If comfort food is your love language, these homemade chicken enchiladas are about to become a firm favourite. I'll show you how you can prep both the spice mix AND the sauce in advance to make this a 30 minute meal! Then you can enjoy homemade enchiladas - even when you're short on time.

A close-up of baked enchiladas covered in red sauce, topped with a line of crumbled white cheese and chopped fresh herbs down the center.

I am not saying these enchiladas are authentic; I know they're not.

Jump to:

Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Enchiladas
How To Prep Chicken Enchiladas In Advance
How to make Homemade Chicken Enchiladas
Storage and Reheating
Other Recipes You'll Love
The BEST Homemade Chicken Enchiladas

But ingredient accessibility in the UK to make truly authentic enchiladas is lacking, so I make do with what we've got. This is a tried and tested recipe that I've been making for YEARS for my family and we love it. So I thought I'd share some joy with other families who'd like to make their own homemade enchiladas. The addition of mozzarella just makes the whole thing infinitely tastier, 'cause cheese is life.

Loaded with tender chicken and mozzarella cheese, wrapped in soft tortillas and smothered in the most delicious sauce, they’re guaranteed to go down a treat with whoever tries them!

Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Enchiladas

A selection of ingredients on a wooden surface: red and green bell peppers, original flour tortillas, grated mozzarella, a jar labeled enchilada spice mix, flat leaf parsley, Greek feta, an onion, and raw chicken breasts.

Protein: Chicken (breast or thighs)
Dairy: Mozzerella and Feta
Vegetables: peppers and onion
Herbs and Spices: cayenne (or chilli powder), oregano, garlic powder (or garlic paste), ground cumin, paprika and fresh parsley - see section below on how to batch prepare the homemade chicken enchilada spice mix so you have a ready-made blend that you can use again and again
Tortillas

Ingredients for Homemade Enchilada Sauce

A wooden surface with ingredients: tomato paste tube, white wine vinegar bottle, ground cumin and cayenne spice jars, oregano tin, a stock cube, a glass with flour, and a glass with water.

Rue (thickening base): oil and plain flour (all-purpose)
Herbs and Spices: cayenne (or chilli powder), oregano, ground cumin
Chicken stock - I also use the cooking juices from the chicken (if making the sauce each time, although not if making in advance)
White Wine or Cider Vinegar
Tomato puree

How To Prep Chicken Enchiladas In Advance

Firstly, you can bulk prepare multiple 'dump-bags' of chicken and vegetables coated in the marinade and freeze until needed. Defrost in the fridge overnight and follow the recipe as required thereafter.

Then, if you also prep either the homemade chicken enchilada spice mix and/or the enchilada sauce in advance, you’ll:

save money (from buying individual spices in bulk)
reduce the time it takes to make a tasty meal at home

Pre-made mixes cost £1.25 for one meal for a family of 4.

Whereas buying all these spices and making your own homemade enchilada spice mix means you’ll get multiple uses for a fraction of the cost. Plus you'll have them to use in other meals too!

How To Make Homemade Enchilada Spice Mix (In Bulk)

Makes enough for 6 portions:

4 tablespoon cayenne (or chill powder)
4 tablespoon oregano
4 tablespoon garlic powder (or granules)
2 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoon salt

Then use approx. 2.5 - 3 tablespoon of homemade enchilada spice mix with 650-800g of protein (dependant on how many people you're feeding/individual family protein intake needs).

The spice mix can be stored in an airtight jar for up to 6 months.

A person with dark-red painted nails holds a glass jar filled with a reddish-brown powder. The jar is labeled ENCHILADA SPICE MIX in black marker. The background is blurred.

How To Make Enchilada Sauce (In Bulk)

You can also make the enchilada sauce in bulk too, which saves even more time in the preparation stage. In this scenario, you would simply drain off the chicken juices rather than utilising them in your sauce.

Makes enough for 3 portions:

9 tablespoon oil
9 tablespoon plain flour
3 teaspoon cumin
3 teaspoon oregano
3 teaspoon cayenne (or chilli powder)
3 tablespoon cider vinegar (or white wine)
6 tablespoon tomato puree
1200ml chicken stock

Following the instructions in the method section below on how to make enchilada sauce or the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Then divide the sauce into 3 containers and you can either freeze or refrigerate until needed. If freezing the sauce - defrost in the fridge overnight before using.

A glass jar filled with red enchilada sauce, sealed with a black lid. The words ENCHILADA SAUCE are handwritten in black marker on the front of the jar. The jar is placed on a wooden surface.

How to make Homemade Chicken Enchiladas

Start by adding the ingredients for marinade into a bowl. You will need the oil, cayenne, oregano, garlic powder, ground cumin, paprika and salt. Cut the chicken breast into bite sized pieces and stir through marinade. Prepare the peppers and onion by peeling and slicing.

A glass bowl filled with raw, marinated chicken pieces coated in reddish-brown spices, placed on a wooden surface.

Add all ingredients to pan (marinated chicken and prepared vegetables) and fry until cooked through. I drain off the cooking liquid (from the chicken and veg) into a measuring jug to use in my enchilada sauce mix. Mix through the grated mozzarella which will melt with the heat from the chicken - leave this to one side whilst you prepare the sauce.

A close-up of a pan filled with cooked chicken pieces, sliced onions, and red and green bell peppers, all seasoned and mixed together. The dish sits on a wooden surface.

A Pyrex measuring cup containing a small amount of separated brown and orange liquid, with measurement markings visible on the glass. The cup sits on a wooden surface against a light background.

Start making the enchilada sauce by preparing a base rue by mixing together the oil and plain flour. Then add cumin, oregano, cayenne, vinegar and tomato puree - stir to combine and heat through for 1 minute on medium heat on the hob.

A saucepan containing melted butter, white flour, and a portion of tomato paste, all unmixed, sits on a wooden surface.

A stainless steel saucepan with tomato paste, ground cumin, oregano, and paprika on top, sitting on a wooden surface. The ingredients are unmixed and ready to be combined.

Dissolve the chicken stock cube cube in in hot water to reach total volume of 400ml liquid in measuring jug (whether or not you are using the chicken juices). Start to pour the chicken stock in, whilst stirring continuously, and the sauce will thicken.

A glass Pyrex measuring cup filled with brown liquid and a layer of orange oil on top, sitting on a wooden surface against a light background.

A stainless steel pot filled with smooth, red tomato sauce sits on a wooden surface. The sauce has a glossy texture and appears freshly cooked.

Now you need to assemble the homemade enchiladas. Pre heat your oven then fill the tortillas with chicken enchilada filling and add them, once filled, to an oven proof dish. Pour over the sauce and bake enchiladas in oven for 15-20 minutes. Top your homemade chicken enchiladas with the frenshly crumbled feta cheese and chopped parsley.

A flour tortilla on a wooden surface, topped with cooked chicken, onions, bell peppers, and shredded cheese, ready to be wrapped into a burrito or fajita.

Six tightly rolled flour tortillas filled with ingredients are arranged in a single layer in a white rectangular baking dish with teal rim, ready to be baked or served.

Storage and Reheating

Both the marinated chicken and/or cooked chicken for homemade Chicken Enchiladas can be stored in the fridge for 4 days or freezer for 3 months.

Once the chicken enchiladas are fully cooked and baked, to reheat - microwave until piping hot.

If you know you aren't going to use the full portion, then I wouldn't add the feta and parsley on top. Simply serve the garnish on each serving as its eaten.

Other Recipes You'll Love

If you like this recipe for homemade Chicken Enchiladas, then why not try these recipes that I think you'll also love:

A bowl of seasoned rice, chili with minced meat, and tortilla chips garnished with tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream, and cilantro, placed on a wooden surface.

A bowl of tortilla chips surrounds a pile of guacamole. The guacamole appears chunky with visible pieces of red onion, tomato, and cilantro. The dish is placed on a wooden surface, and sunlight casts shadows across the scene.

If you have any questions please leave a comment and I'll get back to you. Or I would really appreciate it if you left me a review below.

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