The best enchiladas are made with corn tortillas! Jump to the recipe below or scroll down for tips on preparing the corn tortillas and making the easiest shredded chicken for your enchiladas.
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In Mexico, enchiladas are traditionally made with corn tortillas. In the United States, most enchiladas are made with flour tortillas.
While flour tortillas are easier to make because they are less fragile, they don't have as much flavor as corn tortillas.
If you want to make the best possible enchiladas for your family (or yourself), corn tortillas are the way to go!
🧀 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Salsa: Use your favorite salsa to cook the chicken in.
- Tacos Seasoning: Buy a packet of taco seasoning at the store or use a homemade version.
- Chicken Breast: You will need just over a pound of chicken breast to make the shredded chicken for these enchiladas. If you don't want to make chicken in a slow cooker as the recipe suggests, you can take 2 cups of shredded chicken (maybe from a rotisserie chicken), and mix it with 1 packet of taco seasoning and ½-1 cup of salsa.
- Vegetable Oil: You will need a neutral oil to fry the tortilla. You can use avocado or canola oil if you don't have vegetable oil.
- Yellow Corn Tortillas: I like using yellow corn tortillas because they have more flavor than white, but both work for this recipe.
- Red Enchilada Sauce: I used my favorite enchilada sauce for this recipe - Siete red enchilada sauce.
- Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar cheese is a popular option for Tex-Mex enchiladas. If you want more traditional options, try Cotija or Queso Quesadilla Cheese.
Full ingredient list with quantities in the recipe card below
🔪 How to Make Corn Tortilla Enchiladas
Step 1: Make Chicken- Mix salsa and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Add chicken. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours. Shred the chicken and return it to the slow cooker.
Step 2: Prepare Tortillas- Heat oil in a small skillet. Lightly fry tortillas. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Step 3: Assemble Enchiladas- Spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Roll cheese and shredded chicken in a tortilla. Place seam side down in the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Step 4: Bake- Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes.
👩🍳Tip
Don't skip the frying. I tested this out myself. The tortillas I warmed up on the pan (and didn't lightly fry) were fragile and didn't hold up well after cooking. The ones I lightly fried didn't break while assembling the enchiladas, and they held their structure after baking in the oven.
Views on the Road has more great tips on preparing corn tortillas for enchiladas.
White Corn Tortillas vs. Yellow Corn Tortillas
White corn tortillas are made with white corn kernels, and yellow corn tortillas are made with yellow corn kernels. I've found that the yellow ones are a little harder to find, but they are worth looking for.
Yellow corn tortillas have more flavor and taste better than white corn tortillas. Both have more flavor than flour tortillas.
🥗 Sides
- Fruit salad
- Elote
- Mexican Rice
- Mexican Cucumber Tomato Salad
❓ Recipe Questions
How to soften corn tortillas for enchiladas?
The best way to soften tortillas is to lightly fry them in a skillet with neutral oil. Frying will give your enchiladas a better texture, and the tortillas will hold up better.
Are corn tortillas gluten-free?
Corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free since their ingredients (corn, water, and salt) are all gluten-free.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Corn Tortilla Enchiladas with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup salsa I used Tenayo original salsa
- 1 package taco seasoning or ¼ cup taco seasoning
- 1 ¼ - 1 ½ lbs chicken breast
- 2-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 10 yellow corn tortillas
- 16 oz red enchilada sauce
- 2 cups cheddar cheese
Instructions
To Make Shredded Chicken
- Mix salsa and taco seasoning in the slow cooker. Add chicken. Cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 6 hours.
- Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Return it to the slow cooker, and mix with the sauce in the slow cooker.
To Make Enchiladas
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, place one tortilla in the skillet with tongs. Lightly fry on one side for 10-15 seconds, then flip the light fry on the other for another 10-15 seconds. Remove the tortilla from the pan and let the excess oil dip off. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
- Spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of your baking dish.
- Place your shredded chicken and one tablespoon of shredded cheese down the center of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla and place the seam-side down in the dish.
- Once you've assembled all the enchiladas, pour the remaining sauce over them and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Tami says
making today, thanks!