Crispy Chicken Enchilada Wraps
These crispy chicken enchilada wraps are a fantastic weeknight dinner (or lunch!) solution – they are fast, easy, customizable and so, so delicious!
I’m not exaggerating when I say that these wraps are on our dinner rotation more frequently than any other meal.
Because they are so customizable and are great for using up leftover rice and/or chicken, I can throw them together FAST. They are great for busy evenings or on-the-go meals!
Crispy Enchilada Wrap Filling {Very Customizable!}
The filling for these wraps is made up of:
- Cooked rice (brown or white)
- Beans (I prefer pinto or black beans)
- Cooked chicken (also delicious with cooked ground beef)
- Green chiles
- Enchilada sauce (green or red)
- Fresh lime juice
- Cilantro
- Pantry spices (cumin, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper)
As you can see from the notes in the list above, the filling is very customizable! The meat, beans, sauce – all of it can be changed up according to your taste preferences or what you have on hand.
I have made these wraps with everything from rotisserie chicken to canned chicken to ground beef to also making them meatless.
If I’m in the mood or have half cans lingering in the fridge, sometimes I add half green and half red enchilada sauce. And I’ve also used green salsa when I’ve been out of enchilada sauce.
I’ve mashed the beans lightly before using, and a couple of times when I haven’t had enough rice, I’ve doubled the beans and meat.
Talk about a recipe that can work FOR you, not against you!
How to Assemble the Wraps
To assemble the wraps:
- Sprinkle shredded cheese (I use a Mexican cheese blend) over the tortilla, leaving a slight border around the edge
- Spread about 1/2 cup filling (for an 8- or 9-inch tortilla) in a wide strip down the center
- Fold one side up and over the filling
- Follow with the other side so the tortilla is folded into thirds
- Press lightly to flatten (it should be flat and not rounded like a burrito)
How to Cook the Wraps for Maximum Crispiness
These wraps are magical, in part, because of how they are cooked. They outside is so crispy and crunchy while the inside is hot and bubbly and so flavorful!
The two most important steps in this process are:
ONE: brushing oil or spraying cooking spray over the seam side of the wrap, and then
TWO: placing the wrap seam side down on a hot griddle or skillet
Cooking the wraps seam side down first seals the tortilla so it doesn’t come unwrapped when flipping. The oil/cooking spray helps with that while also providing an extra crispy goodness to the wrap.
After they cook for a few minutes seam side down, use a wide spatula to flip and cook the wraps on the other side until golden.
It’s totally normal for a little filling to spill out while flipping/cooking. Just tuck it back into the ends of the tortilla with the spatula and carry on.
Once the wraps come off the hot griddle, I stack them on a cutting board, cut them in half and serve them there.
I mean, just speaking honestly here, dinner is almost always a casual affair at our house, but especially so when these crispy chicken enchilada wraps appear.
If I have kids going a million directions, I’ll make these wraps, wrap them in foil to stay warm, and send them out the door with the kids who have sports practices or other commitments.
The wraps also freeze great to reheat and devour later.
Loaded Toppings
These wraps are super tasty hot off the griddle plain as can be.
But they are also stellar piled high with sour cream, salsa, avocados and any other enchilada- or taco-style topping your heart desires.
The other day I dipped mine in some of the white queso Costco has been carrying for a while (I think it’s the Queso Mama brand), and ermagersh, I about died and went to heaven. So good.
A Great Meal for Anytime
I’ve been making variations on crispy wraps since the beginning of forever:
And yes, I still have a few more variations up my sleeve. 😉
All of these recipes, including the one today, are wonderful simply because the recipe can be tweaked and thrown together just by following your heart (and what’s in your fridge and pantry!)
Every time we make the enchilada wraps, they are just a little bit different. Hope you love them!
