Golden, cheesy chicken enchiladas in a white baking dish covered with red enchilada sauce, topped with cilantro and served with lime wedges and avocado.

Best Easy Chicken Enchiladas — Weeknight Dinner with Red Sauce

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Introduction

Make the best easy chicken enchiladas for a weeknight dinner with red sauce. Bake everything in one pan, so cleanup stays light. Get dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. Use rotisserie chicken or leftover shredded chicken to save time. Keep the base mild for kids, and add jalapeño or chipotle if you like heat. Pour on bold red enchilada sauce and finish with plenty of melty cheese. Choose corn tortillas for a classic bite, or go with flour for softer rolls. Add black beans or corn for extra heft. Prep ahead, then chill or freeze for busy nights. These oven-baked chicken enchiladas taste cozy, look inviting, and deliver that cheesy, saucy, simple win.

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Why You’ll Love These Enchiladas

Weeknight Fast

Make easy chicken enchiladas in 30–35 minutes. Do quick prep. Use one 9×13 pan, so cleanup stays simple. This weeknight dinner with red sauce fits busy nights and still tastes special.

Ultra Flexible

Use rotisserie, poached, or leftover shredded chicken. Swap corn or flour tortillas. Add beans or peppers if you like. So you cook what you have and still get great flavor.

Saucy & Cheesy

Coat each roll with bold red enchilada sauce (enchiladas rojas). Sprinkle Monterey Jack and cheddar for a perfect melt. Then broil briefly for a golden top. These oven-baked chicken enchiladas come out rich and cozy.

Family-Friendly Heat

Start mild for kids. Then turn up the spice with jalapeño, chipotle, or hot sauce. Everyone wins because each plate hits the right heat level.

Meal-Prep Friendly

Assemble a pan today. Then chill or freeze for later. Reheat covered, and the chicken stays juicy. So you get the best easy chicken enchiladas any night with zero stress.

Ingredients & Smart Substitutions

Chicken

Use shredded chicken thighs or breasts. Rotisserie chicken is the fastest win. Season the meat with cumin and chili powder for extra flavor. This keeps your easy chicken enchiladas juicy and bold.

Tortillas

Pick corn tortillas for a classic, gluten-free bite. Or choose flour tortillas if you want softer rolls. Warm them first, so they don’t tear. Then pack them snugly in a 9×13 pan.

Cheese

Go with a Monterey Jack and cheddar blend. Or use Oaxaca or queso asadero for an elite melt. Shred the cheese yourself for the smoothest pull. You’ll get extra-cheesy chicken enchiladas with red sauce.

Red Sauce

Make a quick red enchilada sauce with tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and broth. Or start with canned and boost it with smoked paprika, a pinch of sugar, and a splash of vinegar. For deeper “rojas” flavor, use Hatch, guajillo, or ancho. Then simmer briefly to marry the spices.

Add-Ins

Stir in black beans or corn for more body. Add sautéed onions and bell peppers for sweetness and color. Finish with cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Your oven-baked chicken enchiladas will taste fresh, full, and satisfying.

Step-by-Step: Roll, Sauce, and Bake

Chicken enchiladas baking in a white casserole dish, covered in red enchilada sauce and melted cheese inside the oven.
Cheesy chicken enchiladas bubble in the oven—rolled tortillas, rich red sauce, and a golden melt.

Prep Filling

Warm shredded chicken in a skillet. Stir in a few spoons of red enchilada sauce, plus cumin and chili powder. Simmer 2–3 minutes so the meat turns juicy and bold. Taste and add salt. Now the filling for your easy chicken enchiladas is ready.

Soften Tortillas

Heat tortillas in a dry skillet for 20–30 seconds per side, or microwave 4–6 with a damp towel for 10–15 seconds. Keep them under a towel so they stay soft. This step stops tears and makes rolling smooth.

Roll

Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 9×13 baking dish. Add warm chicken to each tortilla. Roll tight and set seam-side down in the sauced dish. Pack the rows snugly for neat oven-baked chicken enchiladas.

Top

Cover the rolls with more red enchilada sauce. Then add a heavy layer of shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar. Sprinkle a little onion or cilantro if you like. The sauce + cheese give that classic chicken enchiladas with red sauce look and taste.

Bake/Finish

Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15–18 minutes until hot and bubbly. Then broil 1–2 minutes for bronzed, melty cheese. Rest 5 minutes. Finish with lime, avocado, or sour cream. Serve and enjoy a weeknight dinner with red sauce that hits every time.

Red Sauce Options (Flavor, Heat & Shortcuts)

10-Minute Homemade

Whisk tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and chicken broth. Simmer for 5–7 minutes. Stir often so it thickens and shines. You get bold red enchilada sauce fast for easy chicken enchiladas.

Canned Glow-Up

Start with canned sauce. Then whisk in garlic powder, smoked paprika, a small pinch of sugar, and a splash of vinegar. Simmer 2–3 minutes. The flavors pop, and your weeknight dinner with red sauce tastes fresher.

