Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas

These Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas are filled with pulled chicken, peppers and corn then topped with an easy enchilada sauce and cheese.

Ingredients and substitutions

Chicken

• Olive oil – or any neutral cooking oil such as canola oil.
• Chicken breasts – you can also try using boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Taco seasoning – make your own using my taco seasoning recipe.
• Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work too.
• Chicken broth – vegetable broth would be the best substitute here.
• Lime juice – use fresh or bottled lime juice. In a pinch, lemon juice can be used.
• Red pepper – swap out for another bell pepper colour of your choice like yellow or orange pepper.
• Red onion – white or yellow onion will work but will have a milder flavour.
• Corn – use fresh, canned or defrosted frozen corn. If you’re not a fan of corn, leave it out altogether.

Enchilada sauce

• Canned crushed tomatoes – you could use fresh tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes instead.
• Taco seasoning – make your own using my taco seasoning recipe.
• Chicken broth ­– vegetable broth would be the best substitute here.
• Brown sugar – replace with 1 tbsp. butter or leave this out altogether.
• Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work too.

Enchilada assembly

• Flour tortillas – use gluten-free tortillas or corn tortillas instead.
• Shredded cheddar cheese – use another cheese of your choice like Monterey Jack.

Topping ideas

• Cilantro – chopped green onions would make a nice garnish.
• Sour cream – fresh or jarred salsa would be yummy if you’re not a fan of sour cream.
• Lime wedges – leave these out altogether if you don’t have any on hand.
• Avocado – guacamole would also be good here.

How to make chicken enchiladas in the Instant Pot

Step 1: Cook the chicken.

Add all the chicken ingredients to the pot except the red pepper, red onion and corn. Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Shred the chicken.

Do a quick release of the pressure, then shred the chicken with two forks. Add back to the pot and toss in the seasonings.

Step 3: Add in the veggies.

Stir in the corn, red pepper and red onion. Remove from the Instant Pot and set aside.

Step 4: Make the sauce.

Add all the sauce ingredients to the Instant Pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Assemble your enchiladas.

Add the tortillas to a baking dish. Pour in a little bit of sauce, then the shredded chicken mixture, and roll up each tortilla. Place seam-side down, cover with the rest of the sauce, then top with cheese.

Step 6: Bake and then serve!

Bake until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven, add any desired toppings and serve!

Enchilada Variations

These Instant Pot enchiladas are super customizable, so you can mix up the toppings and flavors to whatever you’re craving. Here are some different variation options:

• Protein: Swap out the chicken for ground beef. Sauté the ground beef for 3-4 mins until browned, then add the remaining ingredients and cook on high pressure for 2 mins (you can refer to my Instant Pot ground beef recipe for more info).
• Sauce: I used a red sauce for this recipe, but you could also make it using salsa verdes or green sauce for enchiladas verdes.
• Tortillas: Flour tortillas are the traditional option, but gluten-free tortillas or corn tortillas would also work.
• Cheese: I like using shredded cheddar, but you could also use Monterey Jack cheese or a Tex Mex blend.
• Leftovers: Use the leftover chicken as a salad topping, in tacos or burrito bowls, or on top of loaded fries.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you prevent the enchiladas from getting soggy?

If you want your enchiladas to be super crispy, you can fry the flour tortillas in a bit of oil on the stovetop before adding the sauce and chicken mixture. This will prevent the tortillas from soaking up too much sauce. Keep in mind that frying to tortillas beforehand will increase the calorie count.

What enchilada sauce should you use?

I like making my own sauce for these Instant Pot chicken enchiladas. It’s super easy to make, just sauté a can of crushed tomatoes, taco seasoning, chicken broth, brown sugar, bring to a boil in the Instant Pot then cook for 5 minutes. You could use a store-bought sauce to cut down on prep time, but homemade sauce is so easy (and usually healthier).

What do you serve enchiladas with?

These enchiladas would be delicious with other Mexican-themed sides like refried beans, black beans, Mexican street corn, cowboy caviar or Mexican cornbread.

Storing and reheating

Store leftover chicken enchiladas in an airtight container. They will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave or in the oven until warmed through. I suggest poking the top of the enchiladas a few times with a fork to help everything heat more evenly.

If you’ll be reheating several portions at once, place in an oven-safe dish and reheat in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes at 300° Fahrenheit.

Can you freeze enchiladas?

Yes! Let the enchiladas cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, transfer the container to the refrigerator to thaw overnight, then reheat in the microwave one or two at a time.

You can also reheat your enchiladas in the oven for about 25 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit. Cover the pan with foil to keep them moist, then remove for the last 5 minutes so the tops can get crispy again.

To reheat straight from the freezer, cook as directed above but extend the times. Start with 30 minutes covered, then another 10-15 minutes after removing the foil.

More Instant Pot Mexican recipes

• Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas
• Instant Pot Mexican Stuffed Peppers
• Instant Pot Mexican Rice

Meal prep tools for this recipe

• Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning these enchiladas into leftovers.
• I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
• Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
• Use these Ziploc bag holders if you’re marinating the chicken then freezing it.
• Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.