Red Chicken Enchiladas - all time family favorite

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce - Juicy, Succulent, Tender Chicken tucked away inside crispy warm corn or flour tortillas with lots of shredded cheese and Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce. Baked until melty and served with fresh cilantro and diced onions.

If you like Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce then you can make Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas

Freezer Friendly, Perfect for Meal Prep and tastes delicious on the next day.

Chicken Enchiladas have become so popular that every family makes it differently.

I love to add more cheese in my Enchilada. Cotija Cheese is my go-to option for Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas. But to make it extra cheesy I like to use cotija cheese along with my all time favorite shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

If I'd be making traditional Mexican Chicken Enchiladas then i'd be adding less cheese and I would be making them spicier.

This is how Traditional Mexican Chicken Enchiladas differs from Tex-Mex Style Chicken Enchiladas.

If you love Tex-Mex Style Chicken Enchiladas do not miss :-

Turkey Enchiladas

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Chicken Enchilada Skillet Casserole

Buffalo Chicken Enchilada Bites

Now that Cinco De Mayo is around the corner I thought maybe I should make some Mexican recipes.

I LOVE Mexican food. Its spicy, has that earthy taste, and makes the guests happy.

My favorite Mexican recipes include - Chocolate Tres Leches Cake, Mexican Chicken Tinga, Mexican Chicken Meatballs , Salsa Verde Recipe and much more.

Ingredients

• Shredded Chicken - I usually keep poached chicken in the freezer. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then shred it using two forks.
• Ground Cumin - Literally the prime ingredient for most Mexican recipes.
• Paprika - Smoked paprika is a must when making Mexican Chicken Enchiladas.
• Mexican oregano - Now, it's easy to confuse this with regular italian or Mediterranean oregano. But Mexican oregano has a hint of licorice with lemon-y and citrusy notes.
• Taco Seasoning - I like to make taco seasoning at home. It saves so much time and comes as a valuable addition to most of my recipes.
• Salt and Pepper
• Red Enchilada Sauce - You can make it at home and store it in the freezer for 3-4 months, rather than buying canned sauce.
• Corn or Flour Tortillas - 6-inch tortillas are perfect for this recipe.
• Cotija Cheese - Cotija Cheese is literally one of the most important ingredients to make a Tex Mex Chicken Enchilada Recipe.
• Cheddar Cheese - Now most people would disagree with me. They'd say cheddar is not necessary in this recipe. But, I agree to disagree with them.
• Fresh Toppings - Diced onions, cilantro, lemon juice, sour cream.

How do i make Chicken Enchiladas and make my guests love it?

Let me walk you through these quick steps which I believe are the core steps to make the BEST Chicken Enchiladas ever.

STEP 1: Make Enchilada Filling

In a bowl combine shredded chicken, ground cumin, paprika, mexican oregano, taco seasoning, salt and pepper.

STEP 2: Warm the Tortillas

Place the tortillas in the microwave with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 30-45 seconds and they'll become more firm and pliable.

STEP 3: Dip Tortillas in Enchilada Sauce

There cannot be a easier way to say this. You just need to dip your tortillas in the enchilada sauce. And, that's how the flavors get on.

STEP 4: Place the filling

Place the filling in the tortillas. Add in Shredded Cheddar Cheese and Shredded Cotija Cheese.

STEP 5: Roll it up tightly

Roll it up tightly. And place them in a baking dish brushed with red enchilada sauce, seam side down.

STEP 6: BAKE

Place them snugly in a baking dish. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20-minutes.

Finally, Serve!

Serve warm with fresh toppings of your choice. I like to use diced onions, sour cream, lemon juice, and fresh chopped cilantro. You can add diced avocados or anything else that you like.

Secret Tips that I rarely share

1. Always poach your chicken for this recipe. Poached chicken brings a juicy, succulent taste to the meat. Here is a fool-proof way from where I learnt how to poach my chicken.
2. Microwave Tortillas with a damp paper towel. This would make them more pliable.
3. Use Homemade Red Sauce for best taste and flavor. I don't believe in those canned sauce.
4. Use Homemade Taco Seasoning. It's a total game changer.
5. Be very gentle while rolling tortillas and placing them in the baking sheet.
6. Spread some of the red enchilada sauce on the bottom of the 9x13 inch baking dish.
7. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of red enchilada sauce on the enchiladas.
8. Place the enchiladas seam side down (fold side down) when placing them in the baking sheet.

Cooking Variations

• Green Chilies - If you want it more spicy you can add some green chilies to the enchilada filling.
• Hot Sauce - Although not traditionally, but, just to add in that Buffalo hot sauce flavor a tablespoon of Hot sauce works really well.
• Yellow Onions - You could sautè about a cup of diced yellow onions and then combine it with your enchilada filling.
• ancho chili powder - For more heat you can add in some ancho chili powder. It adds a rich spicy flavor to the enchilada filling. Look for ancho chili powder in the spices section of grocery stores.
• canned black beans - You can use rinsed and drained canned black beans.