Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Red Sauce

These Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce are filled with shredded chicken and cheese, rolled in tortillas, covered in a flavorful homemade enchilada sauce, and baked until hot and melty. They have a little kick, plenty of savory flavor, and are perfect for an easy family dinner!

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love These Chicken Enchiladas
• Ingredients
• What Chicken Should I Use?
• How to Make Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
• Prepare the Chicken Filling
• How to Assemble Chicken Enchiladas
• Add the Sauce and Cheese
• Bake
• What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas
• Can I Use Store-Bought Enchilada Sauce?
• Can I Make These Enchiladas Ahead of Time?
• How to Store Leftover Chicken Enchiladas
• Can I Freeze Chicken Enchiladas?
• Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Red Sauce
• Pin for later!

Enchiladas have always been one of our go-to orders when we eat at Mexican restaurants, which is what originally inspired me to start making them at home.

For this version, I use shredded cooked chicken, usually rotisserie chicken because it makes everything SO much easier, along with plenty of cheese and a homemade red enchilada sauce seasoned with chili powder, cumin, garlic, oregano, and cayenne.

And while you can absolutely use store-bought enchilada sauce when you're short on time, the homemade sauce is easy to make and lets you control exactly how spicy you want it.

A little warning: This particular red sauce has a kick! If you prefer milder enchiladas, reduce or leave out the cayenne pepper.

Why You'll Love These Chicken Enchiladas

• Easy shortcut using cooked or rotisserie chicken
• Homemade red enchilada sauce
• Cheesy, saucy, and packed with flavor
• Easy to adjust the spice level
• Great for using leftover chicken
• Can be customized with your favorite toppings
• Easy to make gluten-free with corn or gluten-free tortillas

Ingredients

Enchilada Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons Mexican chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or less to taste
• 1 can (12 oz) tomato paste
• 3 cups water
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 6 tablespoons water, for the cornstarch slurry

For the Chicken Enchiladas

• 8 to 10 tortillas
• 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 2 cups shredded cheese, such as Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, cheddar, or a combination
• ½ cup prepared enchilada sauce, for mixing with the chicken
• Remaining enchilada sauce, for assembling and topping

Optional Toppings

• Chopped red onion
• Shredded lettuce
• Diced tomatoes
• Sliced avocado
• Homemade Guacamole
• Chopped cilantro
• Sliced jalapeños
• Sour cream
• Lime wedges

What Chicken Should I Use?

This recipe is perfect for cooked chicken you already have on hand.

I usually use rotisserie chicken because it's fast, flavorful, and requires basically no extra work. Just remove the meat and shred it with two forks or your hands.

You can also use:

• Leftover roasted chicken
• Poached chicken breasts or thighs
• Grilled chicken
• Baked chicken
• Shredded chicken prepared ahead of time

You need about 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken.

How to Make Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

Start with the sauce so it has a few minutes to cool before you assemble the enchiladas.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the chili powder and cayenne pepper and stir for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Don't let the spices burn or they can become bitter.

Add the tomato paste and water, stirring until the tomato paste is completely incorporated.

Add the garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 6 tablespoons of water until smooth. Pour the slurry into the sauce while stirring.

Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly.

Remove from heat and let it cool enough to handle.

How Spicy Is the Sauce?

With 3 tablespoons of chili powder plus 1 teaspoon of cayenne, this sauce definitely has some heat.

If you prefer a milder red enchilada sauce, start with ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne, or leave it out completely. You can always add more heat later with jalapeños or hot sauce.

Also keep in mind that different chili powders can vary quite a bit in heat level.

Prepare the Chicken Filling

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Add the shredded chicken to a mixing bowl and stir in about ½ cup of the enchilada sauce.

You can also stir a little cheese directly into the chicken filling if you want extra cheesy enchiladas.

How to Assemble Chicken Enchiladas

Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce across the bottom of your baking dish. This helps keep the tortillas from sticking and gives the bottom of the enchiladas some extra flavor.

Working with one tortilla at a time:

1. Lightly coat the tortilla with enchilada sauce.
2. Add about 5 to 6 tablespoons of shredded chicken down the center.
3. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
4. Roll the tortilla around the filling.
5. Place it seam-side down in the baking dish.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas, arranging them snugly next to each other.

Don't Overfill the Tortillas

I know it's tempting to cram as much chicken and cheese into every tortilla as possible, but overfilled enchiladas are much harder to roll and more likely to fall apart.

If you have extra filling, I'd rather make one more enchilada than try to force everything into fewer tortillas.

Add the Sauce and Cheese

Once all of your enchiladas are arranged in the baking dish, pour the remaining red enchilada sauce evenly over the top.

Sprinkle generously with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake

Bake at 350°F for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is completely melted.

If you want the cheese a little more browned on top, you can broil the enchiladas briefly at the end. Just keep an eye on them because cheese can go from beautifully browned to burnt pretty quickly!

What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas

You can absolutely serve these straight out of the baking dish, but I love adding plenty of fresh toppings.

Try:

• Shredded lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Red onion
• Avocado
• Guacamole
• Cilantro
• Jalapeños
• Sour cream
• Fresh lime

My Homemade Guacamole is especially good with these!

For side dishes, try serving the enchiladas with:

• Chips, salsa, and guacamole
• Mexican or Spanish rice
• Black beans
• Refried beans
• Corn
• A simple salad

Can I Use Store-Bought Enchilada Sauce?

Absolutely.

Homemade sauce is delicious, but sometimes dinner needs to happen FAST.

If you want to skip making the sauce, use your favorite red enchilada sauce and continue with the recipe starting with the chicken filling.

Can I Make These Enchiladas Ahead of Time?

Yes!

You can prepare the chicken filling and enchilada sauce in advance and store them separately in the refrigerator.

You can also assemble the enchiladas several hours before baking. Cover the baking dish and refrigerate until you're ready to cook them.

Because the tortillas absorb sauce as they sit, I prefer not to assemble them too far in advance if I can avoid it.

How to Store Leftover Chicken Enchiladas

Store leftover enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

To reheat, microwave individual portions until hot or cover the baking dish with foil and warm the enchiladas in the oven.

If they've absorbed a lot of sauce while sitting in the refrigerator, adding a little extra enchilada sauce before reheating can help.

Can I Freeze Chicken Enchiladas?

Yes. Enchiladas freeze well!

You can freeze the assembled enchiladas before baking or freeze leftovers after they're cooked.

For best results, wrap them tightly and freeze for up to about 2 to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating or baking.

Pin for later!

How about a delicious Mexican Soup to go with that? This one gives you the option to use Rotisserie chicken too! Check it out here!