Chile-Forward

Blend soaked guajillo or ancho chiles with warm broth and a little garlic. Strain, then simmer until silky. You get deeper, authentic enchiladas rojas notes that feel restaurant-level.

Heat Control

Keep the base mild for everyone. Then add chipotle in adobo for smoky medium heat. Or stir in minced jalapeño for bright, fresh kick. This way each plate lands at the right spice level.

Creamy Twist

Scoop a small bowl of hot sauce. Stir in crema or Greek yogurt until smooth. Drizzle over oven-baked chicken enchiladas. It cools the heat and adds a tangy finish without hiding the chile flavor.

Toppings, Sides, Storage & Reheat

Plates of cheesy chicken enchiladas topped with red enchilada sauce and cilantro, served with lime wedges; guacamole and salsa in the background.
Cheesy, saucy chicken enchiladas served on plates with cilantro and lime—perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Toppings Bar

Set out cilantro, lime wedges, diced avocado, sour cream, sliced green onion, and black olives. Let everyone build a plate. These fresh toppers brighten easy chicken enchiladas with red sauce.

Sides

Serve Mexican rice or cilantro-lime rice. Add refried beans or charro beans. Spoon on pico de gallo and guacamole. With these sides, your weeknight dinner with red sauce feels complete.

Storage

Cool leftovers fast, then seal them airtight. Chill for 3–4 days, or freeze for 2–3 months (baked or unbaked). Label the pan so you track dates.

Reheat

Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Cover the dish and warm for 12–15 minutes until hot and melty. Or microwave single portions with a splash of broth or extra sauce. Then finish with lime and cilantro.

Make-Ahead

Assemble the pan in the morning or the night before. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Then bake when you get home. You still get oven-baked chicken enchiladas that taste fresh, cheesy, and ready fast.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Close-up of cheesy chicken enchiladas covered in red enchilada sauce and melted Jack–cheddar, sprinkled with cilantro in a baking dish.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Make easy chicken enchiladas with red sauce in about 30–35 minutes. Fill warm tortillas with shredded chicken, roll, cover with bold red sauce and cheese, then bake until bubbly. It’s a cozy weeknight dinner for 4 that uses simple ingredients and delivers big, cheesy flavor.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Rest Time 5 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex
Calories: 590
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups 450 g cooked shredded chicken
  • 8 small tortillas corn for classic, or flour
  • 2 cups 480 ml red enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups 200 g shredded cheese (Monterey Jack or cheddar)
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika optional
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Optional add-ins: ½ cup black beans ½ cup corn, ½ small onion (sautéed)

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 375°F / 190°C. Grease a 9×13 in (23×33 cm) dish.
  2. Warm a skillet with oil. Add chicken, chili powder, cumin, paprika, ½ cup sauce, and salt. Stir 2–3 min. Add beans/corn if using.
  3. Warm tortillas (skillet 20–30 sec/side or microwave 10–15 sec) so they bend.
  4. Spoon a thin layer of sauce into the baking dish.
  5. Fill each tortilla with chicken and a little cheese. Roll tight; place seam-side down.
  6. Pour over the remaining sauce. Top with the rest of the cheese.
  7. Bake 15–18 min until hot and bubbly. Broil 1–2 min to brown.
  8. Rest 5 min. Serve with cilantro and lime (optional). Enjoy!

FAQs

1) Which tortillas work best?

Use corn for classic, gluten-free easy chicken enchiladas. Or pick flour for softer rolls. Warm them first, so they don’t tear.

2) Can I use rotisserie chicken?

Yes. Shred the meat and stir in a little red enchilada sauce. It stays juicy and saves time.

3) How do I make quick red enchilada sauce?

Whisk tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, garlic, and broth. Simmer a few minutes. Or boost canned sauce with smoked paprika, a pinch of sugar, and a splash of vinegar.

4) How do I stop soggy enchiladas?

Keep filling moist, not wet. Coat the dish with a thin layer of sauce. Roll tight, then bake until bubbly and broil briefly.

5) What should I serve on the side?

Serve Mexican rice or cilantro-lime rice. Add refried or charro beans, pico, and guacamole. Finish oven-baked chicken enchiladas with cilantro, lime, and avocado.

Conclusion

Bring restaurant comfort home with the best easy chicken enchiladas. Make this weeknight dinner with red sauce fast, saucy, and cheesy. Use shredded chicken (rotisserie works great), then roll, sauce, and bake. Choose corn or flour tortillas, and top with Monterey Jack and cheddar. Keep the heat mild for kids, then add chipotle or jalapeño for spice lovers. Finish with cilantro and lime. Serve with Mexican rice, beans, pico, and guacamole. You can also make ahead, chill, or freeze, so weeknights stay easy. These oven-baked chicken enchiladas taste bold, cozy, and fresh—every time.

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