There’s really nothing better than an enchilada bake on any night of the week - and this Skillet Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Bake is exactly what I'm talking about!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
When you layer together shredded enchilada chicken with ALL THE CHEESE, tortillas, black beans and corn it’s basically a recipe for success. This recipe for Skillet Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Bake has been in our family for years and I’m excited to pass it on to you guys!
You can also use that shredded Verde stye chicken we talked about years ago and ground chicken works too! You can really customize it depending on what you prefer! Quick how-to video is here!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or thighs
- Enchilada Sauce
- Green Chiles
- Chipotles in adobo
- Monterey Jack Cheese shredded
- Corn Tortillas
- Black Beans
- Fresh Corn removed from the cob
- Scallions and Cilantro to garnish
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Bake
Step 1: Combine the chicken, enchilada sauce, green chiles and chipotle peppers in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat, stir everything to combine, and cook for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
Step 2: Remove the chicken, and using 2 forks, shred the chicken. Reserve all of the sauce.
Step 3: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a medium sized skillet, layer the ingredients, starting with a layer of sauce followed by 3 tortillas, ½ of the chicken, ½ of the black beans, ½ of the corn, ½ of the cheese.
Step 4: Repeat for the second layer with the remaining sauce, tortillas, chicken, black beans, corn and cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes uncovered, until bubbly and cheese has melted and started to brown on top.
Step 5: Top with scallions and cilantro to serve. Cut into wedges as needed.
How to Store Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Bake
You can store any leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven till its bubbly and warmed through.
How to Freeze Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Bake
This can be a great meal frozen in a ready-to-bake assembly for 3 months. Follow the instructions in the recipe and once assembled, cool and freeze. Ensure tight wrapping to avoid freezer burn. To cook, you can bake in the oven in frozen state (add some extra bake time) or thaw in the fridge first.
Tips & Tricks
Keep in mind that chicken thighs will likely take a bit longer to cook, so use a thermometer to know when they are done cooking.
FAQs
Can I use a different sauce to change it up?
Certainly, one recommendation that would work great is the verde stye chicken we talked about years ago!
Can I use flour tortillas?
Yup, flour tortillas will also work well here.
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
And if you want more enchilada style recipes:
- Bean and Cheese Enchiladas
- Enchilada Queso
- Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas
- Poblano Skillet Enchiladas
- Chicken Enchiladas Verde
Skillet Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Bake
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs)
- 1 14-oz can of Enchilada Sauce
- 1 small jar green chiles
- 2 chipotles in adobo chopped
- 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 6 6-inch corn tortillas
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup fresh corn removed from the cob
- scallions and cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Combine the chicken, enchilada sauce, green chiles and chipotle peppers in a heavy bottom pot over medium heat, stir everything to combine, and cook for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken, and using 2 forks, shred the chicken. Reserve all of the sauce.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a medium sized skillet, layer the ingredients, starting with a layer of sauce followed by 3 tortillas, ½ of the chicken, ½ of the black beans, ½ of the corn, ½ of the cheese. Repeat for the second layer with the remaining sauce, tortillas, chicken, black beans, corn and cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes uncovered, until bubbly and cheese has melted and started to brown on top.
- Top with scallions and cilantro to serve. Cut into wedges as needed.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
Can you use flour tortillas instead? (Family preference). Also, any ideas for a vegetarian substitute for chicken (to pass along to a sibling)? Thanks!
yes to flour! and I'd do mushrooms
Easy and delicious! I did a mix of mild and medium enchilada sauce and skipped the peppers and it turned out great!
This is a new favorite in our household. I make the chicken in a slow cooker and, depending on our mood, either use it as taco filling or finish it in the oven as a baked dish (as written). Thank you, thank you, thank you! We love this recipe!!
I made this so many times over the winter that I lost count. It’s easy and very tasty for a weeknight dinner. Thanks Gaby!
I’m a little confused by the instructions because it says to add the chicken to the sauce but then in layering it distinguishes between layers of chicken and layers of sauce so which is it?
Oops. I can’t read. I figured it out.
Hi Gabby, could you sub queso fresco cheese in this recipe?
SURE!
Made this a few times and it’s delicious! Serve with sour cream
This recipe is delicious! We’ve been cooking the chicken in a slow cooker and it comes out perfect every time. Sometimes it ends up as a bake, sometimes as nachos. Multiple meals come out of this recipe. Thank you!!
I made this using Hatch Tex-Mex enchilada sauce. It was delicious! I did have to cook the chicken quite a bit longer than stated in the recipe.
Can you buy the chipotles in adobo in a can, and if so do you include the sauce in the recipe?
I feel a little dumb here - but how do i get the corn ready for this recipe? Should it be pre-boiled and removed from the cob? Idk why I can't figure out what I'm trying to do here. Thanks for the help 🙂
nope - no need to par boil. Just remove from the cob and have at it!
Absolutely delicious! I'm making it tonight for the second time and the whole family enjoyed it. So easy and I love that it can be made in one pan. Thanks so much for another great recipe!
Tuesdays are always “taco Tuesday’s” in our household and this week I changed it up by making this skillet and boy am I glad I did! The flavors go blend together so we’ll - also some taco skillets I’ve made in the past get mushy but not this one - it’s perfect! Not to mention it’s super easy and quick to make 🙂 Can always count on our girl gaby !
Xoxo
The cook time on this recipe only counts the stove top time with the chicken and not the bake time. It’s a delicious recipe, but takes a bit longer than 35 minutes.
It was really easy to do and so delicious thank you for recipe I added my recipebook