This Chicken Enchilada Pasta combines the bold flavors of Mexican food with the comforting creaminess of pasta in a dish that is sure to be a hit. Bubbly, cheesy dish loaded with tender chicken, zesty enchilada sauce and delightful pasta ready in just 30 minutes.
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❤️ Why You'll Love It
- This recipes uses simple ingredients and you probably have them all on hand.
- Just like this favorite RoTel Chicken Spaghetti, it is an easy and quick weeknight dinner.
- Great recipe for make ahead and meal prep.
We love this chicken enchilada pasta as it is combines two of our favorite dishes. Bursting with desirable Mexican flavors with the comforting bite of pasta, this recipe shows up at least once in my monthly rotation.
🥄 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Cook Pasta al dente in salty water and set aside. In a deep pot saute onions, garlic and add cubed chicken and cook.
- Meanwhile heat the sauce with spices in another pot or a microwave dish. Pour sauce over the chicken. Add beans and let them simmer for about 5 minutes.
- If your pot goes into the oven, take half of the chicken mixture with sauce out, otherwise start layering the dish in a separate casserole dish. Place half the chicken mixture at the bottom then top with half the pasta.
- Pour the remaining chicken sauce over then the remaining pasta then spread the cheese over. Bake until bubbly and hot.
👍 Amira's Tips
- If you do not care for layering the dish, you can simply mix the pasta in with the chicken and sauce then top them all with the cheese.
- You can use cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken in this recipe.
- Try other beans, corn, or anything that you feel right with enchiladas.
- Make it meatless and substitute chicken with sauteed mushroom, zucchini, tofu or any other veggies.
⌛ Make Ahead
- Add another ½ cup of enchilada sauce and assemble the dish 24 hours in advance, cover and refrigerate. When ready bake as directed
🧺 Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers tightly wrapped for up to 3-4 days.
📣 Related Recipes
- Baked ziti with meat is a delicious and satisfying comfort food that is easy to make at home. This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated for an easy weeknight dinner option.
- Delicious and satisfying tender chicken in a rich, creamy sauce, this easy Marry Me Chicken recipe will leave you wanting more. A perfect dish for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
- Transform game day into a flavor explosion with this hands-off crockpot buffalo chicken pasta.
More Mexican Inspired Recipes
- Pillsbury crescent rolls taco bake is as easy and delicious as it sounds. Flavored taco meat stuffed between two layers of delicious butter crescent rolls and topped with your favorite taco topping for an epic taco night.
👩🏫 My Personal Experience
I first learned about enchiladas when my oldest was in 3rd grade, that is almost 5 years ago. It was the first time in my life hearing about that strange term!!. He ate enchiladas at school and he liked it so I had to search it up and try to recreate it at home.
To give you a hint about my oldest son, he is very and I mean VERY reluctant to try any new food and he always sticks to the safe side by only eating what he already know. So I was really surprised that he tried something he did not know and he actually liked it. When he was little, it took me a whole year to convince him to try eggs!!
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Chicken Enchilada Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion , chopped.
- 2 cloves garlic , minced.
- salt and pepper.
- 1 lb .Boneless, skinless chicken thighs , cubes or cut into thin strips.
- 1 can (28 ounce) enchilada sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 can (15.5 oz) beans , any type you like.
- 12 oz .uncooked pasta
- 3 Cup cheddar cheese , grated
Toppings:
- tomato
- green onions
- cilantro
- black olives , sliced
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 350F.
- Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat, saute onion for about 3 minutes then add garlic and continue to cook for about 30 seconds more.
- Add chicken, salt and pepper, cook until no longer pink.
- In the mean time cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
- In a sauce pan mix enchilada sauce, chicken broth, sour cream and add cumin and paprika. Heat up until for 3 minutes or until chicken is done.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken, stir in the beans and cook for another 5 minutes.
- If your skillet go into the oven, take ½ of the mixture out of the pan. Otherwise layer the recipe in a 13x9 casserole dish.
- Layer half of the pasta over.
- Pour the remaining sauce minus ½ a cup over the pasta.
- Layer the rest of the pasta.
- Pour the remaining sauce over.
- Sprinkle cheese on top.
- Cover the pan and bake in the center of your oven for 10 minutes or until cheese melted.
- Turn on the broiler for about 2-3 minutes until the cheese gets nice and golden.
- To serve:Top with chopped cilantro, green onions, diced tomato or olives.
Notes
- For more tips check out the post above.
- Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.
Nutrition
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First published Apr 18, 2017 . Last updated June 15, 2023 with important tips, clear step by step instructions and readability.
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GiGi Eats Celebrities
Mmm! I have never made chicken in this style before but that needs to change!!! You have convinced me that my mouth needs chicken enchilada!
Amira
Thanks GiGi, I hope you'll try it soon, it is indeed tasty.
Evelyne CulturEatz
Oh my, so sorry for the terrible week you had hat just passed. OPn top of everythign going on in the world, experiencing a close teen suicide is terrible. This is truly a time for comfort food. I never heard of an enchilada pasta dish but it looks really tmepting. Cheers to better times Amira!
Amira
It was/is terrible indeed. Thanks Eve, I hope you'll try this dish and I hope you'll try it in a better circumstances as well.
kitchenriffs
Wow -- it's tragic anytime anyone commits suicide, but unbelievable when little kids do it. Really, really sad. I feel for your child -- hard experience.Anyway, love this dish! We can all use tasty one-pot dishes like this. Thanks!
Amira
Yes, I kept wondering why? what on earth got into his little mind :(. Anyway, thanks John for your comment.