Description
These Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas bring together tender shredded chicken, a creamy, spiced filling, and a vibrant green enchilada sauce, all baked until bubbly and golden. Prepare to fall in love with the ultimate comfort food, blanketed in rich sauce and melted Monterey Jack cheese.
Ingredients
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 0.5 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (wear gloves)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 0.5 teaspoon paprika
• 0.5 teaspoon chili powder
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (28 ounce) can green enchilada sauce
• 7 flour tortillas
• 8 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Season chicken breasts with garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Place in a baking dish and bake until cooked through, about 30-35 minutes. Let the chicken cool, then shred it using two forks.
3. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the minced onion and jalapeos until the onion is translucent. Stir in the cream cheese until it’s melted. Add the remaining garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili powder, and cumin. Mix in the shredded chicken and remove from heat.
4. Spread half of the enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Spoon the chicken mixture down the center of each flour tortilla. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of Monterey Jack cheese over the filling in each tortilla. Roll up the tortillas and place them seam-side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolled enchiladas and top with the rest of the Monterey Jack cheese.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Notes
Don’t Overcook the Chicken: Baking the chicken until just cooked through ensures it will be tender and moist after shredding. Overcooking can lead to dry chicken.
Shredding Made Easy: Letting the chicken cool for just a few minutes before shredding makes it much easier to handle and pull apart with forks.
Creamy Filling Consistency: Stir the cream cheese until it’s fully melted and smooth before adding the chicken. This helps create a cohesive and creamy filling.
Seam-Side Down: Placing the rolled enchiladas seam-side down in the baking dish is key to keeping them from unrolling during baking.
Bubbly and Golden: Keep an eye on the enchiladas during the last few minutes of baking. You’re looking for that irresistible bubbling sauce and melted, slightly browned cheese.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 60-65 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired