Easy Make-Ahead Chicken Enchiladas Recipe (2024)

From the Kitchen

Make-Ahead Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas are one of our family’s staple dinner meals. They are so easy to make and everyone loves them. And these chicken dinner enchiladas work so well to make ahead of time, especially if you’re making these for a big family party!

(SCROLL DOWN TO PRINT RECIPE)

Thanks to my sweet sister-in-law Cathy, our family has been making these enchiladas for years! With only a few ingredients, you’ll have dinner ready in no time.

Chicken Enchiladas RecipeVideo:

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken – cooked and diced
10-12 flour tortillas
2 cups cheese
enchilada sauce 14 oz can – any flavor, we love the red and green sauce
optional: 1 cup sour cream
optional: diced green chiles

Method:

Mix together your cooked chicken, 3/4 of your enchilada sauce, and 1 1/2 cup of cheese in a bowl (save the extra sauce and cheese for the topping). Add in any other of the optional extras, like sour cream or dice green chiles.

Add a spoonful or 2 of your mix to the center of the tortilla. Spread it down in a line in the center of the tortilla.

Roll up your tortilla and place it in a baking dish.

When all your enchiladas are wrapped, pour the extra sauce over them and sprinkle the cheese.

Preheat your oven to 350 and bakeyour enchiladas for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

This is such a great meal to make ahead of time, I will often double the recipe and freeze half of it for later. It’s great to make for friends who need an extra meal!

Place your enchiladas into a tinfoil pan uncookedand add a layer of tinfoil to the top.

I like to write on the foil what is inside and the cooking instructions. This makes it helpful if it’s placed in the freezer!

Now it’s ready to give to friends and family in need of a meal. They can read the top and know how to bake it for their dinner!

5 from 1 vote

Chicken Enchiladas

They are so easy to make and everyone loves them. And these chicken dinner enchiladas work so well to make ahead of time, especially if you’re making these for a big family party!

Ingredients

2cupschickencooked & diced
10-12flour tortillas
2cupscheese
enchilada sauce 14 oz can – any flavorwe love the red and green sauce
optional: 1 cup sour cream
optional: diced green chiles
Enchilada Sauce for Chicken Enchiladas

Instructions

Mix together your cooked chicken, 3/4 of your enchilada sauce, and 1 1/2 cup of cheese in a bowl (save the extra sauce and cheese for the topping). Add in any other of the optional extras, like sour cream or dice green chiles.
Add a spoonful or 2 of your mix to the center of the tortilla. Spread it down in a line in the center of the tortilla.
See Also
Healthy Pumpkin Overnight Oats Recipe - Pumpkin 'N Spice Yummy Cute Chocolate Ice Cream Mooncake Recipe – Brunch 'n Bites Make your own White Bread recipe in 5 simple steps Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe - Skinnytaste
Roll up your tortilla and place it in a baking dish.
When all your enchiladas are wrapped, pour the extra sauce over them and sprinkle the cheese.
Preheat your oven to 350 and bake your enchiladas for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Recipe Notes

This is such a great meal to make ahead of time, I will often double the recipe and freeze half of it for later. It’s great to make for friends who need an extra meal! Place your enchiladas into a tinfoil pan uncooked and add a layer of tinfoil to the top. I like to write on the foil what is inside and the cooking instructions. This makes it helpful if it’s placed in the freezer!

Pin this post for later:

More Yummy Mexican Themed Recipes:

Loaded Breakfast Quesadillas
Chicken Black Bean Enchilada Pie
Crockpot Mexican Lasagna

Marie

Marie is a mom of 3 living in Seattle, WA. She's been the founder and managing editor of Make and Takes for the last 16 years, sharing DIY tutorials for home, family, and fun. Author of Make and Takes for Kids, Early Childhood and Elementary graduate, and currently teaching 2nd grade in Seattle!

