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Chicken Enchiladas made with juicy rotisserie chicken and a homemade enchilada sauce are the cheesy weeknight dinner my whole family fights over, no can of sauce required. I throw these together on a *busy Tuesday night* using a store bought rotisserie bird, and they disappear faster than my slow cooker chicken tinga ever does.
A quick homemade sauce, shredded rotisserie chicken, and a pile of melty cheese turn into the best chicken enchiladas in about an hour.
Chicken Enchiladas Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 40 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 10 enchiladas
- ⚡ Calories: 434kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Rich, cheesy, and mildly spiced with a savory homemade enchilada sauce
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken tacos
Quick Answer
Make a quick homemade enchilada sauce by whisking butter, cornstarch, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and sugar into a roux, then streaming in chicken stock and tomato sauce until thickened. Stir together shredded rotisserie chicken, colby jack cheese, and sour cream for the filling. Spread some sauce in a baking dish, roll the filling into soft tortillas, arrange them seam side down, top with the rest of the sauce and more cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes until bubbly.
Jump to:
- Chicken Enchiladas Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Chicken Enchiladas FAQs
- Other Recommended Mexican Recipes
- Best Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Homemade sauce beats the can every time. A quick butter and cornstarch roux bloomed with chili powder, cumin, and oregano gives a fresh, deeply savory enchilada sauce in 10 minutes that tastes nothing like the tinny canned stuff.
- Rotisserie chicken is the weeknight shortcut. Using a store bought rotisserie bird skips the cooking and shredding step and packs in seasoned, juicy flavor, so dinner comes together fast.
- Sour cream in the filling keeps it creamy. Stirring sour cream into the chicken and cheese filling keeps the inside rich and moist instead of dry and stringy after baking.
- Sauce on the bottom and top means no dry edges. A layer of sauce under and over the rolled tortillas keeps every enchilada saucy and prevents the edges from drying out in the oven.
- Cover then uncover for the perfect cheese. Baking covered melts everything through, and a few minutes uncovered at the end turns the cheese golden and bubbly.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Weeknight fast with a rotisserie shortcut. A grocery store rotisserie chicken means these come together in about an hour, the same shortcut that powers our white chicken chili.
- Homemade sauce, no can needed. The quick from scratch enchilada sauce is the whole game, and it is easier than you think.
- Feeds the whole crowd. One pan makes 10 saucy, cheesy enchiladas, perfect for family dinner or feeding a hungry group.
Key Ingredients
- Rotisserie chicken: Three cups of shredded store bought rotisserie chicken is the juicy, already seasoned shortcut. Leftover roasted or poached chicken works too.
- Colby jack cheese: A full pound, split between the filling and the top, for that melty, gooey pull. Shred it off the block for the best melt.
- Sour cream: Half a cup stirred into the filling keeps the chicken creamy and rich inside the rolled tortillas.
- Enchilada sauce makings: Butter, cornstarch, chili powder, cumin, oregano, sugar, chicken stock, and tomato sauce. Whisked together, they become a fresh homemade sauce in minutes.
- Soft taco tortillas: Ten soft taco sized flour tortillas roll up without cracking. Warm them first so they stay pliable.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap the protein. Use shredded beef, ground beef, or even our slow cooker chicken tinga in place of the rotisserie chicken.
- Corn tortillas. For a more traditional enchilada, use corn tortillas, but warm them well so they do not crack when rolling.
- Go verde. Use a green salsa verde or green enchilada sauce instead of the red sauce for a tangier version.
- Add beans and corn. Stir black beans or corn into the filling to stretch the pan and add texture, like our loaded nachos.
- Make it spicy. Add a diced jalapeno or a pinch of cayenne to the sauce for extra heat.
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 by 13 baking dish. In a sauce pot over medium heat, melt the butter, then whisk in the cornstarch, chili powder, sugar, cumin, and oregano and cook 1 minute.
- Slowly stream in the chicken stock while whisking constantly to keep the sauce smooth and lump free.
- Whisk in the tomato sauce until fully combined.
- Bring to a simmer and whisk occasionally until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Spread a third of the enchilada sauce across the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- In a large bowl, stir together the shredded rotisserie chicken, colby jack cheese, and sour cream.
- Lay a tortilla on a clean surface, add a tenth of the filling, and roll it up tightly.
- Place it seam side down in the dish and repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. It is a tight fit, but all 10 will make it in.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the top, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, and cover with greased foil.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 5 minutes more until bubbly. Rest 10 minutes, then serve with your favorite toppings.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Whisk the sauce constantly. Streaming the stock in slowly while whisking is the key to a smooth, lump free enchilada sauce.
- Warm the tortillas first. A few seconds in the microwave or a dry skillet makes the tortillas pliable so they roll without cracking.
