Last updated: September 2023

One of the most common food items in our fridge at any given point is rotisserie chicken. We buy ours from Sam’s Club and love to use it in quesadillas, crescent rolls, served in rice/pasta with some broccoli, and most recently - in ENCHILADAS. 

We love enchiladas over here (we actually make this same recipe with ground turkey and ground beef) and rotisserie chicken creates the perfect filling for some savory homemade enchiladas. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s so customizable. Don’t want to make a homemade sauce? No problem! Just buy some from the store to pour on top. Don’t have a poblano pepper? Use bell peppers instead or a seedless jalapeno! No cumin or chili powder on-hand? Use taco seasoning! I note all of this in the recipe notes but I want to emphasize again how versatile this recipe can be. 

This is also a great meal to make for friends or family! We’ve brought this for a few of our friends during meal trains and basically bring the sauce and cheese on the side with the enchiladas assembled in a baking dish. We provide the baking instructions to our friends & all they do is sauce, cheese, and bake for 8 minutes! Pair with some chips + guacamole and you have a truly delicious family dinner.

ENCHILLADA INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

• 1 onion

• 1 poblano pepper

• 3/4 cup fire roasted tomatoes (with juices)

• 1/3 cup chicken broth

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder

• Salt & black pepper to taste

• 8-10 tortillas (I use flour)

• Cream cheese (to spread inside tortillas)

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

• 14.5 oz jar of crushed tomatoes

• 1 - 1.5 tbsp chili powder

• Handful of finely chopped cilantro

• Pinch of salt & pepper (to taste)

MAKING THE ENCHILLADAS

• Bring a pan to medium heat and drizzle with about 1 tbsp olive oil

• Chop onion and poblano pepper finely (into small cubes) and sauté with olive oil and a dash of salt & pepper

• Once onion & pepper are slightly browned, add in chicken, fire roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, cilantro, and seasonings

• Mix everything together well and taste to ensure seasoning is to your liking (in this step you will likely add a little more salt & pepper)

• Preheat oven to 400F

• Spread a thin layer of cream cheese in each tortilla, followed by about 1/4 cup of chicken filing (again - can do more or less here based on how stuffed you want the tortillas)

• Roll the tortillas tightly and place into a greased oven-safe baking dish. This recipe will yield anywhere from 8-10 enchiladas depending on how much filing you put in each.

• Once all enchiladas are assembled, pour sauce on top and spread with a spoon, so each enchilada is covered with sauce

• Sprinkle with desired amount of shredded Mexican cheese

• Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melty

MAKING THE SAUCE

• Bring a small to medium pot to medium heat

• Add jar of crushed tomatoes & mix-in cumin, salt, pepper, and cilantro

• Stir for 2-3 minutes and bring to a low heat so it simmers while you're preparing the enchiladas

NOTES

• These are good in the fridge for up to 3 days in air-tight container

• I haven't tried freezing yet, but I would recommend freezing the enchiladas and sauce separately vs. together. When it's time to serve, I'd let the enchiladas thaw in fridge overnight, spread sauce & sprinkle with cheese once thawed, then bake

• My favorite way to shred chicken is with the KitchenAid mixer. Just dump the cooked chicken inside, and let it mix for 1-2 minutes while the chicken shreds.

• I know cilantro isn't everyone's favorite taste so it can certainly be omitted in this recipe. To add freshness instead of using cilantro, I would keep the poblano pepper in and season with some avocado and a squeeze of lime juice when they come out of the oven.

• The simple homemade sauce here is optional for this recipe, and you can buy store-bought instead.

• Instead of rotisserie chicken, you can use shredded grilled chicken, ground beef, or turkey. We've done all three and they turn out great!

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