauce when possible here, but a good store-bought option works well, too. Look the kind in the jar, which I find is thicker and more flavorful than canned in most cases. Look for a gluten-free option for gf diets.
  • Chicken: Rotisserie chicken works well here, but my slow cooker enchilada chicken is perfect if you have some leftover.
Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1(of 6), Calories: 348kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 793mg, Potassium: 322mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 604IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 146mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition disclaimer
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