I do not know a single person in this world that does not like enchiladas. I mean, I’ll sign up for anything that involves cheese and doughy tortillas. I thought a while back, wouldn’t chicken enchiladas be even better if they were smoked chicken enchiladas?! That’s a hard yes in my book. The problem is smoking a chicken takes forever. Ain’t nobody got time for that most weekends, let alone a weeknight. But, adding ingredients that have smoky flavors – that is easy.
We get double-smoked flavor in this recipe. One from the chipotle peppers (which is basically a smoked jalapeno) and two from liquid smoke. What is liquid smoke? Serious Eats sums it up well in this article stating, “As the name suggests, liquid smoke is a liquid that tastes like smoke—it replicates the flavor produced by smoke-curing without actually requiring you to smoke anything.” Awesome, liquid smoke saves a ton of time. Let’s do this!
Another thing I love about these smoked chicken enchiladas, and really all enchiladas in general, is that it’s easy to make large quantities with minimal effort. I basically stuff all my favorite Mexican-style proteins and veggies into tortillas and bake with a delicious sauce and cheese. In the words of the great Ina Garten, how easy is that? Plus, with leftovers, the flavor just gets better, and the tortillas just get doughier. Oh yeah, that’s my favorite. I had them for lunch today and will again tomorrow. Often, I double the already large recipe and freeze a pan for later. I always thank my past self when I pull a pan of enchiladas from the freezer. Because, when it’s been a day, I love knowing I’ve got some back-up in the freezer. Total lifesaver.
Speaking of meal prepping and batch cooking, I am working on a brand new, free meal planning guide that I would love to share with you. It will take you step by step to start meal planning or make your meal planning more efficient. It can be so hard to get dinner on the table and nourish yourself and your family without a game plan. The guide is almost ready, and you don’t want to miss out. To make sure you’re the first to know when it’s available, sign up for my email list.
PrintSmoked Chicken Enchiladas
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 enchiladas 1x
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 can (15 oz.) no-salt added tomato sauce
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 3 tbsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 3/4 lb. chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 small can (8.5 oz.) corn kernels, drained and rinsed
- 2 bell or poblano peppers, chopped
- 1 tsp. liquid smoke
- 10–12 six-inch tortillas (flour or corn)
- 1 bag (8 oz.) shredded cheese (such as pepper jack), divided
- For topping (optional): cilantro, avocado, Greek yogurt or sour cream, jalapenos, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a blender, add tomato sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, chipotle pepper, and broth. Blend until completely mixed.
- Mix shredded chicken, black beans, corn kernels, peppers, and liquid smoke in a large mixing bowl. Add half the amount of the sauce (about 1 1/4 cup) and about half of the cheese (4 oz.) to the mixture and stir.
- Coat a 9×13 casserole dish with oil or spray oil. Place filling on tortillas, roll up, and arrange with seam side down in casserole dish. Cover enchiladas remaining sauce and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes covered.
- Top with desired extras like cilantro, avocado, etc. and serve.
Tessa says
I had some smoked chicken and was craving enchiladas. I found this recipe and decided to try it out for Sunday family dinner. It was a huge hit! The sauce was delicious even without the Chipotle pepper because I didn’t have any, plus I didn’t use liquid smoke becaise the chicken was smoked. I will be making this again for sure!! Thank you.
★★★★★
Melissa says
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the enchiladas, Tessa! <3