The best chicken enchilada recipe with homemade sauce is RIGHT HERE. Learn to prep the filling and either air fry, Traeger smoke, or bake chicken enchiladas to cheesy, Mexican-inspired comfort food goodness… Let’s go!
Follow Sip Bite Go on Instagram and TikTok for easy and fun cooking tips…
See how to make homemade enchilada sauce…
Use this chicken enchilada recipe to cook them 3 ways…
- Bake chicken enchiladas in the oven
- Smoke chicken enchiladas on the pellet grill (Traeger demo included in this post)
- Air fry chicken enchiladas in record speed!
New to cooking chicken enchiladas at home?
I’m going to hold your hand through it!
Scroll to the bottom of this post for step-by-step video instructions.
How long and what temp to cook enchiladas
How long to cook enchiladas will be determined by the method / appliance you are using…
- Smoke at 350 for about 45 minutes *use my double-application sauce method
- Bake at 375 for about 15-20 minutes *use my double-application sauce method
- Air fry at 375 for about 5-10 minutes *only add sauce on top
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make chicken enchiladas like the Mexican-food inspired ones in my photos….
Chicken Enchiladas
- 3 cups enchilada sauce (homemade or store bought), divided in half
- 4 large flour tortillas, burrito size (substitute regular size corn tortillas to be more traditional)
- 2 cups chicken breast, cooked and diced
- ½ cup corn, kernels, cooked fresh / thawed from frozen
- ½ cup onions and peppers, sauteed
- 1.5 cups cheddar cheese, divided in half
- 1 tsp olive oil, optional
- 1 tbsp cilantro, fresh chopped for serving
Red Enchilada Sauce (Optional or use store bought)
- ½ medium onion diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder, ground
- ½ tsp cumin, ground
- ½ tsp oregano, dried
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper, brown
- 28 oz tomato sauce (plain, from a can)
- 1.5 cups chicken stock
(Optional) Sauteed Onions and Peppers Enchilada Filling
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, cut in half and sliced in 1” strips
- 1 orange pepper, cut in half and sliced in 1” strips
- ½ tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp butter (substitute olive oil
Quick look at these chicken enchilada recipes…
- Make enchilada sauce from scratch (Easy! You can do it!).
- Saute onion and pepper filling.
- Assemble chicken enchiladas.
- Put enchilada sauce at the bottom of a baking pan, add chicken enchiladas, and drizzle on more enchilada sauce over the chicken enchiladas before topping them with cheddar cheese and baking / smoking / air frying them.
- Cook chicken enchiladas in the oven, in the smoker or air fryer.
How To Make Enchilada Sauce
- Simmer onion, garlic, and olive oil for about 10 minutes in a pot on the stove on medium heat, stirring regularly, until onion is translucent.
- Add all seasonings (chili powder, cumin, oregano, brown sugar, salt) to sautéed onions and garlic and let the flavors infuse together for about 30 seconds on medium-low heat.
- Add tomato sauce and chicken stock to the red enchilada sauce spices in the pot. Simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes on medium-low heat. Cool to room temperature and blend smooth if desired (I don’t find it necessary, but you can).
(Optional) Sauté Onions and Peppers Filling
TIMING NOTE: Sauté onions and peppers while cooking the enchilada sauce.
Full directions to sauté peppers and onions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
How To Assemble Chicken Enchiladas
- PREP NOTE: Make sure you have your enchilada sauce and cooked chicken ready to go. See the Sip Bite Go recipes for tasty pan grilled chicken breast, griddled chicken breast, smoked chicken breast, and sous vide chicken breast.
- Mix chicken enchilada filling ingredients. The first thing to do is assemble the chicken enchilada fillings inside the flour tortillas. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked chicken breast, cooked / thawed corn kernels, sauteed onions and peppers, and half the cheddar cheese.
- Lay out a large tortilla and add ¼ of the mixture in a line in the center leaving about 2” on each side without filling. Fold in the two sides and then roll the tortilla. Set with the flap side down, so it stays closed. Secure with toothpicks if desired, but remember to take them out before serving.
How To Bake Chicken Enchiladas In Oven
This is the most traditional way to cook chicken enchiladas…
You can cook up a big batch for a big get together for something like a Mother’s Day Brunch recipe or Sunday family dinner…
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- PREP to bake chicken enchiladas. Add half the enchilada sauce to the bottom of a deep oven-safe. Add chicken enchiladas on top. Top with the rest of the sauce (cover chicken enchiladas all over). Drizzle with a little olive oil if desired. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- Oven bake chicken enchiladas at 375 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Cool and enjoy with a sprinkle of cilantro and sides.
See the recipe video for air frying chicken enchiladas…
How To Traeger Smoke Chicken Enchiladas
This is a great way to add smoky flavor to enchiladas…
And you could prep them ahead, then smoke a big batch for a game day smoker dish….
