I made these BBQ Chicken Enchiladas for the first time about five years ago. A craving for saucy Barbecue Chicken hit and I didn’t have any potatoes in the house to make my go-to easy dinner, BBQ Chicken Potatoes. My oldest son had asked earlier that day if we could make these Cheesy Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas again.
This recipe was the result of those two cravings meeting in the middle and using the ingredients on hand in my house at the time. I laughed as we were eating because I impressed my whole family that night with the way I used what was on hand.
Trust me when I say that we’ve had some far less successful “throw the meal together with what’s on hand” kind of dinners. We all wound up really enjoying this meal. I’ve made BBQ Chicken Enchiladas countless times since that first dinner. From the spicy sauce to the sweet onions and the tender chicken pieces covered in cheese, everything about these enchiladas makes me grin.
Tips For Making Enchiladas
Kitchen Tip: I use this knife and this baking pan to make this recipe.
- 3 cups leftover BBQ chicken about 3 breasts or 4 thighs chopped into 1/2” pieces
- 1/2 cup caramelized onions chopped small, or 1 large onion sautéed until translucent and lightly browned
- 1 1/2 cups favorite sweet and spicy barbeque sauce I used this homemade sauce
- 1 1/2 cups red or green chile enchilada sauce I used green chile sauce
- 16 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded, about 3-4 cups total
- 6-8 white corn tortillas flour tortillas would work as well, sliced into wedges as pictured below.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the enchilada sauce and the barbecue sauce and set aside. In the bottom of a 9x13 dish, place about ¼ cup of the sauce and then layer with tortillas. I like to slice my tortillas into triangles, because it makes it much simpler to layer into the dish. It also prevents getting big bites of just the tortillas.
- Layer about half of the chicken over the tortillas and top with a couple tablespoons of the onions. Sprinkle with about 1/4 of the cheese and layer again with tortillas. Pour about 1/3 of the sauce over the tortillas, just enough to flavor and coat them. Repeat the layers again with the chicken, onions, cheese and tortillas. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the dish and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the layers are almost bubbling. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or so until the dish is bubbling and the smells are filing the kitchen. Let rest at least 10-15 minutes before serving. You can serve it immediately, but it will firm up a good bit after resting. Enjoy!
{originally published 6/7/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/19/18}
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