Loaded Chicken Enchiladas are made with shredded chicken, rice, beans, corn, bell pepper, and onion mixed in a creamy sauce and topped with cheese and homemade enchilada sauce.
Mexican food is quite possibly my favorite type of food. After spending several months living in Mexico and learning from true Mexican chefs, I developed an even greater love of the food. My favorite Mexican recipes include 5-Minute Homemade Salsa, Authentic Mexican Rice, and Tres Leches Cake! I have a host of other Mexican recipes you might also enjoy!
Loaded Chicken Enchiladas
Mexican enchiladas are one of those EASY recipes that I am always happy to make because I know that not one of my children will put up a fight when it comes to eating them! These easy chicken enchiladas are loaded with all the good stuff and topped with the most delicious enchilada sauce.
Are chicken enchiladas bad for you?
Due to their saucy and creamy nature, enchiladas are not generally the healthiest food to eat. However, not all chicken enchiladas are made the same way or filled with the same ingredients, and these enchiladas include healthier ingredients than most.
These chicken enchiladas include chicken and black beans (which have protein and fiber) as well as bell pepper and onions (which have valuable vitamins and minerals). You could substitute brown rice for white rice for extra health benefits.
Can I make chicken enchiladas with flour tortillas?
Traditional Mexican enchiladas are made with corn tortillas. However, my family enjoys them with flour tortillas as well. I buy large (not the giant burrito size) flour tortillas when I make enchiladas. You can make these enchiladas with either flour or corn tortillas.
My favorite brand of flour tortillas are the Tortilla Land or Fresca brand of uncooked flour tortillas. You cook them fresh at home, in a skillet. I buy mine from Costco, but they’re pretty commonly found at grocery stores.
Ingredients in chicken enchiladas:
- shredded chicken
- rice
- corn
- black beans
- green bell pepper
- onion
- garlic
- diced jalapeños or diced green chiles
- cream of chicken soup
- cream cheese
- shredded cheese
- large flour tortillas
- homemade enchilada sauce
How to make chicken enchiladas:
- Add the chicken, rice, chopped veggies, black beans, corn, cream of chicken soup, and cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
- Spoon ½ cup of filling mixture into a line on the edge of a tortilla. Sprinkle cheese on top of the filling.
- Roll your tortillas tightly and place, seam side down, into a 9×13” pan. Each pan should be able to fit 7-8 enchiladas.
- Pour desired amount of enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Make ahead instructions:
To make ahead, prepare the enchiladas as instructed, but don’t add the enchilada sauce on top. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add enchilada sauce and cheese on top right before baking.
This recipe makes TWO 9×13” pans of enchiladas. I serve one for dinner, and freeze the other in a disposable aluminum pan.
To Freeze Enchiladas:
To freeze, prepare the enchiladas up until baking. Cover the pan tightly with two layers of aluminum foil and freeze the enchiladas for up to 3 months.
Bake the enchiladas from frozen at 350 degrees for about 1 ½ hours, covered in foil. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
HERE ARE ALL OF MYÂ MEXICAN RECIPES. SOME OF MY FAVORITES INCLUDE:
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Recipe
Loaded Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken , shredded (about 3 breasts or 4 thighs)
- 2 1/2 cups cooked rice (see note*)
- 1 can corn , drained
- 1 can black beans , rinsed and drained
- 1/2 green bell pepper , chopped
- 1/4 onion , chopped
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 4 ounces canned jalapeño peppers (or diced green chilies)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup (see note**)
- 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 3 cups shredded cheese (mozzarella or mexican blend)
- 16 large flour tortillas (not burrito size)
- 1 batch red enchilada sauce (or 4 cups store bought)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Add a few spoonfuls of enchilada sauce to the bottom of TWO 9x13 inch pans.
- Add all ingredients except for the tortillas and enchilada sauce to a very large bowl. Stir everything until evenly combined.
- Spoon ½ cup of filling mixture into a line on the edge of a tortilla. Sprinkle a small handful of shredded cheese on top of the filling.
- Roll the tortilla tightly and place it seam side down into prepared pan. Each pan should be able to fit 7-8 enchiladas.
- Pour sauce over the top of the enchiladas, dividing it between both pans. Sprinkle any remaining cheese on top.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve with 5-minute homemade salsa, or pico de gallo.
Notes
To Freeze Enchiladas:
To freeze the second pan of enchiladas, prepare up until baking (I usually use a disposable aluminum pan for the batch I will be freezing). Cover the pan tightly with two layers of aluminum foil and freeze the enchiladas for up to 3 months. Bake the enchiladas from frozen, at 350 degrees for about 1 ½ hours, covered in foil. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.Nutrition
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HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I was wondering, can you could add something green (spinach) to up the better for you ingredients?
Yes, you could add spinach or even diced veggies
Followed this pretty closely in terms of ingredients but I only had basmati rice so I added taco seasoning to the mixture and I can’t wait to make it again. I used large soft taco size tortillas and it made 19 of them. Everyone’s fed. Thank u this was fabulous.
My family (4) LOVED this recipe! I made 16 to share with my in-laws and now my FIL wants me to print him a copy as well 🙂
I used a pre-roasted whole chicken and was the perfect amount.
1 pouch of Uncle Ben’s 2 minute Mexican rice was perfect, just open and add!
We’re not big bean fans so I omitted them, otherwise followed recipe to a T.
I highly recommend making Lauren’s Red Enchilada Sauce, well worth the extra few minutes!!
Kids said “Mom, this is a keeper”.
This was my first time making & eating chicken enchiladas. Wow, I have surely been missing out! My whole family devour them. I make big batches now & individually freeze them for convenience. So happy to have found your site – thank you
Made this recipe! SOOO DELICIOUS. My picky eating son finished his plate before anyone else!! That’s amazing!
I froze a batch, but I have some questions. Can I defrost them overnight? Or do they have to be baked frozen? If I bake them frozen, in what moment do I add the enchilada sauce and cheese on top?
Thank you so much!! Nothing makes us happier than hearing about picky eaters loving the recipes. Bravo to you for freezing a batch for later!
To reheat from frozen: bake the enchiladas from frozen at 350 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours, covered in foil. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
These enchiladas were delicious & just what I was looking for – enchiladas with a white filling covered with red sauce. Even if you don’t have all the ingredients, they turn out wonderfully. I used sour cream instead of cream cheese & didn’t have the canned beans or corn. I used green onions instead or regular onion, a roasted red pepper instead of a green pepper cilantro and sliced olives to give it more flavor. And I left out the garlic because I can’t tolerate it. The chicken was left over from a Sam’s Club roast chicken and the rice was Chinese restaurant white rice. I used canned Enchilada Sauce with some tomato sauce The recipe still turned out beautifully. I think Cream of Chicken soup is the secret ingredient.
can I bake leftover loaded enchilada mix without tortillas ?
Love these enchiladas!! All but the bell pepper which I omitted and was still very tasty!!
This is the very best of the best Enchilada recipe! My go to from now on!
I made this dish and it was absolutely delicious… I used homemade Verde sauce, with a lil spice from jalepenos… My question is I made way too much… Can I also freeze the sauce I made?
Yes you can!