The Very Best Chicken Enchiladas

Simply the VERY BEST Chicken Enchiladas, ever!  Chicken, garlic and green onion spiced up perfectly are rolled in soft tortillas before being baked with sauce and cheese then sprinkled with cilantro.Definitely WAY better than the Mexican joint down the street.

Let’s just get started here….I never know how to greet you all on a Monday.  Because it’s Monday.  And unless you have the day off, like my daughter, Monday is a big “boo” in my book.  I, definitely, always have a case of the Mondays.  That blue “time to make the donuts” feeling when you wish you could just sleep in one more morning. But it’s time to get up and get the kids off to school, dress up and drive to the office (or slip on the slippers and log onto email…which is more my schedule) or get your butt back to the gym. Which is everything I’m about to do.  I just made my son a turkey and cheese sandwich because he has decided that “day food” is perfectly appropriate for breakfast….I kind of agree.  Like the Very Best Chicken Enchiladas.  They would be splendid with a poached egg.  Don’t you think?

And why not, I mean…it’s not a sugary cereal or a carb loaded waffle after all.  It’s protein and cheese and veggies stuffed into a tortilla. Absolutely healthy if you lay off the cheese a bit and I even threw some black beans in there to up the fiber.  Not a ton, because I’m not a big bean fan but just enough to let you know there’s a bit of healthiness floating around in there.  I even topped them with the easiest homemade enchilada sauce ever….you’ll never by the stuff in the can again.  I promise. To make them super simple, I used leftover chicken but you could also use a rotisserie chicken!  How awesome is that?!?! Then to make these the absolute BEST Chicken Enchiladas ever….I sprinkled on a little white cheddar and Queso Oaxaca which is like a Mexican mozzarella with the flavor of Monterey Jack. I like the stretchy, melty cheese to give it the illusion that there’s more cheese than there actually is. It’s like a little kitchen witchery without sacrificing ANY flavor.  These Chicken Enchiladas rival my previous favorite slow cooker version with is super spectacular too!

The Very Best Chicken Enchiladas are a great weeknight dinner and even more perfect for entertaining.  With Cinco de Mayo in just a few weeks, they would be wonderful at any party or celebration.  You can even make them in advance, cover with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze ahead of time.  Just be sure to bake them for an extra 25 minutes from frozen so they cook all the way through.  And they’re simply amazing with these tortilla chips and this easy guacamole.  And if you are serving them for breakfast…may I suggest THIS super Pinterest popular Margarita? It’s most definitely breakfast worthy.

The Very Best Chicken Enchiladas

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chicken enchiladas

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 735 kcal

Author: Kellie

Make ahead Chicken Enchiladas are a weeknight dinner dream. So easy to assemble, loaded with flavor and a hit with the entire family.

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 8 ounce can diced green chilis
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken I used leftovers from this recipe
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
• 12 fajita sized flour tortillas
• 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Queso Oaxaca cheese or Colby Jack
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar
• chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the skillet and sauce until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the green chilis, chicken, chili powder, garlic powder and cayenne. Stir to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Coat the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish with 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce. Spoon another 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce in a shallow bowl. Dip a tortilla in the bowl to coat with enchilada sauce. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture in the center of the tortilla. Top with 1 tablespoon black beans and sprinkle with Queso Oaxaca. Roll up the tortilla and place in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
5. Serve immediately with sour cream, avocado and jalapeños if desired.

Nutrition Facts

The Very Best Chicken Enchiladas

Amount Per Serving (2 g)

Calories 735 Calories from Fat 360

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 40g 62%

Saturated Fat 20g 100%

Cholesterol 101mg 34%

Sodium 1920mg 80%

Potassium 452mg 13%

Total Carbohydrates 47g 16%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20%

Sugars 7g

Protein 44g 88%

Vitamin A 17.8%

Vitamin C 22.2%

Calcium 27.3%

Iron 26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.