Chicken Enchiladas Freezer Meal Recipe
My secret green chili chicken enchiladas make for a delicious dinner, and can be doubled and frozen in a disposable sheet pan for a perfect freezer meal for another day.
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According to my mom, this is my grandpa’s recipe, so enjoy, internet!
He is no longer with us, and I know he would be happy to share this recipe. I’ve also made my own adjustments over the years, and I’ve learned to make them in bulk and freeze a pan or 2 for later because they are quite time consuming.
There are a lot of steps involved with making enchiladas. Good ones, anyway.
There are definitely easy enchilada recipes, but this one is more along the lines of literal homemade perfection as opposed to “easy.”
This was one of my top 5 favorite meals that my mom made growing up. I would beg her to make them! And now as an adult, she makes them when I visit sometimes.
FAQs about freezing chicken enchiladas
How to Make and Prep Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas
Just a few ingredients
Note: This recipe makes 2 large pans of enchiladas. I typically cook one the night of, and freeze the other. You could potentially stretch this to 3 or 4 different meals, we just have a big family and eat a ton of these every time.
Step 1: Cut chicken into chunks & cook
Cut your chicken thighs into chunks and remove unwanted fat. To a large pot, add the chicken, and then dice and add the onion as well.
Season the meat and cook on low for 30 minutes, adding the green chilis at the end.
Step 2: Get your enchilada rolling station ready
You’ll want to set out:
- 2 deep dish baking pans
- A plate of grated monterey jack cheese (buy the block instead of pre-shredded. It’s way better! Trust me! It’s worth the extra step)
- A plate with a little milk in it
- Tortillas
- A clean plate or cutting board for rolling the enchiladas
Once your enchiladas are cool, you’ll start rolling them up!
Step 3: Spread green enchilada sauce at the bottom of the pans
You want a nice layer. Not too much, or your enchiladas will get soggy, but not so little that they’re immediately soaked into the tortillas.
Step 4: Roll the chicken enchiladas
The rolling process is as follows:
- Take a tortilla and soak it in the plate of milk
- Set it on the rolling plate and add some shredded monterey jack cheese and the chicken enchilada filling. *Add a new tortilla to the milk to prepare for the next one*
- Roll it up and place it seam-side down on the tray
Fill up both of the trays with enchiladas.
Step 5: Spread more green enchilada sauce on the top of the enchiladas
Spread some more enchilada sauce by pouring it over the enchiladas and using a spoon to even the layer out. Add the rest of the milk from the rolling station to the tops of the pans.
Step 6: Cover with monterey jack cheese
Cover the tops of the enchiladas with cheese.
Here is a picture of the finished freezer enchilada meal.
Step 7: Bake at 375°F for 40-50 minutes
Cover the top of the enchiladas loosely with foil and bake at 400°F for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown.
It’s really hard to wait, but the longer you let the enchiladas sit after getting out of the oven, the better. They’re quite mushy and haven’t really had the chance to settle and you’ll find them falling apart if you cut them too fast.
And, honest to god, these enchiladas are better as leftovers! The flavors have had time to come together and they hold their shape much better!
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What’s your favorite freezer meals to prep in bulk? Let me know in the comments below!
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Chicken Enchiladas Freezer Meal Recipe
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 50
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: about 30 enchiladas 1x
Description
These make-ahead green chili chicken enchiladas are great to freeze in bulk, and taste just as good as when they’re made fresh! This recipe has been passed down in my family, and I’m honored to share it with you all now!
Ingredients
- 2 large packs of boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 7oz cans of Green Chilis
- 2 28oz cans of Green Enchilada Sauce
- 2–3 yellow onions, diced
- 2 tbsp cumin
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 32oz blocks montery jack cheese
- 2 20 packs of tortillas
- Foil
- Disposable Aluminum Pans
Instructions
- Dice onion and cu chicken into chunks, removing any unwanted fat.
- Add onion and chicken into a large pot on medium heat.
- Add seasonings and cook for 30 minutes covered, stirring occasionally.
- Set up your enchilada rolling station: 2 deep dish baking pans, a plate of grated Monterey jack cheese, a plate with a little milk, tortillas, a clean plate or cutting board for rolling the enchiladas
- Spread some green enchilada sauce on the bottom of both pans.
- Roll your enchiladas! The steps are as follows: Take a tortilla and soak it in the plate of milk. Set it on the rolling plate and add some shredded Monterey jack cheese and the chicken enchilada filling. *Add a new tortilla to the milk to prepare for the next one. Roll it up and place it seam-side down on the tray
- Once the tray is full, spread more enchilada sauce over the tops of the enchiladas. Even it out with the backside of a spoon, and add a little of the leftover milk from the rolling station.
- Cover the tops of the enchiladas with Monterey jack cheese.
- From here, either put the lid on and freeze, or bake!
- If baking, cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 40-50 minutes.
Notes
- Buy the block Monterey jack cheese instead of the pre-shredded! It’s way better. Trust me.
- Chicken breasts work for this recipe as well! The thighs are just juicier, so that’s what I prefer.
- These are even better the next day! They tend to fall apart if you cut into them when they’re still too hot.
Keywords: dinner, enchiladas, mexican, tex-mex, freezer meal, meal prep, bulk cooking, big family dinners
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