Quick and Easy Skillet Enchiladas (Stove Top or Campfire Recipe) (2024)

30 Minute Meals | Chicken | Main Dish | Recipes | skillet meals | tex-mex

ByJamie Sanders

5 Comments

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Skillet Enchiladas is a quick and easy meal you can have on the table in just about 25 minutes! Tortillas are filled with chicken, beans and cheese then smothered in enchilada sauce and even more cheese makes a perfect Tex-Mex skillet recipe.

Even better, this easy recipe dirties up only one pan and can even be made over a campfire!

Quick and Easy Skillet Enchiladas (Stove Top or Campfire Recipe) (1)

Why you need to make these Skillet Enchiladas

Can I just say the entire family went crazy for these!

  • You’ll love is how easy they are to put together – whether you’re camping or just trying to make a quick dinner that everyone will eat.
  • By using pre-cooked chicken, canned enchilada sauce and pre-shredded cheese, these skillet enchiladas come together in just about 25 minutes. (Of course, you could also make everything from scratch if that’s the way you like to do it.)
  • If you are watching your carbs, you can even use your favorite low carb whole wheat tortillas for a low carb skillet enchilada meal!

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Quick and Easy Skillet Enchiladas

Since the weather was mild this past fall, and we squeezed in a few extra weekend camping trips. When it comes to grocery shopping/meal planning and packing food for our camping trips I have the routine down.I make a list/meal plan, order groceries online, and have them delivered to save myself a trip.

A typical camping meal plan for us is on the firs night we cook all the proteins – grilling burgers and a few pounds of chicken fajita meat. We use that as the protein for our lunches and dinners throughout the weekend.We mostly use the chicken in all sorts of ways – salads, soft tacos, quesadillas, and Skillet Enchiladas.

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Depending on the size skillet you you use, you could squeeze in anywhere from 7 to 12-ish enchiladas, so I have left the ingredient amounts on the vague side. Just use what you have and squeeze as many enchiladas as you can into the pan. (I got 7 enchiladas into my 8-inch pan.)

To give the skillet enchiladas a go, add these ingredients to your shopping list:

Ingredients

  • Tortillas | Use whatever tortilla variety you prefer. Corn tortillas will be less soggy, but flour ones just taste so good! You can even use low carb tortillas.
  • Refried beans | Beans are optional, I just like to add a spoonful to each enchilada to give it a bit more substance.
  • 1 to 2 cups Pre-cooked chicken, shredded | Rotisserie is great for this, I also like to use my pressure cooked chicken. You can use canned chicken as well, just rinse it first for better results.
  • 1 to 2 cups Cheese, grated – I prefer to use a Colby/Monterey/cheddar blend, but just about any cheese you like is fine.
  • 1 can enchilada sauce | Tip: to speed up the cooking of the skillet enchiladas, it helps to pre-warm the enchilada sauce.
  • optional toppings: sour cream, green onions, guacamole, jalapenos, cilantro, etc

How to Make this Enchilada Skillet

  1. Grease bottom of skillet. (or use a quarter cup of enchilada sauce)
  2. Spread refriedbeans on tortilla, add a couple spoonfuls of shredded chicken and cheese. Roll up tortilla and place into skillet seam side down.
  3. Continue filling tortillas until the pan is full.
  4. Add as much enchilada sauce as you want and top with a generous amount of cheese.
  5. Cover and heat on medium-low (or low heat area of the campfire) until the cheese is completely melted and enchiladas are heated all the way through.

Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

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Look at all that cheese… Enchilada sauce + cheese is the best combination in my book!

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Don’t have any precooked chicken to make this enchilada skillet with? That is ok! You can quickly poach a chicken breast or two right in the microwave!

How To Cook Chicken In The Microwave.

  1. Place chicken in the bottom of a pyrex dish (make sure the dish is not so big it will interfere with the rotating plate in your microwave.) and add enough water to mostly cover the chicken and cover with plastic wrap. (If your chicken pieces are huge, I recommend cutting them up into even size pieces.)
  2. Cook the chicken on high for about 11 minutes. (11 minutes does cook 4 huge chicken breast [cut into smaller pieces] in my 1100 watt microwave. All microwaves are different, so be sure to check your chicken for done-ness.)
  3. Place chicken and the rest of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and shred/mix everything together using a mixer. (You can use a fork, but a mixer is so much easier.)
  4. Add in a few spoonfuls of chicken broth or the chicken cooking water so the chicken mixture is nice and juicy, but not dripping when you put it on the tortilla.

