These easy Mexican-style chicken enchiladas are made with juicy chicken thigh meat and rolled into warm corn tortillas with a Mexican cheese blend, green onions, and jalapeños. I drizzle the baked enchiladas with a quick homemade cilantro-lime crema and top them with avocado slices. Use store-bought or homemade red enchilada sauce (recipe provided).
What Makes These Chicken Enchiladas Stand out from the Crowd?
These chicken enchiladas are my husband’s absolute favorite dinner and go-to comfort food—honestly, we might as well call them “marry-me enchiladas”! They’re perfect for meal prep, making ahead, or freezing, which makes them ideal for busy weeknights or when I need to feed a crowd of friends and family. You can bet these enchiladas will have everyone coming back for seconds especially if you serve them with my Mexican street corn dip, fan-favorite cilantro-lime black bean rice, and homemade chicken tacos! You are in for a treat - here are the recipe highlights:
- Cilantro-Lime Crema: Even though I top my enchiladas with the classics—avocado, green onions, and fresh cilantro—I also drizzle on a creamy, Mexican-inspired (and homemade!) cilantro lime crema for a tangy, refreshing twist.
- Red Enchilada Sauce Options: You can definitely use great store-bought enchilada sauce for this recipe, but I’ve also included my homemade red enchilada sauce below if you want to go the extra mile!
- Easy to Customize: Use different proteins like pan-seared chicken thighs, shredded rotisserie chicken, ground turkey, ground chicken or beef, or plant-based meat.
- Naturally gluten-free when made with corn tortillas: Most chicken enchilada recipes online use flour tortillas, but traditional Mexican enchiladas are made with corn tortillas. My recipe sticks to tradition, using regular corn tortillas (like Mission brand). Corn tortillas hold up better in the sauce and offer a more authentic flavor. Serve this with Mexican street corn sheet pan loaded nachos made with homemade tortilla chips!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Chicken options: I used skinless boneless chicken thighs that I cooked with spices on the stovetop - the dark, juicy meat is perfect for chicken enchiladas. You can also use store-bought rotisserie chicken instead. Shred at least 3 cups of chicken and combine with the spices, but taste the chicken before adding additional salt and pepper as all rotisserie chickens from the store are already heavily salted.
- Ground meat: If you prefer to use ground meats, go for it! Impossible meat (plant-based option), ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, and even ground pork are great replacements to shredded chicken thighs.
- Cheese: Low moisture mozzarella cheese is a great substitute for the Mexican blend cheese that I use here!
- Toppings: I am topping my chicken enchiladas with avocado sliced, chopped fresh cilantro, and chopped green onions. I also recommend Cotija, sour cream, hot sauce, and guacamole as the toppings. Mix and match!
- Sour Cream or Yogurt and Mayo vs. Crema: If Mexican crema isn’t available, you can combine 1 cup sour cream or 1 cup yogurt with 1 cup mayo instead!
- Corn tortillas taste and perform best with this recipe. However, if you would like to use flour tortillas, make sure you get thin tortillas the same size as the corn, if possible.
- Cassava or Siete Almond Flour Tortillas: Cassava or Almond flour tortillas work just as well as corn tortillas! Make sure to follow the instructions on the packages to ensure you are using them properly.
- Tip: The below photo depicts every single ingredient you need. Take a screenshot for your shopping list!
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas (Step-by-Step)
- This is just a quick overview (with photos)—find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and place a rack in the middle.
- Season the chicken: In a small bowl, combine the dried oregano, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Season your chicken thighs with the spice mix.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a large skillet or nonstick pan with neutral oil over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken on both sides for about 3-4 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Prepare the chicken filling: Remove the chicken and cover it with plastic wrap to keep it warm and allow the juices to redistribute. Once the chicken is cool enough, shred it with two forks and set aside.
- Assembling the enchiladas: Spread 1 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish. I like to microwave the tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel for 30 seconds to make them more pliable.
- Then, one by one, fill each tortilla with shredded chicken, green onions, jalapeños (if using), and 1 ½ cups of Mexican blend cheese.
- Arrange the filled tortillas in the dish, pour the remaining sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.
- Make the cilantro-lime crema: Blend the Mexican crema, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. I recommend tasting the crema and adjusting the seasoning as needed. Transfer it to a squeeze bottle or measuring cup for easy serving.
- Serving: Once the enchiladas are out of the oven, remove the foil and top with cilantro, green onions, avocado slices, and extra enchilada sauce if desired. Drizzle with the cilantro lime crema.
Variations
- Vegetarian/vegan: Replace the chicken with your favorite vegetarian or vegan friendly option! Jackfruit, tofu, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, black olives, or beans! Replace the cheese with your favorite vegan cheese if you like!
- Mini serving: You can halve all the ingredients if you want to make a smaller portion and less leftovers!
- Smoky and spicy: You can blend 1 -2 canned chipotle peppers into your enchilada sauce prior to using.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate: What I do is cover the cooled enchiladas in the casserole dish with a lid or the aluminum foil I used to bake with. Of course, you can also place them in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, place on a microwave safe plate or bowl and heat until you reach your desired temperature.
