Say hi, to your new favorite skillet chicken dinner.

Skillet Chicken Tinga Enchiladas | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

The tinga enchilada skillet…with lots of cheese…and a fried egg, because that’s how I do it over here. A little over the top, but I mean, not really, considering this meal is relatively healthy and on the table in under an hour. Yes, in under one hour and you can be eating this for dinner. cool. cool.

So can I tell you a little back story here for a second?

This recipe almost didn’t make it to the blog. To be completely up front, I really struggled with this recipe. Not so much the flavors, but more the texture and look of the recipe. The dish came to be in three stages…

Skillet Chicken Tinga Enchiladas | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest Skillet Chicken Tinga Enchiladas | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Stage one: chicken tinga enchiladas with pickled jalapeños and slaw, using flour tortillas.

This first round was good, so delicious, but there was a problem. I used flour tortillas and the tinga style sauce just turned them to mush. So well the flavor was spot on, the texture was off, and the recipe needed to be fixed.

Stage two: same as stage one, but minus the slaw (because I didn’t feel it was needed) and this time using corn tortillas.

This second stage was also good and was definitely worthy of posting, but I just could not get the photos right. They looked dry, overcooked, just not worthy of how delish the recipe was. SO I scratched it, almost giving up on the recipe entirely. BUT then something amazing happened. That night as I was cleaning everything up, I had a ton of leftover fried eggs, like a ton. I was trying to get the perfect, but yet not too perfect, looking fried egg for these Moroccan fried eggs (weekend brunch anyone?!). I ended up frying a grand total of twelve freshly laid chicken eggs. Yes twelve, and honestly, it might have been more, but I’m too embarrassed to admit that. Got to get that perfect looking egg, you know? Yeah right…can you say perfectionist or what? <–that’s me.

Anyway, I had a ton of fried eggs leftover and I just could not bear to throw them out. I mean, they were beautiful with their brightly colored orange/yellow yolks, and their whiter than white egg whites (I LOVE that I can get my eggs fresh from right outside my door…literally). I just could not throw them out. SO, I saw the enchiladas sitting there on the counter and within seconds, the eggs were on top. Perfect compliment to this dish…eggs on enchiladas with lots of cheese? YUM.

I ended up sending that batch of enchiladas up to my parents that night and the response I got was so unexpected. They LOVED the enchiladas. Loved them so much. They said the sauce was what made the dish amazing, but the eggs definitely added something awesome too.

The only flaw…the tortillas. Everyone was in agreement that the tortillas were just soaking up too much of that awesome sauce. SO then…

Skillet Chicken Tinga Enchiladas | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest Skillet Chicken Tinga Enchiladas | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Stage three: skillet chicken tinga enchiladas…plus a fried egg.

With stage three, I just got smart. I ditched the multiple pans and the entire rolling process. I just threw everything into one skillet and called it a day. I did this partly because I was semi tired of making and rolling enchiladas, but also because it’s just the best way to make this recipe. The sauce and the chicken all get cooked up in one skillet, which takes about twenty to thirty minutes to come together. I used boneless, skinless chicken tenders for quick cooking time, but breasts would work as well, just cut them into smaller chunks. The secret to the sauce is a decent amount of chipotle chile peppers. This dish is spicy, but not overly so, and the bay leaves really help to tame the dish down a bit. If you’re not a huge fan of spicy, just reduce the amount of chipotle peppers to one.

Once the sauce is complete, simply layer a few corn tortillas right over the sauce, then top with cheese and bake. The tortillas get crisp, the sauce stays saucy, and the cheese gets gooey and melty.

SO simple, quick and easy, but so delish.

Oh and then, while the dish is baking, fry up a few eggs for topping. They’re not a must, but then…when are adding eggs ever not a good idea? Eggs make everything that much better.

These tinga enchiladas are perfect for just about any night of the week, but I’m feeling like tonight might just be a great night for a cheesy meal? <–trust me, your Thursday night is in need of some skillet enchiladas guys.

Skillet Chicken Tinga Enchiladas | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Watch The How To Video:

Skillet Chicken Tinga Enchiladas | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest
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4.34 from 68 votes

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

The Recipe

Skillet Chicken Tinga Enchiladas

By halfbakedharvest

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: chicken dinner, mexican inspired, spicy chicken

These tangy chicken enchiladas are perfect for a weeknight meal

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 612 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tomatillos, husked
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 (4 ounce) cans Chopped Green Chiles
  • 1/4 cup canned chipotle peppers in adobo, about 2-3 chiles
  • 1 (28 ounce) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
  • 1 cup Mexican beer or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 6 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 fried eggs optional (optional)

Instructions

  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

    2. Heat a large oven safe skillet over high heat. Add the tomatillos and cook, turning often until they begin to char and become soft. Remove from the skillet. Let cool and then give them a rough chop.

    3. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil and onion. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is fragrant. Stir the chopped tomatillos, green chiles, and chipotle chiles and cook another minute. Add the tomatoes, beer, oregano, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Slide the chicken into sauce and cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat. Discard the bay leaves and shred the chicken in the skillet. Stir in the cilantro. Lay the corn tortillas flat over the chicken. Add the cheese in an even layer, transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. 

    4. Serve topped with cilantro, and avocado, if desired. EAT. 

Skillet Chicken Tinga Enchiladas | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

SKILLET enchiladas for the win.