April 3, 2008

Dinner

chicken, easy dinner, make ahead, mexican, tinfoil dinners

38 comments

After freezing, what is the latest you suggest these are eaten by?
Use a hand mixer to shred chicken – game changer!!
These were outstanding. My husband, brother-in-Law, and nephews- all adults- scarfed down an entire recipe of these. I had made them the week before to have them on hand in the freezer. Thank you.
I don’t have enchilada sauce can i use rotel tomatoes instead.
Can you make this recipe with queso sauce instead of the enchilada sauce? If so, would it still be able to be used as a freezer meal?
I made the freezer version of these in preparation for being at home with my newborn. After cooking, the tortillas turned out very soggy. Do you have any tips for avoiding this in the future? I have another batch still in my freezer, so I’m hoping it goes better the second time. I had included the sour cream in the recipe. Do you think that could have made the difference?
1. I’m wondering if you could cook them a little longer in the oven, maybe 5 more minutes to help dry out any extra wetness? Or even broil them on low for 2-3 minutes more, to crisp them.
  I’ve actually made these with sour cream as well, and I haven’t had them go soggy. Were they perhaps still frozen a little? For best results, be sure they are thawed out a couple of days and then bake.
  Good luck!
Someone please update with cooking from frozen times.
Can you cook these from frozen? If so, how does that change cooking temp and time?
Thank you!!
1. I have not baked this from frozen. If it’s frozen, then I usually thaw it out for the day or overnight before I bake it. So I’m not quite sure on frozen baking times. Let me know if you bake it frozen and if it worked out.
How did you shred the chicken? Do you boil it first or how?
1. You can cook your chicken however you usually do. Then either chop it up with a sharp knife on a cutting board or you can use 2 forks and shred the chicken apart on a cutting board. Either way works great. You just want your chicken in small bite-sized chunks.
Hi… can you cook these from frozen or do you thaw first. Thank you
Do you cook the chicken before you put them in the tortillas?
1. Yes! I’m so sorry that wasn’t clear. I’ve just updated the recipe to reflect the change to cooked and diced chicken in the ingredients. Thanks for asking this question!
Any hint on quantities or ratios for this dish? I am looking to feed 50 folks and am trying to figure out how much chicken to shred.
Susie – I need to try the green sauce. I always get it at Cafe Rio, so I should try it at home.
See Also
"Nutella" Pudding Recipe on Food52
Whitney – The recipe on the back is for Beef enchiladas, but I like to use chicken. I substituted about 9-10 chicken tenders for the 1 lb. of beef.
Lindsay – I didn’t do the roast yet. I am planning it now for this Sunday’s dinner. I can’t wait to eat it again.
I still make these enchiladas all the time, too (ever since you made these for us 5 years ago). Soooo yummy, and easy!
BTW, how did the roast turn out? I used regular brown sugar yesterday, instead of dark, and the gravy was just right…
Hey Marie,
This sounds delicious! I ran out and bought a can and the recipe isn’t on the back:( Soooo, I was wondering how much chicken you use. Thanks so much!
Whitney
Good job, Merla.
We haven’t done it in a while, but we used to make a bunch of dishes like this because they are so easy to make and even easier to give away when somebody needs a quick meal because they’ve had a bad day, had a baby, fallen off a ladder or got fired.
You get the idea!
I love getting two meals out of one – I love this idea and it would be perfect for my family of four too! Thanks for the tip!
This is pretty much our Enchilada recipe too…though I usually use the green sauce. I precook and shred the chicken in the crockpot. I think I’ve fed this meal to the missionaries at least twice in the six times we’ve had missionaries over. Oops.
I make these same enchiladas but use whatever Mexican brand enchilada sauce the local store carries. They are usually cheaper and I like the flavor a little better. Also for a change, try swapping out the red enchilada sauce for green. It’s great!
What a good idea. Cathy has learned so much about cooking. Maybe I better try this one, when I have “little” company coming.

FAQs

Can I prep enchiladas ahead of time? ›

To make ahead, cover the unbaked enchiladas and store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or wrap tightly with foil and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months. If refrigerated, take the casserole out approximately one hour before baking to come to room temperature.

Get More Info Here ›

What is the secret to good enchiladas? ›

Fry each of your tortillas in hot oil before adding in your enchilada filling. This will help keep the tortillas from soaking up too much of your sauce too quickly, which can also cause them to break apart.

