The Easiest 30-Minute Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Weeknights can be a struggle, but getting a delicious, family-pleasing dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes doesn’t have to be! These cheesy chicken enchiladas are the best go-to recipe when time is short, but you need a filling, kid-friendly meal.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas are a great choice for dinner with shredded chicken, melted cheese, and a delicious spicy sauce. This is a great recipe for a weeknight meal or family gathering. This recipe is SUPER SIMPLE, so it’s not going to be a complicated enchilada recipe; however, it’s a great recipe that you can mix up too and add your touch with customized ingredients.

For instance, if you like to add more to your homemade enchilada, feel free to do so, but this is a great base. We prefer this particular method and recipe because it’s easy for chicken and cheese enchiladas. It takes just about 30 minutes total to make, including prep time, and is a great one for a busy weeknight, but a crowd-pleaser for the family too. I will walk you through how to make these cheesy chicken enchiladas.

Table of contents

• What are Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas?
• Key Takeaways
• Ingredient Notes
• How to Make Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
• What Tortillas should you use for Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas?
• How to Prevent Corn Tortillas from Cracking
• Tips for Making this Chicken Enchilada Recipe
• More Enchilada Recipes
• Storage Tips
• Variations and Substitutions
• What to Serve with Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
• More Easy Dinner Recipes:

What are Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas?

Cheesy chicken enchiladas are a classic Mexican-inspired casserole dish made by rolling cooked, shredded chicken and cheese inside warm tortillas. Then, smothering them with enchilada sauce and an extra layer of melted cheese, baking them until nice and bubbly. This dish is loved for its simple spices and budget-friendly ingredients, plus it’s ready in 30 minutes!

Key Takeaways

• Ready in 30 minutes!
• Use leftover chicken to make this a quick meal.
• Kid-friendly!
• Easy to make gluten-free!
• Budget-friendly!

Ingredient Notes

• Shredded and Cooked Chicken – This is a great recipe to use Rotisserie Chicken, baked chicken breast, or leftover chicken.
• Corn Tortillas or Flour Tortillas – Use soft tortillas; if you are using corn, warm them slightly before folding.
• Taco Seasoning – Perfect blend of seasoning to add to the filling.
• Black Beans – Added to the filling to provide delicious flavor and texture.
• Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies – Adds mild flavor and depth without making the dish overly spicy.
• Enchilada Sauce – Red enchilada sauce gives a classic mild flavor, but green enchilada sauce works well too.
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Monterey Jack, or Fiesta Style Cheese – A blend of cheese is optimal for melting and rich flavor.

How to Make Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

The full printable recipe card can be found at the bottom of this post.

1. If you use corn tortillas, you will want to heat them for one minute on each side in a greased and warm skillet before filling them.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. Once the chicken is cooked, I put this into a food processor and pulse it until it’s nice and shredded. Then, return to the small skillet and add the taco seasoning with 1/4 cup water and let it simmer for 10 minutes on medium heat.
4. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Then, fill the tortillas again, be sure to warm the corn tortillas first if you are using corn, to avoid tearing. Fill the tortillas with chicken, beans, and tomatoes. Then, place them seam side down in the baking dish.
5. Continue until the dish is full.
6. Next, pour the enchilada sauce or taco sauce over all the tortillas and top with cheese.
7. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees F or until cheese is nice and bubbly.
8. Enjoy the cheesy enchiladas!

What Tortillas should you use for Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas?

These are super easy to make gluten-free by using white corn tortillas. The key though to remember is that the white corn tortillas are much smaller than the traditional flour tortillas. That means you will need more to fill the baking dish, plus the serving size may be a bit different.

How to Prevent Corn Tortillas from Cracking

Corn Tortillas MUST be warmed up the corn tortillas before filling them with the chicken mixture. Why? They aren’t very pliable until they are warmed up.

The pictures you see in this post are all white corn tortillas, so these tend to be the ones we use often.

There is now another option that wasn’t around when I first wrote this post, and that is the Gluten-Free Soft Taco Flour Tortilla from Mission Foods. These are hands down the BEST for enchiladas. We use these quite a bit now for enchiladas.

One of our favorites outside of this recipe is this Air Fryer Cheesy Beef Enchiladas, these Gluten-Free Mission Tortillas were used for the beef enchilada recipe.

As for the enchilada sauce, you can use your favorite gluten-free variety from the store or try this Homemade Gluten-Free Enchilada Sauce. I prefer green enchilada sauce, but it’s totally up to you.

Tips for Making this Chicken Enchilada Recipe

First, be sure to spray the pan well with non-stick baking spray and then place the tortillas seam side down with the chicken filling. Once the enchiladas are all in the pan, evenly pour the enchilada sauce right over the entire dish and top with shredded cheese.

After they bake and cool for 5 minutes, the enchiladas can be topped with cilantro, sour cream, jalapenos, green onions, or any of your favorite toppings. We like to serve these with rice, beans, or a side salad.

More Enchilada Recipes

If you love these beef enchiladas, then try these Chicken Enchiladas, Barbecue Chicken Enchiladas, Smoked Enchiladas, or Air Fryer Enchiladas.

Storage Tips

Once the enchiladas are fully cooled, store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. When ready to reheat warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Variations and Substitutions

If you are looking for beef enchiladas be sure to check out my 30-Minute Cheesy Beef Enchiladas, which also come with a gluten-free option.

• Make it gluten-free with corn tortillas; always check all ingredients before using to verify they are gluten-free.
• Use green enchilada sauce for verde enchiladas.
• Protein swaps: use cooked ground beef, ground turkey, or carnita meat.

What to Serve with Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Mexican Street Corn

Steamed Rice

Chips and Salsa

Chips and Guacamole

These cheesy chicken enchiladas are full of great flavor and easy to make in less than 30 minutes. Serve them up with your favorite Mexican Rice and Sides!

More Easy Dinner Recipes:

• Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings with Biscuits

• Easy Oven-Baked Jerk Chicken (Gluten-Free Option!)

• Pellet Grill Italian Beef Sandwiches (Shredded Beef)

• 20+ Easy Fall Slow Cooker Soup Recipes