Chicken Enchilada Skillet

There are many ways to make enchiladas (beef enchiladas! chicken enchiladas verde!), but if you’re looking for the easiest way, it’s this chicken enchilada skillet!

The idea behind enchiladas in a skillet is that you mix the filling, sauce, and cut-up tortillas right in the pan, top it with cheese, and skip the whole part where you have to warm and roll the tortillas. And if you have young kids, you’ll appreciate that you don’t have to painstakingly cut the enchiladas into bite-sized pieces for them on their plates. Skillet enchiladas for the win!

Easy Skillet Enchilada Bake

No rolling needed. It can be frustrating to make enchiladas when the tortillas tear as you roll them, or you try to avoid that by warming them up, but warming each individual tortilla is a pain and warming them all together means by the time you get to the last one, it’s cool. It’s not hard, it’s just kind of a hassle. This recipe takes all the hassle out by cutting up the tortillas, and mixing them right in.

A hearty dinner. With the chicken, beans, and corn tortillas (which always seem so much more satisfying than the flour version!), this is a meal that fills you up—not in a heavy way, but in a way that doesn’t leave you rifling through the fridge a few hours after dinner.

Leftovers are delicious. Your family might just end up fighting over who gets to have the leftovers for lunch the next day. The flavors really blend together after a day or so in the refrigerator, and skillet enchiladas reheat like a dream.

Make it your own. I make this recipe with leftover chicken, pinto beans, and enchilada sauce, but you can use this recipe as a springboard for your own favorite enchilada components. Let everyone add their favorite toppings and enjoy the EASIEST enchiladas ever.

Ingredient Notes

• Olive oil: Since the oil is used for sautéing the onion and garlic, any neutral cooking oil can work as a substitute.  
• Yellow onion and garlic: These aromatics form the backbone of flavor for the filling. White or red onion will also work if that’s what you happen to have on hand.
• Spices: Ground cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika add earthiness, heat, and aromatic flavor to the chicken enchilada filling.
• Cooked chicken: Rotisserie or leftover chicken work well. I often use air fryer chicken breasts or Instant Pot shredded chicken which I usually keep on hand in the freezer for meals like this.
• Pinto beans: Canned beans are so handy; rinse and drain them well to get rid of that canned bean flavor. If you want to make your own from dried beans, consider trying Instant Pot pinto beans (you don’t have to soak them first!).
• Red enchilada sauce: Homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought both work.  
• Diced green chiles: These canned chiles come in mild or spicy varieties. Use whichever you like! 
• Corn tortillas: Flour tortillas can get quite soggy in enchiladas, so I much prefer corn. Corn tortillas have a lot more flavor, too, and they’re gluten-free.
• Shredded Mexican blend cheese: Cheddar or Monterey jack cheese works too, or try pepper jack for some mild heat.
• Optional toppings: Sour cream or Greek yogurt, diced avocado or guacamole, fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, jalapeño slices, lime wedges.

How to Make Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Cook the aromatics. Warm the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. You’ll be using this skillet for the entire recipe, so make sure it’s large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Stir in the onion and cook until it’s softened (but not browned), then add the garlic and spices. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Add the rest of the “filling” ingredients. Stir in the chicken, beans, enchilada sauce, and green chiles and bring to a simmer.

Stir in tortillas and cheese. Stir in the cut-up tortillas and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more until the tortillas begin to soften, then fold in a cup of cheese.

Bake. Sprinkle the remaining cheese evenly over the contents of the skillet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling and the cheese is melted.

Serve. Let the chicken enchilada skillet sit for 5 minutes to cool down and thicken up a bit, then serve with your desired toppings.

Easy Recipe Variations

• Try other beans. Black beans or kidney beans would also work, or you can use dried beans that you cook in advance. (About a half cup of dried beans will yield the equivalent of a can of beans.)
• Swap out the protein or make it meatless.Try carnitas instead of chicken, double the beans and omit the chicken, or sauté extra veggies (chopped bell peppers, corn, summer squash) with the onions instead.
• Use green enchilada sauce. If you prefer a slightly tangier flavor, you can use green enchilada sauce instead of red.

Serving Ideas

Salad. A fresh salad with Tex-Mex flavor would be perfect. Try tossing romaine, tomatoes, and fire-roasted corn with this creamy avocado dressing. Taco slaw or avocado salad are great choices, too.

Rice. You can serve this chicken enchilada skillet along with Mexican rice or cilantro lime rice.

Pickled vegetables. I absolutely love pickled veggies with Mexican food! They add crunch and bright flavor. Try my pickled red onions.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate: Store any leftover chicken enchilada skillet in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Freeze: Freeze skillet enchiladas in an airtight container or freezer bag. Note that the tortillas will be significantly softer after freezing; if you’re making this recipe specifically for freezing, you can omit the tortillas and the cheese on top, freeze the filling, and then add the tortillas and cheese topping when reheating.

Reheat: To reheat leftover chicken enchilada skillet, thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator first. Warm in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave.