Easy Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas

These easy chicken enchiladas are one of those recipes that are perfect when you want something comforting and full of flavour without spending hours in the kitchen. The chicken is cooked in a spiced tomato sauce in the Instant Pot before being shredded, wrapped in tortillas and baked with plenty of melted cheese.

They’re simple, hearty and make a great family dinner. And because the chicken cooks in the sauce, it stays really tender and absorbs all those lovely smoky, spicy flavours.

Why you’ll love these chicken enchiladas

There’s a lot to love about these easy chicken enchiladas.

First of all, they’re really straightforward to make. The chicken and tomato sauce are cooked together in the Instant Pot so there’s very little hands-on cooking. Once the chicken is cooked, you just shred it, fill the tortillas and bake everything with cheese.

The tomato sauce is flavoured with cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder, oregano and garlic. It’s simple, but those spices give the sauce plenty of flavour without making it overwhelmingly spicy.

I also love that this recipe only makes four enchiladas. It’s a great size for a family meal or for two people with leftovers for lunch the next day.

And, of course, there’s plenty of melted cheese on top. Because a tray of bubbling, cheesy enchiladas straight from the oven is hard to resist!

What you need to make chicken enchiladas

Tinned tomatoes

I use ordinary tinned chopped tomatoes as the base for the enchilada sauce. They cook down with the spices and garlic to make a simple but flavourful sauce.

Chicken breasts

Chicken breasts work really well here as they shred easily once cooked. Cooking them directly in the tomato sauce also helps keep the chicken moist and full of flavour. You could use skinless chicken thighs instead though.

Spices

The combination of cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder and oregano gives the sauce a lovely smoky, savoury flavour. You can adjust the amount of chilli powder depending on how spicy you like your enchiladas.

Garlic

A couple of cloves of garlic add extra flavour to the tomato sauce. You could also use garlic paste if that's what you have in the fridge.

Tortilla wraps

I use four tortilla wraps to make the enchiladas. Flour tortillas are easy to roll and work really well for this recipe.

Cheese

I usually use grated cheddar, but you could use another cheese that melts well. A Mexican-style cheese blend would also be delicious.

How to make chicken enchiladas in the Instant Pot

Start by making the tomato sauce. Add the tinned tomatoes, cumin, smoked paprika, chilli powder, onion powder, oregano and garlic to the Instant Pot and give everything a good stir.

Add the chicken breasts to the sauce and pressure cook for 10 minutes.

Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove the chicken breasts from the pot along with a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce. Shred the chicken using two forks, then mix it with the sauce.

Now it's time to assemble the enchiladas.

Place a quarter of the shredded chicken in the middle of a tortilla and sprinkle over some grated cheese. Roll the tortilla up and place it seam-side down in a lightly oiled baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Pour the rest of the tomato sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake for around 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the edges of the tortillas are starting to crisp up.

Then they're ready to serve!

What to serve with chicken enchiladas

These enchiladas make a filling meal on their own, but there are lots of things you could serve alongside them.

Try them with:

• A simple green salad
• Mexican rice
• Guacamole
• Salsa
• Sour cream or Greek yoghurt
• Avocado
• Corn salad
• Refried beans

I particularly like adding some fresh coriander and sliced avocado just before serving.

Can you make chicken enchiladas ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble the enchiladas ahead of time and keep them covered in the fridge until you're ready to bake them.

If they've been chilled, you may need to add a little extra cooking time to make sure they're heated all the way through.

They're also great for meal prep as they reheat well.

Can you freeze chicken enchiladas?

Yes. Once assembled, the enchiladas can be frozen before baking. Cover the dish well and freeze.

Defrost them thoroughly in the fridge before baking, then cook until hot all the way through and the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Can I make these without an Instant Pot?

Yes. The Instant Pot makes the chicken really easy to cook and shred, but you don't need one to make this recipe. You can of course use a different pressure cooker to cook the chicken in before baking too.

You can cook the chicken in the tomato sauce in a saucepan on the hob until it's cooked through and tender enough to shred. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts.

How spicy are these chicken enchiladas?

I'd describe these as flavourful rather than very spicy. The chilli powder adds a little heat, but you can easily adjust the amount to suit your taste.

If you're cooking for children, you could reduce the chilli powder or leave it out altogether and let everyone add extra chilli sauce at the table.

Recipe

More easy family dinner recipes

If you like easy, comforting recipes like these chicken enchiladas, you might also like some of my other family-friendly dinner ideas.

• Easy weeknight chicken fajitas
• One pot Greek chicken and rice
• Slow cooker chicken tagine

And if you make these enchiladas, I'd love to know how you got on. Leave a comment and let me know!

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Do let me know if you make this recipe or any of my other recipes. I love to get feedback from readers.

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