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!

A chicken enchilada with red sauce served on a white plate with a fork and a side of pico de gallo and cilantro.

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.

Four process photos for making chicken enchiladas including a bowl with the ingredients, mixed together, spooned onto a flour tortilla, and a pan of enchiladas with sauce being poured on top.

  • 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.

Side by side photos of a ready to bake, and then baked pan of chicken enchiladas with red enchilada sauce.

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.

Two 9x13'' pans of chicken enchiladas with text over both pans that says "Freeze One" and "Bake One".

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.

Chicken enchiladas with red enchilada sauce served in a white baking dish.

HERE ARE ALL OF MY MEXICAN RECIPES. SOME OF MY FAVORITES INCLUDE:

 

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Recipe

A chicken enchilada with red sauce served on a white plate with a fork and a side of pico de gallo and cilantro.
Prep 30 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 50 minutes
Save Recipe

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.

Notes

*If I'm in a hurry I often cook one box of rice-a-roni, which yields the perfect amount for this recipe . We like the cilantro-lime, Mexican, or rice pilaf flavors best in these enchiladas.
**Feel free to substitute one batch of my homemade cream of chicken soup.
***You can substitute any brand of store-bought red or green enchilada sauce that you like. You will need about 4 cups of sauce.
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

Calories: 318kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 19gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 633mgPotassium: 290mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 480IUVitamin C: 5.3mgCalcium: 160mgIron: 2.2mg

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These truly were the best enchiladas ever! I made them for supper yesterday and my family absolutely devoured them! I think adding the soup and cream cheese is the key. I used a pouch of the Uncle Ben’s heat and serve Southwest style rice, (next time, because there will most definitely be a next time!), I think I’ll use 2 pouches. We don’t care for black beans but I had a tin of refried beans that’d been sitting in the pantry for ages so I smeared a spoonful of that on each tortilla and then put the filling on top before rolling up. I made half with flour tortillas and half with corn tortillas, and soon as i took them out of the oven (I baked them at 350 for approximately 40 mins) I sprinkled the top with a generous handful of sliced scallions and diced tomatoes. I also sprinkled a few sliced jalapeno and banana peppers on the top before baking. Served with sour cream and they were just fab!!

  2. Rice-a-roni, canned soup, store-brought enchilada sauce, packaged tortillas, canned jalapeño peppers… not much made “from scratch,” lol.

    I’m not trying to be mean. It’s better than eating out. It’s not a fit for me but I’m glad others are enjoying it. Your photos are lovely.

    1. Did you see miss the links to all of those things from scratch? I make all of those homemade, and have recipes to each (to include them all listed out in the recipe would make it massively long and hard to read).

          1. Thank goodness because I didn’t have enough tortillas or sauce! Trying to think of something “extra” to make with that yummy filling!

      1. 5 stars
        Living in another country where I make everything from scratch (or buy it from nationals that make it from scratch, like the tortillas), I appreciate the ease of preparation in the US and want to say that this is as much “from scratch” as you’re going to get and it is good! Time is money too and here where we live, using fuel and electricty to make so many things from scratch makes life more expensive, but when I get home every so often, I am thankful for the basic ingredients that I can get from the store and make a meal more simply that is still “from scratch”! Meal plans are life (and money) savers and your meals are always a hit with my family of 11! Keep up the good work and enjoy the ease of baking “from scratch” there in the God blessed USA. I appreciate your help to make my life easier!

    2. You should have just left your thoughts in your head…seriously they are alternatives for those who don’t make EVERYTHING from scratch. What a rude comment to make when ‘not trying to be mean’ just stay silent then.

    3. How could you manage to miss the directive to how to make EACH of those ingredients that you so rudely made reference too? Try reading before commenting next time!

    4. 5 stars
      Thank u & most delicious
      Apologize for some ppl rude behaviour , unfortunately many like to open their mouths before using their brains .
      Once again many thx

  3. 5 stars
    This was delicious! I pressure cooked my chicken with a jalapeno, onion and some green salsa and chicken broth. It was juicy and flavorful. I grilled the bell pepper a bit and then added the rest of the ingredients all together. I used green enchilada sauce and made this into a casserole to make it easy to serve. In the future I would make this as a dip and serve with chips. I will make this again and it is a very tasty recipe! Thank you for sharing!

