Chicken Chile And Cheese Enchiladas Recipe
Enchiladas are the best weeknight dinner hack since the casserole. Yeah, we said it, and we're not taking it back! While enchiladas may not be as simple as a dump and bake meal, they are remarkably easy to throw together, and they pack in much more flavor than a typical casserole.
Recipe developer and registered dietitian nutritionist, Kristen Carli, MS, RD, brings us this recipe for chicken, chile, and cheese enchiladas. "Enchiladas like these were weeknight staples in my house growing up," Carli says. "There are endless variations on these enchiladas if you want to switch it up, such as substituting green enchilada sauce for red and using shredded beef instead of shredded chicken."
With store-bought enchilada sauce and other elements like canned green chiles and diced onion, these enchiladas come together quickly without lacking in flavor. We recommend serving these up with a side of Spanish rice and beans or grilled corn with butter and lime salt.
Gather your ingredients for chicken, chile, and cheese enchiladas
To make these chicken, chile, and cheese enchiladas, you can start by gathering your ingredients. For this recipe, you will need boneless, skinless chicken breasts, red enchilada sauce, an onion, green chiles, large flour tortillas, shredded Mexican cheese, as well as cilantro, avocado, and sour cream for topping.
Cook the chicken breasts with the onion, enchilada sauce, and green chiles
First, get the oven preheating to 350 F. Now, it's essential that we cook up the chicken breasts in a lot of flavor. To do this, Carli recommends using a pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot. Into the bowl of the Instant Pot, add the chicken, diced onion, green chiles, and enchilada sauce. Close the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 13 minutes, before allowing the Instant Pot to naturally release.
If you don't have a pressure cooker, Carli says, "Alternatively, you could place the chicken, enchilada sauce, onion, and green chiles into a large baking dish in the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked."
Shred the chicken and assemble the enchiladas
Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place it in a separate bowl, then shred it up. "My favorite hack for quick shredded chicken is placing the chicken breasts into the bowl of a stand mixer and using the paddle attachment to shred it easily in less than 3 minutes," Carli says. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can easily substitute this method by shredding the chicken with two forks. Next, return the chicken to the sauce mixture and stir it well to ensure the chicken is coated.
Begin assembling the enchiladas by first pouring half of the remaining can of enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Then, take a flour tortilla and stuff it with the chicken mixture and a sprinkling of cheese. Lastly, roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat this process with all the remaining tortillas.
Top with more enchilada sauce and cheese before baking
Once your enchiladas have all been stuffed and placed seam side down in the baking dish, pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the enchiladas. Next, add the remaining cup of shredded Mexican cheese to the top. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tortillas begin to turn golden brown. When the time is up, remove the enchiladas and serve with optional toppings of avocado slices, cilantro, and dollops of sour cream.
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 (10-ounce) cans red enchilada sauce, divided
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 (4-ounce) cans green chiles
- 8 large flour tortillas
- 8 ounces shredded Mexican cheese, divided
- cilantro, for topping
- avocado, for topping
- sour cream, for topping
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. In the bowl of an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, add the chicken breasts. Top with 1 can of enchilada sauce, the diced onion, and both cans of green chiles.
- Close the top of the Instant Pot and seal the pressure valve. Pressure cook on high for 13 minutes. Allow to naturally release.
- Remove the chicken breasts and place in a stand mixer to shred. Once shredded, add the chicken back into the sauce mixture remaining in the Instant Pot. Stir well.
- Pour half of the remaining can of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Start assembling the enchiladas, by scooping a portion of the chicken and chile mixture into a flour tortilla. Top with a few tablespoons of shredded cheese. Then, roll up the enchilada leaving the ends open. Place enchilada seam side down in a large baking dish. Repeat with all remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
- Once all enchiladas have been added to the baking dish, top with remaining half can of enchilada sauce. Then top with 1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and tortillas are starting to get golden brown.
- Remove the enchiladas from the oven and serve with optional toppings of cilantro, avocado, and sour cream.
| Calories per Serving | 436 |
| Total Fat | 16.5 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6.7 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.3 g |
| Cholesterol | 91.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 38.5 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.3 g |
| Total Sugars | 6.8 g |
| Sodium | 1,402.7 mg |
| Protein | 32.3 g |