Find Out More ›

Do you put sauce on enchiladas before or after baking? ›

Spread about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish to prevent sticking and to fully saturate the enchiladas. Once the tortillas are stuffed and rolled, place them in the dish with the seam side down. Top with cheese and 2 to 3 cups of sauce. Follow recipe directions to bake the enchiladas, and enjoy!

Learn More ›

Should I cover my enchiladas before baking? ›

It isn't necessary to cover enchiladas while baking. All of an enchiladas components are cooked and you are just heating them through when you bake them. Ideally your ingredients will be room temperature, not ice cold, when you assemble the enchiladas.

Know More ›

Can you make enchiladas ahead of time or do they get soggy? ›

If you would like to make a pan of enchiladas in advance, follow the recipe instructions through step 3 (assembling the enchiladas). Wrap the pan tightly with foil. Then you can either refrigerate the enchiladas for up to 3 days, then bake as directed.

How long can you keep uncooked enchiladas in the fridge? ›

Store the enchiladas: To keep the enchiladas up to 2 days in the refrigerator, tightly cover the pan with foil before storing. To freeze the enchiladas for up to 3 months, tightly wrap the entire pan with foil, crimping to seal around the edges to prevent freezer burn.

Read The Full Story ›

What makes enchiladas taste better? ›

Toppings: When it comes to enchiladas, I vote the more toppings the merrier! Any combination of chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, diced red onion (or quick pickled red onions), sliced radishes, fresh or pickled jalapeños, sour cream or Mexican crema, and/or extra cheese would be delicious!

Get More Info Here ›

Which sauce is better for enchiladas? ›

Las Palmas makes the best green enchilada sauce at the grocery store. It's a little tangy, super savory, and it tastes very fresh, even though it's canned enchilada sauce. If you're a green sauce lover, you will be thrilled with this premade enchilada sauce. You won't just want to stop at enchiladas!

Keep Reading ›

What is the best cheese to melt on enchiladas? ›

Use a shredded Mexican cheese blend for the best melting and flavor. A rustic cut blend of 4 cheese is the best all-around cheese for enchiladas. Look for one that includes Montery Jack, Cheddar, Asadero and Queso Quesadilla Cheese. Avoid using all cheddar as it can be too oily.

Read The Full Story ›

Why are my chicken enchiladas soggy? ›

If you are actually following a quality enchilada recipe, you should have already dipped your tortillas into your chosen sauce before baking. This process softens the tortilla and infuses it with flavor, so if you just dump the rest of the good stuff on top of your dish before baking, you are begging for a soggy mess.

Get More Info Here ›

Are chicken enchiladas better with green or red sauce? ›

If you are making enchiladas, you may be wondering, “Which sauce should I use?” This is an excellent question, and the most straightforward answer is whatever you prefer. If you are making beef enchiladas, it is more common to pair them with a red sauce, and chicken enchiladas usually have a green sauce.

Show Me More ›

Are enchiladas better with corn or flour tortillas? ›

Enchiladas are laden with sauce and fillings, and you need a tortilla that will hold up to all the moisture, so you should always opt for corn over flour.

Tell Me More ›

What goes with chicken enchiladas? ›

Chopped salad, rice pilaf, fresh guacamole, and street corn dip – these all go great with chicken enchiladas! This iconic tortilla dish can be made with slow cooker shredded chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken, a great main course!

Discover More ›

How do you keep enchiladas from getting hard on the bottom? ›

Some recipes suggest spreading a little sauce (½ cup for a 3-quart baking dish) on the bottom of the pan before adding enchiladas. This keeps the tortillas from sticking to the pan or getting tough on the bottom.

Discover More ›

How do you keep leftover enchiladas from getting soggy? ›

How do you keep enchiladas from getting soggy in the oven? It's impossible to avoid but can be controlled. The trick is to work with denser yellow corn tortillas and lightly fry them in olive oil before use. This layer of oil prevents the enchilada sauce from soaking into the tortilla as much during the baking process.

Know More ›