Overhead of chicken enchilada skillet garnished with sliced green onion in a cast iron pan next to a brown towel on a wooden surface (with logo overlay)

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

42 Comments / By / March 29, 2021

Instead of trying to roll a bunch of enchiladas, spend less time making this Chicken Enchilada Skillet while still enjoying the same flavor.

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When we go out to eat at our local Tex-Mex restaurant, one of my few go-to meals is the chicken enchiladas. They are so creamy and cheesy and rolled into a tight little corn tortilla. I’ve tried to make my own at home before, but I usually can’t get the enchiladas tight. Or, if I do, they tend to come apart when they cook and it just makes a mess. So making a chicken enchilada skillet has been my go-to lately.

I saw a photo of a skillet enchilada meal, so I decided to give it a try. Of course, without having a recipe to go from, I was winging it a bit. The boys weren’t so sure about the meal. Tyler said he didn’t like it but didn’t not like it either. Ryan was willing to eat the chicken but didn’t like the tortilla pieces in it. 

Even though the boys weren’t keen on the meal, Justin and I really enjoyed this dinner. Honestly, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. Typically, I like bold flavors, but this was subtle.

The cream had a lot of flavor and was different than anything else I’ve had before. Normally, I don’t like when chips or anything similar (like the tortillas in this recipe) get soggy. But they didn’t feel like that in this dinner. 

I definitely suggest a cast-iron pan for the skillet enchiladas if you have one. It seemed to heat up and cook really well in the cast-iron pan. Any pan would work, but the cast-iron was best.

Step by Step

In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour.

Butter and flour cooking in a cast iron pan over a gas stovetop

Pour the chicken broth into the pan and whisk until it is smooth and starts to thicken. Turn the heat to medium-high for cast-iron pans.

Cast iron pan with chicken broth over a gas stovetop

Stir in the salt and oregano. 

Seasonings added to chicken broth and flour in a cast iron pan over a gas stovetop

Place the chicken breasts in the pan. Increase the heat to high until it boils, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Chicken breast cooking in a chicken broth mixture in a cast iron pan over a gas stovetop

Leave the pan on low heat. Remove the chicken from the pan and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces or shred, whichever you prefer. Stir the sour cream into the sauce. Add the chicken back into the sauce.

Chicken removed and sour cream added to the broth mixture in a cast iron pan over a gas stovetop

Cut the tortillas into small triangles and place those in the pan. Give everything a stir until the chicken and tortillas are covered with the sauce. 

Stack of corn tortilla shells cut into 8 slices on a wooden cutting board next to a chef's knife
Pieces of corn tortilla and bite-sized chicken mixed into cream sauce in a cast iron pan over a gas stovetop

Layer the shredded cheese on top of everything and try to cover as much as possible. We really like cheese in our house, so I added a bit extra. 

Shredded cheddar cheese placed on top of corn tortillas in a cream sauce in a cast iron pan over a gas stovetop

Cover the pan again and let it cook on low for about 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Overhead of chicken enchilada skillet garnished with sliced green onion in a cast iron pan next to a brown towel on a wooden surface (vertical)

Recipe

Originally Published On: September 26, 2018

Last Updated On: September 9, 2019

Overhead of chicken enchilada skillet garnished with sliced green onion in a cast iron pan next to a brown towel on a wooden surface

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Instead of trying to roll a bunch of enchiladas, spend less time making this Chicken Enchilada Skillet while still enjoying the same flavor.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course:
Main Dish
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
cheese
|
chicken
|
sour cream
Servings: 4 servings
5 from 6 votes

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 2 lb chicken breast (boneless, skinless)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 6 corn tortilla shells
  • 2 cups colby jack cheese (shredded)

Recommended Equipment

Instructions

  • In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat
  • Whisk in the flour until combined
  • Pour in the chicken broth and continue stirring until it starts to thicken
  • Stir in the salt and oregano
  • Place the chicken breasts in the sauce and bring to a boil
  • Reduce the heat to low and cover
  • Cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through
  • Remove the chicken from the sauce and cut it into bite-sized pieces or shred the chicken
  • Stir the sour cream into the sauce until it’s completely combined
  • Cut the tortillas into small triangles
  • Return the chicken to the pan, and the tortillas, and mix until the chicken and tortillas are both covered
  • Cover everything with the shredded cheese
  • Put the lid back on the pan and cook on low for about 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly
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Nutrition Facts
Chicken Enchilada Skillet
Amount Per Serving
Calories 816 Calories from Fat 432
% Daily Value*
Fat 48g74%
Saturated Fat 26g130%
Cholesterol 260mg87%
Sodium 1414mg59%
Potassium 1147mg33%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 68g136%
Vitamin A 1350IU27%
Vitamin C 9.4mg11%
Calcium 570mg57%
Iron 2.4mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

42 thoughts on “Chicken Enchilada Skillet”

  3. Marjie Mare

    5 stars
    I have never tried to make enchiladas and did not know they were so easy to make. I am going to save your recipe and you bet I am going to try to make them soon.

    Reply
    1. Stephanie Lynch

      Well, this is very different from a regular enchilada. This is one made into a skillet recipe rather than everything rolled up in the tortillas. It’s great for something different, though!

      Reply
  7. Elaine

    This looks like such a pan of cheesy goodness! Feeling super thankful that I finally got my husband to like cheese after him being very cheese-averse for so many years, because this is going into my dinner menu!

    Reply
  8. Flossie McCowald

    Interesting! I never would have thought of a skillet version of enchiladas (but there’s skillet lasagna, so why not?). Reminds me I should make my family some enchiladas again soon – they love them, and I haven’t done any recently!

    Reply
  10. Henrietta G

    In addition to enjoying your version of the recipe, the feedback of you boys was so endearing to read. So sweet yet honest. Gotta love children 🙂 Especially Tyler’s comment had me smiling… Will check out your other recipes for sure.

    Reply
  12. chelf

    Lately, I have been looking for one-pan meals to save me the trouble of washing up all day. This one certainly fits the bill! I love how simple yet delicious it looks! Nick will certainly appreciate it!

    Reply
  13. alison

    This looks like an easy recipe as opposed to making the actual enchiladas (which can be daunting). My kids would love this one.

    Reply
  19. Marjie Mare

    5 stars
    I have made the enchiladas by following your recipe, Stephanie, and it was a hit. If I had taken pictures, I would have shared in my blog and would give you the credit of course.

    Reply

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