These Instant Pot enchiladas are an easy weeknight dinner packed with flavor in every bite. They're filled with juicy shredded chicken and topped with a rich enchilada sauce, fresh pico de gallo, and tangy sour cream. And all you need is a few basic ingredients and less than 40 minutes to make this authentic tasting Mexican dish.
THE BEST INSTANT POT ENCHILADAS
As anyone who's ever prepared chicken enchiladas will tell you, they're incredibly tasty but can be extremely time-consuming to make.
So, if you've been looking for a quicker way to make them for dinner, these Instant Pot chicken enchiladas are just what you need.
Each one is filled with tender and flavorful shredded chicken and then topped with a rich mole sauce and classic enchilada toppings.
They're ready in under 40 minutes and the majority is passive cooking time, yet they taste like they took hours to make!
Plus, these enchiladas make great leftovers, so you can make them ahead of time and enjoy them throughout the week.
Oh, and these enchiladas are incredible with this Instant Pot Spanish Rice, so you might want to whip the rice up first - it only takes 15 minutes total.
INGREDIENTS
As you'll see below, these Instant Pot enchiladas are made with fresh, simple ingredients. And if you don't fave a few in your kitchen, you should easily be able to find them at your local grocery store.
So, here's a look at everything you'll need for the chicken:
- 2 Chicken Breasts
- ¼ cup Pickled Jalapeños, sliced
- 2 tbsp. Taco Seasoning
- 2 tbsp. Chicken Broth
- Salt and Pepper
For the enchilada sauce:
- ¼ cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
- ¼ cup Green Bell Pepper, diced
- ¼ cup Cilantro
- 1 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- ¼ cup 70-80% Chocolate
- Salt and Pepper
And for completing the enchiladas:
- 4 Tortillas
- 1 cup Pico de Gallo (avocado, tomato, and red onion diced)
- 2 tbsp. Sour Cream
- Fresh Cilantro
By the way, be sure to check out this Chicken Fajita Crunchwrap Recipe. It's made with a lot of the same ingredients, so you can give it a try for dinner next!
And if you like Mexican-style recipes, you'll want to try these Air Fryer Quesadillas too.
THE MOLE ENCHILADA SAUCE
Now, just between you and me, the secret to making these Instant Pot chicken enchiladas taste so incredible is the enchilada sauce.
It's my take on Mexican mole, which is a super flavorful savory chocolate sauce.
And if you've never tried chocolate in a savory recipe before, you're missing out. The dark chocolate in this enchilada sauce gives it a wonderfully rich and deep flavor that'll keep you coming back for more.
Oh, and don't worry, you won't actually taste the chocolate. It blends together with the rest of the ingredients to create a delicious flavor.
Plus, you can use any leftover chocolate to make these chewy and fudgy brookies for dessert!
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Alright, so as I already mentioned, making enchiladas Instant Pot style, couldn't be easier.
The shredded chicken and the mole sauce are both made in the pressure cooker, so all you really have to do is assemble the enchiladas.
All told, it should only take about 40 minutes max to make it from start to finish. And most of that time is just waiting for everything to cook.
Now, let's get to it!
STEP 1: COOKING THE CHICKEN
First, add your chicken, pickled jalapenos, Mexican seasoning, chicken broth, and salt and pepper to taste in the Instant Pot.
Then, put the lid on and set it to high pressure to cook for 20 minutes.
When the 20 minutes is up, release the steam fully and open the Instant Pot. To do this, turn the valve from the closed to venting position with an oven mitt and release the steam until the valve drops, and then you can open the lid.
Next, take the chicken out and set it aside, making sure to leave any remaining liquid and jalapeno pieces in the pot.
STEP 2: MAKING THE ENCHILADA SAUCE
Now, add all the mole sauce ingredients to the Instant Pot and set it to sauté to cook for about 10 minutes.
And if at any point the sauce starts to look too dry, you can add a cup of broth to prevent it from burning.
Then when 10 minutes is up, transfer everything to a blender or food processor and blend until you get a completely smooth consistency.
Give it a quick taste test and add some salt and pepper if you need to.
STEP 3: ASSEMBLING
Next, shred your chicken breasts with two forks until you've got about 2 cups of shredded chicken.
Now, let's assemble our enchiladas!
To do that, fill the tortillas with shredded chicken and roll them up tightly.
Plate them seam-side down and top each one with the mole sauce, pico de gallo, a drizzle of sour cream, and chopped fresh cilantro.
