Baked Enchilada Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

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.

Grab a tray of our Creamy Poblano Chicken Enchiladas from your local Costco or other grocery store and remove the plastic. Transfer it to an oven-safe container or cook it right in the tray. Bake at 375 degrees for 27-29 minutes. When the enchiladas are done cooking, let rest for 2 minutes.

Most enchiladas are baked and covered with foil until heated through. Oven temperatures and baking times vary per recipe, but on average they cook in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the enchiladas after they are heated through.

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.

Choosing the Wrong Tortillas

While some recipes use flour tortillas, corn tortillas are traditional — and for good reason — are the better option for enchiladas. Corn tortillas have a distinct flavor that plays a key part of the enchilada experience, compared to flour tortillas, which are more like a blank slate.

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.

Usually when I've made them I just put sauce on top, not on the bottom, and just down the middle so the edges are exposed. And I make the sauce on the thick side so it is not too watery. I bake them in the oven too, and they are never too soggy, but you could just grill to minimise the sauce absorption.

Foil Covering: Most enchiladas are covered with foil while baking. This helps to trap steam and heat, ensuring that the enchiladas cook evenly and stay moist. The foil is typically removed towards the end of the baking time to allow the cheese on top to melt and develop a golden brown crust [1].

Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the bean mixture in the center of each warm tortilla. Divide the cheese between the tortillas, reserving 1/4 to sprinkle on top. Roll up tightly and place seam side down in the baking dish. Spoon the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and scatter over the reserved cheese.

Covering dishes with aluminum foil

It protects your food from drying out or burning and helps keep in the heat and moisture, ensuring a perfectly cooked meal. Loosely covering your dish with foil can prevent uneven browning while baking.

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.

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.

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.

Corn tortillas go well with Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas, and tamales. They are also perfect for use in tostadas, sopes, and quesadillas. Flour tortillas are often used in burritos, fajitas, and chimichangas. They are also great for making quesadillas, sweet dishes like dessert tacos, and breakfast burritos.

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.

Add seasonings - Cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano, etc. are great ways to punch up the flavor of canned enchilada sauce. You might also consider adding a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.