Chicken Enchiladas at 350°F: Baking Time + Easy Recipe
Chicken enchiladas typically take 20–25 minutes at 350°F (175°C). In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make cheesy chicken enchiladas with homemade sauce, plus my best tips for getting them perfectly hot, melty, and delicious.
Ingredients For Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
For the Filling: Shredded chicken mixed with onion, garlic, and warm spices like cumin, chili powder, and paprika creates the savory base.
For the Tortillas and Sauce: Corn tortillas keep it traditional, while rich enchilada sauce adds that signature flavor and keeps everything moist.
For the Topping: A generous sprinkle of cheese melts into gooey, golden goodness, finished with fresh toppings like cilantro, avocado, or sour cream.
How Long To Bake Enchiladas At 400?
At 400°F (200°C), enchiladas bake in about 15 minutes. Watch closely, as some ovens brown the cheese too quickly. If that happens, cover loosely with foil until the filling heats through.
Keesha’s Tips & Tricks
- Use cooked chicken: Shredded cooked chicken heats evenly and keeps the baking time short.
- Cover first: Cover with foil to prevent the tortillas and cheese from drying out, then uncover toward the end.
- Rest before serving: Let the enchiladas sit for 5–10 minutes after baking so they hold together better.
How to Store Chicken Enchiladas
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave. To freeze, cool completely, then store for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
FAQs about Chicken Enchiladas
More Delicious Recipes
Craving more Latin flavors? Try these Fajitas de Res for a quick, bold dinner, or cozy up with Carne Molida con Papas for something hearty. For a crispy side, Tortitas de Papa are always a hit.
Uber Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas With Easy Homemade Sauce
Ingredients
For the chicken enchiladas
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, cut into strips
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fine salt, to taste
- 8 flour tortillas
- 3 cups Mexican-blend cheese, grated
For the enchilada sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp cake flour
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
For garnish
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 small red onion, diced
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Cook your chicken
- To start, prepare your chicken. Heat some olive oil in a medium frying pan. Then, season your chicken strips with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add your chicken pieces to the heated oil. Fry them for roughly 5-7 minutes per side. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165ºF (74ºC) when it's cooked. Alternatively, here are other ways to tell when chicken is cooked.
- Remove your chicken from the heat and set it aside to cool slightly.
- Once cooled a bit, you can shred the chicken completely. This is where you can play around with texture and how big you want the chicken pieces to be.
- Set the chicken aside when you're finished.
Make the enchilada sauce
- Next, make the enchilada sauce. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine well.
- Add the spices and dried herbs. Whisk the ingredients together well so you have a flavorful paste.
- Then, slowly whisk in the vegetable broth in a thin stream. Keep whisking to ensure no lumps form as the paste is thinned out.
- After all of the broth has been added, whisk in the tomato paste. Bring the enchilada sauce to a simmer and remove it from the heat.
- Allow it to cool for a while.
Assemble, bake, and serve your chicken enchiladas
- To assemble your enchiladas for baking, start by mixing together the shredded chicken with 1/3 cup enchilada sauce.
- Next, heat the flour tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds. Then, flip them over and microwave the other side for another 30 seconds. They should be warm and pliable.
- Place one tortilla on a flat surface. Add a generous amount of filling and some grated cheese. Don't use all of the cheese for the filling. Reserve some for the topping.
- Once the tortilla is filled, roll it tightly and place it inside a baking dish, seam side facing downwards.
- Repeat until your entire baking dish is filled with stuffed tortillas.
- Then, add the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas. Top them with shredded cheese.
- Finally, bake the enchiladas for 20 minutes at 350ºF (180ºC).
- Once baked, serve them immediately with your fresh garnishes.
