Why You’ll Love This these Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas
These enchiladas are basically a weeknight dinner miracle, turning that grocery store rotisserie chicken into something that tastes like you’ve been slaving over a hot stove all day.
The homemade sauce comes together in minutes with pantry staples, creating this rich, tangy coating that’s way better than anything from a can.
Plus, you can prep the whole thing ahead of time and just pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat, which means less stress and more time to wonder why you ever bothered with takeout.
Ingredients List
This recipe calls for ingredients you probably already have hiding in your pantry, plus that rotisserie chicken you grabbed on your last grocery run.
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 14-16 small corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cheese, of choice (I like a jack or cheddar mix)
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
A few healthy tweaks to ponder:
- Choose a rotisserie chicken that’s not heavily seasoned with sodium
- Light sour cream keeps things a bit lighter, but regular works fine too
- Corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free and have fewer calories than flour ones
- You can sneak in extra veggies like bell peppers or spinach with the onions
- The homemade sauce lets you control the sodium, unlike store-bought enchilada sauce that’s basically a salt bomb
Step by Step Directions
Making these rotisserie chicken enchiladas is straightforward and perfect for busy weeknights when you want something homemade without all the fuss.
- Prep your workspace – Preheat oven to 350°F and spray your baking dish with cooking spray.
- Prepare the chicken – Remove all meat from the rotisserie chicken bones, discard the skin, and chop or shred into small bite-sized pieces; place in a bowl.
- Prep the vegetables – Chop the large sweet onion and set aside.
- Make the sauce – In a separate bowl, mix together tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, light sour cream, pepper, salt, onion powder, red chili pepper flakes, chili powder, and vinegar until well combined.
- Assemble the enchiladas – Take each corn tortilla in your hand, add some chicken, chopped onion, and a spoonful of sauce, then roll it up tightly; place each enchilada seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Add remaining sauce – Spread any leftover sauce evenly over the top of all the enchiladas.
- First bake – Cover the dish lightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Add cheese and finish – Remove from oven, take off the foil, top with shredded cheese, and bake for an additional 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve – Garnish with extra sour cream if desired.
For even more precise temperature control when preparing your chicken ahead of time, consider using a sous vide circulator to ensure perfectly tender and juicy results.
Substitutions and Variations
- Sauce variations – Green enchilada sauce, salsa verde, or even a creamy white sauce can replace the tomato-based mixture, depending on what’s hiding in your pantry.
- Make it dairy-free – Use coconut cream instead of sour cream and skip the cheese, or try those fancy dairy-free cheese alternatives that actually melt now.
- Bulk it up – Add cooked rice, quinoa, or diced bell peppers to the filling when you’re feeding a crowd or want extra vegetables sneaked in.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
These enchiladas are basically a complete meal wrapped up in a tortilla, but to be frank, who doesn’t love a good side dish situation.
- Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice – Because carbs on carbs is a legitimate food group, and the rice soaks up any extra sauce that tries to escape your plate.
- Refried beans or black beans – They add protein and that satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs feeling that makes you want to take a little nap afterward.
- Simple side salad with lime vinaigrette – Something fresh and crunchy to cut through all that melted cheese richness, plus it makes you feel like you’re being healthy.
- Guacamole and tortilla chips – Because apparently I’m trying to turn dinner into a full-blown fiesta, and honestly, why wouldn’t you want extra avocado in your life?
- Roasted vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, or corn – Toss them with cumin and chili powder to keep the flavor theme going, and suddenly you’ve got yourself a fancy restaurant-style plate.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Making these enchiladas is honestly pretty forgiving, but I’ve got some tricks that’ll make your life easier and your enchiladas even better.
- Warm those tortillas first – Pop them in the microwave between damp paper towels for about 30 seconds, or heat them individually in a dry skillet for just a few seconds per side, because cold tortillas are basically guaranteed to crack and make you question all your life choices.
- Don’t overfill the tortillas – I know it’s tempting to stuff them like you’re packing a suitcase, but about 2-3 tablespoons of filling per tortilla is the sweet spot where they’ll actually roll without exploding.
- Save some sauce for serving – Reserve about half a cup of that tomato mixture before you pour it all over the enchiladas, because there’s always someone at the table who wants extra sauce and will give you sad puppy eyes if there isn’t any.
- Let them rest for 5 minutes after baking – This gives the sauce time to thicken up slightly and the cheese to set just enough so your enchiladas don’t fall apart the second you try to serve them.
- Use parchment paper under the foil – If your sauce is particularly saucy, the foil might stick to the cheese, and nobody wants to serve enchiladas that look like they got in a fight with aluminum foil and lost.
Nutritional Facts
Based on the recipe serving 6-8 people, here’s the nutritional breakdown per serving:
- Calories: 320-380 per serving
- Protein: 28-32g (high protein from rotisserie chicken)
- Carbohydrates: 25-30g (primarily from corn tortillas and tomato sauce)
- Fat: 12-15g (from cheese, sour cream, and chicken)
- Fiber: 3-4g (from corn tortillas and vegetables)
- Sodium: 650-750mg (varies based on cheese and chicken seasoning)
- Calcium: 15-20% daily value (from cheese and corn tortillas)
- Iron: 10-12% daily value (from chicken and enriched tortillas)
- Vitamin C: 8-10% daily value (from tomatoes and onions)
- Saturated Fat: 5-7g per serving
Fun “Did You Know?”
Here’s another fun fact: enchiladas date back to Aztec times when people rolled tortillas around small fish.
Spanish conquistadors adapted the dish, and it evolved into today’s version with various fillings.
I find it fascinating that corn tortillas contain complete proteins when paired with chicken, making these enchiladas nutritionally balanced.
You’re actually eating a dish with centuries of culinary evolution!