Serve and enjoy!
HOW TO STORE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
This Instant Pot chicken enchiladas recipe makes 4 servings, which is perfect for a family dinner.
If you happen to have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
FREEZING THESE INSTANT POT ENCHILADAS
Also, these Instant Pot chicken enchiladas are one of the best freezer-friendly meals you can make, so I highly recommend making extras for later.
The pro tip here is to keep the enchiladas separate from the sauce if you plan on freezing them.
Anyway, individually wrap the enchiladas in plastic wrap and transfer them to a freezer bag, making sure to push all the air out before you close it.
Then transfer the mole sauce to a separate freezer-safe container, and you can store everything in the freezer for up to 3 months.
REHEATING THE ENCHILADAS
The best way to heat your Instant Pot enchiladas is in the oven. So, heat them in a covered oven-safe casserole dish at 350°F (175°C) for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, reheat the mole sauce in the microwave in 10-second intervals, stirring in between until warm.
And if you're pressed for time, you can also warm them up in the microwave on high for 1 minute, adding 30 seconds if it isn't warmed all the way through. And make sure to poke a couple of holes through the top of the enchilada to let more heat get into the center.
Then, warm up your mole sauce next and pour it over the chicken enchiladas.
FAQS ABOUT THIS INSTANT POT ENCHILADAS RECIPE
HOW DO I MAKE IT LESS SPICY?
If you don't want your enchiladas to be too spicy, you can reduce the number of pickled jalapenos for the chicken, or you can leave them out altogether.
And if you just add extra sour cream, it will cancel out a little bit of the heat.
CAN I MAKE THESE ENCHILADAS GLUTEN-FREE?
Yes you can! If you're avoiding gluten, you can swap out the wheat tortillas with gluten free tortillas, and they'll taste just as fantastic.
CAN I MAKE THESE ENCHILADAS LOW-CARB?
These Instant Pot chicken enchiladas are low carb as is, except for the tortillas and chocolate.
So you can just use low carb tortillas instead of regular ones, and this recipe will be totally low carb! And you'll also want to use sugar free chocolate to make it even lower in carbs.
WRAPPING IT ALL UP
These enchiladas are rich, comforting, and packed with bold flavors. They're honestly one of our favorite family Instant Pot recipes to make for dinner.
Honestly, they taste like they're from an authentic Mexican restaurant!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy these Instant Pot chicken enchiladas as much as we do at our house.
Be sure to leave a comment below if you make the recipe, and tell me what you think!
EASY INSTANT POT RECIPES
If you liked how easy this Instant Pot enchiladas recipe was, we have some more Instant Pot recipes on the blog I think you'll like too.
Try one of these next:
PrintInstant Pot Enchiladas Made With Chicken
These instant pot enchiladas are an easy weeknight dinner packed with flavor in every bite. They're filled with juicy shredded chicken and topped with a rich enchilada sauce, fresh pico de gallo, and tangy sour cream. And all you need is a few basic ingredients and less than 40 minutes to make this authentic tasting Mexican dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 enchiladas 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Chicken:
2 Chicken Breasts (225g)
¼ cup Pickled Jalapeños, sliced
2 tbsp. Taco Seasoning
2 tbsp. Chicken Broth
Salt and Pepper
Enchilada sauce:
¼ cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
¼ cup Green Bell Pepper, diced
¼ cup Cilantro
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Cumin
¼ cup (25g) 70-80% Chocolate
Salt and Pepper
Completing the enchiladas:
4 Tortillas
1 cup Pico de Gallo (avocado, tomato, and red onion diced)
2 tbsp. Sour Cream
Fresh Cilantro
Instructions
- Add chicken, pickled jalapeños, Mexican seasoning, chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the instant pot and turn it to high-pressure mode. Cook for 20 minutes, release the steam, and open the lid (once it's safe).
- Remove the chicken and add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, and chocolate to the instant pot.
- Cook in sauté mode for around 10 minutes. (If it's too dry, you can add an additional 1 cup of broth). Transfer to a blender and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Shred the chicken using two forks.
- To assemble: fill 4 tortillas with the chicken, top with the mole sauce, sour cream, and fresh cilantro.
Notes
The scale up function does not change the gram measurements.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 enchilada
- Calories: 260
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 25.25
- Fiber: 1.75
- Protein: 20
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Amy
It was so easy to make! I loved only having to cook everything in just the instant pot. Delicious too!
★★★★★