Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

Updated: Sep 26, 2024 · Published: Sep 29, 2010 by Lacey Baier · This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. · 401 Comments

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These shredded chicken enchiladas are my absolute favorite enchilada recipe. Follow my easy enchilada recipe and helpful tips to learn how to not only make the best chicken enchiladas ever but also how to perfectly shred chicken and make a delicious homemade enchilada sauce in just 10 minutes!

Shredded Chicken Enchiladas | These shredded chicken enchiladas are my absolute favorite enchilada recipe. Tips for how to make the best chicken enchiladas ever, how to shred chicken, and a handy 10 minute enchilada sauce are all included! | A Sweet Pea Chef

I don't make a whole lot of Mexican food at home...mostly because I just find it just way too darn good at restaurants.

Now, I do make some tasty fish tacos with pico de gallo, homemade chicken fajitas with steak or chicken and some really good frozen breakfast burritos. But, for the most part, I get my Mexican food cravings satisfied outside of my kitchen.

Plus, it's usually difficult to make Mexican food Dustin will want to eat (he's really a "meat-and-cheese-only-on-my-burrito" kinda guy).

Growing up in Southern California, I was raised to like the auténtico type stuff to be made for me by the experts -- like chiles rellenos, carne asada, chili verde, chilequiles, machaca, huevos rancheros and all those yummy things.

Ok, now I need to go out and get me every one of those dishes I just mentioned! **stomach growling**

Overhead view of a blender with the blended homemade enchilada sauce, ready to be used in the shredded chicken enchiladas.

Side angle of pouring the homemade enchilada sauce over the chicken into the skillet to make the shredded chicken for the shredded chicken enchiladas.

Oddly enough, I've actually never been a big fan of enchiladas at Mexican restaurants....probably because I'm already stuffing my face with all those other types of dishes. I find most places add waaaay too much cheese to their enchiladas.

I know, I know...and the problem with that is....? True: cheese does tend to make everything better. But, I wanted to make an enchilada recipe at home that had more meat and was healthier -- yet just as tasty.

So, I started to make my own shredded chicken enchiladas at home. And they're amazingly delicious. They've easily become a favorite in the house and on the blog.

Overhead view of a skillet with seasoned chicken that is topped with the homemade enchilada sauce for making the shredded chicken for the shredded chicken enchiladas.

Overhead view of a mixing bowl which contains all the ingredients needed to make the filling for the shredded chicken enchiladas, including shredded chicken, homemade enchilada sauce, cilantro, jack and cheddar cheese.

How To Make Shredded Chicken

Ever wondered how to cook chicken so it can be shredded? I think you'll think you’ll be shocked at how easy it is. I share all about how to make crockpot shredded chicken in a different post if yu'd rather use a slow cooker.

All you need to do is cook the chicken all the way through so it can be pulled apart using two forks. Then, use one fork to hold the chicken steady and the other fork to pull away or shred the chicken. You’ll have shredded chicken in no time. I’ve also seen people add chicken to food processors to shred, but I’ve never needed to. Here are the steps broken out so you see how easy it is to make shredded chicken enchiladas:

Make my 10 Minute Homemade Enchilada Sauce (for realz: ONLY 10 minutes and you've got deliciousness right here).
Sprinkle sea salt and ground black pepper over the chicken breasts and then nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the sauce, set aside and let both the chicken and the sauce cool.
Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts by holding one fork steady and slowly scraping the other fork, prongs faced backwards, away from the other fork.

And poof: delicious, easy, and healthy shredded chicken.

Corn vs. Flour Tortillas For Enchiladas

I prefer homemade corn tortillas over flour in general, but that is my preference. Flour tortillas tend to be less healthy, as they often contain refined flours and lard, but that isn’t always the case. You can also very easily make your own homemade corn tortillas so I def prefer corn.

Making enchiladas with flour tortillas can also lead to a more doughy texture in your enchiladas. While it doesn’t bother me, it is something to consider. At the end of the day, you can choose whatever makes you happy 🙂

A note on using cassava flour tortillas for enchiladas: Do it! In addition to high quality corn tortillas, I recommend trying out cassava flour tortillas as well -- they hold up much better than your typical corn tortilla and don't fall apart when you're baking them.

Close up of a mixing bowl with a hand stirring together the filling for the shredded chicken enchiladas..

What You Need To Make Enchiladas

To make chicken enchiladas, luckily, you don’t really need that much at all. Most shredded chicken enchilada recipes are shockingly simple and super easy to put together. Think of them like a casserole with little enchiladas.

Here’s what you’ll need to make shredded chicken enchiladas:

A casserole dish (could use rimmed baking sheet in a pinch)
Enchilada sauce - you can buy pre-made, but I highly recommend making your own. It’ll just take you about 10 minutes extra. Here's my homemade enchilada sauce recipe if you wanna try it for yourself.
Tortillas - I recommend these homemade corn tortillas, but I may be partial 😉 I also think cassava flour tortillas are AMAZING in enchiladas.
The main ingredients: chicken, cilantro, and cheese

That’s pretty much it. Told ya they are simple!

