Buffalo chicken enchiladas are tortillas rolled around a creamy, spicy filling of shredded chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing, sour cream, green chiles and sharp cheddar, then baked under more cheese until golden and bubbly. They taste like buffalo chicken dip wrapped up for dinner. With cooked chicken on hand, the pan is in the oven in 20 minutes. They are made for game day, weeknights and anyone who orders wings every time.
How to make buffalo chicken enchiladas: Mix shredded cooked chicken with buffalo sauce, sour cream, ranch dressing, cheddar and diced green chiles. Divide the filling among 8 tortillas, roll them up and set them seam-side down in a greased 9-by-13-inch dish. Pour the remaining buffalo sauce over the top, cover with cheddar and bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Buffalo wing flavor. Hot sauce, ranch and cheddar in every bite.
- A use for leftover chicken. Rotisserie or any cooked, shredded chicken works.
- Fast. About 35 minutes, start to finish.
- Soft or crunchy. One choice at the end changes the texture.
- Flour or corn. Use the tortillas you have.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken. Two cups, cooked and shredded.
Buffalo sauce. One and a half cups, divided. Half a cup goes into the filling, and the remainder is for the top.
Sour cream. Half a cup. Greek yogurt can stand in for it.
Ranch dressing. Half a cup in the filling, plus more for serving if you like.
Sharp cheddar cheese. Eight ounces, shredded and divided. One cup goes into the filling.
Green chili peppers. Four ounces, diced.
Tortillas. Eight, flour or corn, 6 to 8 inches across.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 1/2 cups buffalo sauce, divided
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
- 4 ounces diced green chili peppers
- 8 tortillas, flour or corn, 6 to 8 inches
How to Make Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
1. Prepare the dish. Heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Mix the filling. Combine the chicken, 1/2 cup buffalo sauce, sour cream, 1/2 cup ranch dressing, 1 cup shredded cheddar and the diced green chili peppers.
3. Soften corn tortillas, if using. Wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to soften them. Flour tortillas do not need this step.
4. Fill and roll. Divide the filling among the tortillas. Roll each one and place it seam-side down in the prepared dish.
5. Choose your topping texture. For soft, pliable enchiladas, pour the remaining buffalo sauce over the rolls. For a crunchy result, leave that sauce off. Top with the remaining cheddar.
6. Bake and serve. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer. Serve hot.
Soft or Crunchy, Flour or Corn?
Two choices shape how these enchiladas turn out, and both are made before the pan goes into the oven. Decide first, because once the sauce is poured there is no taking it back.
| Choice | What to do | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Flour tortillas | Fill and roll them straight from the package | Soft, tender wraps that roll without cracking |
| Corn tortillas | Microwave in a damp paper towel for 30 seconds first | More corn flavor. Softening keeps them from splitting |
| Sauce on top | Pour the remaining buffalo sauce over the rolls | Soft, saucy, pliable enchiladas |
| No sauce on top | Leave the sauce off and add only the cheese | Crisp, crunchy edges |
If you skip the sauce on top, serve it warm at the table for dipping or drizzling. You keep the crunch and still get the heat.
A cold corn tortilla cracks when it is rolled. Thirty seconds of steam in the microwave makes it bend.
Tips for Success
How much filling goes in each tortilla?
Divide it evenly among the eight. Spoon it in a line down the center and roll snugly, so the ends stay open but the filling stays put.
Why seam-side down?
The weight of the roll holds the seam closed as it bakes, so the enchiladas do not unroll.
How do I know they are done?
The cheese is golden and bubbling, and a food thermometer in the center reads 165°F.
How spicy are they?
As spicy as your buffalo sauce. The sour cream, ranch and cheddar soften the heat. For a milder pan, leave the sauce off the top.
What chicken should I use?
Any cooked chicken, shredded. A rotisserie chicken is the fastest way to get there.
How Long Does It Take?
About 35 minutes: 20 minutes of prep and 15 to 20 minutes in the oven.
Can You Make Them Ahead?
Yes. Roll the enchiladas, cover the dish and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Hold back the buffalo sauce and cheese for the top, and add them just before baking. A cold pan takes longer to heat through, so check for 165°F in the center.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow, covered containers, and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F on a food thermometer, not just until warm.
What to Serve With It
Black beans, Mexican rice or grilled corn are good sides, and a little blue cheese dressing or extra ranch on top never hurts. For more enchilada nights, try cream cheese chicken enchiladas, chicken enchiladas with sour cream white sauce or chicken enchiladas with homemade red sauce. To cook the chicken ahead, use 4-ingredient slow cooker chicken or slow cooker cream cheese chicken. And for another easy chicken bake, there is the Ritz cracker chicken casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I use flour or corn tortillas, and does corn need softening?
Either works. Corn tortillas need 30 seconds in the microwave in a damp paper towel. Flour tortillas do not.
Should I pour buffalo sauce over the rolled enchiladas if I want a crunchy rather than soft result?
No. Leave the sauce off the top for crunchy enchiladas. Pour it on for soft ones.
What sides go with enchiladas?
Black beans, Mexican rice and grilled corn.
How should I store and reheat leftovers safely?
Refrigerate within 2 hours, eat within 3 to 4 days and reheat to 165°F.
Final Notes
I pour sauce over half the pan and leave the other half dry, so the table gets both soft and crunchy. If you make them, leave a comment to tell me how they turned out or ask a question.
Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
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Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken cooked and shredded
- 1 1/2 cups buffalo sauce divided
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing plus more for serving, if desired
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 4 ounces green chili peppers diced
- 8 tortillas flour or corn, 6 to 8 inches in diameter
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the chicken, 1/2 cup buffalo sauce, sour cream, 1/2 cup ranch dressing, 1 cup shredded cheddar and the diced green chili peppers.
- Wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds to soften them. Flour tortillas do not need this step.
- Divide the filling among the tortillas. Roll each one and place it seam-side down in the prepared dish.
- For soft, pliable enchiladas, pour the remaining buffalo sauce over the rolls. For a crunchy result, leave that sauce off. Top with the remaining cheddar.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly and the center reaches 165°F on a food thermometer. Serve hot.
