These Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce are made with corn, tomato sauce, and other fresh ingredients. They combine to create a delicious dinner option that everyone will enjoy.
If you’re looking for more chicken enchilada recipes, you can also try my White Sauce Chicken Enchiladas or these cheesy Chicken Enchiladas.
Recipe Details
When I’m craving Mexican food, enchilada recipes are my go-to. These cheesy Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce are a perfect choice for Cinco De Mayo or any summer holiday.
- Taste: These enchiladas are super cheesy and savory. The red sauce has a slight spiciness, balanced out by sweet corn.
- Texture: These enchiladas are gooey and flavorful with juicy chicken and a thick red sauce.
- Time: This recipe takes about an hour and 15 minutes to make.
- Ease: It is a fairly quick and easy recipe, and you can find all the ingredients at your local grocery store.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Cheese: Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack cheese work well in this recipe, as they melt nicely and add a hint of heat.
- Red enchilada sauce: You can use homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought.
- Shredded chicken: You can cook and shred chicken breasts or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Mild green chiles: These add a bit of spice to the dish without overwhelming the flavors.
- Corn tortillas: These provide an authentic flavor, but you can substitute with flour tortillas if needed.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Add other seasonings: Customize the flavor of the enchiladas by adding homemade taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, or oregano.
- Substitute the chicken: If you prefer, you can use beef or shredded pork instead of chicken, or make them meatless.
- Use other cheeses: You can experiment with different cheeses such as manchengo, cotija, asadero, or cheddar.
- Add beans: Make the enchiladas more protein-packed and flavorful by adding black beans, refried beans, or pinto beans.
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce
- Cook the onion and garlic: Sauté garlic and chopped onion in a frying pan.
- Add in the sauce ingredients: Add tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, and cumin to the skillet. Sauté for another 2 minutes.
- Make the chicken mixture: In a bowl, combine shredded chicken, cumin, sautéed onion, corn, green chilies, chili powder, and red pepper flakes.
- Add the cheese and sauce: Mix in some of the red sauce, then add shredded pepper jack cheese and Monterey Jack cheese.
- Prepare the baking dish: Spread a bit of the red sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 inch deep baking dish.
- Fill the tortillas: Microwave the corn tortillas to soften them. Scoop 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla, then roll them up tightly. Place the rolled enchiladas seam side down in the baking dish.
Pro Tip: Warm the corn tortillas in the microwave before filling to make them more pliable and easier to roll.
- Add sauce and cheese on top: Cover the enchiladas with the remaining sauce, then sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 370 degrees Fahrenheit.
Recipe Tips
- Shred the cheese from a block: Shredding block cheese yourself is better than using pre-shredded bagged cheese, as it melts better.
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