50 Freezer Meals in a Day: Chicken Enchilada Freezer Meal Recipe (2024)

By Karrie on April 16, 2013 | Updated April 1, 2020 | 140 Comments

As part of my 50 Freezer Meals in a day menu I wanted to share my enchilada freezer meal recipe. Usually the day before I start cooking all my freezer meals I will add a bunch of chicken breasts to the crockpot so they can roast slowly on low all night. That way when I wake up in the morning all the chicken is ready to be shredded or diced for the various recipes I am making.

This enchilada freezer meal recipe is one of my favorites because it is just so super easy! You can make your enchiladas as mild or spicy as you like, add sides like cilantro lime rice or beans. It is so delicious. For ease you make them up, add them to your 9×13 pan and freeze. Thaw and bake for a really short time for a quick dinner.

ENCHILADA FREEZER MEAL RECIPE

Make sure you have some Enchilada Sauce. I have quite a few great Mexican friends who have shared with me this secret: It is possible to make homemade Enchilada sauce, but honestly this stuff tastes exactly like their homemade. I have never tried to make homemade sauce before, so I am going to stick with these cans. If any of you have a different opinion or a recipe to share that makes better homemade enchilada sauce please share by leaving a comment.

Take your shredded chicken breast and add it to your shredded cheese.

Mix it up a bit.

Add in some onions if you like that sort of thing. I usually never put onions in because I am pretty much the pickiest person on the planet.

Then add in your can of Enchilada Sauce. I like the mild because these can get a bit spicy for me – I am a gringo you know..LOL.

Then you just get out your flour tortillas, heat them in the microwave a bit so that they don’t crack/split when you fold them. Have your enchilada making station all ready to go.

Add a little bit of enchilada mixture to your tortillas and wrap them up. I had way too much chicken mix I think on this one.

Wrap them up and add them to a nice 9×13 or baking dish.

Pour over some enchilada sauce on the top.

Sprinkle your cheese.

Cover with foil, label and freeze. Or bake right away at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or till melty and bubbly.

Enjoy with some homemade salsa, sour cream, lettuce, beans and rice!

Now if you really want to spice up the flavors a notch you can add in some jalapenos with your mix.

Recipe Card

4.04 from 28 votes

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Chicken Enchiladas

Published By Karrie

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword casserole, chicken, enchilada, freezer, mexican

Servings 10

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

▢ 4 Chicken Breasts
▢ 1 Medium Onion diced
▢ 3 cups Cheddar Cheese Shredded
▢ 10 Medium Flour Tortillas
▢ 2 Cans Red Enchilada Sauce
▢ Optional:
▢ 1 Can Black Beans
▢ Jalapenos
▢ White Rice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350
Place 4 raw chicken breasts into a pot of water.
Boil on high for 20 minutes, or until chicken is shreddable.
Then using a cutting board, shred the chicken.
Mix cheese, onion, chicken and 1 can red enchilada sauce in a bowl. (Optional ingredients can be added at this point.)
With a large scooper, fill each tortilla with mixture. Roll it up and place it in large 9x13 baking dish with seams down. Repeat until all chicken mixture is used.
Pour the second can of enchilada sauce over the top.
Top with cheese.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until melted and bubbly.
Serve with sour cream, salsa, lettuce beans or rice.

Nutrition

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About Karrie

Food is my love language. But so is saving money. So I like to combine the two a lot and make thrifty make ahead and freeze meals to save time. Because life is busy, and freezer meals can come to the rescue for all of us. And yes, they actually CAN taste good. Read more...

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Comments & Reviews

Margaret Huddleston says
August 29, 2023

What are the reheating instructions after frozen?
Reply
Suzanne says
April 8, 2021

I’m making these for some family expecting their first baby shortly. Can’t wait to see how they like it!! Thanks for such an easy recipe 🙂
Reply
carina garcia says
August 14, 2020

To make this as a freezer meal- do you cook it before you freeze it or freeze raw and cook when ready?
Reply
- Karrie says
  See Also
  Rolled Enchiladas Recipe, Crema Agria Recipe, Whats Cooking America
  August 17, 2020
  
  Freeze raw and cook it fresh when ready!
  Reply
  - Marnie says
    December 31, 2020
    
    Do you cook it from frozen for the same amount of time or thaw first?
Monica says
March 31, 2020

I have leftover roast turkey, how many cups of cooked turkey do I need for this recipe?
Reply
- Karrie says
  April 1, 2020
  
  Hi, about 4-1/2 cups of cooked chopped turkey. 🙂
  Reply
Vera Moore says
March 2, 2020

I do mine a little differently. I mix my shredded chicken with room temp cream cheese and a can of diced green chilies or jalapeno and a bit of the green enchilada sauce to keep it moist. Top all with the extra sauce and sharp shredded cheddar or pre-packaged Mexican Blend. If I’m freezing a pan, I don’t add my sauce (flash freeze and add to freezer bags) and then shredded cheese and sauce on the day I bake. I have frozen it completely made in the past, but I find it tends to get too soggy.
Reply
- Samantha Casey says
  August 1, 2020
  
  Vera,
  Flavor is such a great idea to add to this recipe.
  Reply
Sheri Widmann says
December 6, 2019

Would corn tortillas work also?
Reply
- Karrie says
  December 8, 2019
  
  Yes, you can use corn tortillas!
  Reply
Crystal says
October 19, 2019

Can you freeze the enchilads without the sauce? (Flash freeze method) and store them in freezer bags. That way you can take them frozen and put in a casserole based on what portion size you need. All you would have to do is add the canned sauce and cheeses. I’ve only seen whole constructed casseroles mentioned as a freezer option. But sometimes its practical to only cook a few versus a whole casserole. Any input would be welcomed
Reply
- Karrie says
  October 21, 2019
  