- Do not overfill. A tenth of the filling per tortilla keeps them easy to roll and fits all 10 in the pan.
- Seam side down. Placing each rolled enchilada seam side down keeps them from unrolling as they bake.
- Cover to bake. Greased foil keeps the cheese from sticking and the edges from drying out during the covered bake.
- Let them rest. A 10 minute rest after baking lets the enchiladas set up so they hold their shape when you serve.
- Shred your own cheese. Block cheese shredded at home melts smoother than the pre shredded bagged kind, like our loaded tater tot nachos.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These chicken enchiladas are a meal on their own, but they shine with the full Tex Mex spread. Pile on the toppings, sour cream, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, diced onion, and a squeeze of lime, then serve with Mexican rice and refried beans on the side.
For a party plate, set these enchiladas next to our loaded tater tot nachos and a big bowl of Doritos taco salad for a crowd pleasing fiesta spread everyone digs into.
Round out taco night by serving a few enchiladas alongside our slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken tacos so everyone can build their own plate. Leftovers reheat beautifully for lunch the next day.
Chicken Enchiladas FAQs
Colby jack is the perfect melting cheese for chicken enchiladas, giving that gooey, creamy pull. Monterey jack, cheddar, or a Mexican blend all work well too. Shred it off the block for the smoothest melt.
Yes, chicken enchiladas are great for making ahead. Assemble the whole dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. Add a few extra minutes to the covered bake time since you are starting cold.
To keep chicken enchiladas from getting soggy, warm the tortillas before rolling, do not over sauce the inside, and use enough sauce only on the bottom and top. Letting them rest 10 minutes after baking also helps them firm up.
You can use a store bought enchilada sauce in a pinch, but the homemade sauce in this recipe takes just 10 minutes and tastes far fresher. You will need about 2 to 2 and a half cups of sauce to replace the homemade batch.
Both work for chicken enchiladas. Flour tortillas, used in this recipe, roll easily and stay soft. Corn tortillas are more traditional and naturally gluten free, but warm them well first so they do not crack.
Store leftover chicken enchiladas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or warm the dish covered in a 350 degree oven. They also freeze well for up to 3 months.
Other Recommended Mexican Recipes
If these Chicken Enchiladas made it into your weeknight rotation, drop a star rating and let us know how your family liked them. Photos of your cheesy pan on Pinterest always make our day.
Keep the Mexican night going with our slow cooker chicken tinga recipe, smoky shredded chicken in a chipotle tomato sauce that is perfect for tacos, bowls, and nachos.
For taco night, our slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken tacos are a hands off dump and go dinner the whole family loves.
Craving beef? Our easy birria de res makes rich, dippable birria beef tacos with a deeply spiced consomme for dunking.
Looking for more easy chicken dinners? Our Alice Springs chicken loads juicy chicken with bacon, mushrooms, and cheese.
Best Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Ingredients
For the enchilada sauce:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
For the filling:
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 8 ounces shredded colby jack cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
For assembly:
- 10 soft taco sized tortillas
- 8 ounces shredded colby jack cheese
- toppings of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium-sized sauce pot, melt the butter over medium heat.3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Whisk in the cornstarch, chili powder, sugar, cumin, and oregano, cook for 1 minute.3 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Slowly stream in the chicken stock while whisking to avoid lumps.2 cups chicken stock
- Whisk in tomato sauce.8 ounce can tomato sauce
- Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add ⅓ of the enchilada sauce to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Stir the rotisserie chicken, cheese, and sour cream in a large bowl.3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, 8 ounces shredded colby jack cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream
- Lay a tortilla out on a clean work surface, place 1/10 of the filling in the tortilla, and roll it up tightly.10 soft taco sized tortillas
- Place it in the baking dish and repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. It will be a tight fit, but all 10 will make it into the pan.
- Pour the remaining sauce on top, followed by the shredded cheese.8 ounces shredded colby jack cheese
- Cover with nonstick foil or spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and place on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Allow the enchiladas to sit in the baking dish for 10 minutes to set up before serving with toppings of your choice.toppings of your choice
Notes
- Shred Smart – Pull that rotisserie chicken apart with two forks—it’s faster than a cheetah on roller skates!
- Sauce It Up – Whisk that homemade enchilada sauce on medium heat so it’s smooth, not lumpy like my dance moves.
- Roll Tight – Tuck those tortillas seam side down so they don’t unravel like a bad secret.
- Cheese Check – Spread pre-shredded cheese evenly, or you’ll have a cheesy landslide!
- Foil Hack – Spray it with cooking spray so it doesn’t stick to the cheese like glue.
- Rest Easy – Let them sit after baking—10 minutes keeps the filling from running away like a scared taco!
Nutrition
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