Any day with a chicken enchilada skillet is a fabulous day.

smoky chicken enchilada skillet I howsweeteats.com #chicken #enchilada #skillet #beans

Cheese, sauce, tortillas. I need nothing else! Except maybe a vat of guac. With chips. And margaritas.

If you’re planning a Cinco de Mayo feast this week for your friends and family, I have a super easy non-taco option for you today. I mean, who doesn’t love a good deconstructed enchilada? With BEANS! And smoky chicken. Also, sliced avocado! And HOMEMADE SAUCE.

I’ll stop shouting but it really is that good.

That good!

smoky chicken enchilada skillet I howsweeteats.com #chicken #enchilada #skillet #beans

And it serves a crowd without having a million separate pieces. WINNING.

This recipe is kind of a mesh of this chicken enchilada lasagna I posted backed in 2010 (OMG whaaaaat) and this chicken tamale pie that we fell in love with last year.

This enchilada skillet includes pinto beans and corn, homemade sauce (the best!), scallions, avocado, jalapeños and small flour tortillas. I love to use flour tortillas here because they hold up well in the oven – and especially when reheating!

I mostly use corn tortillas for my chicken enchiladas, but this skillet babe works great with flour ones. You can use corn in a pinch though.

smoky chicken enchilada skillet I howsweeteats.com #chicken #enchilada #skillet #beans

And it’s so much easier than the tamale pie because in lieu of the cornbread layer, we’re just doing the tortillas. It doesn’t serve up pretty, but it tastes freaking amazzzing.

It’s also one of those cheater recipes. You can totally use rotisserie chicken. Or just leftover chicken that you have from another recipe you’ve made. You can, of course, also use store-bought enchilada sauce but this homemade stuff is truly the best. It’s incredible and packed with flavor and not difficult to make. It has actually changed the enchilada game for me!

smoky chicken enchilada skillet I howsweeteats.com #chicken #enchilada #skillet #beans

The pinto beans are my faaaavorite component. I adore all beans (they are one of my go-to foods every week) but pintos are by far my fave. And I just accidentally wrote “PINOT” beans, so apparently I wish that they were made of wine.

Or that I was drinking wine.

Same thing!

smoky chicken enchilada skillet I howsweeteats.com #chicken #enchilada #skillet #beans

So now that you have dinner tonight (!!!!) (also, it’s really easy so yes, dinner tonight!), what else are you making this week?! Kentucky Derby? AND Cindo de Mayo food? The options are endless!

smoky chicken enchilada skillet I howsweeteats.com #chicken #enchilada #skillet #beans

Smoky Chicken Enchilada Skillet

5 from 16 votes
Leave a Review »

Ingredients

enchilada sauce

chicken skillet

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 8 4-inch flour tortillas
  • 1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/3 cup corn
  • 8 ounces  queso Chihuahua or white cheddar cheese freshly grated
  • 2 green onions thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper thinly sliced
  • 1 handful of fresh cilantro for topping
  • 1 avocado thinly sliced for topping

Instructions 

enchilada sauce

  • Heat a large (10 or 12 inch) oven-safe (I like cast iron!) skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Whisk in the flour and cook until it is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk together, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 more minutes before using. Transfer almost all of the enchilada sauce out of the skillet except for a thin layer on the bottom.

chicken skillet

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Toss the chicken with the cumin and paprika. Toss it with the pinto beans and corn.
  • Take each flour tortilla and lightly coat it with the sauce. You don't have to dunk it, but you can take the back of a spoon and spread it over both sides of the tortilla. Take 4 or 5 tortillas and line the skillet with them, placing them so they come up the sides of the skillet. Add half of the chicken and bean mixture. Top with a big handful of cheese. Spoon on some of the enchilada sauce.
  • Arrange the remaining tortillas on top of the mixture. Add the rest of the chicken and beans. Add more (or all!) of the enchilada sauce, making sure it covers all of the tortilla pieces. Sprinkle on all the grated cheese.
  • Bake the skillet for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove the skillet from the oven and top with the jalapeno pepper slices, cilantro, scallions and avocado. Serve immediately!
Instagram

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to follow @howsweeteats on instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo of your recipe to our facebook page.
I appreciate you so much!

smoky chicken enchilada skillet I howsweeteats.com #chicken #enchilada #skillet #beans

It’s so cheesy and melty too!