Smoked Chicken Enchiladas

Name: Smoked Chicken Enchiladas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 12 Corn Tortillas; 1 cup Cooked, Shredded Chicken ((Use leftover smoked chicken or a rotisserie chicken if desired)); 16 oz. Red Enchilada Sauce; 2 cups Shredded Mexican Cheese (divided ); 1/2 cup Black Beans (rinsed and drained ); 1/2 Poblano Pepper (seeds removed and diced small); 1 small Jalapeno (seeds removed and diced small); 1/2 Red Onion (diced small); 2 Garlic Cloves (minced ); 2 tsp Olive Oil; 1 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Cumin; 1 tsp BBQ Dry Rub ((use your favorite)); Garnishes: Sour cream, cilantro, salsa, hot sauce etc.

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Classic restaurant style red enchiladas smoked on your charcoal or pellet grill in just 30 minutes. This crowd favorite Mexican inspired dinner is one the whole family will love.

Mexican cuisine is one of my absolute favorites because it’s obviously delicious, but also very translatable to your BBQ or grill.

You can make more complex recipes like this pork tenderloin with smoked mole sauce to simple dishes like this carne asada stuffed peppers or adobo marinated flank steak for example.

I love making this recipe when I have leftover smoked pulled BBQ chicken that’s lightly kissed with smoke and paired with fresh jalapenos and poblanos, black beans, shredded Mexican cheese, and sandwiched between my double stuffed cheesy corn tortillas.

The best (and more unique) part about this recipe is that they are double cheese stuffed! Meaning, each enchilada is both a quesadilla and an enchilada all in one. I use two corn tortillas stuffed with cheese then rolled with a delicious chicken filling for a fun take on a classic.

Top the whole mixture with a red smoky enchilada sauce and more cheese for the perfect 30 minute dinner you can pull off your grill and feed your whole family! Grab all the helpful details outlined in this article or jump to the recipe below and let’s dive in.

Supplies Needed:

Knife and cutting board
Baking Dish
Frying Pan
Spatula
Tongs

Leftover Smoked Chicken Enchilada Ingredients:

Shredded Chicken: You will need pre-cooked, shredded chicken for this recipe. I use leftover chicken I smoked for a more intense smoke flavor, but that’s not required. You can shred your own chicken or use a rotisserie chicken for even faster meal prep.
Red Enchilada Sauce: This recipe works well with either green or red sauce. You can make your own homemade enchilada sauce using tomato sauce and spices. I used a good quality store-bought sauce but I also like this chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.
Poblano Peppers: Fresh poblanos make a great base.
Jalapenos: Slice and remove the seeds (unless you want these to be extra spicy). Slice into small pieces.
Red Onion: Adds nice color and flavor to your chicken mixture.
Fresh Garlic: Mince your fresh garlic to add more flavor to the dish.
Black Beans: Drain and rinse your black beans before adding them to your chicken mixture.
Mexican Cheese: I used a Chihuahua cheese blend for this but any Mexican cheese blend works great or even a pepper Jack.
Corn Tortillas: Corn has an immense amount of flavor compared to flour (the fresher the better too). If you’re looking for a keto corn tortilla recipe to make fewer carbs, check out my popular recipe. You will use two corn tortillas per enchilada for this recipe.
Spices: I used a mixture of BBQ dry rub, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. You can also try my popular homemade Tajin seasoning blend too.
Optional Toppings: Sour cream, cilantro, pico de gallo, and extra hot sauce if desired.

Enchilada Assembly Tips and Techniques:

Chicken Filling-

To start the recipe off, you need to make your filling. Sauté your peppers, onion, and garlic (adding in some fire-roasted corn would be perfect too) in a pan over medium heat. Cook them until they are tender and translucent.

I like to add the dry spices to the veggies to help amp up the flavors over the heat. Then I toss in all the pre-cooked shredded chicken and the beans into the pan off the heat to get it all combined.

Let it cool slightly off the heat before adding cheese to the mixture. Test taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Set it aside and let it cool a bit while you prep the remaining ingredients.

Tortilla Prep-

Whenever you are working with corn tortillas (fresh or from a package) you need to finish cooking them over a burner for 10-15 seconds.

This is crucial because it makes them more pliable for rolling and also adds a nice color and flavor to the tortilla shell. Place them over direct heat on a burner or even on your grill grates.

Place them on a plate and keep them covered with a paper towel or aluminum foil until ready to roll up your enchiladas. You will need all your ingredients ready to go to form an assembly line.

How to assemble your enchiladas-

Start by pouring enough sauce into the base of your pan to coat the bottom (about 1/2 cup or so). Rotate the pan so the sauce fully coats the bottom evenly so your enchiladas won’t stick!

Place one tortilla down and add about two tablespoons of cheese to the top. Place a second tortilla over the top of the cheese then add a few tablespoons of the chicken mixture to the tortilla.

Roll the tortilla tightly and place it into the dish, seam side down. Continue this and place each enchilada next to the previous one in the pan. Cover the enchiladas with all the remaining sauce and top with a little more cheese down the middle.

How to make your chicken enchilada layers

Smoking and Serving-

Whether you have a charcoal or pellet smoker, set it for indirect heat at 350 F. Cook your chicken enchiladas for 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbling.

Remove from the smoker and top with your favorite garnishes. I like hot sauce, sour cream, cilantro, avocado, and some fresh pico de gallo too! Pair with this popular Smoked Queso Dip and delicious Smoked Hatch Chili Margarita and enjoy.