How To Make Shredded Chicken Enchiladas

Make my 10 Minute Homemade Enchilada Sauce (for realz: ONLY 10 minutes and you've got deliciousness right here).
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and add the minced garlic to the enchilada sauce in a deep skillet and heat to a boiling over medium-high heat.
Sprinkle sea salt and ground black pepper over the chicken breasts and then nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the sauce, set aside and let both the chicken and the sauce cool.
Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts by holding one fork steady and slowly scraping the other fork, prongs faced backwards, away from the other fork.
Transfer the shredded chicken to a large bowl. Add half the enchilada sauce from the pan with the chicken, half the Monterrey jack and half the cheddar cheeses and the ½ cup of cilantro to the shredded chicken. Stir to combine.
Wrap the corn tortillas in a damp cloth or paper towel and microwave on high for 15-20 seconds until pliable and warm.
Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch casserole dish with olive oil. Spoon about ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture along the center of a tortilla. Gently, but firmly, roll the tortilla around the filling and place into the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with remaining tortillas, and add them all to the casserole dish.
Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
Place casserole dish in the oven, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until the tortillas begin to turn golden.

Overhead view of a casserole dish which is filled with the stuffed shredded chicken enchiladas that have been wrapped in corn tortillas and are ready to be topped with the enchilada sauce and cheese and then baked.

How To Soften Corn Tortillas For Enchiladas

This is a great question and causes a lot of debate. For the longest time, I never knew how to soften tortillas for enchiladas. The last thing you want is to make these delicious enchiladas only to have the tortillas completely fall apart as you try to wrap them up. Here are some ways to soften corn tortillas for enchiladas so you can avoid such a travesty:

Buy high quality tortillas or make them yourself - store bought tortillas have a tendency to already be quite dry so pass on those if you see them.
Wrap them in a damp paper towel or kitchen towel and microwave for 15 seconds to soften.
Quickly fry in olive oil to saturate and soften.
Dip into enchilada sauce before rolling into enchiladas.
Brush with olive oil.

Any and all of these options will work - it really just depends on your preference. Personally, I just use either high quality store bought tortillas (that feel soft at the store) or use homemade corn tortillas recipe, then I heat them in the microwave to soften, and I also brush with olive oil (the way I've written it in the recipe).

Close up view of a hand topping the shredded chicken enchiladas with chopped fresh cilantro.

Overhead view of a casserole dish which is filled with shredded chicken enchiladas that have been topped with jack cheese, cheddar cheese, cilantro and red enchilada sauce, ready to bake.

How To Make Homemade Enchilada Sauce

OMG please please PLEASE make your own enchilada sauce. It’s unreal good and makes SUCH a difference in the flavor and texture of your enchiladas. Plus it literally will take you 10 extra minutes to make and doesn’t require a ton of ingredients. I used to use the canned stuff and, now, I'm a total homemade enchilada sauce convert.

Here’s how to make homemade enchilada sauce:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the fresh tomatoes and garlic, and stir to combine and reduce heat to medium. Stir constantly and cook for 4-6 minutes, until the tomatoes become softened.
Stir in the tomato paste, low sodium chicken broth, chili powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, sea salt, pepper into the skillet, and continue to cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Done!

I have a whole post just on this very awesome enchilada sauce if you'd like to check it out for yourself!

Overhead view of the casserole dish of the shredded chicken enchiladas that have been removed from the oven so the melted cheese can be seen.

3 OTHER HEALTHY ENCHILADA RECIPES

I love this Shredded Chicken Enchiladas recipe because it’s actually so easy to adapt, depending on your current cravings but it’s also a great way to use up whatever leftovers you have in the fridge. Here are a few more enchilada recipes

SPICY QUINOA AND BLACK BEAN VEGAN ENCHILADAS

This Spicy Quinoa and Black Bean Vegan Enchiladas is my go-to when I want to satisfy my craving for enchiladas while still eating clean. This vegan enchiladas recipe also features a super easy 10-minute Vegan Red Enchilada Sauce. So tasty and so satisfying. Not only is it good for you, but it also takes only 35 minutes to make. Pretty awesome, right?

GROUND BEEF ENCHILADAS

Nothing makes me happier than when I find a way to make healthier versions of my favorite restaurant meals. If you’ve already tried making some of my other enchilada recipes and loved them, it’s time you give these Ground Beef Enchiladas a try, too. They are super easy to make and pack a flavorful bite!

How To Freeze Chicken Enchiladas

This shredded chicken enchiladas recipe also freezes very well and is pretty easy to reheat. To freeze, follow these simple steps:

Follow this recipe through all the directions up to adding the enchilada sauce back over the tortillas
Wrap the casserole dish tightly in plastic wrap and place in the freezer to freeze.
Alternatively, you can place the rolled enchiladas out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place in the freezer, and then freeze completely. Then, place the single frozen rolled enchiladas into a freezer safe resalable bag, and freeze together (this makes it so the enchiladas don't stick to each other.
Freeze the enchiladas and the sauce separately so they don't get super soggy when you thaw them.
When ready to cook, you can reheat frozen casserole of enchiladas in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F until heated though, then add the thawed enchilada sauce and continue the recipe from the instructions.

Next time you wanna try your hand at making your own enchiladas, let me know how it goes!

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