This skillet chicken enchilada recipe is a family favorite that everyone loves. It's easy to make and can even be prepared earlier in the day. Topped with my easy homemade red enchilada sauce.
I love chicken enchiladas! I know your family will adore this recipe and ask you to make them over and over again. And when you don't have time for traditional rolled enchiladas it's nice to still be able to enjoy your enchiladas. Serve them with some fresh pico de gallo or an avocado corn and tomato salad.
The enchiladas are made with a base layer of corn tortillas and filled with a shredded chicken, onion and chile mixture then topped with another layer of corn tortillas, enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.
The enchiladas are made with my homemade red enchilada sauce that I've been working on for years, to get it just right. I make it with dried ground spices instead of whole chiles and peppers.
Here in Arizona we have so much available to us but I know that people have a harder time getting their hands on those packages of dried chiles and peppers if they don't live int he Southwest. Which is why I wanted a recipe that would be more accessible to everyone.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- Preparing The Chicken
- Making Enchilada Sauce
- Layering The Enchiladas
- Serve With
- Skillet Chicken Enchiladas With Red Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
There's two parts to this recipe. The enchiladas with the filling and the enchilada sauce. Here's a basic rundown and a few explanations of the ingredients you will need. Make sure to reference the recipe card at the end of this post for the full amounts in instructions.
Enchilada Sauce
- butter
- flour
- chili powder
- ancho chili powder - this is different from chili powder (which is a mix of dried chili's and other spices) in that it has more of a sweet taste
- cumin
- oregano
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- salt
- tomato paste
- chicken broth
- cinnamon - there is just a pinch of cinnamon in it, but makes a difference in the overall taste
Enchilada Filling
- corn tortillas - white or yellow corn tortillas
- chicken breast - you can buy a rotisserie chicken and use the shredded chicken from that, there are numerous ways to cook the chicken but the end result needs to be shredded chicken
- minced garlic
- can of diced green chiles - you can choose mild, medium or hot depending on what level of heat you like, I always use the mild for this recipe
- diced onion
- oil
- paprika
- cumin
- chicken broth
- heavy cream
- salt
- pepper jack cheese
Preparing The Chicken
For these enchiladas you need shredded chicken. You can cook the chicken yourself and shred it or you can buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the store and shred the meat. Here are a few ways to prepare the chicken at home, yourself.
Instant Pot Method
My all time favorite way to prepare shredded chicken is in the instant pot. It comes out juicy and perfect every time. The recipe for these baked chicken taquitos says to bake the chicken in the oven, but 9 times out 10 I wind up using my instant pot.
Fill the bottom of your instant pot with water. A 6 quart instant pot needs 1 cup of water and an 8 quart instant pot needs 2 cups of water. You have to use the correct amount of water for your size instant pot or it won't pressurize correctly.
Insert the trivet and place the chicken breast side by side on top of it. Close the lid, turn the knob to sealed (make sure it isn't venting). On high pressure, set the cook time for 18 minutes. You do not need to slow release, as soon as it's done hit cancel and carefully turn the knob to venting.
Take the chicken out and use two forks to shred it, or wait for it to cool and use your hands.
Oven Method
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Place the chicken breast on top and drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the center is no longer pink.
Take the chicken out and use two forks to shred it, or wait for it to cool and use your hands.
Boil Method
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Carefully place the chicken breasts into the boiling water (with a pinch of salt) and cook for about 15 minutes, or no longer pink in the center. The time varies depending on the size of your chicken breast.
Take the chicken out and use two forks to shred it, or wait for it to cool and use your hands.
Making Enchilada Sauce
Do not feel intimidating by making your own enchilada sauce. Sure you could go buy a can of red enchilada sauce from the store but it's so much healthier to make it from scratch.
In a small saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Using butter instead of oil gives the enchilada sauce a much better flavor.
To a little bowl add the flour and the spices; chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.
Stir this mixture into the butter, using a whisk and continue whisking for 3 minutes to completely cook out the raw flour taste.
Add in the tomato paste and whisk an additional 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and bring this to a low rolling boil. Add a pinch of cinnamon.
Reduce the heat to low, and cook an additional 10 minutes. Then turn the heat off.
Layering The Enchiladas
Start with the red enchilada sauce. Cover the bottom of your skillet with sauce. Then lay down half (10) of the corn tortillas, overlapping the edges. Pour all of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas.
Sprinkle on about a third of the shredded cheese on top of the chicken. Lay down the remaining half of the corn tortillas, overlapping again. Pour on the rest of the enchilada sauce, covering all the tortillas.
Your last layer is the remaining shredded and cubed pepper jack cheese. Spread it all over then put your skillet in the oven to bake.
Serve With
- Best Ever Guacamole
- Bubbly Hot Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Chipotle Corn Salsa Copycat
- Famous Strawberry Margaritas
- Pineapple Avocado Salsa
- Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Skillet Chicken Enchiladas With Red Enchilada Sauce
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
This skillet chicken enchilada recipe is a family favorite that everyone loves. It's easy to make and can even be prepared earlier in the day. Topped with my easy homemade red enchilada sauce.
Ingredients
- 20 corn tortillas
- 1 ½ lb chicken breast (or a rotisserie chicken)*see notes
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 oz can diced mild green chiles
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ c chicken broth
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- Pinch of salt
- 16 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded and some cubed
Enchilada Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 ½ c chicken broth
- Pinch cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium/low heat
- In a bowl stir together the flour, chili powder, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, pinch of cinnamon and salt
- Add this to the butter and whisk for 3 minutes, continuously
- Add in the tomato paste and cook an additional 2 minutes
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, bring this to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
- In a sauté pan heat 1 tbsp oil, diced onion, minced garlic and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions are translucent
- Stir in the diced green chiles, paprika, cumin, ½ cup chicken broth and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream
- Shred the chicken and stir in to the chiles/onion mixture
- Cover the bottom of a skillet with some of the enchilada sauce
- Add half of the corn tortillas to the bottom of the pan, overlapping
- Add the chicken mixture followed by some of the shredded cheese
- Add the rest of the corn tortillas, overlapping, the rest of the enchilada sauce and the remaining shredded and cubed pepper jack cheese
- Bake the enchiladas for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are bubbling and cheese is melted on top
- Serve
Notes
The chicken in this recipe needs to be cooked and shredded, here are some cooking options (also refer to the section titled 'cooking the chicken' in the post for more clarification and instruction).
- Instant pot - 18 minutes, high pressure, no slow release (do not forget to add the required amount of water your instant pot needs, this varies depending on the size)
- Oven - Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees
- Boiling - In boiling water until no longer pink in the middle, around 15 minutes
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 473Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 819mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 4gSugar: 2gProtein: 36g
This information comes from online calculators. Although moderncrumb.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
