Quick-Prep Chicken Enchiladas

These easy chicken enchiladas come together quickly with a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.

I have a love affair with rotisserie chickens. I use them in practically everything. When I'm looking to make a recipe easier and shorter and more likely to hit my table with the least amount of effort and planning, I rely heavily on this pre-shredded freezer staple.

One of my favorite recipes to use a rotisserie chicken is this delicious pan of chicken enchiladas. I have several shortcut tricks for making it an easy enough dinner for a busy weeknight. They are such a fun change of pace from our standard Taco Tuesday dishes. 

The easiest shortcuts for making quick Chicken Enchiladas

Quick Tip #1: Use a shredded rotisserie chicken

I keep bags of pre-shredded rotisserie chicken in my freezer for tossing into recipes in a pinch. 

If you don't use this awesome dinner shortcut, you can either:

• add a rotisserie chicken to your grocery order and shred it.
• order any boneless, skinless chicken you prefer: poach and shred it before making this dish.

Quick Tip #2: Prepare the chicken filling ahead of time

You can easily break this recipe up into stages. If you have extra time on the weekend, you can prepare the chicken filling and just store it in the fridge overnight or freeze it for later. 

Simply thaw and warm the filling and all you'll need to do is assemble the enchiladas before baking.

Quick Tip #3: Prepare the entire pan of enchiladas and freeze

This is a great make-ahead dinner recipe for busy nights. You can prepare the entire pan of chicken enchiladas and then freeze. 

Thaw them overnight and then just pop them in the oven the night you want to bake them.

Our favorite easy chicken enchiladas recipe:

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Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 27 minutes

Total Time: 47 minutes

Chicken enchiladas are always a hit with kids who love Mexican food but they usually take a lot of time to prepare. This fast and easy recipe comes together quickly with several busy-parent shortcuts.

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
• 3 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with chilis (Like Rotel)
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese or sharp cheddar
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 12 8-inch corn tortillas
• OPTIONAL: sour cream for serving, green onions for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the over to 425°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion & jalapeños, cook until softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar and cook until just fragrant.
3. Stir in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with their juices and bring mixture to a simmer. Add ½ cup water as needed to loosen it up and make the sauce smooth.
4. Shred and cut the rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieces and add it to a medium sized mixing bowl. Add a ¼ cup of the sauce, 1 cup of cheese, and the cilantro to the bowl. Stir to combine.
5. Spoon 2 - 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of the tortilla. Roll tightly and place seam side down in your prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas & filling. I can usually fit 8 in one long row and the last 4 in 2 rows of 2 facing the other direction. It’s ok to nestle them in there tightly. If your tortillas are ripping as you try to fill them, you may wish to heat them in a covered stack in the microwave for 30 seconds. A dampened paper towel for cover while heating will help moisten them enough to roll without ripping.
6. Lightly spray the tops of the prepared enchiladas with cooking spray. Place the pan in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes until the tortillas start to brown slightly.
7. Reduce the oven to 400°F.
8. Remove the enchiladas from the oven, pour the reserved pan of sauce over the top, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Bake for a final 5 minutes to brown the cheese on top.
9. Serve with sour cream and chopped green onions.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD FREEZER TIPS:

Assemble it up to the point where the sauce and cheese are put on the top. Freeze and then bake from there.

Alternatively, you can prepare just the chicken filling in the sauce and freeze in one container. Thaw the mixture, separate the chicken from the sauce with a slotted spoon, and assemble the enchiladas fresh the night you want to bake them.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

If you don't have fresh jalapeños, you can substitute with ONE of the following:

• 2 tablespoons of canned diced jalapeños, drained of juices
• ½ teaspoon dried chipotle seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the tomato sauce: you can used canned tomato sauce or 1 ½ cups leftover jarred spaghetti sauce.