Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Published: Sep 12, 2023 by Dina

These Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce are made with corn, tomato sauce, and other fresh ingredients. They all combine to make an exquisite dinner everyone loves.

Another fantastic chicken enchilada recipe is my White Sauce Chicken Enchiladas or these cheesy Chicken Enchiladas.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce in a baking dish.

Table Of Contents

Recipe Details

When craving Mexican food, delicious enchilada recipes are where I turn. What better way to enjoy Cinco De Mayo or a summer holiday than with these cheesy Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce?

TASTE: These enchiladas are super cheesy and savory. The red sauce is just a little spicy with some sweet corn to balance the dish.
TEXTURE: Gooey cheese, juicy chicken, and thick red sauce make these enchiladas absolutely delicious.
TIME: They will take an hour and 15 minutes to make.
EASE: This recipe is fairly quick, incredibly easy, and you can find all the ingredients at your local grocery store.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce: shredded cooked chicken, corn tortillas, tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic cloves, onion, green chiles, salt, enchilada sauce, cumin, red pepper flakes, chili powder, pepper jack cheese, Monterey jack cheese, and corn.

Ingredient Notes

Cheese- Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack Cheese are great melting cheeses that will make these enchiladas creamy and gooey with a hint of heat.
Red enchilada sauce- This sauce is cooked and thickened with seasonings, garlic, and onion for a rich and unmistakable flavor. You can use homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought.
Shredded chicken- You can cook and shred chicken breasts or even a store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Mild green chiles- These will add some spice to the dish, but won’t go overboard.
Corn tortillas- These offer authentic flavor to the dish. If you have none, you can use flour tortillas in their place.

Add-ins and Substitutions

Add other seasonings- Make these enchiladas with homemade taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, or oregano.
Substitute the chicken- You can make these Enchiladas with Red Sauce with other meats, such as beef or shredded pork. Or you can make them meatless.
Use other cheeses- Other cheeses, such as manchengo, cotija, asadero, or cheddar cheese, make great substitutes for the jack and pepperjack cheeses in this dish.
Add beans- Make this more protein-packed and flavorful with some black beans, refried beans, or pinto beans added in.

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 the tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, and some cumin to the skillet. Sauté for another 2 minutes.

Steps to make Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce: saute the garlic and onions, then add the enchilada sauce and cumin, mixing with a wooden spoon.

Make the chicken mixture. In a bowl, combine the shredded chicken, more cumin, some sautéed onion, corn, green chilies, chili powder, and red pepper flakes.
Add the cheese and sauce. Add some of the red sauce to the chicken mixture. Then mix in shredded pepper jack cheese and Monterey Jack cheese.

Steps to make Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce: add the corn, chicken, chiles, and spices together and mix with some enchilada sauce and cheese.

Prepare the baking dish. Spread a little bit of the red sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 inch deep baking dish, just enough to cover the bottom.
Fill the tortillas. Microwave the corn tortillas to soften them. Scoop 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture into the middle of each warmed corn tortilla and roll it up tightly. Place the rolled up enchiladas into the baking dish, seam side down.

Pro Tip: Warm the corn tortillas in the microwave before filling. This will make it easier to roll the enchiladas.

Steps to make Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce: fill the tortillas with filling and then wrap and place in a baking sheet covered with red enchilada sauce.

Add sauce and cheese on top. Cover with the remaining sauce. The sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 370 degrees Fahrenheit.

Steps to make Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce: cover the enchiladas with more sauce and then top with cheese.

Recipe Tips

Shred the cheese from a block- Shredding block cheese is better than pre-shredded bag cheese because the starch used to keep the cheese from sticking together inhibits its ability to melt well.
Add sauce to the bottom of the casserole dish- Doing this keeps the enchiladas from burning to the bottom as the cheese melts and also keeps them from drying out.
Warm your corn tortillas- Corn tears easily so warm the tortillas to make them more pliable and easier to wrap.
Don’t overfill the tortillas- Only add about 1/3 cup of the enchilada filling to each tortilla. If you overfill them, they won’t close easily and will likely tear.

FAQs

How long do you to cook enchiladas?

I baked my chicken enchiladas for 45 minutes at 370 degrees Fahrenheit. This gives all the flavors time to really meld together and it makes the cheese melt perfectly. But if you’re in a rush, you can pull it out early because all the ingredients are already cooked. Just make sure the cheese has melted and the center is warm.

Are enchiladas better with corn or flour?

When it comes to enchiladas, corn tortillas are the traditional choice. They also have a very distinct flavor that adds more to the enchiladas than flour tortillas do.

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce being lifted out of the pan with a spatula.

Serving Suggestions

Since this is a Mexican dish, serve something Mexican or Tex-Mex with it. But it’s versatile flavors will work with lots of sides and veggies of all types.

Toppings: Top these Enchiladas with Red Sauce with black olives, cilantro, sour cream, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, chopped tomatoes, or green onions.
Salads: Serve them with a Taco Salad Recipe (VIDEO), Spinach Salad, Tomato Garlic Salad, or Avocado Corn Salad.
Sides: Enjoy these enchiladas with some 7 Layer Taco Dip, Loaded Chicken Nachos, Air Fryer Corn on the Cob, or Wild Brown Rice.
Fajitas/Tacos: Pair them with some Flank Steak Tacos, Shrimp Fajitas, Fish Tacos, or Easy Chicken Fajitas (VIDEO).

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: You can prepare the ingredients and assemble the enchiladas ahead of time. Keep them in the fridge or freezer until you’re ready to bake and serve.

Storing: Store these Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce in the refrigerator covered with foil for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven until warmed through.

Freeze: You can make this meal ahead of time and freeze it, even with the sauce. I recommend using a disposable aluminum tray for the enchiladas. Just follow the recipe, but before baking, cover the tray with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, just remove the plastic wrap and foil and bake for 45 minutes at 370 degrees F.

More Delicious Mexican Dishes!

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This recipe was originally posted May 3, 2016, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then. This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Full Recipe Instructions

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

These Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce are made with corn, tomato sauce, and other fresh ingredients. They all combine to make an exquisite dinner everyone loves.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings: 16 enchiladas

Calories: 318kcal

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic and chopped onion until it becomes translucent. Reserve 1/3 cup of the sautéed onion and garlic.
Add tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, and 1 tsp cumin into the skillet. Sauté for another 2 minutes.
In a bowl combine shredded chicken, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/3 cup sautéed onion, corn, green chilies, chili powder, and red pepper flakes.
Add 1/2 cup of the red sauce to the chicken mixture. Then mix in 8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese and 16 oz Monterey Jack cheese.
Warm the corn tortillas in the microwave (2 at a time for 10 seconds). This will make it easier to roll the enchiladas. Scoop 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture into the middle of each warmed corn tortilla and roll it up tightly.
Spread a little bit of the red sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 inch deep baking dish (just enough to cover the bottom). Then place the rolled-up enchiladas into the baking dish.
Cover with the remaining red sauce. Then sprinkle with about 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 370 degrees Fahrenheit.

Notes

Shred the cheese from a block- Shredding block cheese is better than pre-shredded bag cheese because the starch used to keep the cheese from sticking together inhibits its ability to melt well.

Add sauce to the bottom of the casserole dish- Doing this keeps the enchiladas from burning to the bottom as the cheese melts and also keeps them from drying out.

Warm your corn tortillas- Corn tears easily so warm the tortillas to make them more pliable and easier to wrap.

Don’t overfill the tortillas- Only add about 1/3 cup of the enchilada filling to each tortilla. If you overfill them, they won’t close easily and will likely tear.

Nutrition

Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!

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