These simple Mexican-style rooster enchiladas are made with juicy rooster thigh meat and rolled into heat corn tortillas with a Mexican cheese mix, inexperienced onions, and jalapeños. I drizzle the baked enchiladas with a fast selfmade cilantro-lime crema and prime them with avocado slices. Use store-bought or selfmade pink enchilada sauce (recipe supplied).


What Makes These Rooster Enchiladas Stand out from the Crowd?
These rooster enchiladas are my husband’s absolute favourite dinner and go-to consolation meals—actually, we would as properly name them “marry-me enchiladas”! They’re excellent for meal prep, making forward, or freezing, which makes them supreme for busy weeknights or after I must feed a crowd of family and friends. You possibly can guess these enchiladas may have everybody coming again for seconds particularly in the event you serve them with my Mexican road corn dip, fan-favorite cilantro-lime black bean rice, and selfmade rooster tacos! You might be in for a deal with – listed below are the recipe highlights:
- Cilantro-Lime Crema: Regardless that I prime my enchiladas with the classics—avocado, inexperienced onions, and recent cilantro—I additionally drizzle on a creamy, Mexican-inspired (and selfmade!) cilantro lime crema for a tangy, refreshing twist.
- Pink Enchilada Sauce Choices: You possibly can undoubtedly use nice store-bought enchilada sauce for this recipe, however I’ve additionally included my selfmade pink enchilada sauce beneath if you wish to go the additional mile!
- Straightforward to Customise: Use totally different proteins like pan-seared rooster thighs, shredded rotisserie rooster, floor turkey, floor rooster or beef, or plant-based meat.
- Naturally gluten-free when made with corn tortillas: Most rooster enchilada recipes on-line use flour tortillas, however conventional Mexican enchiladas are made with corn tortillas. My recipe sticks to custom, utilizing common corn tortillas (like Mission model). Corn tortillas maintain up higher within the sauce and provide a extra genuine taste. Serve this with Mexican road corn sheet pan loaded nachos made with selfmade tortilla chips!


Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Rooster choices: I used skinless boneless rooster thighs that I cooked with spices on the stovetop – the darkish, juicy meat is ideal for rooster enchiladas. It’s also possible to use store-bought rotisserie rooster as an alternative. Shred not less than 3 cups of rooster and mix with the spices, however style the rooster earlier than including further salt and pepper as all rotisserie chickens from the shop are already closely salted.
- Floor meat: In the event you favor to make use of floor meats, go for it! Inconceivable meat (plant-based choice), floor beef, floor turkey, floor rooster, and even floor pork are nice replacements to shredded rooster thighs.
- Cheese: Low moisture mozzarella cheese is a superb substitute for the Mexican mix cheese that I exploit right here!
- Toppings: I’m topping my rooster enchiladas with avocado sliced, chopped recent cilantro, and chopped inexperienced onions. I additionally advocate Cotija, bitter cream, scorching sauce, and guacamole because the toppings. Combine and match!
- Bitter Cream or Yogurt and Mayo vs. Crema: If Mexican crema isn’t obtainable, you’ll be able to mix 1 cup bitter cream or 1 cup yogurt with 1 cup mayo as an alternative!
- Corn tortillas style and carry out finest with this recipe. Nonetheless, if you need to make use of flour tortillas, be sure to get skinny tortillas the identical dimension because the corn, if potential.
- Cassava or Siete Almond Flour Tortillas: Cassava or Almond flour tortillas work simply in addition to corn tortillas! Make certain to observe the directions on the packages to make sure you are utilizing them correctly.
- Tip: The beneath picture depicts each single ingredient you want. Take a screenshot in your buying listing!

Methods to Make Rooster Enchiladas (Step-by-Step)
- That is only a fast overview (with pictures)—discover the total recipe with actual measurements within the recipe card beneath.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and place a rack within the center.
- Season the rooster: In a small bowl, mix the dried oregano, floor cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Season your rooster thighs with the spice combine.

- Prepare dinner the rooster: Warmth a big skillet or nonstick pan with impartial oil over medium-high warmth. Prepare dinner the rooster on either side for about 3-4 minutes till it reaches an inside temperature of 165°F.
- Put together the rooster filling: Take away the rooster and canopy it with plastic wrap to maintain it heat and permit the juices to redistribute. As soon as the rooster is cool sufficient, shred it with two forks and put aside.

- Assembling the enchiladas: Unfold 1 cup of enchilada sauce on the underside of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. I wish to microwave the tortillas wrapped in a moist paper towel for 30 seconds to make them extra pliable.
- Then, one after the other, fill every tortilla with shredded rooster, inexperienced onions, jalapeños (if utilizing), and 1 ½ cups of Mexican mix cheese.
- Organize the stuffed tortillas within the dish, pour the remaining sauce excessive, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- Cowl with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, or till the sauce is effervescent and the cheese is melted.


- Make the cilantro-lime crema: Mix the Mexican crema, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper in a blender till easy. I like to recommend tasting the crema and adjusting the seasoning as wanted. Switch it to a squeeze bottle or measuring cup for simple serving.
- Serving: As soon as the enchiladas are out of the oven, take away the foil and prime with cilantro, inexperienced onions, avocado slices, and additional enchilada sauce if desired. Drizzle with the cilantro lime crema.


Variations
- Vegetarian/vegan: Substitute the rooster along with your favourite vegetarian or vegan pleasant choice! Jackfruit, tofu, mushrooms, candy potatoes, black olives, or beans! Substitute the cheese along with your favourite vegan cheese in the event you like!
- Mini serving: You possibly can halve all of the substances if you wish to make a smaller portion and fewer leftovers!
- Smoky and spicy: You possibly can mix 1 -2 canned chipotle peppers into your enchilada sauce previous to utilizing.
Storage Suggestions
- Refrigerate: What I do is canopy the cooled enchiladas within the casserole dish with a lid or the aluminum foil I used to bake with. In fact, you too can place them in an hermetic container. They are going to hold within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
- To reheat, place on a microwave secure plate or bowl and warmth till you attain your required temperature.
- To freeze, switch the cooled enchiladas to aluminum foil and wrap properly. It might final within the freezer for as much as 1 month.
- Thaw by putting the frozen enchiladas onto a plate and depart it in your fridge in a single day. Reheat following the directions above.
Serve With
- Mexican Road Corn Pasta Salad with Black Beans and Bell Pepper
- Cilantro Lime Black Bean Rice
- Mexican Corn Dip
Extra Mexican Rooster Recipes

