5 Ingredient Chicken And Bean Enchiladas
5 ingredient chicken and bean enchiladas are a fun and delicious choice for dinner. They are bursting with flavor and easy to pull together. How do you make chicken enchiladas better? Add pinto beans of course. Flour tortillas are stuffed full of shredded chicken and beans then topped with a salsa verde (green salsa) and shredded cheese.
It is simple and easy to make these enchiladas in larger batches to make casseroles for the freezer for busy nights. This recipe uses a homemade taco seasoning that makes it easy to adjust the spice level. 5 ingredient chicken and bean enchiladas are yummy and budget friendly.
Ingredients For 5 Ingredient Chicken And Bean Enchiladas
2 chicken breasts, shredded
2 pints of Pinto Beans (or 2 cans)
3 cups Salsa Verde
15 Flour tortillas (fajita size)
12 ounces Shredded cheese
How To Prepare Chicken For 5 Ingredient Chicken And Bean Enchiladas
Add two chicken breasts to a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer for around 20 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees in the middle of the breast. Adjust the time for longer if your chicken is frozen. Rotisserie chicken shredded would also work great.
When the chicken is cooked through, transfer it to a cutting board for a couple of minutes until you can touch it. Make sure you save the liquid you cooked it in – that is homemade chicken stock!
Using two forks, shred the chicken into pieces. Set aside for the moment.
How To Prepare Pinto Beans For 5 Ingredient Chicken And Bean Enchiladas
I have recently become obsessed with canning and eating pinto beans. They are amazing – you should give them a try. It took me a whole afternoon but I ended up making 24 jars. See my post here on just how to do it. Refried beans in 5 minutes? Yes, please!
The homemade pinto beans have given me so many meals for a fraction of the cost of a can at the store, not to mention the flavor and ease of preparation. Store-bought canned pinto beans are fine to use, but make sure to rinse them to wash off extra salt. Black beans also taste delicious in this chicken and bean enchilada recipe.
Salsa Verde – How to
For me, the sauce is what makes the dish and I feel enchiladas can go a couple of different ways. For a beef enchilada recipe, I like red enchilada sauce (which is chili and tomato based), and for chicken, my go-to is always salsa verde (or green salsa). You can buy a jar of this in the store or you can make homemade enchilada sauce.
Making your own is fairly simple. I made 6 total cups and used half for this recipe (3 cups) and the other half went in the freezer for next time. My salsa verde recipe calls for tomatillos, onion, and jalapenos.
I coated these in olive oil and salt and pepper. Then roasted them at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Transfer them to a pot and add about a cup of water then blend until smooth with an immersion blender. Simmer for 5 minutes or so then taste and add more salt if needed.
Selecting The Cheese
White cheeses work best with these other ingredients. It pairs perfectly with chicken without overpowering it. Monterey jack cheese is budget-friendly and can be found in most grocery stores. You could opt for more Mexican-style cheeses such as cotija cheese or queso fresco. Use a lot of cheese to make these enchiladas extra gooey.
Building The 5 Ingredient Chicken And Bean Enchiladas
In a large skillet (12″ cast iron) melt some butter. When the butter is melted add the two jars of beans. Stir gently and warm through. Leave the beans somewhat whole for more texture or mash them as much as you like. I mashed them just a bit.
Add in the shredded chicken and around one tablespoon of taco seasoning and ½ cup of water. Use more or less depending on how much flavor you enjoy. Cook on low for about 5 minutes or so.
Stir gently to combine all the ingredients and warm through melding it all together. This is the filling. Doesn’t get easier than that.
Assemble The 5 Ingredient Chicken And Bean Enchiladas
For my family of five (2 are too picky to eat much), I made a 9×13 pan with 9 enchiladas. I also made a 9×7 pan (I use these disposable foil cake pans) for the freezer with 6 enchiladas. The second pan is a great meal to share with a friend or with family. Always make extra because you already dirtied the dishes, right?
Pour one cup of salsa verde (divided) into the bottom of the pans. Spread evenly to coat.
Take a flour tortilla in the palm of your hand and fill the center of each tortilla with about ⅓ cup of the chicken and bean mixture. Tuck one side under the other and place seam side down in the baking dish.
Do this for the remaining tortillas. I made a total of 15. You can always layer the ingredients and make an enchilada casserole recipe. My three-year-old was helping with a side of his plastic fruit – haha.
Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas in both pans and sprinkle with as much cheese as you wish.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Wrapping Up 5 Ingredient Chicken And Bean Enchiladas
Our family truly enjoys dinners that are packed with flavor and the taste of different cultures. Mexican, Italian, Indian, and Creole to name just a few. This recipe (like most of my other ones) can be adapted to suit your taste. Try corn tortillas – they are more fragile to work with so be gentle, or any cut of chicken you like best. And when it comes to seasoning, add as much or as little spice as you like.
Prep time is about 20 to 30 minutes. The total time is about an hour. Serve these 5-ingredient enchiladas with a side of Spanish or white rice, sour cream (or homemade yogurt- my fav!), avocado, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and lime wedges.
Don’t forget the pickled jalapenos! See here how easy it is to have these on hand. Black bean and corn salsa would taste great with these. This is a perfect enchilada dish for the whole family.
From our table to yours, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does. Let me know in the comments below- what your favorite Mexican-style meal is.
Thank you for being a part of the Inspired Homemaker Community.
Cheers,
Sarah
5 Ingredient Chicken and Bean Enchiladas
5 Ingredient Chicken And Bean Enchiladas
5 ingredient chicken and bean enchiladas are a fun and delicious choice for dinner. They are bursting with flavor and easy to pull together. Flour tortillas are stuffed full of shredded chicken and beans then topped with a salsa verde (green salsa) and shredded cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, shredded
- 2 pints of Pinto Beans (or 2 cans)
- 3 cups Salsa Verde
- 15 Flour tortillas (fajita size)
- 12 ounces Shredded cheese
Instructions
In a large pot of salted water, boil 2 chicken breasts until the temperature reaches 165 degrees about, 20 minutes. After the chicken has cooked, move it to a cutting board and shred it up.
Melt about 2 tablespoons of butter in a large cast iron skillet and empty the jars of pinto beans into it. Mash them just a little.
Add the chicken to the beans and sprinkle on about 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning. Pour in about 1/2 cup of water and mix gently to combine. Cook on low for about 5 minutes.
Set out your selected pans and pour just enough salsa verde to cover the bottoms.
Take a flour tortilla in your hand and fill it with 1/3 cup of the chicken and bean mixture. Roll it together and place the seam side down into the prepared pans. Continue with the rest fitting them side by side.
Pour the remaining salsa verde over the top of the rolled enchiladas and spread with the back of a spoon. Cover with cheese.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Notes
Wrap well and freeze for up to 6 months.
Can use pulled pork instead of chicken.
Shop My Favorite Kitchen Products
12″cast iron skillet https://amzn.to/3ZDttm4
9×13 Pyrex baking dish https://amzn.to/3LCiJjp
9×7″ foil cake pans https://amzn.to/3JaaaJQ
Wide mouth pint ball jars https://amzn.to/3Lcqhta
I love this post. Can’t wait to make this!
Wow 123456789