Enchiladas are a beloved Mexican dish that features tortillas rolled around a savory filling and smothered in sauce. Using juicy, flavorful chicken breast as the filling can take your enchiladas to the next level However, properly cooking chicken breast is essential for getting the right texture and taste
In this article, I’ll provide a step-by-step guide to cooking chicken breast for enchiladas, along with tips and tricks for maximum flavor and ease. Whether you’re a beginner cook or enchilada aficionado, you’ll learn the ideal techniques to make your chicken enchiladas amazing every time.
Why Choose Chicken Breast for Enchiladas
Chicken breast is a versatile and healthy choice that works beautifully in enchiladas Here are some of the benefits of using chicken breast as your filling
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Tender and juicy: When cooked properly, chicken breast provides a tender, moist texture that contrasts nicely with the crunchy tortilla shell.
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Mild flavor Chicken has a delicate mildly sweet flavor that allows the spices sauce and other enchilada ingredients to shine.
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Nutritious: Chicken breast is lower in fat and calories compared to fattier cuts like thighs. It packs lean protein, B vitamins and other nutrients.
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Budget-friendly: Chicken breast is an affordable protein option accessible to most budgets.
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Kid-friendly: The mild taste and soft texture of chicken breast appeals to young palates.
Prepping the Chicken Breast
Before cooking, proper prep ensures your chicken breast cooks up tender and full of flavor. Here are some tips:
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Trim excess fat: Use a sharp knife to remove any large pieces of fat from the breasts. A little fat is okay, but trimming helps prevent tough, rubbery pieces.
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Pound to even thickness: Place chicken breasts between pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper and gently pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2 inch thick. This promotes even cooking.
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Season generously: Rub chicken all over with olive oil then sprinkle on spices like cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Massage seasonings into the meat.
How to Cook Chicken Breast for Enchiladas
Now let’s explore some easy methods for cooking chicken breast to use in your enchiladas.
Poaching
Poaching gently cooks the chicken in simmering liquid, ensuring it stays moist and tender.
You’ll need:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
- 1⁄2 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
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In a medium pot, combine broth, onion, garlic and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
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Add chicken breasts and spoon some liquid over to submerge.
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Cover and poach at a gentle simmer for 15-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through (165°F internal temperature).
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Remove chicken and allow to cool slightly before shredding.
Baking
Baking chicken produces a lightly browned exterior while keeping the meat moist.
You’ll need:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
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Brush chicken all over with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
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Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned and cooked through.
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Let rest 5 minutes before shredding chicken.
Sautéing
Sautéing in a bit of oil results in delicious caramelized flavor.
You’ll need:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
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Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
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Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and cook 4-5 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
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Transfer chicken to a cutting board to rest 5 minutes before shredding.
Shredding the Chicken
Once cooked, shredding the chicken into bite-size pieces is easy. Here’s how:
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Allow chicken to cool slightly so it’s easier to handle.
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Using two forks, pull chicken apart into thin shreds.
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Continue shredding until all chicken is in small shreds.
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Alternatively, you can shred in a stand mixer on low speed using the paddle attachment.
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For extra flavor, shred chicken then toss with 1-2 tbsp of your favorite enchilada sauce.
Assemble Your Enchiladas
Now for the fun part – rolling your enchiladas! Follow these steps:
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Warm corn or flour tortillas to make them pliable.
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Place a few tbsp shredded chicken down the center of the tortilla.
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Top with shredded cheese, sautéed veggies, etc.
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Roll up tortilla around filling and place seam-side down in baking dish.
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Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
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Cover enchiladas with sauce and extra cheese.
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Bake at 350°F until hot and bubbly, 20-25 minutes.
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Garnish with avocado, cilantro, etc. Enjoy!
Cooking Chicken Breast to Perfection
Cooking chicken breast for enchiladas doesn’t have to be difficult. With proper seasoning, generous cooking times and the right shredding technique, you’ll have tender, flavorful chicken for your enchiladas.
The key is using a thermometer and cooking to an internal temp of 165°F. Be sure to let chicken rest before shredding so the juices can redistribute. Sautéing, baking or poaching all yield delicious results.
Now that you know how to cook chicken breast for enchiladas, it’s time to whip up a batch! Feel free to experiment with different fillings and sauce styles. Just remember – properly cooked chicken is the key to success.
How To Make Chicken Enchiladas
- Veggies: Garlic, red bell pepper, and a yellow onion start our enchiladas off. Instead of just chopping and cooking them down in the pan, pulse them in a food processor. This will ensure that all of your veggies are evenly, finely chopped.
- Cumin: We’ve got plenty of flavors going on here, so all you need is a bit of cumin to season the veggies.