- To freeze, transfer the cooled enchiladas to aluminum foil and wrap well. It can last in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Thaw by placing the frozen enchiladas onto a plate and leave it on your fridge overnight. Reheat following the instructions above.
Serve With
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad with Black Beans and Bell Pepper
- Cilantro Lime Black Bean Rice
- Mexican Corn Dip
More Mexican Chicken Recipes
Chicken Enchiladas
These easy Mexican-style chicken enchiladas are made with juicy chicken thigh meat and rolled into warm corn tortillas with a Mexican cheese blend, green onions, and jalapeños. I drizzle the baked enchiladas with a quick homemade cilantro-lime crema and top them with avocado slices. Use store-bought or homemade red enchilada sauce (recipe provided).
Ingredients
Chicken Filling
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs pat dry
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons pepper
- 6 medium green onions white and green parts roughly chopped
- 3 small jalapenos finely chopped (optional)
- 3 cups Mexican blend cheese divided
- 12 corn tortillas
- 28 oz red or green enchilada sauce store-bought or make it from scratch (see recipe below)
Cilantro Lime Crema
- 15 oz Mexican crema
- 1 medium lime zest
- 2 medium limes freshly squeezed juice
- 1 bunch cilantro (large stems - removed, small - left in)
- 1 clove garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- cilantro roughly chopped
- green onion roughly chopped
- avocado slices
- extra enchilada sauce
Instructions
Make Chicken Filling
- Place a rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
- Combine the dried oregano, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Heat a large skillet or nonstick pan with the neutral oil to medium high while you season your chicken thighs all over with the spice mix.
- Fully cook your chicken on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, or until they’ve reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Remove and place in a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap to keep warm, steam slightly, and allow the proteins to relax and reabsorb any juices.
- Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken with two forks and set aside, covering loosely again with the plastic wrap.
- Wrap your tortillas in a damp paper towel or kitchen towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Check the flexibility of the tortillas. If you can’t roll them without them breaking, return them to the microwave for another 10-15 seconds.
- Place 1 cup of your enchilada sauce onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and spread evenly to cover.
- Working with one tortilla at a time, making sure to keep the unused tortillas covered with the towel to keep them warm, evenly fill each with the chicken, green onion, jalapenos if using, and 1 ½ cups of Mexican blend cheese. Repeat this process until you’ve filled the casserole dish.
- Ladle 1 cup of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, evenly coating them. Pour the remaining sauce into a small sauce pot, cover, and keep on low heat on the stove.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 ½ cups of Mexican blend cheese on top, wrap with aluminum foil, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted.
Make Cilantro Lime Crema
- While the enchiladas are baking, combine the Mexican crema, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper to taste in a blender or to a large cup that can fit an immersion blender inside. Blend until smooth and adjust with salt and pepper. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or measuring cup with a spout.
Serving
- Once the enchiladas are finished cooking, remove the foil. Top with cilantro, green onions, avocado slices, extra enchilada sauce if desired. Serve and drizzle with the crema, extra toppings, and extra sauce if you like. Serve alongside calabacitas, rice, beans, or any side you love to eat with enchiladas!
Notes
- Layered vs. rolled enchiladas: If you prefer to layer your tortillas and filling instead of rolling the fillings inside, don’t forget to lightly coat each tortilla you use in your layers with enchilada sauce. This helps keep your enchilada moist.
- Combining all filling ingredients together: To expedite the filling process, you can combine the green onion, jalapeno if using, and 1 ½ cups of Mexican blend cheese with the shredded chicken prior to rolling your tortillas.
- If you don’t want to make the crema, you can just use sour cream to top your enchiladas.
- This recipe works well with either red or green enchilada sauce! You can’t go wrong!
- You can heat the tortillas in a warm pan sprayed with oil instead of microwaving. It will take a bit more time, but the tortillas tend to hold up a little better when rolling. It does add a little bit more fat to this recipe, but if that is not a concern, feel free to use this method.
- Homemade or store-bought red enchilada sauce — both work great here. I wanted to keep this recipe as simple as possible, so I’ve tested it with both canned enchilada sauce and my homemade version (you’ll find the recipe just below the recipe card). Honestly, they both work really well, so go with whichever option is easiest for you.
Easy Substitutions
- Chicken: You can use shredded rotisserie chicken (at least 3 cups) instead of cooking skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
- Ground Meat: You an also sub the chicken with ground beef, turkey, chicken, pork, or plant-based meat like Impossible brand.
- Cheese: Don’t have Mexican blend? Use shredded low-moisture mozzarella.
- Toppings: I top mine with avocado slices, chopped cilantro, and green onions. You can also use Cotija cheese, sour cream, guacamole, or a drizzle of hot sauce as toppings.
- Crema Substitute: Mix 1 cup sour cream or yogurt with 1 cup mayo.
- Tortillas: I used corn tortillas, but you can also use thin flour tortillas of similar size instead. I also love to use Cassava or almond flour tortillas (like Siete brand) for chicken enchiladas.