  Hi – yes you can do that if you like! I’ve since learned from when I first made this recipe that if you want to have non-soggy enchiladas after freezing you can totally freeze the enchiladas with the sauce separate. Then bake for 20 minutes until they get crispy in the pan, then add sauce + cheeses and let it cook until bubbly.
  Reply
- Abigail Harnage says
  January 13, 2021
  
  You could try putting the sauce in ice cube trays then adding a couple into each ziploc bag!!
  Reply
  - Karrie says
    January 19, 2021
    
    Absolutely!!
Lauren says
September 2, 2019

This recipe sounds perfect for a make ahead freezer meal! What is the bake time of you are going straight from the freezer to the oven? Would you bake it covered or uncovered? Thanks!!
Reply
Alix Jansma says
August 6, 2019

When making for freezer meal, do you cook chicken ahead of time or use raw? Do you thaw out before putting in oven, or cook from frozen?
Reply
- Karrie says
  September 23, 2019
  
  I usually use pre-cooked chicken for this enchiladas recipe.
  Reply
Annie says
June 26, 2019

Needs improvement. Made these and that heat and time wasn’t long enough to cook the onions, they were raw. Browning the onions first would be a good idea. Canned enchilada sauce was not tasty.
Reply
- Karrie says
  July 2, 2019
  
  I have a much improved and better homemade recipe for enchiladas in my cookbook!
  Reply
- amish boy says
  December 5, 2019
  
  Disagree. I’ve made it several times and it’s always a big hit. Try different enchilada sauce.
  Reply
Melissa says
May 5, 2019

I’ve made my own sauce using the Pioneer Woman’s recipe & it was absolutely outstanding. With my multiple surgeries coming up this summer, I’ll happily used canned sauce to make the prep even quicker. Please keep the freezer recipes coming!
Reply
- Ashley says
  May 6, 2019
  
  Meal prepping before our baby comes! What would you recommend as a cook from frozen time?
  Reply
  - Karrie says
    May 8, 2019
    
    I’d give it about an hour covered and then another 20 or so minutes until it’s all bubbly and cooked through.

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50 Freezer Meals in a Day: Chicken Enchilada Freezer Meal Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to freeze enchiladas baked or unbaked? ›

It depends on your personal preference! I prefer to freeze uncooked enchiladas, then bake them just before serving. This preserves the texture of the enchiladas, whereas freezing cooked enchiladas often results in soggy or rubbery tortillas.

Tell Me More ›

How do you freeze enchiladas without getting soggy? ›

*TO FREEZE: Cover enchiladas tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Can you make enchiladas ahead of time or do they get soggy? ›

Wrap the pan tightly with foil. Then you can either refrigerate the enchiladas for up to 3 days, then bake as directed. Or you can freeze the enchiladas for up to 3 months, then let them thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then bake as directed.

Tell Me More ›

What temperature to cook frozen enchiladas? ›

Bake frozen enchiladas for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees. Or let the chicken enchiladas thaw, then bake for 20-25 minutes.

Explore More ›

Should I cover my enchiladas before baking? ›

Arrange enchiladas, seam-side down, in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with taco sauce and remaining 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese. Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 20 minutes. Let cool briefly before serving.

Know More ›

What is the secret to good enchiladas? ›

The most important tip for avoiding soggy enchiladas is to briefly fry your tortillas in hot oil before you fill and roll. This creates a little bit of a barrier so that the tortillas don't soak up too much of the sauce and therefore start to break down.

Find Out More ›

Do enchiladas taste better with corn or flour tortillas? ›

While some recipes use flour tortillas, corn tortillas are traditional — and for good reason — are the better option for enchiladas. Corn tortillas have a distinct flavor that plays a key part of the enchilada experience, compared to flour tortillas, which are more like a blank slate.

Learn More Now ›

Why did my enchiladas get mushy? ›

If you are actually following a quality enchilada recipe, you should have already dipped your tortillas into your chosen sauce before baking. This process softens the tortilla and infuses it with flavor, so if you just dump the rest of the good stuff on top of your dish before baking, you are begging for a soggy mess.

How do you know when enchiladas are done? ›

Bake until the sauce is bubbling and cheese is beginning to brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes and eat them right up.

Read The Full Story ›

Do you have to thaw frozen enchiladas? ›

Oven-baked dishes, like a pan of enchiladas, lasagna, or apple pie, are a great example of foods that are ideal to cook for the first time directly from frozen. Dishes like these can be put into the oven straight from the freezer and cooked until hot and ready to eat.

Show Me More ›

How long to reheat frozen homemade enchiladas? ›

To reheat, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), place the frozen enchiladas in the oven, and bake for 20-30 minutes until they are heated through and the shredded cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. To cut down on the baking time place let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Get More Info ›

How to freeze enchiladas in an aluminum pan? ›

If you're freezing to eat later: Cover the enchiladas with plastic wrap pressing down on top of the enchiladas removing as many air bubbles as possible. If the aluminum pans come with cardboard lids, fold over the edges to secure them to the containers.

Discover More Details ›

Can you vacuum seal and freeze enchiladas? ›

Freeze. For best results, remove dish after freezing overnight, enchiladas will easily pop out and can be moved to a vacuum sealed bag with FoodSaver® FM3941 to keep it fresh even longer.

How long are enchiladas good in the fridge? ›

Store the enchiladas: To keep the enchiladas up to 2 days in the refrigerator, tightly cover the pan with foil before storing. To freeze the enchiladas for up to 3 months, tightly wrap the entire pan with foil, crimping to seal around the edges to prevent freezer burn.

Find Out More ›