What to Serve With This
- Fresh fruit
- Fresh vegetables with The Best Veggie Dip
- Chopped Mexican Green Salad
One Year Ago: Crazy Good Kale and Wild Rice Salad
Two Years Ago: Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Three Years Ago: Slow Cooker Beef Vegetable Noodle Soup
Four Years Ago: Instant Pot Banana Bread Steel Cut Oats
Five Years Ago: Perfect Instant Pot Beef Stew
Six Years Ago: Southwestern Chicken Barley Chili
Seven Years Ago: Brownie Pudding
Eight Years Ago: White Chocolate Oatmeal Craisin Coconut Cookies
Nine Years Ago: Vanilla Bean White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
Ten Years Ago: DIY Homemade Yogurt
Crispy Chicken Enchilada Wraps
Ingredients
Filling:
- 2 to 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
- 1 ½ to 2 cups cooked white or brown rice
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (10-ounce) can green or red enchilada sauce (see note)
- 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles, drained
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, more or less
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon chile powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Wraps:
- 8 to 10 (8-inch) tortillas
- 2 to 3 cups shredded Mexican-style cheese (or a combo of Monterey Jack and cheddar)
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Combine all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl and mix to combine.
- For each wrap, sprinkle about 1/4 cup cheese over the tortilla then spread about 1/2 cup filling down the center in a wide strip.
- Fold one side of the tortilla over the filling, followed by the other side (so that the tortilla is folded into thirds). Press lightly to flatten. It should be thick and flat, not rounded like a burrito.
- Heat a large non-stick griddle or skillet over medium heat until hot. I use an electric griddle set to about 350 degrees F.
- Spray the seam side of the wraps with nonstick cooking spray (or brush with a bit of olive oil). Place the wraps, seam side down, on the griddle or pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-4 minutes.
- While they cook, spray the top with nonstick cooking spray (or brush with olive oil) and carefully flip with a wide spatula and press down lightly to flatten just a bit. It's normal for a little filling to fall out when flipping – just tuck it back into the ends of the wrap with the spatula.
- Cook for another 2-4 minutes until golden and the filling is hot and cheesy melted.
- Serve warm with sour cream, salsa, or other toppings of your choice!
These are SO SO good especially when you get them the perfect crispiness. I made them fresh several days in a row with the filling! Cant wait to make them again
These are great! I made a batch yesterday and put them in the freezer without cooking. Today, I put one in the microwave on “melt” to thaw and then into the air fryer for 6 minutes one side and 5 on the second side. Perfect.
These are the perfect quick last minute dinner and so yum!
Enchilada Sauce: (,…use a brand that you like the taste of).
I came here for a recipe so was a little disappointed to read, buy a can of sauce…Is this how recipes work in the US now?
Hi, Steve…yes, many recipes in the US include using cans of ingredients. You are welcome to make your own enchilada sauce and use in this recipe if you choose. 🙂
Thank you. I love enchiladas but my husband will nit eat them soggy. This is life changing for a favorite dinner.
I’m so glad you featured this recipe on Instagram! My family loved it! I’ll have to make it again soon. I love that they’re a crispy version of enchiladas, instead of wet. I used some homemade enchilada sauce and the higher amounts of rice and chicken. I got 12 wraps and used burrito sized tortillas so I could close one end. My family of 6 ate all 12 wraps! Even my seven year old had 2!
These were fast, easy and a huge hit! I had leftover shredded pork and already-cooked rice in the fridge and I used a mild red enchilada sauce. I wrapped them in more of a circle, folding as I went around. (like a Taco Bell crunchwrap) Then I put a little pile of cheese on the griddle and put the folds of the wrap on top of it. It sealed the wrap and crisped up to make a little layer of crispy, cheesy goodness. I highly recommend trying it! All of my kids loved these… even the non-enchilada lovers!!
Holy moly, can’t wait to try it like that, Tracey! Thanks for sharing!
These have become my “what am I making for dinner tonight?” go to staple. Yum!!
I’ve varied the meat depending on what I have. Works great every time.
We have absolutely loved these! They are so delicious. They also make great leftovers! Such an easy snack or meal for my kids to reheat.
Do you have a recommended brand for thicker enchilada sauce? Thanks!
