Chicken enchiladas are how Mexico does comfort food. A blistering tray of tortilla-blanket wrapped shredded chicken, spiced with traditional flavours, snuggled in a smoky, tomato sauce. Oh, and an extra quilt of bubbly melted cheese for max cosiness. Fall, I’m ready for you!
Chicken enchiladas is a recipe in stages taking a little over an hour start to finish. If you’ve got time on your hands and a taste for adventure, try this one-pot chile verde. Made with slow-cooked pork shoulder, two types of pepper and exotic tomatillos. It’s a Mexican showstopper.

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What is an enchilada?
Literally meaning ‘chillied’, the enchilada is sometimes confused with its tidier cousin the burrito (meaning ‘little donkey’ fyi). Well, let’s get that cleared up, shall we? (For contrast’s sake, I’m comparing to the world famous ‘Mission’-style burrito, rather than a traditional Mexican-style burrito.)
- Enchiladas are wrapped in yellowy corn tortillas, while burritos use flour ones.
- An enchilada is rolled with spiced meat or vegetables. The burrito is positively packed with meat (or veg) and rice and beans and cheese and guacamole and lettuce and salsas…
- The enchilada is super saucy inside, outside, all over, and requires cutlery. The neat little burrito is often packaged in foil and can be eaten on-the-go.
- Enchiladas are filled and then tray-baked smothered in sauce and cheese. Burritos are stuffed straight off the stove, everything on the inside-hot or cold. Zero oven time.
- Serve your enchiladas with some sides. Burritos are a meal-in-one.
Easy homemade enchilada sauce
The secret strength of any enchilada is its sauce. A puny and insipid puddle is not going to impress. These enchiladas need a champion, a sturdy sauce rich in heat and fire. Or as fiery as you like it anyway. And the best way to achieve this is by making your own.
The ingredients are accessible, and the preparation is a cinch. I’ve used fruity ancho chili powder and limey Mexican oregano. If these are unavailable, you can substitute ancho chili powder with regular chili powder if you like it hot, or paprika if you’re more conservative. Regular oregano, or even better marjoram, can take Mexican oregano’s place.
To make the sauce, cook on the stovetop by making a paste from all the ingredients and then slowly adding the chicken stock little by little. The fragrant sauce will thicken over the heat.
And it’s not just enchilada-worthy. This warming sauce can be used on tacos, a base for taco soup, a spicy tomato-based pizza, or even breakfast shakshuka (serve with baked tortillas). Share your suggestions with me!
Homemade sauces mean no added sugar, preservatives, artificial colourings, just pure goodness. And you can dial quantities up or down to your family’s tastes. It’s a total win.

Recipe tips and notes
- The fastest and easiest way to prepare this juicy chicken filling is to use a pressure cooker. Below are instructions for This is an affiliate link.Instant Pot devotees and traditional oven-users.
- Homemade enchilada sauce is hands down the best sauce you are going to get. But, you know, life- so don’t feel bad for cutting corners or just relying on your favourite store-bought version of the sauce.
- If you can’t get jarred enchilada sauce, you can use a salsa. I recommend blending any chunky types first though.
- Enchilada recipes are straightforward and simple to follow. But they come in stages which can take time. Luckily, those stages can be broken up and spread over a couple of days. I.e. day one: pre-cook the chicken and sauce; day two: assemble and oven cook.
- You might be tempted to use flour tortillas, in the UK they are more widely available. I advise against it! They tend to go gummy in sauce. Traditionally, corn tortillas are used for enchiladas, and there’s a reason for that!
- Rolling enchiladas can get very messy. Use kitchen gloves if getting down and dirty isn’t your thing.

