Leftover Chicken Enchiladas
Do you have last night’s leftover chicken in your fridge? Turn it into a delicious, crowd pleasing Mexican dish for dinner tonight in just a few minutes. This Leftover Chicken Enchiladas recipe is easy to put together, bakes in under 20 minutes and will have your whole family licking their plates clean.
What is leftover chicken?
We all know weeknights are super busy with homework and activities, so I need dinner to be easy and quick!
I’m always looking for ways to get a hot, homemeade meal on the table for my family in under 30 minutes. One of the tricks that I use is to make my chicken that I need for a dinner recipe ahead of time. It’s a great way to speed up cook time.
On the weekends, I usually make up a big batch of shredded chicken to have on hand. Click here to see my favorite method for how to make shredded chicken.
If we are gone for the weekend, then I always plan grilled skinless chicken breasts or oven baked chicken for dinner on Sunday or Monday night, and make a double batch. Either way, I am starting the week with a bunch of leftover chicken in my fridge that I can shred up and toss into salads, sandwiches and recipes for quick meals throughout the week.
Since cooking the chicken is usually the most time consuming part of any recipes, having it ready to go ahead of time is a weeknight dinner game changer.
What are Leftover Chicken Enchiladas?
So now that I have leftover chicken in my fridge, I am able to easily turn it into all sorts of different meals throughout the week like chicken enchiladas.
We love Mexican food in our house. Especially chicken enchiladas. But some enchilada recipes are crazy time consuming. I don’t have time to simmer a sauce for hours, or to fry my tortillas in hot oil before I assemble. I just dont.
I use a few shortcuts like my leftover chicken and store bought enchilada sauce in these easy chicken enchiladas, and then punch it up with simple ingredients like fresh onion and herbs. Its easy and fast and delicious every time.
Leftover Chicken Recipes
Looking for some other easy recipe ideas for leftover chicken?
Try Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup or Tater Tot Chicken Pot Pie Casserole. Both are great for warm weeknight meals.
Need a fun appetite idea? Try Hawaiian Chicken Nachos.
Leftover chicken will last in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
Pro Tip: If you are running really short on time, buy a rotisserie chicken at your grocery store and shred that up for the week. It works just as well!
What ingredients do you need for Leftover Chicken Enchiladas?
- leftover shredded chicken
- sour cream (I use light sour cream like this one to save a few calories)
- canned red enchilada sauce (like this one)
- shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- diced yellow onion
- taco seasoning
- tortillas (I like these)
- fresh cilantro or chopped green onions (optional)
How do you make Leftover Chicken Enchiladas?
Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, add 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken and sprinkle 1/2 a packet of taco seasoning on top. (If you are using my homemade taco seasoning, use 1T). Add 1 T of water and stir until the chicken is evenly coated in the seasoning.
Stir in 1 cup of sour cream and 1/2 c of diced onion and give it a good stir to fully combine.
Grab a large oven proof dish. I use a 9″x9″ for 6 enchiladas. If you are doubling this recipe, use a 9″x13″.
Open the 19oz can of enchilada sauce. You are not going to use this entire can, but the 10oz can just isnt enough sauce, so get the 19oz size and discard or freeze whatever you don’t use.
Pour enchilada sauce into a thin layer (about 6-7 T or approx 1/4″) to coat the bottom of your baking pan.
Taking one tortilla at a time, scoop out even amounts of the chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle approx 1T of shredded cheese on top of the chicken and roll it up.
Place rolled tortillas tightly next to each other in baking dish. Pour 1 cup of sauce over top of the rolled tortillas, and top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until melted and bubbly.
Top with chopped cilantro or chopped green onion (optional) and serve.
Pro Tip: Want to spice things up? Try adding 1t of chili powder and 1/4t of garlic powder to the enchilada sauce for a little kick.
FAQ’s
Sure! But there will be a noticeable difference in taste and texture. Corn tortillas have a rougher, more grainy texture and a pretty prevalent corn flavor. But they are still delicious in this dish.
You could try a green chile sauce like this one. Some green sauces contain jalapenos though, so watch the spice level.
You want to use a cheese with a little bite to it like sharp cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese or a Mexican cheese blend.
What can you serve with chicken enchiladas?
For chicken enchilada toppings try:
- sour cream
- salsa
- shredded lettuce
- chopped tomatoes
- black olives
- diced avocado
- chopped bell peppers
- hot sauce
- pico de gallo
- diced green chiles
For side dishes to serve with enchiladas, try:
- chips and guacamole
- refried beans
- black beans
- pinto beans
- Spanish rice
- side salad
- fresh fruit
- veggies and ranch dip
How do you store Leftover Chicken Enchiladas?
Transfer any leftover enchiladas to an airtight container like these and store in refrigerator .
Remember they will only last as long as your chicken is good. So if your chicken is already 2 days old when you make these, try to consume the leftover enchiladas within the next 2-3 days.
To reheat, simple place an enchilada on a plate an reheat in microwave until warmed though.
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Leftover Chicken Enchiladas
Equipment
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 9×9 baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 cup chicken breast cooked and shredded
- 1 19 oz can red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup lite sour cream
- .5 cup onion diced
- 1.5 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 T taco seasoning
- 6 tortillas
Instructions
- pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
- In a medium bowl, add 2 cups of shredded cooked chicken and sprinkle 1/2 a packet of taco seasoning on top. (If you are using my homemade taco seasoning, use 1T). Add 1 T of water and stir until the chicken is evenly coated in the seasoning.
- Stir in 1 cup of sour cream and 1/2 c of diced onion and give it a good stir to fully combine.
- Grab a baking dish. I use a 9"x9" for 6 enchiladas. If you are doubling this recipe, use a 9"x13".
- Open the 19oz can of enchilada sauce. You are not going to use this entire can, but the 10oz can just isnt enough sauce, so get the 19oz size and discard or freeze whatever you don't use.
- Pour a thin layer (about 6-7 T or approx 1/4") to coat the bottom of your baking pan.
- Taking one tortilla at a time, scoop out even amounts of the chicken mixture into each tortilla. Sprinkle approx 1T of shredded cheese on top of the chicken in each tortilla and roll it up.
- Place rolled tortillas tightly next to each other in baking dish. Pour 1 cup of remaining enchilada sauce over top of the rolled tortillas, and top with the rest of the shredded cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until melted and bubbly.
- Top with chopped cilantro or chopped green onion (optional) and serve.
Notes
- sour cream
- salsa
- shredded lettuce
- chopped tomatoes
- black olives
- diced avocado
- chopped bell peppers
- hot sauce
- pico de gallo
- diced green chiles
- chips and guacamole
- refried beans
- black beans
- pinto beans
- Spanish rice
- side salad
- fresh fruit
- veggies and ranch dip
