Craving tasty enchiladas but don’t want to turn on the oven? I’ve got you covered with this easy air fryer chicken enchiladas recipe! This dish comes together quickly for a flavorful Mexican meal out of your air fryer.
Loaded with spiced chicken, melty cheese, and tangy enchilada sauce, these crispy yet saucy enchiladas will satisfy your Tex-Mex cravings.
Read on for the simple ingredients and just 6 steps to pull off these beginner-friendly enchiladas entirely in your air fryer. I’ll also share my best tips for making them along with fun variations to try.
💖 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Amazingly Tasty- These enchiladas are packed with flavor from the spiced ground chicken, smoky paprika, hearty black beans, melty cheese, and tangy enchilada sauce. Every bite will have your tastebuds singing!
Less Time– Who doesn’t love chicken enchiladas? They are a crowdpleasing favorite, but making them from scratch is time consuming. This recipe delivers all the comfort of chicken enchiladas in way less time thanks to the air fryer.
Super Easy- Impress your family and friends with these restaurant-worthy enchiladas made entirely in your air fryer. No one needs to know how easy they were to make!
✨ Recipe Ingredients
For this enchiladas in air fryer recipe you will need:
- 1 pound (450g) Ground Chicken
- 5oz (140g) Black Beans (drained)
- 8 Tortillas
- 1 cup Mexican Cheese (shredded)
- 3/4 can Enchilada Sauce
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 3 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
👨🍳 How To Make
Follow this easy chicken enchiladas air fryer recipe:
Step 1
Place a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, taco seasoning, and smoked paprika – and cook until the meat is browned.
Step 2
Top each tortilla with the cooked chicken and black beans.
Step 3
Add a small piece of foil to cover the bottom of the air fryer basket. Roll the enchiladas and place them in the air fryer.
Step 4
Top the enchiladas with enchilada sauce and cheese.
Step 5
Air fry at 350F for 5-6 minutes.
Step 6
Remove the air fryer enchiladas and top them with sour cream. That’s it! Enjoy these tasty air fryer chicken enchiladas!
💡Tips
1. Use Corn Tortillas
Corn tortillas hold up better than flour tortillas in the air fryer. Flour tortillas can get soggy, while corn tortillas will stay crispy on the edges. This adds great texture to the enchiladas.
Look for organic non-GMO corn tortillas made without preservatives. Warm the tortillas briefly before filling and rolling to make them more pliable.
2. Get Creative With Fillings
While chicken is tasty in enchiladas, you can also try different fillings like shredded pork, beef, turkey, beans, lentils, or vegetables. Mix and match different proteins and veggies, like chicken with spinach and corn.
Play around with Mexican flavors by adding diced onions, cilantro, jalapenos, etc. The possibilities are endless for creative, flavorful enchilada fillings!
3. Make Your Own Enchilada Sauce
Instead of canned enchilada sauce, make your own homemade sauce. This allows you to control the flavors and spice level. Make a large batch to use in multiple recipes.
All you need is tomato sauce or tomato paste, chili powder, garlic, onions, cumin, and adjustments to taste. Simmer the sauce 15-20 minutes to develop flavors. Pour over enchiladas before air frying.
4. Take It Up A Notch With Toppings
After air frying, add extra garnishes and toppings on your enchiladas. Options include avocado, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, cilantro, lime wedges, diced onion, cotija cheese, sour cream, etc.
This adds a fresh contrast to the hot enchiladas straight from the air fryer. Get creative with crunchy, creamy, fresh toppings!
5. Add Some Crunch
For another texture contrast, top the enchiladas with crunchy toppings. Try crushed tortilla chips, corn nuts, pumpkin seeds, sliced radishes, shredded cabbage, or chopped jicama.
This gives a satisfying crispy topping in contrast to the soft, melty cheese and interior. The crunch also helps cut through the richness of the cheese and sauce. Get that added crispy texture on top!
Variations
Here are 4 variations on the air fryer chicken enchiladas recipe:
1. “Fiesta” Chicken Enchiladas – Add some festive colors and flavors! Use red, green, and yellow tortillas. Fill them with the chicken along with sautéed peppers and onions. Top with both red and green enchilada sauces for a party on a plate!
2. “Tex-Mex” Beef Enchiladas with Chili Gravy- Substitute ground beef for the chicken. Sauté with taco seasoning, diced green chilies, cumin, and chili powder. Smother in a rich homemade chili gravy instead of enchilada sauce.
3. Shrimp “Fajita” Enchiladas with Avocado Crema- For a lighter take, use shrimp instead of chicken. Sauté with fajita veggies – onions, bell peppers and zucchini. Stuff in warm tortillas with shredded Monterey Jack. Drizzle with a tangy avocado crema.
