Easy Chicken Enchiladas With Homemade Red Sauce

These chicken enchiladas are cheesy, saucy and family-friendly: shredded chicken mixed with green chiles, sour cream and melted cheese, rolled in tortillas, smothered in red enchilada sauce, and baked until bubbling. You can use a can of store-bought sauce for the quickest version, or make the easy homemade sauce below in about 10 minutes; it tastes fresher and lets you control the heat and salt. Rotisserie chicken makes the whole dish come together in under an hour.

Below you’ll find the ingredients, the homemade sauce, step-by-step instructions, how to keep tortillas from cracking, make-ahead and freezer directions, and variations. The printable recipe card is at the bottom.

Ingredients for Chicken Enchiladas

For the quick red enchilada sauce

Or use 1 can (19 oz / 540 g) of store-bought red enchilada sauce.

• Neutral oil, 2 tablespoons, and all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons.
• Chili powder, 2 tablespoons (the mild American blend).
• Ground cumin, 1 teaspoon; garlic powder, ½ teaspoon; dried oregano, ½ teaspoon.
• Tomato paste, 2 tablespoons.
• Chicken broth, 2 cups (480 ml), low sodium.
• Fine salt, ½ teaspoon, and apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon.

For the filling and topping

• Cooked chicken, 3 cups (about 420 g), shredded.
• Diced green chiles, 1 can (4 oz / 113 g), drained.
• Sour cream, ½ cup (120 g), or 4 oz softened cream cheese.
• Monterey Jack and cheddar, 2 cups (225 g) total, shredded, divided.
• Ground cumin, ½ teaspoon.
• Flour tortillas, 8 (8-inch), or 12 corn tortillas.
• To serve: diced tomatoes, cilantro, sliced green onions, avocado and extra sour cream.

How to Make Chicken Enchiladas (Step by Step)

1. Make the sauce

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and oregano and whisk for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Whisk in the tomato paste, then slowly whisk in the broth. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the salt and vinegar.

2. Heat the oven

Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish. Spread ½ cup of the sauce over the bottom.

3. Mix the filling

In a bowl, stir together the chicken, green chiles, sour cream, cumin, 1 cup of the cheese and ½ cup of the sauce.

4. Warm the tortillas

Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, until soft and pliable. For corn tortillas, warm them briefly in a dry skillet or dip them quickly in the warm sauce; cold corn tortillas crack when rolled.

5. Fill and roll

Spoon about ⅓ cup of filling down the center of each tortilla, roll it up snugly, and place it seam side down in the dish.

6. Sauce, cheese and bake

Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, covering the ends so they don’t dry out, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted. Because the chicken is already cooked, you’re heating it through: the center should reach 165°F (74°C).

7. Serve

Let the enchiladas rest for 5 minutes, then top with tomatoes, cilantro, green onions and avocado.

Chef Emma’s Tips

• Taste the sauce. Chili powder blends vary; add a pinch more salt, cumin or a little cayenne to suit you.
• Don’t overfill. About ⅓ cup of filling per tortilla rolls neatly without splitting.
• Cover the ends with sauce. Bare tortilla edges turn hard and crisp in the oven.
• Bake covered first. Foil keeps everything moist while it heats; uncover at the end to melt and brown the cheese.
• Use moist chicken. Rotisserie or poached chicken works best; dry chicken makes dry enchiladas.

Variations

• Green chicken enchiladas: use 2 cups of salsa verde or green enchilada sauce instead of red.
• Sour cream enchiladas: use a white sauce of 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons flour, 1½ cups broth, 1 cup sour cream and a can of green chiles.
• Beef: use 1 lb cooked, drained ground beef, cooked to 160°F, with ½ cup black beans.
• Vegetarian: fill with black beans, corn, sautéed peppers and cheese.
• Spicier: add a chopped chipotle in adobo to the sauce, or pickled jalapeños to the filling.

Need chicken for the filling? Shred leftover oven roasted chicken thighs, or try one of our shredded chicken recipes. For another crowd-pleasing bake, see our chicken and stuffing bake.

Make Ahead and Freeze

• Make ahead: assemble the enchiladas, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncover for 10 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C).
• Freeze: assemble without the top layer of cheese, wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, add the cheese, and bake as above.
• Leftovers: refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F.

These times follow the FoodSafety.gov cold food storage chart; see also the safe minimum temperature chart.

What to Serve With Enchiladas

• Mexican-style rice and refried or black beans
• A crisp green salad with lime vinaigrette
• Chips with salsa and guacamole
• Elote-style corn

Chicken Enchilada FAQs

Flour or corn tortillas for enchiladas?

Both work. Flour tortillas are softer and easier to roll; corn tortillas are more traditional and have more flavor, but warm them first so they don’t crack.

Why are my enchiladas soggy?

Too much sauce inside the filling, or they sat too long before baking. Keep the filling moist but not wet, and bake soon after assembling.

Can I use store-bought enchilada sauce?

Yes. One 19 oz (540 g) can replaces the homemade sauce in this recipe.

How many enchiladas does this make?

Eight with flour tortillas or about 12 with smaller corn tortillas, enough for 4 hungry people.

Chicken Enchiladas Recipe Card

Calories are an estimate per enchilada (flour tortilla, with homemade sauce and cheese, without toppings) based on USDA FoodData Central values. Find more dinners in our chicken recipes.

Chef Emma

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Shredded chicken, green chiles, sour cream and cheese rolled in tortillas, covered in a quick homemade red enchilada sauce and baked until bubbling.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Resting 5 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 8 enchiladas

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican-American

Calories: 430

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Red enchilada sauce (or one 19 oz can)

• 2 tbsp neutral oil plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin plus 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken broth 480 ml, low sodium
• 1/2 tsp fine salt plus 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Filling and topping

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken about 420 g
• 1 can diced green chiles 4 oz / 113 g, drained
• 1/2 cup sour cream 120 g
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar 225 g, divided
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 8 flour tortillas 8-inch (or 12 corn tortillas)

Equipment

• 9×13-inch baking dish
• Saucepan and whisk

Method

 

1. Cook the oil and flour 1 minute, add the spices 30 seconds, whisk in the tomato paste and broth, and simmer 6 to 8 minutes; season with salt and vinegar.
2. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and spread 1/2 cup sauce in a greased 9×13-inch dish.
3. Mix the chicken, green chiles, sour cream, cumin, 1 cup cheese and 1/2 cup sauce.
4. Warm the tortillas, fill each with about 1/3 cup filling, roll and place seam side down.
5. Cover with the remaining sauce and cheese. Bake covered 15 minutes, then uncovered 10 minutes, until bubbling and 165°F (74°C) in the center.
6. Rest 5 minutes and top with tomatoes, cilantro and avocado.

Notes

Make ahead: refrigerate assembled up to 1 day, bake 25 minutes covered + 10 uncovered. Freeze up to 3 months. Calories are an estimate per enchilada from USDA FoodData Central values.