- Make Traeger smoked enchiladas on the pellet grill by preheating the smoker to 350 degrees F.
- PREP to smoke chicken enchiladas. Add half the enchilada sauce to the bottom of a deep pan that can go in the pellet smoker. Add enchiladas on top. Add the rest of the sauce on top, covering chicken enchiladas all over. Drizzle with a little olive oil if desired. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- Smoke chicken enchiladas at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Cool and enjoy with a sprinkle of cilantro and sides.
See the recipe video for smoking chicken enchiladas…
Check out this tasty beer can chicken smoker recipe…
How To Air Fry Chicken Enchiladas
This is the fastest way to cook enchiladas… in the air fryer machine!
Right in the basket, with some parchment paper.
It’s a great option for making a small batch of enchiladas, two at a time…
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- PREP. With air fryer chicken enchiladas, I don’t add sauce to the bottom. Instead, brush a little olive oil on parchment paper and add the enchiladas on top. Then add a layer of sauce and cheese.
- Air fry chicken enchiladas at 375 degrees F for about 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Cool and enjoy with a sprinkle of cilantro and sides.
Check out Sip Bite Go air fryer recipes…
See the recipe video for air frying chicken enchiladas…
See new griddle guides for the Blackstone Griddle Grill and check out my Traeger Flatrock griddle review….
What To Serve With Chicken Enchiladas For Dinner
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Mexican Rice (see my guide to making it in this fajitas side dishes post)
- Smashed avocado
- Griddled onions
- Smoked corn on the cob
- Griddled corn on the cob
- Smoked salsa
- Sour cream
- Cotija cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Lime wedges
- Shredded lettuce with jalapeno ranch dressing
- Beans (see how to freeze refried beans)
FAQs
Go for a stronger wood pellet flavor, like hickory or mesquite. These will contribute more flavor to the enchiladas, which are dense. The cheese and sauce will pick up the most smoky flavor.
Feel free to be creative with your enchilada filling. In general though, you’ll want to be sure to include meat (chicken or steak), vegetables, rice, cheese, beans, and enchilada sauce. All of which are wrapped in a tortilla (flour or corn).
We love using freshly shredded cheddar cheese. A shredded Mexican cheese is great too of course.
No…You should keep your enchilada dish uncovered during the baking process. This will help melt the cheese and crisp up the tortilla so it’s not soggy.
You can store enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days.
Why I wrote this recipe
So I’m not saying these are a 100% authentic Mexican recipe for enchiladas…
But everyone has days once in a while…
When dinner time sneaks up on them ,and they don’t have a plan for what to make.
Usually this happens to me with chicken leftovers.
Enchiladas has become one of my favorite recipes for using leftover chicken in Mexican food inspired dishes.
I love having these large burrito sized tortillas in the house to make tortilla pizzas and griddle burritos and large taco smash burgers.
Other recipes that are great for using chicken leftovers include this BBQ chicken pizza and griddle quesadilla.
I like to use high-quality ingredients like raw cheddar cheese and fresh spices from the spice kit you saw featured in the video, this Spicewalla Essential Spices kit.
To make that tasty homemade enchilada sauce.
The enchilada sauce quantity in the recipe card will be enough for 2 batches, or about 8-10 enchiladas.
So, if you’re looking for a simple and delicious weeknight meal, give this easy chicken enchilada recipe a try.
Enjoy!
PS. These are the dishes used in the Sip Bite Go video to bake / smoke chicken enchiladas…
- Le Creuset Stoneware Blue (11″ Oval) Baking Dish
- Emile Henry Yellow (Large Rectangular) Baking Dish (gifted)
See the recipe for griddled steak fajitas…
New recipes and foodie guides….
- Tri tip (it’s so good!)
- Chicken enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce
- Homemade pizza
- Smoked wings
- Traeger pizza
- Pan grilled chicken
- Bacon wrapped hot dogs
- Potato side dishes
- Pasta side dishes
- Baked brisket
- Sous vide frozen steak
- Cooked chicken temp guide
- Jalapeno ranch sauce
- Sous vide pork chops
- Coulotte steak
- GUIDE: How to make hamburger patties
- GUIDE: Aerogarden
- Best restaurants in Portland
- Blackstone griddle recipes
Grill and smoker recipes…
- Grilled chicken wings
- Smoked pizza
- Smoked chicken
- Smoked tri tip
- Traeger pulled pork
- Grilled shrimp
- Smoked turkey breast
- Smoked chicken wings
- Smoked ham
- Flank steak marinade
- Skirt steak marinade
- Smoked mac and cheese
- Smoked chicken breast
- Grilled broccoli
- Smoked queso
Meat thermometer recommendations
Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly.
On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:
- Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
- ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill.
It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature.
How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.
While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!
Are you a foodie, too?
Hey home chef, I hope that answers all your questions about how to cook chicken enchiladas in a variety of ways – they’re all delicious to us!
