Chicken Enchiladas Recipe With Red Sauce (2024)

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Flavor:Bold flavors make this thickened sauce perfect for anyone who loves a mildly spicy, yet flavorful red enchilada sauce. Instructions are included for how to make it spicier.
• Time:Roja sauce takes 15 minutes to make. The enchiladas take 10 minutes to assemble and 15 minutes to bake.
• Equipment:A saucepan and a 9×13-inch baking dish are required.
• Diet:Gluten Free option

Ingredients

Full chicken enchiladas ingredient list and ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the recipe card below.

• Oil: Use vegetable oil, corn oil or avocado oil. Avocado oil is my usual go-to oil.
• Flour: Use all-purpose flour. See instructions below for gluten free option.
• Chili Powder: For spicy enchiladas use part Chipotle Chili Powder and part Red Chili Powder
• Cumin: Ground cumin has a warm, earthy, and slightly bitter taste with hints of nuttiness and pepper, along with a subtle citrus note. It’s known for its robust flavor and strong aroma, making it a distinctive ingredient in many cuisines, including Mexican, Middle Eastern, and Indian. Cumin is essential for these enchiladas.
• Chicken Broth: Looking to add more nutrients and protein? Use a good bone broth. Need something cheap? Use a powdered broth mix.
• Tomato Sauce: Use canned tomato sauce without any extra herbs or spices. If you don’t have tomato sauce, puree some canned tomatoes.
• Salt: Sea salt is my favorite but you can also use table salt or Kosher salt.
• Garlic: Use garlic powder rather than fresh garlic.
• Chicken: Use leftover chicken or make chicken especially for enchiladas. See below for how to cook shredded chicken. Or buy a store-bought rotisserie chicken and take the meat off of it. I like to buy the pack of rotisserie chicken breast meat at Costco to make life easier!
• Green Onions: Chopped green onion is one ingredient I hate to skip in these enchiladas. You can use the green tops and the whites of the onion.
• Cheese: I usually use a pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend from the grocery store for convenience. Shredding your own cheese is healthier and melts better. If you’re shredding your own, use a combination of Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, pepper jack cheese or any Mexican cheese you prefer.
• Sour Cream: Full fat sour cream is my favorite but get whatever kind of sour cream you prefer. You can also omit this from your recipe entirely, if you wish.
• Chiles: Canned green chilis usually come in 4 oz cans. You only use half a can for this recipe but if you love them feel free to add the whole can!
• Cilantro: Fresh chopped cilantro is best. It’s used in the chicken mixture as well as a garnish on top. Omit if you don’t like cilantro.
• Tortillas: Use flour or corn tortillas, whichever you prefer. If you use flour tortillas, get 8-inch or 10-inch tortillas. Corn tortillas come smaller so you may need a few more to use all the chicken mixture.

How To Make Enchiladas Gluten Free

• Flour: Use a gluten free flour mixture, like King Arthur’s gluten free flour
• Tortillas: Use gluten free tortillas such as gluten free corn tortillas or almond flour tortillas.
• Chicken Broth: Use gluten free chicken broth.

How To Make Shredded Chicken

This recipe calls for cooked chicken. I like to use rotisserie chicken but here are some easy ways to make shredded chicken.

Crockpot Method:

Place 4 chicken breasts and a cup of chicken stock into your Crockpot or slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred the chicken with two forks and place the chicken back into the crockpot to soak up the chicken stock for 5-10 minutes. The best chicken enchiladas have juicy chicken!

Instant Pot Method

Place 4 chicken breasts and ½ cup of chicken stock into your Instant Pot. Close the lid and seal. Pressure cook on high for 12 minutes. Carefully release steam when the 12 minutes are completed. Shred the chicken with two forks. Allow the shredded chicken to sit in the juice and soak up the juices for 5-10 minutes for the most moist chicken.

Instructions

Full step-by-step homemade chicken enchiladas recipe instructions are in the recipe card below. You can print or save to Pinterest for later. Making your own enchilada sauce is easy! Plus it’s the best enchilada sauce. This easy chicken enchilada recipe is one to save!

Step 1: In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. You want the oil to be hot enough to cook the flour without burning it. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons chili powder into the hot oil. Use a whisk or a wooden spoon to mix the flour with the oil. Keep stirring continuously for one minute to prevent lumps and ensure the mixture cooks evenly.

Step 2: Add the cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and garlic powder. Bring to a boil and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Stirring as needed.

While that is simmering, mix up the chicken enchilada filling.

Step 3: To make the enchilada filling, combine the 2 cups chicken, ¼ cup green onions, 1 cup of cheese, ¼ cup sour cream, 2 ounces of green chiles, and ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro in a large bowl.

Step 4: Once the chicken mixture is combined, add ½ cup of the prepared red enchilada sauce. Mix to combine.

Step 5: Spread a little enchilada sauce in the bottom of your casserole dish. Divide chicken and fill tortillas, rolling and placing seam side down in pan.

Step 6: Pour sauce over enchiladas, ensuring all the tortillas are covered. Cover with remaining cheese.

Step 7: Bake 15-20 minutes until cheese is bubbling.

Step 8: Serve with sour cream and garnish with cilantro.

Corn Tortilla Tips

Can you make enchiladas ahead?

Yes! You can double or triple this recipe then freeze a couple pans of enchiladas for later. Assemble as instructed then refrigerate for up to 24 hours or cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and cook as directed. Cooking time may need to be increased.

Should enchiladas be corn or flour?

Traditional enchiladas are made with corn tortillas. Flour tortillas are found more in northern Mexico and the United States This recipe includes instructions for either type of tortilla.

What type of chicken is best for enchiladas?

Cooked,shredded breast or thigh meat work well. Thighs tend to be more flavorful and moist.