Deconstruct Chicken Enchiladas and turn them into a delicious dinner bake! Mix in your favorite fresh ingredients to enjoy all the Mexican flavors of this easy meal. This dish is great for the entire family!
My big-boy second grader just stepped onto the bus for the first time this year. We have been on the wildest, most indescribable journey with him. He has faced so many scary things in his little life, yet he continues to grow and thrive…and SMILE. So I sit here on his first day of second grade, typing through tears to tell you about this incredible dinner I made the other night.
I’m not kidding. This Chicken Enchilada Bake was INCREDIBLE. It’s my new favorite meal. It’s a pan of totally delicious Chicken Enchiladas with no structure and minimal effort. Two of my favorite things.
Start out with a bit of olive oil in a skillet. Add cilantro, green onions and jalapeños (optional). Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft and fragrant.
Stack 6 flour tortillas (soft taco size) and cut into bite-size pieces.
Throw them into a bowl along with the green mixture from the skillet, tomatoes, shredded chicken, cheese, lime juice and enchilada sauce.
Mix well and pour everything into a square baking dish. Throw on a bit more cheese and bake for 30 minutes and that is IT! Top with sour cream, avocados, crushed tortilla chips or extra enchilada sauce, if desired.
How to make homemade enchilada sauce
Great news, making your own enchilada sauce (<— check out that post for full details!) will send this chicken enchilada bake into a whole new delicious world! Here’s how to make a super easy batch of sauce in less than 15 minutes!
In a small bowl, combine flour, chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix well.
Heat canola, olive or vegetable oil in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour-spice mixture and whisk until deep red in color (this will take about 60 seconds). Add tomato paste and chicken broth and whisk until smooth.
Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and let simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring often. Add salt and pepper as desired (to taste). Let cool and pour into jars or use immediately.
I hope you love this one, too! Have a great week, friends.
Chicken Enchilada Bake
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch green onions sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 2 jalapeno peppers finely chopped (optional)
- 6 flour tortillas (soft taco size), cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups shredded chicken (recommendation: pull meat from a Rotisserie chicken)
- 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
- 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
- Juice from half of a lime
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a square baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add green onions, cilantro and jalapeños (if using). Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until soft and fragrant.
- Add the green mixture to a large bowl, along with tortilla pieces, chicken, tomatoes, 1 cup of the cheese, enchilada sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and top with the remainder of the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until heated through. Top with sour cream, avocados, crushed tortilla chips or extra enchilada sauce, if desired.
Nutrition
This looks pretty handy and sounds tasty. I think personally I'd use corn tortillas for the tortilla bites, but that's just because I like their texture more.
Totally loving all of the vibrant colours and fresh flavours going on in this enchilada bake.. looks so cheesy too! I need to recreate the recipe!
Why do you use flour tortillas when " real" enchaladas are made with corn tortillas ??
Am going to try this but wil be using corn tortillas
Hi Margaret! You have my permission to use whichever variety of tortillas you would like! 🙂 Enjoy!
Megan