I Like My Tex-Mex Spicy, How Should I Spice It Up?

This Skillet Enchilada Recipe IS ON THE MILD SIDE. If you like extra kick, I recommend tossing in a diced up jalapeno, green chili or a teaspoon or 2 of hot sauce in with the enchilada sauce. You could also add a dash or two of Green Chile Habanero Hot Sauce.

Can I Freeze The Leftovers?

Yes, this recipe freezes well. Store an airtight container or freezer bag. When ready to eat, put container in the fridge to thaw.

Recipe Variations:

  • Use green enchilada sauce and white cheddar or Queso fresco.
  • Use ground beef or leftover fajita meat instead of chicken.
  • Use corn tortillas instead of flour (corn tortillas do hold up better to the sauce, but I prefer the taste of flour – so use whichever you like).
  • vegetarian version using, rice, beans, cheese and even mushrooms as the filling

More Simple Tex-Mex Recipes to Try:

  • Green Chile Chicken Tacos
  • Green Chile Enchilada Soup
  • Black Bean Soup Recipe
  • Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Chowder
  • Quick Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Tex-Mex Breakfast Skillet

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Other Campfire recipes that you might enjoy:

  • 20 Minute White Bean and Chicken Chili
  • Barbecue Chicken Skillet Pockets
  • Skillet Barbecue Baked Beans
  • Grilled Caramel Apples

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Quick and Easy Skillet Enchiladas (Stove Top or Campfire Recipe) (7)

Quick and Easy Skillet Enchiladas

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star4.8 from 5 reviews

  • Author: Jamie Sanders
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 to 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 6 to 12 enchiladas 1x
  • Category: main dish
  • Method: skillet
  • Cuisine: tex-mex
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Description

Super quick and easy recipe for Skillet Enchiladas. Perfect on the stove top or over a campfire.

Ingredients

Scale

Since this recipe is made with leftovers, the ingredient amounts are up to you. Just squeeze as many enchiladas as you can into the pan. (I got 7 enchiladas into my 8-inch pan.)

  • 8 to 12 Tortillas (depends on pan size and amount you are making!)
  • refried beans
  • 1 to 2 cups pre-cooked chicken, shredded
  • 1 to 2 cups cheese, grated
  • 1 can enchilada sauce
  • optional toppings: sour cream, green onions, guacamole, cilantro, etc

Instructions

  1. Grease bottom of skillet. (or use a quarter cup of enchilada sauce)
  2. Spread refriedbeans on tortilla, add a couple spoonfuls of shredded chicken and cheese. Roll up tortilla and place into skillet seam side down.
  3. Continue filling tortillas until the pan is full.
  4. Add as much enchilada sauce as you want and top with a generous amount of cheese.
  5. Cover and heat on medium-low (or low heat area of the campfire) until the cheese is completely melted and enchiladas are heated all the way through.

Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Notes

Use whatever type of tortilla is your favorite. Corn tortillas are the traditional tortilla used for enchiladas because they just hold up better to the sauce and cheese.

To speed up cooking, you can prewarm the enchilada sauce.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 enchilada
  • Calories: 225

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About the AuthorJamie Sanders is a wife and mom of 2, located in the heart of Texas. She founded Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom in 2011 as a place to share creative ideas and family friendly recipes. Her work has been featured on Martha Stewart, Woman’s World, HuffPost, TODAY, Pioneer Woman, HGTV, CNET, Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, Oprah Daily, and Redbook, plus many other publications. To date, she had given away just under a million free pdf sewing patterns.
Quick and Easy Skillet Enchiladas (Stove Top or Campfire Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good enchiladas? ›

The most important tip for avoiding soggy enchiladas is to briefly fry your tortillas in hot oil before you fill and roll. This creates a little bit of a barrier so that the tortillas don't soak up too much of the sauce and therefore start to break down.