Rooster Enchiladas
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Elements
Rooster Filling
- 2 tablespoons impartial oil
- 2 kilos boneless skinless rooster thighs pat dry
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon floor cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons pepper
- 6 medium inexperienced onions white and inexperienced elements roughly chopped
- 3 small jalapenos finely chopped (elective)
- 3 cups Mexican mix cheese divided
- 12 corn tortillas
- 28 oz pink or inexperienced enchilada sauce store-bought or make it from scratch (see recipe beneath)
Cilantro Lime Crema
- 15 oz Mexican crema
- 1 medium lime zest
- 2 medium limes freshly squeezed juice
- 1 bunch cilantro stems eliminated
- 1 clove garlic
- salt and pepper to style
Non-obligatory Toppings
- cilantro roughly chopped
- inexperienced onion roughly chopped
- avocado slices
- further enchilada sauce
Directions
Make Rooster Filling
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Place a rack in the midst of your oven and preheat to 350 levels.
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Mix the dried oregano, floor cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
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Warmth a big skillet or nonstick pan with the impartial oil to medium excessive whilst you season your rooster thighs throughout with the spice combine.
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Totally cook dinner your rooster on either side, about 3-4 minutes per facet, or till they’ve reached an inside temperature of 165 levels. Take away and place in a medium bowl and canopy with plastic wrap to maintain heat, steam barely, and permit the proteins to loosen up and reabsorb any juices.
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As soon as cool sufficient to deal with, shred the rooster with two forks and put aside, protecting loosely once more with the plastic wrap.
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Wrap your tortillas in a moist paper towel or kitchen towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Verify the flexibleness of the tortillas. In the event you can’t roll them with out them breaking, return them to the microwave for one more 10-15 seconds.
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Place 1 cup of your enchilada sauce onto the underside of a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and unfold evenly to cowl.
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Working with one tortilla at a time, ensuring to maintain the unused tortillas coated with the towel to maintain them heat, evenly fill every with the rooster, inexperienced onion, jalapenos if utilizing, and 1 ½ cups of Mexican mix cheese. Repeat this course of till you’ve stuffed the casserole dish.
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Ladle 1 cup of enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, evenly coating them. Pour the remaining sauce right into a small sauce pot, cowl, and carry on low warmth on the range.
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Sprinkle the remaining 1 ½ cups of Mexican mix cheese on prime, wrap with aluminum foil, and bake for 20-25 minutes or till the sauce is effervescent and the cheese is melted.
Make Cilantro Lime Crema
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Whereas the enchiladas are baking, mix the Mexican crema, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper to style in a blender or to a big cup that may match an immersion blender inside. Mix till easy and regulate with salt and pepper. Switch to a squeeze bottle or measuring cup with a spout.
Serving
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As soon as the enchiladas are completed cooking, take away the foil. High with cilantro, inexperienced onions, avocado slices, further enchilada sauce if desired. Serve and drizzle with the crema, further toppings, and additional sauce in the event you like. Serve alongside calabacitas, rice, beans, or any facet you like to eat with enchiladas!
Notes
- Layered vs. rolled enchiladas: In the event you favor to layer your tortillas and filling as an alternative of rolling the fillings inside, don’t overlook to frivolously coat every tortilla you employ in your layers with enchilada sauce. This helps hold your enchilada moist.
- Combining all filling substances collectively: To expedite the filling course of, you’ll be able to mix the inexperienced onion, jalapeno if utilizing, and 1 ½ cups of Mexican mix cheese with the shredded rooster previous to rolling your tortillas.
- In the event you don’t wish to make the crema, you’ll be able to simply use bitter cream to prime your enchiladas.
- This recipe works properly with both pink or inexperienced enchilada sauce! You possibly can’t go improper!
- You possibly can warmth the tortillas in a heat pan sprayed with oil as an alternative of microwaving. It’s going to take a bit extra time, however the tortillas have a tendency to carry up somewhat higher when rolling. It does add somewhat bit extra fats to this recipe, but when that’s not a priority, be at liberty to make use of this technique.
- Home made or store-bought pink enchilada sauce — each work nice right here. I needed to maintain this recipe so simple as potential, so I’ve examined it with each canned enchilada sauce and my selfmade model (you’ll discover the recipe just under the recipe card). Actually, they each work rather well, so go together with whichever choice is best for you.
Straightforward Substitutions
- Rooster: You need to use shredded rotisserie rooster (not less than 3 cups) as an alternative of cooking skinless, boneless rooster thighs.
- Floor Meat: You an additionally sub the rooster with floor beef, turkey, rooster, pork, or plant-based meat like Inconceivable model.
- Cheese: Don’t have Mexican mix? Use shredded low-moisture mozzarella.
- Toppings: I prime mine with avocado slices, chopped cilantro, and inexperienced onions. It’s also possible to use Cotija cheese, bitter cream, guacamole, or a drizzle of scorching sauce as toppings.
- Crema Substitute: Combine 1 cup bitter cream or yogurt with 1 cup mayo.
- Tortillas: I used corn tortillas, however you too can use skinny flour tortillas of comparable dimension as an alternative. I additionally love to make use of Cassava or almond flour tortillas (like Siete model) for rooster enchiladas.
You’ll need these provides:
- knife
- slicing board
- heavy skillet or nonstick pan
- 9 x 13 casserole dish
- massive bowl
- blender or immersion blender
- paper towels or kitchen towel
- zester
- citrus juicer
Home made Pink Enchilada Sauce
The Elements
- 3 tablespoons impartial oil (like vegetable or avocado oil)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup chili powder (use delicate, American-style chili powder). Style it earlier than utilizing it. In case your chili powder is simply too scorching, use smoked paprika as an alternative.
- 1 teaspoon floor cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (elective for warmth, particularly in the event you use delicate, American-style chili powder)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (regulate to style)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 ½ cups rooster broth (Beef broth is nice, too! Or vegetable broth for a vegetarian model)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar (provides brightness)
Methods to Make Pink Enchilada Sauce
- Make a roux: In a medium saucepan, warmth the oil over medium warmth. Whisk within the flour and cook dinner for about 1 minute, stirring continually, till frivolously golden.
- Add spices: Whisk within the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne (if utilizing), and salt. Prepare dinner for 30 seconds to mix the spices.
- Add liquids: Stir within the tomato paste, then steadily whisk within the broth to keep away from lumps. Convey to a simmer.
- Simmer: Let the sauce simmer gently for 10–12 minutes, stirring sometimes, till barely thickened.
- End: Stir within the vinegar. Style and regulate salt or chili powder if wanted.

