These Cran-Chicken Enchiladas are a delicious twist on classic enchiladas.

Enchiladas are a popular Mexican dish of rolled tortillas filled with various ingredients, covered in sauce, and baked until hot and bubbly. This recipe for Cran-Chicken Enchiladas puts a twist on the classic enchilada by adding cranberry sauce to the filling. The tangy sweetness of the cranberry sauce pairs perfectly with the savory chicken and spices, making for a mouth-watering combination.

Enchiladas served on a plate

If you didnโ€™t already know, we love Mexican food. I especially love a healthier version of one of my favorites. I adapted this recipe from one for Thanksgiving leftovers: Cran-Turkey Enchiladas.

Baked enchiladas with toppings in baking dish viewed from above

I like this because the enchiladas arenโ€™t drenched in sauce, and I like their tangy sweetness. So try out this healthier, yummier enchilada, whether you do chicken or turkey. You wonโ€™t be disappointed.

Enchiladas make a great meal for a family dinner or a potluck, and this recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Plus, it’s easy to make and can be prepared beforehand, making it perfect for busy weeknights or meal prep, so it is nice to have a variety of enchiladas to make.

Filling ingredients mixed together in a bowl

ingredients

To make these delicious Cran-Chicken Enchiladas, you will need the following ingredients:

  • Shredded cooked chicken
  • Whole cranberry sauce
  • Black beans, canned, rinsed and drained
  • Salsa
  • Colby and Monterey Jack cheese
  • Fat-free sour cream
  • Green Onions
  • Cilantro
  • Cumin
  • Salt & pepper
  • Flour Tortillas
Sauce in a bowl

How do you make Cran-Chicken Enchiladas?

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

  • In a large bowl, stir together chicken, half the cranberry sauce, beans, 1/2 cup of the salsa, 3/4 cup of the cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spoon about 2/3 cup filling on each tortilla. Roll up tortillas around the filling. Place, seam sides down, in prepared dish; set aside.
  • For the sauce, in a bowl, stir together the remaining cranberry sauce, remaining salsa, and hot pepper sauce. Spoon over the filled tortillas. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover; top with the remaining cheese. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more, or until heated through and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional cilantro and green onions.
Enchiladas prepared in a baking dish with sauce on top

Take these Cran-Chicken Enchiladas to another level by making them with my Best Ever 5-Minute Salsa and Best Ever Flour Tortillas or Corn Tortillas.

Side view of cooked enchiladas with toppings

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cran chicken enchiladas collage image with recipe title

Cran-Chicken Enchiladas

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 8
These Cran-Chicken Enchiladas are a delicious twist on classic enchiladas, using your favorite holiday leftovers, topped with a cranberry salsa.
Baked enchiladas with toppings in baking dish viewed from above

Ingredients
 

  • 2 – 2-1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 16 ounces whole cranberry sauce
  • 15 ounces black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups bottled salsa
  • 1 cup shredded colby and Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
  • 3 green onions sliced
  • 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 8 whole wheat or regular flour tortillas 7-8 inch
  • 1 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
  • In a large bowl stir together chicken, half the cranberry sauce, beans, 1/2 cup of the salsa, 3/4 cup of the cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spoon about 2/3 cup filling on each tortilla. Roll up tortillas around filling. Place, seam sides down, in prepared dish; set aside.
  • For sauce, in bowl stir together remaining cranberry sauce, remaining salsa, and hot pepper sauce. Spoon over filled tortillas. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover; top with remaining cheese. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional cilantro and green onions.

Notes

Note: This freezes well. In fact, this is my Mom’s go-to meal when she is taking dinner to another family. She will double the batch and freeze or deliver to someone else.

Baked enchiladas with toppings in baking dish viewed from above
Tried this recipe?Let us know what you think!
close up cooked enchiladas

My review: To me, I love these more than the average enchilada. One is because of the sauce. Two, because of the touch of sweetness. Three, because you can use your leftovers from your Thanksgiving meal.

Kidโ€™s reviews: Well, they will eat them but they would rather this be drenched in red enchilada sauce. Well, I like the healthier approach, so they will eat them but it isnโ€™t in their top ten.

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4.72 from 7 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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22 Comments

  1. These would be a perfect and tasty way to use up all my extra turkey after Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing!

  2. We love Mexican food also. In fact, I am fixing tostados for dinner tonight. These sound so yummy and I am always looking for great recipes to use with my left over turkey. YUM! Thanks so much for sharing with Share Your Cup. Hope to see you often!
    hugs,
    Jann

  3. I will be making an xtra turkey for my small family of 4, and using the leftovers to make this meal for our next freezer swap! Love this, thanks :). And what a great unusual way to use up the leftovers from thanksgiving .

  4. 5 stars
    I wasn’t sure about this recipe, but I LOVE the sweet and tangy flavor the cranberries bring. A new Taco Tuesday fave

  5. 5 stars
    I was skeptical of this recipe, but it turned out majorly delicious! Thank you for the easy directions!

  6. 5 stars
    I tried the CRAN-CHICKEN ENCHILADAS and they were a wonderful surprise! The combination of cranberry and chicken was unique and so flavorful. My family loved them, and they were gone in no time.