If you’ve ever tasted something at a family gathering and wished you had the recipe, these chicken enchiladas are going to be one of those recipes!

They’re creamy, cheesy, full of flavor, and surprisingly easy to make. Even better, most of the ingredients are things you can keep in your pantry, refrigerator, or freezer.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that I can make dinner for tonight and have enough left over to put a couple of meals in the freezer. That’s my kind of meal planning!

An Easy Dinner Using Ingredients You Already Have

I’m a big believer in cooking once and using those ingredients for more than one meal.

When I roast a chicken, I often set some of the meat aside specifically for these enchiladas. If I’m making rice for dinner, I’ll cook a little extra and freeze it. I do the same thing with shredded cheese.

Even tortillas freeze beautifully, so if you don’t use an entire package, just pop the extras into the freezer for another day.

With a few pantry staples like canned green chiles, Rotel tomatoes, olives, and enchilada sauce, you have almost everything you need to put this meal together.

Here’s what you’ll need for the best Chicken Enchiladas

4 servings rice, cooked

4 oz can chopped green chilies

1 cup salsa or 14 oz can Mexican Style Tomatoes (Rotel)

1 ½ cups sour cream or plain Greek Yogurt

½ cup grated Cheddar Cheese

½ cup sliced green onion

½ cup sliced green olives

½ cup sliced ripe olives

2 cups cooked chicken or turkey, chopped

6-8 Flour Tortillas (8” diameter)

1 can of Hatch Green Chili Enchilada Sauce (for every 3 large enchiladas)

Grated Cheddar

Sliced ripe olives

Sliced green onions

Chopped tomatoes

A note about quantities: This is a flexible family recipe, and I don’t measure every ingredient. Use enough chicken, rice, and other filling ingredients to make the number of enchiladas you need. I add about ½ cup of cheddar cheese to the filling and save additional cheese for the top.

I prefer mild ingredients, but if your family likes a little heat, you can easily use spicy Rotel, hotter green chiles, or pepper jack cheese.

How to Make Chicken Enchiladas

Step 1: Prepare the Filling

In a large skillet or wok, combine your cooked chicken, rice, and chopped green onions.

Add the diced green chiles, Rotel tomatoes or salsa, and sliced black and green olives.

Now, here’s an ingredient you might not expect: green olives! I never would have thought to add them to chicken enchiladas, but they really work in this recipe.

Stir in your Greek yogurt or sour cream and about ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

The yogurt combines with the salsa to make a creamy, flavorful filling.

Heat everything over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s warmed through.

Step 2: Assemble the Enchiladas

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Pour a little green chile enchilada sauce into the bottom of your baking dish, just enough to coat it.

Spoon a generous amount of chicken filling into the center of each flour tortilla.

Roll the tortilla and place it seam-side down in your baking dish.

Continue until you’ve filled your pan.

I like using a square baking dish when I’m making dinner for just a few people. It holds about four servings, depending on how generously you fill the tortillas.

If you’re cooking for a larger family or a gathering, use a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.

Step 3: Add the Sauce and Cheese

Pour the remaining green chile enchilada sauce over the tortillas, making sure they’re well covered.

Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top and finish with a few sliced black olives.

You can certainly leave off the olives if your family doesn’t care for them.

I love the green chile sauce in this recipe, but red enchilada sauce works, too.

Step 4: Bake

Cover the baking dish with foil.

Bake at 375°F for approximately 30–35 minutes, until the enchiladas are hot throughout.

Remove the foil during the last 5–7 minutes so the cheese can finish melting.

And that’s it! A delicious homemade chicken enchilada dinner.

My Favorite Kitchen Shortcuts for This Recipe

One thing I love about cooking is finding little ways to make the prep work easier. Here are a few Pampered Chef tools I used while making these enchiladas.

Smooth-Edge Can Opener: This is one of my favorite kitchen tools for opening canned tomatoes, green chiles, and enchilada sauce. It leaves a smooth edge instead of a sharp one.

5-in-1 Opener: If you’ve ever struggled with pull-tab cans or stubborn jar lids, this tool comes in handy. It makes opening jars and cans so much easier.

Can Strainer: Perfect for draining canned olives, tuna, and other canned ingredients without needing a separate colander.

Cup Slicer: You may have seen me use this for strawberries and other fruits, but it works beautifully for slicing olives, too!

How to Make Chicken Enchiladas Ahead and Freeze Them

This is where the recipe gets even better!

When I made these enchiladas, I prepared enough filling for dinner that night AND four additional enchiladas for the freezer.

Rather than baking everything at once, I wrapped the extra filled tortillas in packages of two.

That gives me two more easy meals for another day.

Here’s how I do it:

1. Assemble the extra enchiladas with the chicken filling, but don’t add the enchilada sauce yet.
2. Wrap them tightly in foil in portions that work for your household.
3. Place the wrapped enchiladas in a freezer-safe bag or container, label, and freeze.
4. When you’re ready to use them, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Add a little enchilada sauce to the bottom of your baking dish, arrange the enchiladas, and pour more sauce over the top.
6. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 375°F for about 30–35 minutes, until heated through.

For food safety, make sure the reheated enchiladas reach 165°F in the center.

My tip: Freeze the enchiladas without the sauce. Then all you need is a can of enchilada sauce and a little shredded cheese when you’re ready to bake them. The tortillas hold up nicely, and you have a homemade dinner with very little work.

For best quality, plan to use your frozen enchiladas within about 2–3 months.

A Few Easy Ways to Make This Recipe Your Own

One of the reasons I love this recipe is how easy it is to adapt.

• Make it spicier: Use hot Rotel, spicy green chiles, or pepper jack cheese.
• Use leftover turkey: This would be a wonderful way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
• Change the sauce: Try red enchilada sauce instead of green.
• Skip the olives: If they’re not a family favorite, simply leave them out.
• Make it gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free tortillas and check that your sauces and seasonings are gluten-free.
• Make individual portions: Freeze two enchiladas at a time for smaller households.

What’s Good to Serve With Chicken Enchiladas?

These enchiladas are pretty hearty on their own since the filling includes chicken, rice, and cheese.

If you’d like to round out the meal, try serving them with a simple green salad, fresh avocado, roasted vegetables, or a side of black beans.

You could even set out a few toppings like chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, extra Greek yogurt, or sliced green onions and let everyone add their favorites.

Cook Once, Enjoy More Than Once!

I love recipes that help us get a homemade meal on the table without spending hours in the kitchen.

These chicken enchiladas are a perfect example of how a little planning can make cooking so much easier.

Save some chicken when you’re roasting it. Cook a little extra rice. Freeze that leftover shredded cheese.

Before you know it, you’ve got the makings of a delicious family dinner already waiting for you.

And when you can make enough for dinner tonight and a couple more meals down the road, that’s even better!

Happy cooking!

Julie
Cooking with Julie Gizzi