Tender shredded chicken rolled in soft tortillas with melty Monterey Jack cheese, all smothered in a rich and savory mole sauce. These mole enchiladas are a hearty, flavor-packed dinner that you’ll want seconds and thirds of.
Enchiladas are always a hit with the family. What’s not to love? They’re cheesy, meaty, and topped with the most delicious sauces. A few more recipes to add to the dinner lineup: white chicken enchiladas, pork enchiladas, or chicken enchiladas with avocado cream sauce!
Chicken Mole Enchiladas
Alright, picture this: mole enchiladas – they’re like a hearty, flavor explosion! You’ve got this tender, shredded chicken mixed with this incredible mole sauce that’s a mouthwatering combo. And don’t forget the gooey Monterey Jack cheese!
So, first things first, we cook up that chicken until it’s super tender, then give it a good shredding. Now, the real star here is the mole sauce – it’s this amazing blend of chocolate, (yes, chocolate!) spices, and a little kick of chili. We mix that sauce with the chicken and roll it all up in flour tortillas with a sprinkle of cheese. Pop those babies in the oven until the cheese is all melty and the tortillas are nice and warm. Then, the grand finale: crumbly Cojita cheese, fresh cilantro, zingy red onion, and creamy avocado on top. You’re going to love every bite.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Imagine tender shreds of chicken, drenched in this rich and slightly sweet mole sauce that’s got a bit of a spicy kick. All of that goodness gets wrapped up in tortillas, with gooey Monterey Jack cheese, and then topped with cool avocado, zesty cilantro, crunchy red onion, and a sprinkle of crumbled Cojita cheese. Hungry yet?
- Chicken, Cooked and Shredded: Think tender chicken that’s been cooked until it’s super easy to pull apart. It’s the meaty filling that’s ready to soak up all the amazing mole flavors later.
- Mole Sauce, Prepared: This sauce is a mix of chocolate and spices. Pour it in, and suddenly your mole enchiladas are rich, slightly sweet, and have a delicious kick of spice. You can find my full recipe for mole sauce here.
- Monterey Jack Cheese, Shredded: This cheese gets all gooey and stretchy when heated up. You can also use shredded cheddar or pepper jack if you prefer.
- Medium Tortillas: These are the soft wraps, ready to hug the chicken, sauce, and cheese. They hold everything together, bringing comfort to every bite. You can use either flour or corn tortillas.
- Avocado, Cilantro, Red Onion, and Cojita Cheese (for serving): These are all of the toppings that I used. Creamy avocado cools things down, cilantro and red onion add a little zing, and crumbled Cojita cheese finishes it off with some salty goodness. Feel free to swap out toppings to taste!
How to Make Mole Enchiladas
It’s actually super easy to whip up these mole enchiladas, and they only take 20 minutes to bake! As long as you’ve got some homemade mole sauce ready to go, prep for these enchiladas is a breeze.
- Prepare Chicken and Sauce: Cook and shred the chicken and prepare the mole sauce ahead of time so the assembly is easy. Using a rotisserie chicken makes it easy as well.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then spray a medium-sized baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Coat Chicken: Add the shredded chicken and ½ cup mole sauce to a large bowl. Toss to coat the chicken.
- Add Sauce to Pan: Coat the bottom of the baking dish with ½ cup prepared mole sauce.
- Add Filling to Tortillas: Place ¾ cup of the chicken and mole mixture in the middle of each tortilla. Then sprinkle with ¼ cup shredded cheese.
- Assemble: Roll up the tortillas tightly and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Cover With Sauce: Once all of the enchiladas are place into the baking dish, pour the remaining sauce down the middle of the tortillas.
- Bake: Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are hot.
- Serve With Your Favorite Toppings: Remove from the oven and then top with cotija cheese, cilantro, red onion, and sliced avocado.
Tips and Delicious Variations
Level up your mole enchiladas with these simple tips and tricks! I’ve also included some variations and serving suggestions to make them your own. You’re going to love them as much as I do.
- Precooked Chicken: If you’re short on time, grab a rotisserie chicken from the store. Shred it up, and you’re good to go. Easy peasy!
- Store-Bought Mole: Don’t stress if you can’t make mole sauce from scratch. Good-quality store-bought mole sauce works great too. Just give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Cheese Swap: Swap out Monterey Jack for cheddar or Mexican blend cheese for a delicious twist.
- More Great Toppings: Queso fresco, sour cream, diced chiles, refried beans, black beans, and salsa verde are all great options.
- Double the Batch: Mole enchiladas are fantastic as leftovers. Make a big batch, and you’ll have a delicious meal ready to go for another day.
Storing Leftovers
So, how long can you keep those tasty mole enchiladas around? Well, if you pop them in the fridge in an airtight container, they’re good to go for about 3-4 days. Oh, and if you’ve got some leftovers with all those toppings like avocado and cilantro, keep them separate from the enchiladas so they stay fresh.
To Reheat: If you’re in a hurry, the microwave’s your best friend. Just cover them with a damp paper towel to keep things moist and cook for 30 second intervals until they’re hot. Or, for some extra love, pop them into the oven at around 350 degrees F (175°C), covered with aluminum foil to keep the magic inside. Cook for about 15-20 minutes.
Can Mole Enchiladas Be Frozen?
Yes! Keep them in an airtight bag or container and they’ll stay good for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the oven.
More Amazing Enchiladas to Try
Dinner
Amazing Homemade Chicken Enchiladas
Dinner
Enchiladas Suizas
Mexican
Pork Enchiladas
Dinner
Chicken Enchiladas with Avocado Cream Sauce
Mole Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 4 cups boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 2 cups mole sauce, prepared
- 1 1/2 cups monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 6 medium tortillas
- avocado, cilantro, red onion, Cojita cheese, for serving
Instructions
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Cook and shred the chicken and prepare the mole sauce ahead of time so the assembly is easy. Using a rotisserie chicken makes it easy as well.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a medium -sized baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
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Add the shredded chicken and ½ cup mole sauce o a large bowl. Toss to coat the chicken.
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Coat the bottom of the baking dish with ½ cup prepared mole sauce.
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Place ¾ cup of the chicken and mole mixture in the middle of each tortilla. Sprinkle with ¼ cup shredded cheese.
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Roll up the tortillas tightly and place in the prepared baking dish.
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Once all of the enchiladas are place into the baking dish, pour the remaining sauce down the middle of the tortillas.
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Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are hot.
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Remove from the oven and top with cotija cheese, cilantro, red onion, and sliced avocado.
