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Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

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These Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas are delicious, filling, and easy to make! They are a great way to utilize rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey — yes, TURKEY! These can be chicken OR turkey black bean enchiladas! 

 

main image for recipe of chicken and black bean enchiladas

 

Not only is this a great recipe to use up leftover meat, but it freezes and reheats well also. That’s a triple win in my book. You can’t beat the ease of prep and tasty flavor that you get with this black bean enchilada recipe. 

And in case the idea of leftover utilizing, freezer friendly, and quick preparation isn’t enough to sell you on these non-traditional black bean enchilada casserole, it’s also KID APPROVED! In my house full of picky eaters, that’s an award all on its own. 

 

packaged black beans and rice cooked in pan.

 

What is in chicken enchiladas?

For these simple black bean enchiladas, you will need the following ingredients: 

  • Black Beans & Rice Mix – part of what makes this recipe so quick and easy is that you don’t have to prepare each individual component. We love the Zatarains bean and rice mix, but feel free to use your favorite! 
  • Shredded chicken or turkey – this recipe is perfect for rotisserie chickens or leftover turkeys. But you can also boil/steam/slow cook chicken breasts and shred them! 
  • Diced green chilies – a can of green chilies adds a lot of flavor and subtle heat (if you pick a hot blend). 
  • Corn – using a drained can of corn keeps this recipe quick and simple. Feel free to sub for 1.5 cups frozen corn kernels! 
  • Cream of chicken soup – I think one of the best things about this recipe is that you can make it with canned and shelf stable pantry staples — all you need to add is the meat! 
  • Sour cream – sour cream adds a bit of zip and irresistible creaminess to your enchiladas. 
  • Sharp Cheddar cheese – feel free to sub with a Mexican blend or a milder cheddar! 
  • Flour tortillas – flour tortillas are going to hold up a little better to freezing and reheating than their corn counterparts do. 
  • Mozzarella cheese – again, you can use a Mexican blend or cheddar varieties if you prefer! 
  •  

That’s all you need to make these tasty chicken, black beans and rice chicken enchiladas! This recipe is great because not only is it a way to use up leftover turkey or chicken, but you can also throw it together using ingredients typically found in your pantry or fridge. 

 

chicken mixture mixed up and ready to use as enchilada filling.

 

How to make chicken and black bean enchiladas?

  1. Prepare black beans and rice.
  2. Mix in chicken, green chilies, and corn.
  3. Combine cream of chicken, sour cream, and cheddar cheese separately. 
  4. Prepare dish and enchiladas.  
  5. Bake & Enjoy! 

 

cream of chicken soup, sour cream and cheese all added to a bowl. Once mixed this will create the sauce the enchiladas are baked in.

 

Can I make chicken and black bean enchiladas ahead of time?

Yes, this recipe is great for assembling earlier in the day for cooking later OR for freezing! I prefer to make an 8×8 pan for now and an 8×8 pan for the freezer. 

If you’re making this recipe earlier in the day, simply store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. For freezing and thawing directions, see the section below. 

 

cream of chicken soup mixture spread along bottom of 9x13 casserole dish.

 

Can you freeze chicken enchiladas?

Absolutely, you can freeze these chicken black bean enchiladas! If you’re planning to freeze, prepare the enchiladas in a disposable casserole tray. Before you bake them, cover the disposable casserole tray with prepared enchiladas tightly with foil.

You can freeze these enchiladas for up to 3 months. To heat, there are two options. First, allow the casserole to thaw in the fridge for at least 24 hours and cook per the usual instructions. 

Second option: place the frozen casserole, still covered tightly with foil, directly into the oven prior to preheating. Once the oven is preheated, continue cooking (still covered) for 40 minutes. Remove the foil cover and continue cooking an additional 20 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and thoroughly heated. 

 

3 tortillas on a cutting board filled with chicken mixture and cheese, unwrapped.

 

How to cook chicken for enchiladas?

As previously mentioned, this recipe is a great way to utilize leftover rotisserie chicken or turkey meat. If you have a hankering for these tasty enchiladas, but don’t have leftover shredded meat handy, you can also prepare chicken from frozen or thawed chicken breasts (or thighs, or whatever!)

I love prepping frozen chicken breasts for shredding in the Instant Pot, but you can also prepare them in the crock pot or stove top! 

