Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe | Easy Enchilada Skillet

It’s super simple. Who doesn’t love a recipe that has under five steps to follow from beginning to end?

You’ll love saving time. Sure, traditional chicken enchiladas are absolutely irresistible, but taking time to create the filling, perfect a homemade enchilada sauce, and stuff and roll the enchiladas can be an unrealistic task to take on when you’re pressed for time. This Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipe will have dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.

It’s totally customizable. Use some of my suggestions below to customize this simple TexMex skillet into a dish that will satisfy your whole family.

Your wallet will thank you. We all know that you can buy a rotisserie chicken for next to nothing at the big box stores. Use this recipe as a way to take advantage of the cheaper meat prices, and the fact that it is already cooked for you!

This is definitely a hot button topic for a lot of people when it comes to creating the perfect chicken enchilada. Traditionally, corn tortillas are used for enchiladas, but many people prefer the taste and texture of a flour tortillas instead. For this easy Enchilada Skillet, I chose to cut up corn tortillas, but feel free to use whichever variety you prefer.

Personally, my favorite part of a chicken enchilada is when the tortilla shell soaks up all of the delicious flavor of the enchilada sauce and it gets soft and tender. I know, not everyone shares my sentiment.

Here are a couple of different variations you can try if you prefer your Chicken Enchilada Casserole to have more texture:

• Toast the tortillas. To prevent your tortillas from becoming soggy when baked with all of that melty cheese, try toasting them in a little bit of olive oil or butter in a skillet before chopping them up and layering them in your enchilada casserole.
• Use corn tortilla chips. Turn this casserole into the topping for some nachos! Put a hearty portion of corn tortillas on a plate and scoop a serving of the Chicken Enchilada Casserole on top of them before garnishing with your favorite toppings.

• Rotisserie Chicken- Incredibly convenient and packed with flavor, this chicken is the ultimate weeknight dinner life hack.
• Enchilada Sauce- Grab your favorite prepared enchilada sauce. Choose red or green, depending on your personal preferences.
• Olive Oil- Used to toast the garlic.
• Minced Garlic- Adds a wonderfully aromatic element to the dish.
• Corn Tortillas- Provides the classic texture of chicken enchiladas without the effort of rolling.
• Monterey Jack Cheese- Melts like a dream and adds a lovely flavor to the dish without being overpowering to the other ingredients.
• Cilantro– To add an element of freshness to the dish.
• Cumin- Earthy, savory, and essential to the southwest flavors of the casserole.
• Salt and Pepper- Enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.

Prepare the rotisserie chicken. Remove the meat from the rotisserie chicken and dice it up into bite sized pieces.

Season, pour, and simmer. Place a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Gently roast the minced garlic until golden brown. Add in the prepared rotisserie chicken along with the cumin, salt, and pepper. Pour in the enchilada sauce and stir. Simmer until warmed through.

Layer on tortillas. Cut the corn tortillas into strips (I think I cut mine into 8 pieces each). Layer them on top of the chicken and sauce mixture in the same skillet you were already using.

Cover with tons of cheese. Generously sprinkle the shredded cheese on top of the corn tortillas.

Bake and enjoy! Bake the Chicken Enchilada Casserole for 10-15 minutes at 375F or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with your favorite toppings, and enjoy!

If you have a favorite side dish or topping that you love to eat with traditional chicken enchiladas, you will love them just as much with this Skillet Chicken Enchilada Casserole. Here are some of my favorite things to serve alongside it:

• Mexican Rice
• Refried Beans
• Avocado
• Sour Cream
• Green Salad

Looking for ways to make this dish even better? Here are some tips to make it easier, quicker, and adjust the flavors to be even more delicious:

• Swap out the protein. Don’t have time to run to the store to grab a rotisserie chicken? Use any variety of precooked protein when layering. Try ground beef, shredded beef, or leftover carnitas meat.
• Skip the baking. If you’re trying to avoid heating up your kitchen, or simply want the dish to be ready even faster, layer up the ingredients, pop a glass lid on top of the skillet full of assembled casserole, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
• Experiment with different sauces. Swap out the red enchilada sauce I used for this casserole and try out a green enchilada sauce. Not a huge fan of enchilada sauce? Stir in your favorite salsa before you bake it.

Oops! You made too much? No problem. Toss the leftovers in an airtight container and it will stay just as tasty as the day you made it for 2-3 days after it is baked.

If you want to freeze it, you can save it for 2-3 months when placed in a freezer-safe container. Keep in mind the texture of the tortillas may deteriorate over time. If you’re preparing this ahead of time for a freezer meal, consider omitting the tortilla shells and adding them in when reheating the casserole.

To reheat, place the frozen casserole in the refrigerator overnight to defrost. Place the Chicken Enchilada Casserole in the Oven at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the dish is heated through.

If you love this Chicken Enchilada Skillet recipe as much as we do, make sure you share it with your friends on social media so they can love it too. Don’t forget to save it so you can add it to your busy night dinner rotation to make again soon.