4. “Supreme” Enchiladas- This hearty rendition includes ground turkey, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and cilantro. Just mix it all together and stuff those tortillas ’til they’re bursting! Slather with enchilada sauce and cheese for a supremely satisfying meal.
Keto / Low Carb Version
Instead of regular flour tortillas, use low carb tortillas made from almond flour, coconut flour, or cheese wraps. This will significantly reduce the carbs.
Skip the black beans, since beans are too high in carbs for keto. You can add a low carb veggie like riced cauliflower instead.
Finally, choose an enchilada sauce that has 3g net carbs or less per serving. Some store bought red sauces meet this requirement or you can make your own with tomato paste and seasonings.
By using keto-friendly tortillas, skipping the beans and tracking your enchilada sauce carbs, you’ll have a delicious low carb and ketogenic chicken enchilada recipe the whole family will love.
Gluten Free Version
To make a gluten-free version of this recipe, there are a few simple substitutions to make:
Instead of regular flour tortillas, use corn or gluten-free flour tortillas. These alternatives are just as tasty and will allow you to enjoy enchiladas while avoiding gluten.
For the ground chicken, be sure to use a brand that is certified gluten-free. Some ground chicken contains fillers or other additives that may contain gluten. Going with a certified gluten-free option removes any uncertainty.
The rest of the ingredients – including the black beans, enchilada sauce, cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning, and smoked paprika – should naturally be gluten-free. But as always, double check the label to confirm the items you select do not contain any gluten or wheat-based ingredients.
As long as you swap out regular tortillas for a gluten-free variety and use certified gluten-free ground chicken, you’ll be all set to make and enjoy delicious air fryer enchiladas without gluten! The substitutions are minor and the enchiladas will taste just as flavorful.
Storage
These delicious air fryer chicken enchiladas will keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Place any leftover enchiladas in an airtight container and store in the fridge. You can reheat them in the microwave or air fryer before serving. The enchiladas also freeze well for longer term storage.
To freeze, place cooled enchiladas in a freezer bag or airtight container with a divider. They will keep for 2-3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before eating. Enjoy!
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. What can I substitute for ground chicken in this recipe?
You can substitute ground turkey, beef or pork if you cannot eat or don’t have access to ground chicken. The cooking times may vary slightly depending on which ground meat you use.
2. Can I make these enchiladas without an air fryer?
Yes, you can bake these enchiladas in the oven instead. Preheat your oven to 375°F and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted on top.
3. What type of enchilada sauce works best?
A red enchilada sauce or green tomatillo sauce both work very well and provide lots of flavor. You can use mild or spicy sauce depending on your preferences.
Other Sauces You Can Use
Here are some suggestions for other sauces you can use on air fryer enchiladas besides traditional enchilada sauce:
Green Chili Sauce
- Make a sauce with roasted green chilies, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and broth or water. Blend until smooth. Pour over enchiladas before air frying. Adds lots of flavor.
Queso Cheese Sauce
- Stir together shredded Mexican cheese like Oaxaca or Asadero with milk or cream until smooth and pourable. Spoon over stuffed enchiladas for extra cheesiness.
Avocado-Tomatillo Sauce
- Blend tomatillos, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, garlic and salt. Bright green in color with nice acidity to cut through the richness.
Mole Sauce
- Make an easy mole sauce with chili powder, cacao powder, garlic, broth and thickened with peanut butter or almond butter. Complex flavors of sweet, spicy and nutty.
Pumpkin Seed Sauce
- Toast pumpkin seeds then blend with garlic, broth, chili powder. Unique earthy flavor and pretty green color.
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
- Purée tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro for a nice tangy salsa verde to drizzle over the top.
These easy air fryer chicken enchiladas are a fun and tasty way to shake up Taco Tuesday. With crispy edges and melty cheese, they have all the flavors of traditional enchiladas without the fuss. Feel free to get creative with the fillings or vary up the toppings.
I hope you’ll give this recipe a try in your air fryer soon. Let me know in the comments if you have any other favorite Mexican recipes you’d like to see air fried! And be sure to check out more recipes in the air fryer and Mexican recipe categories on the site.
Air Fryer Chicken Enchiladas
- 1 pound Ground Chicken (450g)
- 5 oz Black Beans (drained) (140g)
- 8 Tortillas
- 1 cup Mexican Cheese (shredded)
- 3/4 can Enchilada Sauce
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 3 tablespoons Taco Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground chicken, taco seasoning, and paprika – and cook until the meat is browned.
- Top each tortilla with the cooked chicken and black beans.
- Add a small piece of foil to cover the bottom of the air fryer basket. Roll the enchiladas and place them in the air fryer.
- Top the enchiladas with enchilada sauce and grated cheese.
- Air fry at 350F for 5-6 minutes.
- Remove the air fryer enchiladas and top them with sour cream.