 

enchiladas fresh from the oven, still in pan.

 

Are chicken and black bean enchiladas healthy?

There are a lot of great things about this recipe. Chicken, rice, and black beans are all part of a healthy, balanced diet. 

That being said, this recipe uses some canned and ready-made ingredients, which tend to be high in sodium. It also has creamy components that contain fat, as well as flour tortillas, which are high-calorie

These black bean and rice enchiladas are filling and provide a lot of nutrients, but I wouldn’t call them a “health food.” As always, I recommend moderation

 

2 enchiladas on a plate, ready to be cut into.

 

What to serve with chicken and black bean enchiladas?

One of the great things about casserole-style recipes is that they are an entire meal in one dish! However, you might still be looking for a little something more to serve alongside your enchiladas. 

Well, look no further! We’ve got some great ideas that will go great with your chicken and black bean enchiladas! 

  • Homemade Lemonade
  • Pistachio Fruit Salad
  • Strawberry Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
  • Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
  • Grape Salad
  • Esquites
  • Candied Carrots
  • Brown Sugar and Bacon Green Beans
  • Broccoli Salad
  • Sautéed Apples

 

zoomed in image of 1 enchilada on a plate, cut in half showing filling.

 

Whether frozen or made fresh, whether you used turkey or chicken, these Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas are sure to satisfy the whole family! Quick and easy to make, with the option to freeze and great leftovers — this recipe is a win no matter how you look at it! 

 

Yield: 8 Servings

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

zoomed out image of enchilada on plate, showing filling

These Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas are delicious, filling, and easy to make! A great way to use up rotisserie chicken or leftover turkey!

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 package Black Beans & Rice Mix (we love Zatarains)
  • 3 - 4 cups shredded chicken or turkey
  • 1 (4 ounce) can of diced green chilies
  • 1 (15.25 ounce) can corn, drained
  • 1 (10.5 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*F
  2. Make Zatarains Black Beans & Rice according to package directions.
  3. Add to black beans & rice, shredded chicken, green chilies & corn.
  4. In a separate bowl combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and cheese.
  5. Spread 1/3 of soup mixture onto bottom of 9 x 13 casserole dish or divide into two 9 x 9 casserole dishes and freeze one for later.
  6. Scoop 1/2 cup of rice & beans mixture into a tortilla, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and roll up.
  7. Place in casserole dish on top of soup mixture.
  8. Scoop and roll all tortillas.
  9. Once pan is full, pour remaining soup mixture on top of all rolled tortillas.
  10. Bake for 30 minutes.
  11. Remove from oven and devour!

Notes

If using as a freezer meal, do not bake. Cover with foil and freeze. When ready to use, bake for 45 minutes at 350* COVERED. Remove foil and bake additional 5 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 654Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 219mgSodium: 671mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 69g

Originally Posted: July 6, 2016

Photos & Text Updated: September 16, 2021

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Meagan B

Tuesday 27th of November 2018

Would this be okay to sit in the refrigerator overnight uncooked & then cook the next day?

Janelle

Sunday 14th of April 2019

Hi Meagan, I've never made it in advanced. In theory it should work. If you try it, let me know how it does!

Lisa Miller

Saturday 12th of August 2017

Is there any way to just freeze the filling in a container instead of making them and freezing them that way. It would free up freezer space for me.

Janelle

Wednesday 22nd of November 2017

Hi Lisa! You bet you can! Like you said, make the filling, freeze just the filling, thaw the filling and then fill the tortilla and go from there! Great idea for saving freezer space!

Amelie Moore

Friday 15th of July 2016

Made it tonight, it came out quite tasty. Definitely in the “make again” category.

Janelle

Friday 15th of July 2016

Amelie - First off, I must say you have the BEST NAME EVER! We named our daughter Amelie and LOVE IT! So glad you loved it and will be making it again! Thank you for making my day!!

Karen

Wednesday 6th of July 2016

This recipe looks good but I can't print it out without a huge Target ad showing up. I think advertising is good and helps with funding blogs but when I want to print something I could do without the ads.

Janelle

Friday 15th of July 2016

Thank you so much Karen for letting me know! I've contacted my ad company and asked them to remove all ads from my recipe printouts (I didn't even know ads were on them!) They have now been removed so you shouldn't have that issue ever again with any of my recipes!

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