I hope you find your favorite method to make this go-to Mexican comfort food dish right here.
If you have leftover enchilada sauce, try this recipe for using enchilada sauce as a simmer sauce for chicken.
Enjoy cooking and chat soon on Instagram / TikTok / YouTube.
– Jenna
Next, browse the Sip Bite Go recipe collection…
BEST Chicken Enchiladas Recipe (3 WAYS) | Sip Bite Go
Ingredients
Chicken Enchiladas
- 3 cups enchilada sauce homemade or store bought, divided in half
- 4 large flour tortillas burrito size (substitute regular size corn tortillas to be more traditional)
- 2 cups chicken breast cooked and diced
- ½ cup corn kernels, cooked fresh / thawed from frozen
- ½ cup onions and peppers sauteed
- 1.5 cups cheddar cheese divided in half
- 1 tsp olive oil optional
- 1 tbsp cilantro fresh chopped for serving
Red Enchilada Sauce (Optional or use store bought)
- ½ medium onion diced small
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder ground
- ½ tsp cumin ground
- ½ tsp oregano dried
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper brown
- 28 oz tomato sauce plain, from a can
- 1.5 cups chicken stock
(Optional) Sauteed Onions and Peppers Enchilada Filling
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1 red onion cut in half and sliced in 1” strips
- 1 orange pepper cut in half and sliced in 1” strips
- ½ tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp butter (substitute olive oil
Dinner Serving Side ideas for Chicken Enchiladas
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Mexican Rice see my guide to making it in this fajitas side dishes post
- Smashed avocado
- Griddled onions
- Smoked corn on the cob
- Griddled corn on the cob
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Cotija cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Lime wedges
- Shredded lettuce with jalapeno ranch dressing
- Beans see how to freeze refried beans
Instructions
How To Make Enchilada Sauce
- Simmer onion, garlic, and olive oil for about 10 minutes in a pot on the stove on medium heat, stirring regularly, until onion is translucent.
- Add all seasonings (chili powder, cumin, oregano, brown sugar, salt) to sautéed onions and garlic and let the flavors infuse together for about 30 seconds on medium-low heat.
- Add tomato sauce and chicken stock to the red enchilada sauce spices in the pot. Simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes on medium-low heat. Cool to room temperature and blend smooth if desired (I don’t find it necessary, but you can).
(Optional) Make Sauteed Onions and Peppers Filling
- TIMING NOTE: Sauté onions and peppers while cooking the red enchilada sauce.
- Heat a burner on the stove to medium-high heat. Add a large pan or large skillet, and all ingredients (except for the butter) to make the onions and peppers. Sauté for ~5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add butter and stir regularly while cooking for another 5-10 minutes until done to your liking.
ASSEMBLE Chicken Enchiladas
- PREP NOTE: Make sure you have your enchilada sauce and cooked chicken ready to go. See the Sip Bite Go recipes for tasty pan grilled chicken breast, griddled chicken breast, smoked chicken breast, and sous vide chicken breast.
- Mix chicken enchilada filling ingredients. The first thing to do is assemble the chicken enchilada fillings inside the flour tortillas. In a large bowl, mix together the cooked chicken breast, cooked / thawed corn kernels, sauteed onions and peppers, and half the cheddar cheese.
- Lay out a large tortilla and add ¼ of the mixture in a line in the center leaving about 2” on each side without filling. Fold in the two sides and then roll the tortilla. Set with the flap side down, so it stays closed. Secure with toothpicks if desired, but remember to take them out before serving.
OPTION 1 – BAKE Chicken Enchiladas In Oven
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- PREP to bake chicken enchiladas. Add half the enchilada sauce to the bottom of a deep oven-safe. Add chicken enchiladas on top. Top with the rest of the sauce (cover chicken enchiladas all over). Drizzle with a little olive oil if desired. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- Oven bake chicken enchiladas at 375 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Cool and enjoy with a sprinkle of cilantro and sides.
OPTION 2 – SMOKE Chicken Enchiladas on the Traeger pellet grill
- Make Traeger smoked enchiladas on the pellet grill by preheating the smoker to 350 degrees F.
- PREP to smoke chicken enchiladas. Add half the enchilada sauce to the bottom of a deep pan that can go in the pellet smoker. Add enchiladas on top. Add the rest of the sauce on top, covering chicken enchiladas all over. Drizzle with a little olive oil if desired. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese.
- Smoke chicken enchiladas at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Cool and enjoy with a sprinkle of cilantro and sides.
OPTION 3 – AIR FRY Chicken Enchiladas
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F for 5 minutes.
- With air fryer chicken enchiladas, I don’t add sauce to the bottom. Instead, brush a little olive oil on parchment paper and add the enchiladas on top. Then add a layer of sauce and cheese.
- Air fry chicken enchiladas at 375 degrees F for about 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Cool and enjoy with a sprinkle of cilantro and sides.
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