I’ve heard that the El Pato brand might be a bit thicker.
Absolutely delicious and SO easy!!
Crowd pleaser! Easy and delicious!
So easy peasy and delicious. Simple. I started cooking the rice, threw in the rotisserie chicken we had thawed, and it really was ready in 20-30 minutes.
My kids even liked it a lot.
Thank you for the simple dinner saver tonight!
I would give this 10 stars if I could! Husband requested to have these again. I made these with chicken breast in the instant pot, brown rice in the rice cooker, then put it all together on Sunday, so only had to pull out the cheese, tortillas, and mix to make dinner! Made these with gluten free tortillas black beans and homemade red enchilada sauce (didn’t have a can) and cooked on my Pampered Chef Deluxe Electric Grill using the flat griddle plates top and bottom. Brushed the bottom and top plates with avocado oil and cooked for 4 minutes without flipping because I pulled the griddle top down on the wraps. Put them when done on a cookie sheet in a 200 oven and cooked the rest of the wraps. I might flip them next time because the bottoms were more brown than the tops. We had red salsa and sour cream for toppings and I served with a side salad. Absolutely fabulous! And now we have leftovers to freeze. I could see making these for a crowd and the maybe slicing them in half on the diagonal to serve as hand-helds that can then be dipped in a variety of sauces or sour cream. Yummy Mel! Thanks!
With a big family and those that are more picky than others this was THE BEST. Bravo again and again Mel.
These were great. I used homemade pinto beans that I had cooked in the slow cooker, and chicken from a rotisserie that I cooked in the Instant Pot. I mixed up everything up over the weekend and then all I had to do tonight was cook them up. We all loved them. Thank you!
I made these tonight and the whole family LOVED them! They were so easy, especially since I used a rotisserie chicken. We will definitely be making these again and again! Thanks for another great recipe Mel!
We loved these! Didn’t have enchilada sauce, so used salsa verde instead. It was a hit! Thanks, Mel!
I made these tonight and they were amazing! So so good and very easy to throw together after work. I love all your recipes!
These wraps were so good!! We ate them for lunch on Monday and I heated the leftovers on the grill for Wednesday. They were just as crispy and yummy as the first day!! Another keeper!
Made them tonight for supper – was a breeze to put together and everyone loved them. I will definitely be making more often as it uses things I keep on hand, so it’s perfect any time!
This was so good. We made them with homemade black beans and cooked it quesadilla style to make it easier. Thanks for the delicious, easy recipe!!
I love all your crispy wrap recipes! Such easy, throw-together meals with things we usually have. Can’t wait to try this one!
We had these last night with salsa verde instead of enchilada sauce. Yum! I’m glad I doubled the recipe!
Happy you loved them, Nicole! Thanks for letting me know!
Made them tonight for dinner and we all enjoyed them, including neighbor child who was over, even though I had accidentally bought “hot” enchilada sauce. Can’t wait to do them again when the heat level is a little less bc they were good.
Thanks for the review, Stacy! You are brave to power through the “hot” enchilada sauce! 🙂
I’ve made something similar, using pork or beef and used the air fryer. They come out perfectly crispy on the outside and yummy, hot inside.
I don’t use an air fryer very often, but you could definitely try cooking these wraps in one!
This looks delish!! I wonder if a panini grill can be used to crisp them up, then flipping wouldn’t be as much of an issue (I’m a slob).
Totally worth a try!
Yum!! These look and sound delicious from the recipe. I love a bean, rice, and cheese bowl with chips. This would be something different with some of the same taste.
These look so good! If you had to decide between these and the beef and bean freezer burritos, which would you choose to have on hand in the freezer? (I’m in food prep mode for baby #4.) Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Oh, that’s a tough question! Honestly, either would be a fantastic choice! I’d say choose whichever one is easiest to prepare for you right now!
Hi Mel,
To freeze these, would you freeze them after cooking in pan or wrap and freeze BEFORE grilling them?
I honestly think you could do either, but if I am freezing them to reheat quickly later, I freeze them after cooking on the griddle.