Go Back
+ servings
cooked chicken and cheese enchiladas in baking dish.
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Tex-Mex Chicken Enchiladas

Homemade chicken enchiladas will always be one of my simple pleasures, and making your own enchilada red sauce is easy to do and so much better than store-bought.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Entree
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4
Calories: 816kcal
Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

Enchilada Red Sauce

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 32 ounce tomato sauce
  • 3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 3 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Chicken Enchiladas

  • 1 cup vegetable oil for frying tortillas
  • 12 corn tortillas or more
  • 1 cup sweet onion chopped
  • 2 cups pulled or chopped chicken meat I seasoned mine with the same seasoning used for sauce
  • 4 ounces cheddar- montery jack cheese blend shredded - or Mexican cheese blend
  • 1 ½ cups red enchilada sauce from recipe above
  • 4 ounces cheddar- Monterey jack cheese blend shredded for topping- or Mexican cheese blend

Instructions

Red Enchilada Sauce

  • Add the vegetable oil to a saucepan over medium heat, then add the all-purpose flour and mix well. Turn down the heat to low and allow the flour/oil mixture to cook for a few minutes.
    This is a roux that will help thicken the sauce.
  • Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, spices, and brown sugar to the saucepan and mix well using a wire whisk. Increase the temperature to medium-high heat.
  • Bring the mixture to a light boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the enchilada sauce to cook for 10 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas

  • add vegetable oil to a frying pan and allow oil to get hot
  • When the oil is hot, add the corn tortillas to the pan and cook for about 10 seconds on each side.
  • Place them on paper towels or a wire rack to drain as you continue the process. Make sure to pat excess oil off of both sides and handle the tortillas gently, as they will easily tear.
  • When all the tortillas have been fried, you can begin the assembly.
  • Add a tablespoon of shredded Monterey jack/cheddar cheese combo on the tortilla. Then add a tablespoon of chopped sweet onions
  • .Add about two tablespoons of shredded chicken on top of the onions.
  • Add another tablespoon of shredded cheese on top of the chicken.
  • Roll the enchiladas up and gently place them into a baking dish. Repeat the process until completed.
  • Spoon enchilada red sauce on top of the rolled filled tortillas, then top with shredded cheese to finish the dish.
  • Once all the enchiladas are in your baking dish, spoon a generous amount of Red Enchilada Sauce over the middle of the enchiladas, then top with shredded cheese.
  • Place the baking dish on the center rack of a 350-degree preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes (or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees has been reached).
  • Serve with Mexican rice, refried beans, roasted corn, or your favorite sides.

Notes

*Leftover red sauce can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks or frozen for up to three months.
*I prefer sweet Vidalia onions to make my chicken enchiladas but feel free to use red onions. You don’t want the onions overpowering the flavor, so look for mild onions.
* I love using rotisserie chicken to make anything with using pulled chicken. You get a mix of white and dark meat, and rotisserie chicken is very flavorful. You can, of course, use chicken breasts or chicken thighs to make the enchiladas.
*Enchiladas are traditionally made with corn tortillas. You can make them with flour tortillas if you like, but I think they taste better with corn tortillas.
What type of cheese is best?
Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese are my first choices, simply because I like the flavors. You might also find a Mexican cheese blend at your local grocery store to make enchiladas.
Traditionally my grandmother used Longhorn cheddar which is a type of Colby. I have seen recipes for creamy chicken enchiladas where cream cheese has been added.

Nutrition

Calories: 816kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 2094mg | Potassium: 1117mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 2825IU | Vitamin C: 13.1mg | Calcium: 472mg | Iron: 5.2mg