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.
PREP TIME 20 minutesminutes
COOK TIME 27 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME 47 minutesminutes
YIELD 8servings
Ingredients
1tbspcanola oil
1onionchopped
2jalapeñosseeded and minced
3tspminced garlic
3tbspchili powder
2tspcumin
1tbspsugar
1(15 oz) can tomato sauce
1(15 oz) can of diced tomatoes with chilisLike Rotel
2cupsshredded rotisserie chicken
2cupsshredded Mexican blend cheese or sharp cheddar
1/2cupfresh cilantrominced
12 8-inchcorn tortillas
OPTIONAL: sour cream for servinggreen onions for garnish
Instructions
Preheat the over to 425°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
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.
Stir in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes with their juices and bring mixture to a simmer. Add 1/2 cup water as needed to loosen it up and make the sauce smooth.
Shred and cut the rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieces and add it to a medium sized mixing bowl. Add a 1/4 cup of the sauce, 1 cup of cheese, and the cilantro to the bowl. Stir to combine.
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.
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.
Reduce the oven to 400°F.
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.
Serve with sour cream and chopped green onions.
Recipe 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
1/2 teaspoon dried chipotle seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
For the tomato sauce: you can used canned tomato sauce or 1 1/2 cups leftover jarred spaghetti sauce.