  4. Delicious, especially with the homemade sauce. I would skip the cream cheese next time. Only problem was that 20 cooking minutes was not enough to heat the filling. More time would have really dried up the sauce. Next time I will try heating the chicken, beans and corn before adding them to the filling. Hopefully that will help.

  5. 5 stars
    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.

    1. 5 stars
      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”.

  6. 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

  7. 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?

    1. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. 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?

  10. 4 stars
    Hi Lauren. This looks very tasty. I bet you don’t worry much about sodium if you include rice a roni and cream of chicken soup. The kids can handle it, haha.

    1. What happens if you leave them in the fridge longer than 2 days with the sauce and cheese on them?

  11. Do you have a preference for breasts or thighs in this recipe? I would think the thighs would be a little juicer than the
    breasts. But, you’re the expert here. I just LOVE the sound of this recipe. Can’t wait to hear back from you.

    Thanks, Jan

  12. 5 stars
    I normally don’t take the time to comment or review things but holy smokes these were delicious. I made 2 pans thinking I would freeze one before my next baby came. NOPE. Both got baked 😂 I give it a 10/10

  13. 5 stars
    Wow!! Absolutely delicious and easy to make. Your red enchilada sauce Is the perfect companion. This was a yummy dinner that I will gladly repeat. Thanks!

  14. 5 stars
    My family LOVES these enchiladas and I love having a batch in the freezer for days I don’t feel like cooking! The homemade sauce is heavenly and gives them that extra something special. Thanks for the recipe!

  15. I have never used uncooked flour tortillas. Do I need to cook them before using them to assemble these enchiladas?

        1. If tortillas are the uncooked kind I warm them on a hot dry skillet or griddle. I never use hot oil in a pan, but you can.

      1. The tortillas in the video are not pan fried and the recipe also does not say to pre-brown them. But you say in a comment they should be precooked, sooo… I just want to be sure I’m doing this correctly so that the recipe turns out well! Or maybe it works well either way? Or maybe I don’t know much about tortillas – they come uncooked??! Thx from Wendy!

        1. That commenter was asking about using “uncooked” raw flour tortillas. The recipe ingredients call for flour tortillas, meaning COOKED flour tortillas. Hope that clears things up 🙂

  16. 5 stars
    I made the full recipe, 2 pans worth, for company this weekend and it was a big hit! I kept it mild so did not add the jalapenos, used green chiles, but think I will spice it up next time. We prefer corn tortillas rather than flour, but loved everything about this. If you make the filling a day ahead it’s not such a big job. My husband enjoyed assembling the tortillas after I made the filling, LOL! Thanks, Lauren – another winner!

  17. Hi Lauren,
    Do you for sure freeze with sauce on top? The pictures look like you’re going to freeze without sauce.
    Thanks!

    1. You can do it either way! I usually prepare them fully, so they’re ready to pop in the oven.

    1. There is enchilada sauce over them. We like to serve salsa on the side, but you don’t have to :-).

  18. 5 stars
    what size are the tortillas these look amazing please comment to my email as I am a senior and not great with computers thank you

    1. Hi Dorothy, I use uncooked flour tortillas. You can buy them in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

  19. I made this recipe today 5/20. Wonderful taste. I added chopped cilantro and instead of the cream of chicken soup I added a full jar of queso cheese dip along with mexican blend, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. also used spanish yellow rice which has a very seasoned and delicious chicken flavor. PLEASE, keep the recipes coming.

  20. I made this the other night and it was fabulous! Will definitely add this to the family menu. Again, am so glad I found you. Cooking has become fun again!

  21. I made these last night. They were fantastic!! Another ” do over” in my family. Thank you so much.

  22. 5 stars
    This truly is a delicious meal! I made a few adjustments like using plain white rice and adding in fresh cilantro to the mixture. I have made so many recipes from TBFS but this is the first I have taken the time to comment on. It is good enough to take the time to let you know that you need to give this one a go!!

    1. Thanks so much Annalee! I’m so glad you’ve tried some recipes you like, and thanks so much for taking the time to comment–It really means a lot! XOX