These easy enchiladas for two are the cozy, cheesy dinner you can put together from leftovers. Shredded chicken and melty cheese get rolled into warm corn tortillas, tucked into a small baking dish, and smothered in red enchilada sauce and more cheese. With cooked chicken and store-bought sauce, the prep takes about 10 minutes, and the oven does the rest. You get four enchiladas, two for each of you. It is comfort food that fits a busy weeknight, and there is something cozy about sharing a bubbling little dish straight from the oven.
Why you will like it
- Four enchiladas, just right for two.
- Uses leftover or rotisserie chicken.
- Five main ingredients and one dish.
- Bubbling, cheesy and ready in about 30 minutes.
What makes it work
Warm tortillas. A few seconds in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel makes corn tortillas soft enough to roll without cracking.
Sauce in the filling. Mixing a little sauce into the chicken keeps the inside moist and flavorful.
Sauce on the bottom and top. A thin layer under the enchiladas and a generous pour over them keeps the tortillas from drying out.
A small dish. An 8×8-inch dish holds four enchiladas snugly, so the sauce stays deep and covers every edge.
Why these enchiladas are sized for two
Most enchilada recipes fill a large baking dish with eight or ten enchiladas, which means days of leftovers for a two-person household. Four enchiladas in a small square dish is just right: two each, still hot and cheesy, with nothing left to reheat unless you want to.
The small dish also improves the result. In a big pan, a small amount of sauce spreads thin, the edges of the tortillas dry out and the sauce can scorch around the sides. Tucked snugly into a smaller dish, the enchiladas sit in a deeper layer of sauce, so every tortilla stays soft and the cheese melts evenly over the top.
Ingredients for easy enchiladas
You need five main ingredients.
- Chicken: cooked and shredded. Rotisserie or leftover chicken is perfect.
- Enchilada sauce: your favorite store-bought red enchilada sauce.
- Cheese: a shredded Mexican blend, or Monterey Jack, Colby Jack or cheddar.
- Tortillas: small corn tortillas. Flour tortillas work too.
- Salt and pepper: just a pinch, since the sauce and cheese are already seasoned.
- Toppings: sour cream and cilantro, both optional.
Because the chicken is already cooked, this is a great way to use leftover roast chicken or part of a store-bought rotisserie chicken; shred it into bite-size pieces so it rolls easily. Enchilada sauces vary in heat and salt from brand to brand, so taste yours before seasoning the filling, and add only a pinch of salt if it needs it. A mild red sauce keeps the dish family-friendly; choose a hotter one if you like more heat.
How to make easy enchiladas
- Heat the oven to 350°F and spread a little sauce in the dish.
- Mix the chicken with some of the sauce and cheese.
- Warm the tortillas so they bend easily.
- Fill, roll and place the enchiladas seam side down.
- Cover with the rest of the sauce and cheese.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until bubbling.
Step-by-step guidance
Sauce the dish first. A thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish keeps the enchiladas from sticking and softens the underside of the tortillas as they bake.
Season the filling. Mix the chicken with a little of the sauce and half the cheese. The sauce keeps the chicken moist, and the cheese helps the filling hold together when you roll it.
Warm the tortillas. Corn tortillas crack when they are cold. Wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave them for about 30 seconds, until soft and bendable. You can also warm them one at a time in a dry skillet for a few seconds per side.
Fill and roll. Spoon a line of filling down the center of each tortilla, roll it up snugly and set it seam side down so it stays closed.
Cover and bake. Pour the rest of the sauce over the top, making sure it reaches the edges of every tortilla, then add the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350°F for about 20 minutes. They are ready when the sauce bubbles at the edges, the cheese has melted and the filling is hot in the center.
A note on food safety. Because the chicken is cooked ahead, the goal in the oven is to heat everything through rather than to cook it. If you are unsure, push an instant-read thermometer into the center of an enchilada; it should read 165°F. Leftover chicken should be used within the time you would normally keep cooked chicken in the fridge.