- The Sauce: I highly recommend making our homemade enchilada sauce in this recipe. It only takes 20 minutes to come together and really takes these enchiladas up a notch in the flavor department. But if you’re pressed for time, you can use store-bought in a pinch.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Our sauce is smooth, and a can of crushed tomatoes adds an extra sweet texture and flavor to these enchiladas.
- Chicken: To make these enchiladas even easier, I cook and shred the chicken breasts ahead of time, making this an ideal make-ahead meal. After cooking, store your shredded chicken in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use, up to 5 days. Follow our guide to how to shred chicken perfectly for everything you need to know.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is always a welcome addition, and does wonders here. It not only flavors our chicken filling, but is the perfect garnish.
- Cheese: I like to use a blend of two cheeses here: cheddar and Monterey Jack. If you want to just use one or the other, you can, but double the cheese means double the flavor. I highly recommend freshly shredding your cheese for the best possible melty texture.
- Tortillas: Corn tortillas are my preference—they have more flavor than flour and are more traditional. If you prefer flour tortillas, you can use them instead! Whatever tortillas you use, make sure you warm them slightly before filling. This will help soften your tortillas and make them easier to roll.
- Toppings: I love serving these enchiladas with sour cream, lime, and fresh cilantro, but feel free to experiment with your toppings. Add sliced avocado for added creaminess, or your fave hot sauce to amp up the heat.
After preheating our oven, we’ll first cook down our veggies. After coarsely chopping your garlic, bell pepper, and onion, add them to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Once finely chopped, set aside while you heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion-pepper-garlic mixture and cook until softened (making sure to stir occasionally). Add the cumin and give it a stir to fully coat the veggies, then cook until fragrant—only about 1 minute more.
Then you can add the homemade (my preference) or store-bought enchilada sauce along with the crushed tomatoes to the pan, and cook over medium heat. Cook while stirring until warmed through, then reserve ¾ cup of the sauce mixture to later top the enchiladas.
Now we can work on our filling. In a bowl, combine the chicken, cilantro, half of the cheddar, half of the Monterey Jack, and 1 cup of the sauce mixture. Toss everything together to fully combine, then season to taste with salt.
Don’t worry—we aren’t forgetting about what’s left of the sauce. Spread what’s remaining of the sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Now we can move onto my favorite part: filling the tortillas. First, it’s important to slightly warm your tortillas to make them more pliable while rolling—we don’t want any breakage. Spoon about ⅔ cup of the chicken mixture into the center of your tortilla, then roll up the tortilla and arrange them seam-side down on top of the sauce in your baking dish.
Then, repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas, placing them next to each tortilla to form a row along the length of the dish. Once your row is complete, spread your reserved sauce mixture on top of the tortillas, then add your remaining cups of cheese.
Now, we can bake! Add them to the oven, and bake the enchiladas until the cheese is bubbling and melted. Once melty and incredible, top them however you please! I love fresh cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges, but you do you.
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
- All about enchiladas. Originally a Mexican street food, enchiladas began simply as rolled tortillas dipped in chili sauce. As Mexican immigrants moved into Texas, also known as Tejanos, they brought their culinary traditions with them, adapting them along the way to create the Tex-Mex cuisine we know and love today. These enchiladas fall somewhere in between, but theyre definitely Tex-Mex at their core. They may not be authentic by, well, anyones standards, but theyre quick, easy, filling, and delicious.
- Filling variations. If youre looking to expand beyond these classic chicken enchiladas, weve got plenty of options for you. If youre not feeling chicken, then our vegetarian enchiladas or green chili white bean enchiladas are a perfect meatless option, or you can turn to our beef enchiladas if thats more your thing.
How to Cook Chicken for Enchiladas | Kitchen Basics by MOMables
FAQ
How long to boil chicken breast for shredding?
How to cook boneless chicken breast without drying it out?
chicken in, 1/4 cup of water to stop it drying out. Cover with foil . Bake at 200C for min 20 minutes. use a casserole dish if you don’t like foil.Oct 18, 2023
Do I bake chicken enchiladas covered or uncovered?
Most enchiladas are baked and covered with foil until heated through.May 28, 2022
How do you cook shredded chicken for chicken enchiladas?
Mexican food lovers know there are several methods for preparing shredded chicken for chicken enchiladas including boiling whole chickens, simmering boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker, or even using a rotisserie chicken from the deli to pull out long strands of flavorful, juicy meat.
How do you cook chicken breast for enchiladas?
The best method for cooking chicken breasts for enchiladas is to poach them. This involves simmering the chicken breasts in a flavorful liquid until they are cooked through and tender. Poaching helps to retain the moisture in the chicken, ensuring it stays juicy when used in the enchiladas. How long should I poach the chicken breasts?
How often do you make chicken enchiladas?
Twice a month I make chicken enchiladas, lasagna-style. It’s a regular with us because assembly is easy and my whole family gives it a thumbs-up.