You will need these supplies:
- knife
- cutting board
- heavy skillet or nonstick pan
- 9 x 13 casserole dish
- large bowl
- blender or immersion blender
- paper towels or kitchen towel
- zester
- citrus juicer
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
The Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil (like vegetable or avocado oil)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup chili powder (use mild, American-style chili powder). Taste it before using it. If your chili powder is too hot, use smoked paprika instead.
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for heat, especially if you use mild, American-style chili powder)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (adjust to taste)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth (Beef broth is great, too! Or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar (adds brightness)
How to Make Red Enchilada Sauce
- Make a roux: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until lightly golden.
- Add spices: Whisk in the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne (if using), and salt. Cook for 30 seconds to blend the spices.
- Add liquids: Stir in the tomato paste, then gradually whisk in the broth to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer: Let the sauce simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Finish: Stir in the vinegar. Taste and adjust salt or chili powder if needed.
I want to freeze the enchiladas to have for future meals. Do I cook them first? What is recommended reheating method?
Hi Lori! Yes, cook them first. I actually have a whole section of Storage Tips in this recipe above the recipe card, I will paste it here for you:
➡️ Refrigerate: What I do is cover the cooled enchiladas in the casserole dish with a lid or the aluminum foil I used to bake with. Of course, you can also place them in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
➡️ To reheat, place on a microwave safe plate or bowl and heat until you reach your desired temperature.
➡️ To freeze, transfer the cooled enchiladas to aluminum foil and wrap well. It can last in the freezer for up to 1 month.
➡️ Thaw by placing the frozen enchiladas onto a plate and leave it on your fridge overnight. Reheat following the instructions above.
I started at 5 pm. We ate at 8:45 and my hubby was helping. I did not enjoy the hour I spent picking leaves of cilantro. The results were edible but I will never pick cilantro again.
Hi Linda! No need to pick off all the leaves—just remove the larger stems. If you check the photo of the cilantro in the food processor above, you’ll see I leave the smaller stems in too. I’ll update the recipe to make that clearer!
Enchiladas look fabulous! What is Mexican Crema - I’ve never heard of it or seen it. Where would you buy it? Could I make a concoction to replicate it? Note - I’m in a community of 100,000 in Alberta Canada and ethnic foods aren’t always readily available. PS. I love your recipes, have made many of them, and so glad I signed up for your newsletter!
Hi Pauline! If Mexican crema isn’t available, you can combine 1 cup sour cream (or 1 cup yogurt) with 1 cup mayo instead! You can find Mexican crema in many stores (in Mexican or ethnic food section) and even on Amazon. But, I am not sure about stores in Canada. I am so glad you signed up for my newsletter - WELCOME to my site! 🙂 🙂
Do you have a recipe for green enchilada sauce? Also, to reduce sodium, what do you recommend for a substitute for the salt?
Lori, I don’t have a recipe for green enchilada sauce just yet—but it’s definitely on my list! As for the sodium, you can easily cut down the salt—just use about 1/2 teaspoon. The cheese adds plenty of saltiness on its own, so that might be all you need.
What I also like to do when I’m avoiding salt is finely mince a lot of fresh garlic and stir it into the finished dish (raw). Just add it gradually and taste as you go—you probably won’t need all of it. Finely minced garlic adds tons of flavor and works really well as a salt substitute.
Yum! The flavors are amazing and your instructions are right on, easy to follow.
I have one question:
My enchiladas are often hard to remove from the pan, loose shape and become soggy. What am I doing wrong? Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Thank you.
Hi Sharon! I am so glad you loved this recipe and thank you for your review!
Here are my responses to your questions:
➡️ If the enchiladas stick to the bottom and are hard to remove from the pan - this should not happen if you add 1 cup of your enchilada sauce onto the bottom of casserole dish and spread evenly to cover before adding the enchiladas.
➡️ It can also happen if tortillas aren't prepped properly: If tortillas aren’t warmed or softened before filling and rolling, they’re more likely to tear and fall apart.
➡️ If there is too much moisture in the filling: Watery fillings (like un-drained beans, vegetables, or meats with high moisture) can make the enchiladas soggy from the inside out. So, I'm not using any beans or veggies here.
➡️ Overbaking: Also, Baking too long can break down the tortillas and make the dish mushy. There is never a reason to overbake the enchiladas as we're using pre-cooked meat here.
I froze a dish of green cheese enchiladas and unlike the first batch they turned to mush when I warmed them in the oven... I froze them without baking first. The initial batch was baked in the oven and held together. You use microwave to heat thawed batch. That might be my answer?
Hi Georgina! This could also happen because you didn't bake them first. Corn tortillas can turn soggy and mushy if they aren't prepped properly: If tortillas aren’t warmed or softened before filling and rolling, they’re more likely to tear and fall apart. So that could be the reason why yours turned to mush: the tortillas were too dry (uncooked, unsoaked in the enchilada sauce) so they tore and fell apart into pieces.