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).
Servings 6
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