Tips for the best enchiladas
- Use tortillas while they are still warm; they roll more easily.
- Keep the filling to a line down the center so the tortillas close.
- Place the enchiladas seam side down so they stay rolled.
- Pour the sauce right to the edges so no tortilla is left bare.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Rolling cold corn tortillas. They split. Warm them first so they bend easily.
- Overfilling. Too much filling makes the tortillas tear open. Keep it to a line down the middle.
- Leaving tortilla edges uncovered. Bare edges turn dry and hard in the oven. Sauce them right to the ends.
- Using a dish that is too big. The sauce spreads thin and can scorch. Use a small square dish for four enchiladas.
- Salting before tasting. Sauce and cheese are already salty. Taste the filling first.
Easy swaps
- Flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas.
- Monterey Jack, Colby Jack or cheddar instead of a Mexican-blend cheese.
- A little chopped onion in the filling for extra flavor.
What to serve with easy enchiladas
Let the enchiladas rest for a moment after baking so the sauce settles, then serve two per person with sour cream and chopped cilantro on top. Diced onion or shredded lettuce add freshness and crunch if you have them. For a fuller plate, add a simple side such as rice, beans or a crisp green salad. Bring the dish to the table and serve straight from it; it keeps the meal relaxed and the enchiladas warm.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until hot all the way through, to 165°F. In the oven, cover the dish loosely with foil so the tortillas and cheese do not dry out; the microwave works too for a single portion. Corn tortillas soften further as they sit in the sauce, so leftovers are more tender than freshly baked enchiladas.
Grab the leftover chicken, and a cheesy enchilada dinner for two is in the oven in about 10 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest enchilada recipe?
One like this: cooked shredded chicken, store-bought red enchilada sauce, shredded cheese and corn tortillas, rolled up and baked for about 20 minutes. No cooking is needed before assembling.
What is the secret to a good enchilada?
Warm the tortillas so they roll without cracking, mix a little sauce into the filling, and cover the enchiladas completely with sauce so the edges stay soft.
What are the ingredients for a 5-ingredient enchilada?
Usually tortillas, a cooked filling such as chicken or beef, enchilada sauce, shredded cheese and one extra such as salsa or onion. This version uses chicken, sauce, cheese and corn tortillas, plus salt and pepper.
Can I use flour tortillas for enchiladas?
Yes. Flour tortillas work in this recipe and roll easily; warm them the same way so they are soft and bendable before filling.
Why do my corn tortillas crack when I roll them?
They are too cold or too dry. Warm them in a damp paper towel in the microwave, or briefly in a dry skillet, and roll them while they are still warm.
Print
Easy Chicken Enchiladas for Two
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 enchiladas (2 servings)
Description
Shredded chicken and cheese rolled in warm corn tortillas, covered in red enchilada sauce and baked in a small dish: easy chicken enchiladas for two.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce, divided
- 1 cup shredded Mexican-blend cheese, divided
- 4 small (6-inch) corn tortillas
- A pinch each of fine salt and black pepper
- Sour cream and chopped cilantro, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread 2 tablespoons of the enchilada sauce over the bottom of an 8×8-inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, mix the chicken, ¼ cup of the sauce, ½ cup of the cheese and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
- Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for about 30 seconds, until soft and bendable.
- Spoon a quarter of the filling down the center of each tortilla, roll it up snugly and set it seam side down in the dish.
- Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas, covering the edges of the tortillas, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted. Serve with sour cream and cilantro, if you like.
Notes
Equipment: 8×8-inch baking dish, medium bowl, paper towel
- Rotisserie chicken or any leftover cooked chicken works.
- Flour tortillas can replace the corn tortillas; warm them the same way.
- Monterey Jack, Colby Jack or cheddar can replace the Mexican-blend cheese.
- A few tablespoons of finely chopped onion can be added to the filling.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until hot all the way through (165°F).
- Reheat the cooked chicken filling until hot all the way through (165°F).
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