Serving suggestions
I find enchiladas infinitely satisfying as they are. But I’ll never say no to a Mexican-inspired side! Serve this saucy dish with guacamole, black bean and corn salsa, or cowboy caviar and, we’re crossing some continents here, but peri peri rice. Or follow the rice recipe in this Mexican chicken and rice.
Storage and leftovers
Chicken enchiladas are beaut freezers for low-prep future meals, and leftovers keep well in the fridge too. Anything that is saturated in sauce to begin with, and seasoned to the hilt with spices and garlic will only steep further. Second time around you can expect more flavour depth and a mightier punch.
So, leftovers can be kept tightly covered in the fridge for 2 – 3 days. To reheat, oven cook under foil, at 180C/350F for 15 – 20 minutes. Add more cheese and cook uncovered for the last 5 minutes for that sexy cheese stretch.
To freeze for a future meal, assemble the chicken enchiladas, pour over the remaining sauce and pack into a freezer AND oven-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To heat, set the oven to 180C/350F and cook from frozen for 40 minutes. Then, top with cheese and put back into the oven for another 5.
More recipes to try

Chicken Enchiladas
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Instant Pot
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika or chipotle paste
- 3-4 cloves garlic pressed
- 225ml / 1 cup This is an affiliate link.tomato passata / crushed tomatoes
For the enchiladas
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp ancho chilli powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano (I used Mexican oregano)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 750ml / 3 cups This is an affiliate link.chicken stock
Other ingredients
- 18 small corn tortillas
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 2 sprigs cilantro
- 2 green onions sliced
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken by mixing 1 ½ tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp salt, ½ chilli powder, ½ tsp smoked paprika or chipotle paste and pressed garlic. Arrange the chicken breasts at the bottom of the Instant Pot, pour the sauce over and mix to coat the chicken.
- Pressure cook in Instant Pot on Manual at high pressure for 8 minutes. Allow for natural pressure release. Take the chicken out of the pot and shred with two forks, bring back to the liquid. Initially it will look like the chicken is swimming in the sauce but give it 10-15 minutes and most of the sauce will get absorbed up by the chicken. Alternatively, you can cook this chicken, covered with a lid or tin foil in the oven at 180C/350F for 40 minutes or until it could be shredded.
- While the chicken is cooking make the enchilada sauce. In a saucepan heat the vegetable oil, then add the flour and mix to combine into a paste, then add the ancho chilli powder, onion and garlic powders, dried oregano, salt, ground cumin and tomato paste. Continue cooking it over low heat while stirring. You will have a thick dark coloured paste, which will smell very fragrant.
- To that paste add a small amount of chicken stock and stir with a whisk until well blended, then pour in the rest of the chicken stock, bring to a simmer and cook for a few minutes until it thickens slightly. Take off the heat and set aside till needed.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. You will need 2 9X13 inch rectangular pans to cook the enchiladas. Add ½ cup of the enchilada sauce to the bottom of each pan and spread with a spatula to cover it entirely.
- Assembling enchiladas is a messy affair, so wear kitchen gloves if you wish. To start the process, dip each corn tortilla into a hot enchilada sauce, this will soften it and make it more pliable as well as give it flavour. Then lay it on a cutting board and add some prepared shredded chicken filling, then roll it up like a cigar, then place in the pan seam side down. (See photos in the post for reference). Continue until the chicken and tortillas are used up and both pans are full. (If you have leftover chicken, keep it refrigerated and use up in quesadillas.)
- Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, then top them with grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, cover with aluminium foil and cook in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Then uncover and cook for 5-10 minutes longer until the cheese is bubbly.
Notes
-
- The fastest and easiest way to prepare this juicy chicken filling is to use a pressure cooker. However, the instructions are given for both the Instant Pot devotees and traditional oven-users.
- If you can’t get jarred enchilada sauce, you can use a salsa. I recommend blending any chunky types first though.
- Enchilada recipes are straightforward and simple to follow. But they come in stages which can take time. Luckily, those stages can be broken up and spread over a couple of days. I.e. day one: pre-cook the chicken and sauce; day two: assemble and oven cook.
- You might be tempted to use flour tortillas, in the UK they are more widely available. I advise against it! They tend to go gummy in sauce. Traditionally, corn tortillas are used for enchiladas, and there’s a reason for that!
- Rolling enchiladas can get very messy. Use kitchen gloves if getting down and dirty isn’t your thing.
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