These chicken enchiladas are filled with shredded chicken, black beans, cream cheese and green chiles, rolled in tortillas and baked under red enchilada sauce and melted cheese.

They’re designed for the freezer. Assemble a pan on a quiet afternoon and it’s ready for a night when cooking isn’t going to happen, which is often what saves a takeout order.

One pan makes eight enchiladas. Bake it now, freeze it for later, or split it into two smaller pans and do both.

Ingredients and Swaps

Chicken: Three cups of cooked, shredded chicken. Shredded beef or extra beans work too.
Black beans and green chiles: They stretch the chicken and add flavor.
Cream cheese: Makes the filling creamy and helps it hold together.
Enchilada sauce: Red sauce from a can. Green sauce gives a milder, tangier result.
Tortillas: 8-inch flour tortillas. Corn tortillas work if you warm them first so they don’t crack.

Tips for Enchiladas That Freeze Well

Sauce the bottom of the pan. A thin layer keeps the tortillas from sticking.
Roll tightly, seam side down. They hold their shape through freezing and baking.
Use a foil pan for the freezer. It goes straight from freezer to oven and frees up your baking dish.
Wrap well. Plastic wrap pressed on the surface, then foil, keeps out freezer burn. Label with the date and baking directions.

Prices are from Walmart’s and ALDI’s websites for stores in Columbus, Ohio, checked in October 2026. Ohio’s grocery prices are within about 1% of the national average, so you may pay more or less depending on where you live, and prices change often. Here’s how we price our recipes.

Cost: Ingredients – $12.73 from Walmart, $12.04 from ALDI · Per Serving – $1.50 to $1.59

Pan of baked chicken enchiladas in red sauce with melted cheese, cilantro and green onions, one served on a plate

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Freezer-Friendly Chicken Enchiladas

Cheesy chicken enchiladas rolled in soft tortillas and smothered in red enchilada sauce. Bake tonight or freeze before baking for an easy future dinner.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

3 cups cooked shredded chicken
1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed
4 ounces cream cheese softened
2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
2½ cups red enchilada sauce about 1 large can, divided
8 flour tortillas 8-inch
Chopped cilantro and green onions for serving

Method

Preheat the oven to 375°F (if baking now). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or foil pan.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, black beans, cream cheese, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, green chiles, and ½ cup enchilada sauce. Mix well.
Spread ½ cup enchilada sauce over the bottom of the dish.
Divide the filling among the tortillas, roll up tightly, and place seam-side down in the dish.
Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas, covering the edges completely, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
To bake now: cover with foil and bake 15 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes more until bubbly.
To freeze: cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, label, and freeze. Bake from frozen at 375°F covered for 50–60 minutes, then uncovered for 10–15 minutes.
Top with cilantro and green onions before serving.

Notes

Corn tortillas work too; warm them first so they don’t crack.
Swap chicken for shredded beef or extra beans.
Use green enchilada sauce for a milder, tangy version.
Thaw overnight in the fridge to cut the baking time to about 30 minutes.

How to Bake from Frozen

Remove the plastic wrap and cover with foil. Bake at 375°F for 50–60 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10–15 minutes more, until bubbly and hot in the center. If you thaw the pan overnight in the fridge, bake it covered for 25–30 minutes and uncovered for 10.