Easy Peasy Hawaiian Chicken Enchiladas

Never made enchiladas before? No problem. These Chicken Enchiladas are so simple to make, and so good! Fill your tortillas, roll ’em up, cover with sauce and cheese, and bake!

I never liked store bought enchildas, they were either too bland or too full of miss matched flavour, chock block full of salt and preservatives. 

I love the flavour combination of chicken and pineapple. Add diced bacon and this girl is in heaven! Top with my favourite 3 cheese blend and there is a party in my mouth!

This is also a versatile recipe, you can use chicken mince, left over rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken breast....thinking about it you could also very easily change to beef mince and omit the pineapple. 

We are huge lovers of Mexican Food in this house, and these enchiladas are going to become an absolute favourite. The fact that it makes plenty for left overs makes meal prepping easy as well.

And nothing fills the house with delicious smells that gets the mouths watering of even the neighbours like this Chicken Enchilada recipe.

Chicken enchiladas are so easy to make. That’s why it’s become  one of my favourite go-to weeknight meals.

The best thing about this chicken enchilada recipe is that if you make more than you need, you can freeze and use the filling another day! This is a great meal to batch make! I always make more filling than I think we’ll need and am guaranteed someone will finish off the leftovers the next day!

QUICK NOTE: Want to make this super easy? Buy a rotisserie chicken and use that for your shredded chicken! The chicken is super moist and juicy and saves you a step from having to cook the chicken! 

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 flour tortillas, soft shell size – traditionally corn tortillas are used, but I prefer flour. Feel free to use either.
• 500g chicken mince or 2.5 cups shredded chicken – I typically will grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery and shred it (save some prep time!) You can also use leftover baked chicken breasts (this is a terrific recipe for leftovers).
• 1/2 cup black beans- drained
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 1 can diced tomatoes with italian herbs
• I Jar Passata
• 1 tin Diced Pineapple- drained
• 2 cups Pizza cheese blend

Feel free to customize! Leave out what you don’t like and add in anything that sounds yummy! You cannot go wrong!

VARIATIONS

• Tortillas – You can use either corn tortillas or flour. Depending on your preference this will change up the recipe. You could also use gluten-free tortillas to make it a gluten-free dinner.
• Protein – Change up the protein. Add minced beef, pulled pork, carnitas, or go meatless using a vegetarian meatless crumble.
• Bean – Add additional beans like white beans. You can even use chickpeas or lentils.
• Sauce – Try a green enchilada sauce to kick up the heat a bit or try a white enchilada sauce to give more of a cheese taste. There’s a lot you can do to put your own spin on classic chicken enchiladas. Instead of using red enchilada sauce, try a green enchilada sauce to kick up the heat a bit or try a white enchilada sauce that is deliciously creamy and cheesy.
• Fillings – There are so many different fillings you could use for making your authentic chicken enchiladas. If you prefer more veggies, red and yellow bell peppers are the perfect sweet and crunchy addition to this recipe.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

1. 1. Preheat oven to 180°C and spritz the bottom of the pan with cooking spray.
2. 2. Heat frypan to medium high heat and add chicken mince, herbs and bacon breaking up the mince as it cooks.
3. 3. Add pineapple and passata and cook until chicken is cooked through. 
4. 4. Set aside to cool and let sauce thicken.
5. 5. Scoop even portions into tortillas, fold and place in pan with folded side down.
6. 6. Repeat until all sauce is used.
7. 7. Top enchiladas with remaining passata and cheese
8. 8. Bake for 20 minutes or until warmed through and cheese is golden.. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DO I USE CORN TORTILLAS OR FLOUR TORTILLAS FOR ENCHILADAS

Flour tortillas are the best tortillas to use when making chicken enchiladas, they are much easier to roll. That being said, chicken enchiladas are nothing if not customisable! There’s nothing to stop you from using the chicken enchilada filling inside of corn tortillas if that’s what you prefer.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS IN THE CROCKPOT

Chicken enchiladas can also be made in your slow cooker or pressure cooker if you want your meal to be ready and waiting when you get home. Simply put all the ingredients, aside from the tortillas, into your slow cooker and cook on low. When you’re ready to eat, simply assemble your chicken enchiladas and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

HOW DO I MAKE MY ENCHILADAS CRISPY?

I often hear that people love chicken enchiladas from their favourite Mexican restaurant… But when they try to make enchiladas at home, they turn out gooey and soggy. Here are my top tips for making crispy chicken enchiladas:
– Don’t soak the tortillas in the enchilada sauce for too long and make sure the excess drips off. If the flour tortillas absorb too much moisture, they will break down.
– When you pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top of your assembled chicken enchiladas, leave the edges exposed. Only pour the sauce down the middle so the ends of the tortillas cook more.
– You could consider using corn tortillas instead of flour ones. These are more resistant to moisture from the sauce.
– After baking your chicken enchiladas in the oven for 20 minutes, put them under the grill for a few more minutes. This will ensure the top does nice and crispy!