Can you make enchiladas without frying the tortillas? ›

Rather than frying the tortillas, I spray one side lightly with vegetable or canola oil cooking spray and then heat them briefly in a hot skillet on both sides. The result is perfect tortillas for enchiladas that aren't messy or greasy. I stuffed my enchiladas with cooked leftover chicken that I had on hand.

How do you cook real good enchiladas? ›

Preparation Instructions

Leave enchiladas wrapped in film and poke holes to ventilate. Place tray in microwave and heat on high for 3 1/2 minutes. Let sit 1 minute. Enjoy!

Is it better to cook enchiladas covered or uncovered? ›

Assemble the remaining enchiladas. Then spread any remaining sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas, followed by any extra cheese. Bake. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, until the enchiladas are cooked through and the tortillas are slightly crispy on the outside.

What is the best melting cheese for enchiladas? ›

Monterey Jack is a mild, creamy cheese that melts easily and adds a smooth texture to the enchiladas.

How to make enchiladas that aren t mushy? ›

To prevent your tortillas from tearing or becoming soggy, quickly fry each corn tortilla in any oil you like for about 10 seconds on each side, until it starts to get crispy but is still pliable. This will add a barrier that will keep the tortilla from absorbing too much sauce, and also adds a little extra flavor.

Are enchiladas better with corn or flour? ›

Corn tortillas go well with Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas, and tamales. They are also perfect for use in tostadas, sopes, and quesadillas. Flour tortillas are often used in burritos, fajitas, and chimichangas. They are also great for making quesadillas, sweet dishes like dessert tacos, and breakfast burritos.

Why do you dip tortillas in oil for enchiladas? ›

First, it creates a barrier on the surface of the tortilla that allows the tortilla to absorb some sauce—but avoid completely disintegrating. Second, it adds flavor; the sugar in the tortilla starts to caramelize and the proteins brown. Finally, it adds richness from the oil.

Do you put sauce on enchiladas before or after baking? ›

Step 1: Make 10 minute homemade red enchilada sauce using fridge and pantry staples. Step 2: Sprinkle shredded Mexican blend cheese into the centers of corn tortillas then roll and place inside a casserole dish. Step 3: Cover with red sauce then bake.

What is traditional enchilada sauce made of? ›

Instead, all the rich and savory flavors come from only a handful of ingredients – dried chiles, garlic, salt and Mexican chocolate. (Check out this easy enchilada sauce recipe for a 10-minute version made with easy-to-find pantry ingredients like chili powder, tomato paste and broth.)

Should I put foil over my enchiladas? ›

Most enchiladas are baked and covered with foil until heated through. Oven temperatures and baking times vary per recipe, but on average they cook in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the enchiladas after they are heated through.

How do you know when enchiladas are done? ›

You'll know the enchiladas are done when they are heated through and the cheese is melted.

What side dish with enchiladas? ›

What to Serve with Enchiladas: 10 Traditional Sides
  • Canned Goods. • 1 Refried beans.
  • Condiments. • 1 Chips and salsa. • 1 Guacamole.
  • Pasta & Grains. • 1 Rice.
  • Desserts. • 1 Mexican corn pudding.
  • Deli. • 1 Jicama with mango slaw. • 1 Mexican coleslaw. • 1 Mexican sweet potato salad. • 1 Pepper salad.
  • Other. • Elote.

Do you have to grease the pan for enchiladas? ›

Make sure that you lightly grease your dish, which will help keep the tortillas from sticking to the pan. Fry each of your tortillas in hot oil before adding in your enchilada filling. This will help keep the tortillas from soaking up too much of your sauce too quickly, which can also cause them to break apart.

Do enchiladas taste better with corn or flour tortillas? ›

Corn tortillas go well with Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas, and tamales. They are also perfect for use in tostadas, sopes, and quesadillas. Flour tortillas are often used in burritos, fajitas, and chimichangas. They are also great for making quesadillas, sweet dishes like dessert tacos, and breakfast burritos.

What can I add to canned enchilada sauce to make it taste better? ›

Then when the sauce is almost finished, a quick blend with a blender or immersion blender results in a smooth sauce. Add seasonings - Cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano, etc. are great ways to punch up the flavor of canned enchilada sauce. You might also consider adding a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.

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