🫔Easy Red Chicken Enchiladas

Did you know you can make red chicken enchiladas under 30 minutes?! And they are delicious AND kid-friendly! Try this recipe out tonight!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Americanized Mexican, Mexican

Prep Time 11

Cook Time 17

Total Time 28

Servings

Calories 514kcal

¼ cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped or half a large onion
4 ounce can chopped green chilis
1 ½ pounds boneless & skinless chicken thighs, chopped into small pieces or thin strips
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 ½ cups enchilada sauce divided
cooking spray
6-8 medium sized (~8") whole wheat tortillas
2+ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2.25 ounce can black olives
1+ cup sour cream optional
1 bunch cilantro leaves, de-stemmed, for garnish optional

Prepare the filling. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 2 mins. Stir in green chilis and chicken, and cook for 4-5 mins, turning chicken frequently. Pour the tomatoes and 1 cup of the enchilada sauce over the chicken in the skillet and stir. Turn the heat to low-medium. Cook chicken in sauce 2-4 mins, until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through [165 degrees].
Assemble enchiladas. First, set oven to broil. Spray a 13 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce into the pan and spread evenly. Set aside. Spoon ⅓ cup of chicken mixture onto a tortilla, and sprinkle some black olives and cheese on top. Roll tortilla and place it seam side down in casserole dish. Repeat 6-8 times until casserole dish is full. Sprinkle the casserole with more shredded cheese.
Broil enchiladas. Place casserole dish in the oven on top rack for 3-5 mins, or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Serve enchiladas with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro on top.

Save time by using canned, chopped green chilis and jarred enchilada sauce!
Speed up assembling enchiladas by setting up up an assembly line on the counter as follows (from left to right): pan of chicken/sauce ---> tortillas ---> cheese & olives --> baking dish.
Scoop the filling a little left of center in the tortilla when assembling enchiladas. After that, you'll find it's much easier to roll up the tortilla.
Keep an eye on the enchiladas while they are in the oven as they can burn easily. Once your red chicken enchiladas are as crisp and bubbly as you desire, take them out and serve!