This lazy enchiladas recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. It cuts down the time required to make traditional enchiladas without skimping on flavor. Next time you are looking for an easy dinner option, give these shortcut enchiladas a try!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- We are all for a quick enchilada recipe! This is an easy meal the whole family will enjoy and is perfect for busy nights. Our crockpot enchilada casserole dish would also fit the bill!
- This great recipe requires little prep time. While traditional homemade enchiladas call for stuffing and rolling tortillas, all you will need to do for these shortcut enchiladas is layer the tortillas and enchilada mixture. It's a simple recipe that results in the ultimate comfort food!
- These chicken enchiladas call for flavorful and fresh ingredients that will bring a Mexican restaurant feel into your own home.
- Making this enchilada casserole recipe is the perfect way to mix up taco Tuesday. We hope it becomes a family favorite!
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil and minced garlic
- Bell pepper and onion
- Cumin, chili powder and salt
- Shredded chicken - we recommend using either rotisserie chicken or precooked, shredded chicken for this recipe to cut down on prep time.
- Green enchilada sauce - you will need 2, 10 oz cans of enchilada sauce for this recipe, so make sure you buy enough sauce! You can also buy the large can of enchilada sauce (usually 28 oz) but you will not need to use all of it unless you want your enchiladas extra saucy. You can use your favorite store-bought enchilada sauce or make your own homemade enchilada sauce with green chilis. We love green sauce for this recipe, but you can always swap it for store-bought or homemade red enchilada sauce if you prefer. Also be mindful of the spice level of the sauce and choose a mild enchilada sauce if you are sensitive to spice.
- Plain Greek yogurt - we chose to use plain Greek yogurt in this recipe in place of sour cream, however, you can use sour cream if you prefer. If you need to make dairy-free enchiladas, simply omit the Greek yogurt.
- Lime - freshly squeezed to bring out so much flavor!
- Corn tortillas - we recommend using corn tortillas in place of flour tortillas for this recipe.
- Shredded cheese - we love to add shredded cheddar cheese or Mexican blend cheese on top of the enchiladas!
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cutting board and knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large sauté pan and rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- A large mixing bowl*
- A 9x13 baking dish
- Aluminum foil
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Put the olive oil, garlic, bell pepper, onion, and all of the spices into a medium skillet and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
Add the chicken to the pan and mix until well combined with the vegetables and seasoning. Remove the pan from the heat.
Add the chicken and vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add in about 1 cup of green enchilada sauce, ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt, and freshly squeezed lime juice and mix together until well combined.
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour enchilada sauce into the pan and spread it out across the bottom of the pan (just enough to create a thin, even layer across the pan).
Cut the corn tortillas in half so that they can more easily line up with the edge of the pan. Place a half of a tortilla with the flat edge against the edge of the pan and arrange until there is a layer of tortillas covering the bottom of the pan (see the picture in the step by step photos for an example). You will need to place about 8-10 tortilla halves in a single layer to cover the pan.
Next, put half of the chicken enchilada mixture on top of the tortillas and evenly spread it across the pan.
Add another layer of tortillas, then the second half of the filling, and then another layer of tortillas to top it off.
Pour more green enchilada sauce over the top layer of tortillas. Use the amount you prefer, you may not need the whole can.
Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, place the dish in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Take the foil off at the 15 minutes mark and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and bubbly.
Add any desired toppings such as chopped cilantro or avocado, diced red onion, and fresh lime slices. Enjoy your lazy enchiladas!
Tips & Variations
- Serve lazy enchiladas with traditional side dishes such as refried beans, black beans, rice, or tortilla chips with salsa or a side salad. However, this lazy enchilada recipe is also great to eat as a stand alone meal!
- Feel free to add simple ingredients for toppings. A few examples include green onions, diced red onion, hot sauce or salsa, or black olives (while not necessarily authentic to Mexican enchiladas, a lot of people have the personal preference to add olives to their enchiladas).
- You are more than welcome to swap out the chicken for another type of meat such as ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken. A ground meat option would create something more similar to taquito enchiladas (chicken taquitos or beef taquitos for example). You could also use shredded beef for beef enchiladas or one of our shredded pork recipes (sweet pork or salsa verde pork).
FAQ
We recommend storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
This recipe is gluten-free thanks to the use of corn tortillas. It is not vegan or vegetarian.
Make it dairy-free: to make this recipe dairy-free, simply omit the Greek yogurt and cheese or replace them with a dairy-free variety.
If you like this lazy chicken enchiladas recipe, check out…
If you make this easy enchilada recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product. It makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Lazy Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 large bell pepper
- 1/2 medium onion
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- 2, 10 oz cans of green enchilada sauce (divided)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- Juice from 1 lime
- 12-15 corn tortillas, cut in half
- 1/2-1 cup shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Put the olive oil, garlic, bell pepper, onion, and all of the spices into a medium skillet and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the chicken to the pan and mix until well combined with the vegetables and seasoning. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the chicken and vegetables to a large mixing bowl (or continue in the same pan if it is large enough). Add in about 1 cup of green enchilada sauce, ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt, and the freshly squeezed lime juice. Mix together until well combined.
- Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour enchilada sauce into the pan and spread it out across the bottom of the pan (just enough to create a thin, even layer across the pan).
- Cut the corn tortillas in half so that they can more easily line up with the edge of the pan. Place half of a tortilla with the flat edge against the edge of the pan and arrange until there is a layer of tortillas covering the bottom of the pan (see the picture in the step by step photos for an example). You will need to place about 8-10 tortilla halves in a single layer to cover the pan.
- Next, put half of the chicken enchilada mixture on top of the tortillas and evenly spread it across the pan. Add another layer of tortillas, then the second half of the filling, and then another layer of tortillas to top it off. Evenly spread green enchilada sauce over the top layer of tortillas. Use the amount you prefer, you may not need the whole can. Lastly, sprinkle the top with shredded cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, place the dish in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Take the foil off at the 15 minute mark and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and bubbly.
Notes
- This recipe is gluten-free thanks to the use of corn tortillas. It is not vegan or vegetarian.
- Make it dairy-free: to make this recipe dairy-free, simply omit the Greek yogurt and cheese or replace them with a dairy-free variety.
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Lazy Enchiladas."
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
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