Chicken Enchilada Skillet

One-pan shredded chicken with tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese

• Prep: 20 min
• Cook: 25 min
• Serves 8
• Difficulty: easy

Shredded chicken simmers with black beans, corn, enchilada sauce, and torn tortillas, topped with melted cheese for a deconstructed enchilada skillet.

Why crews like it: All the comfort of enchiladas with half the prep. One skillet from stove to table.

Ingredients

• 2.5 lb boneless chicken breasts
• 12 whole corn tortillas
• 4 cups red enchilada sauce
• 2 cans black beans
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 can green chiles
• 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 cloves garlic cloves
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

1. Poach and shred chicken: Simmer chicken in salted water 15–18 minutes until 165°F. Rest, shred into bite-size strands that hold together when sauced.
2. Sweat onion and spices: Sauté onion in a large skillet 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, chili powder, and cumin; cook 1 minute until fragrant and toasty.
3. Simmer filling: Add enchilada sauce, beans, corn, green chiles, and shredded chicken. Simmer 10 minutes until mixture thickens slightly and smells rich.
4. Add tortilla strips: Stir in tortilla strips, simmer 5 minutes until they soften and absorb sauce like dumplings, not dissolve into paste.
5. Melt cheese and serve: Remove from heat, top with cheese, cover 3 minutes until melted and glossy. Skillet should look bubbly at edges, not dry.

Tonight's spread

• Shredded lettuce and diced tomato.
• Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

Hall tips

• Use two skillets if your largest pan cannot fit eight portions comfortably.
• Top with avocado and cilantro at the line for fresh contrast.
• Green enchilada sauce swap works for milder, tangier flavor.

Meal prep

Poach and shred chicken ahead. Use corn tortillas torn—not flour—for better texture. Station: Tear tortillas into strips—they thicken sauce like dumplings. Station: Add cheese off heat and cover so it melts without oil separating. Station: Serve straight from skillet with toppings bar adjacent.

Leftovers

• Reheat covered with extra sauce to restore moisture.
• Scoop into burritos with rice next day.

• 14-inch skillet with lid
• Tongs

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• Lemon Garlic Chicken Tray
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