By: Becky Hardin
This post may include affiliate links that earn us a small commission from your purchases at no extra cost to you.
We just love this Mexican Chicken Skillet meal. This one-pan enchilada stuffed chicken breast is a family favorite! Chicken stuffed with rice, enchilada sauce, cream cheese, tomatoes, and more cheese. You’ve never had a meal this good!
Table of Contents
What’s in this Mexican Chicken Skillet?
This Enchilada Stuffed Chicken Skillet was one of those recipes that hit me late and night. Let’s be honest, I always have Mexican food on my mind, even in the middle of the night. I had never thought about stuffing a chicken breast with everything I love about enchiladas (rice, cheese, cilantro, tomatoes, enchilada sauce), so this seemed like a totally genius idea.
- Chicken: You’ll need large boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. Thighs will not fit as much filling.
- Salt + Pepper: To season the chicken. I like to use about 1 teaspoon of salt per pound of meat.
- Cooked White Rice: Make sure it’s still hot!
- Cilantro: Adds fresh, herbaceous flavor. You can swap for parsley if you’re not a fan.
- Low-Fat Cream Cheese: You can use full-fat, but low-fat keeps this recipe healthier.
- Taco Seasoning: Adds classic Mexican flavor. You can use store-bought or homemade.
- Mexican Blend Cheese: A classic blend of cheeses for enchiladas. You can use Monterey jack, pepper jack, or mozzarella instead.
- Enchilada Sauce: I like Old El Paso red enchilada sauce, but any brand will do, or you can make your own enchilada sauce.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Add freshness to the filling.
- Red Onion: Gives the filling a nice bite.
- Olive Oil: Helps the chicken breasts to cook without burning. You can use avocado, canola, or vegetable oil instead.
Variations on Mexican Stuffed Chicken
There are a few ways to change up this recipe. You can swap the white rice for brown rice, cilantro lime rice, or Mexican rice. For a richer flavor, you can use full-fat cream cheese, or try swapping it out for sour cream.
You can swap the taco seasoning for fajita seasoning and the cheese for your favorite mix of cheeses, like Monterey jack, pepper jack, cheddar, or mozzarella. For a different flavor, you can use green or white enchilada sauce instead of red.
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Cookie Rookie.
Trademark Note: In the spirit of transparency, I want to note that some of these ingredients are trademarked products. Old El Paso is a proprietary brand that I want to acknowledge and give credit to.
Why do I need hot cooked rice for these stuffed chicken breasts?
Using hot rice helps to melt the cream cheese and Mexican cheese, allowing the filling to coalesce better. If your rice is cold, either heat it in the microwave, or heat the stirred-together filling in the microwave.
Do stuffed chicken breasts cook quickly?
Since you are cutting in half and stuffing with cheese, each side of chicken is relatively thin. This means each side will cook at a shorter time than you might be used to. We found each side took about 5-6 minutes to cook all the way through (zero pink) but it’s good to check your internal temperature.
What is the internal temperature for stuffed chicken breasts?
Your chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. On this Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe, be sure you are testing the temp of the actual meat, not the enchilada stuffing.
Can I make this ahead of time?
If you want to get ahead of things, you can stuff the chicken breasts up to a day ahead of time and keep them covered in the fridge.
How to Store and Reheat a Mexican Stuffed Chicken Breast
Store leftover enchilada stuffed chicken breasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, or until warmed through.
How to Freeze Mexican Skillet Chicken
Freeze enchilada stuffed chicken breasts in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What to Serve with a Cheesy Mexican Chicken Skillet
Serve up this enchilada stuffed chicken like they do at your favorite Mexican restaurant! Add somerefried beans, thisMexican rice, and plenty oftortilla chipsand salsa (I lovetomatillo salsa).
Recipe
Enchilada Stuffed Chicken Breast Recipe
4.56 from 27 votes
Author: Becky Hardin
Prep: 10 minutes minutes
Cook: 20 minutes minutes
Total: 30 minutes minutes
Serves4 breasts
We just love this Mexican Chicken Skillet meal. This one-pan enchilada stuffed chicken breast is a family favorite! Chicken stuffed with rice, enchilada sauce, cream cheese, tomatoes, and more cheese. You've never had a meal this good!
Email This Recipe
Enter your email and we’ll send the recipe directly to you!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from The Cookie Rookie.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups cooked white rice still hot
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
- 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese (½ brick)
- 1 ounce taco seasoning store-bought or homemade (1 packet)
- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese divided
- 10 ounces Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce divided (1 can)
- ½ cup finely chopped cherry tomatoes or pico de gallo
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F
Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste on both sides. Set aside.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large bowl, stir the hot cooked rice, cilantro, cream cheese, taco seasoning, 1 cup Mexican blend cheese, 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce, tomatoes, and onion together until fully combined and the cream cheese is melted and incorporated (microwave a bit if necessary).
2 cups cooked white rice, ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, 1 ounce taco seasoning, 2 cups Mexican blend cheese, 10 ounces Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce, ½ cup finely chopped cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup chopped red onion
Cut each chicken breast lengthwise, as deep as possible. You want as big of a pocket to stuff with the rice as you can get without cutting fully in half.
Stuff each breast with ¼ of the rice mixture, pushing the rice as much to the back of the pocket as you can. If you'd like, you can seal the breasts with toothpicks, but that is optional (and if you add them, be sure to remember they're there before eating!) If you don't seal them, some rice may come out while cooking, which is totally fine.
Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add the chicken to the skillet and sear both sides for 5-6 minutes each.
Remove from the heat and cover the chicken with the remaining enchilada sauce, and remaining 1 cup cheese.
Bake the chicken uncovered in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked through to 165°F.
If you sealed with toothpicks, remove before eating.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Use a sharp pairing knife to cut a pocket in the chicken. Be sure not to cut all the way through.
- Don’t be shy with the filling, but also don’t overstuff the filling into the chicken breast pocket.
- When seasoning the chicken, I usually use about one teaspoon of salt per pound of chicken.
- To check the doneness of the chicken, use an instant-read meat thermometer. When it reaches 165°F degrees you’re good to plate up!
- Garnish with parsley or cilantro for an extra pop of color.
Storage:Store enchilada stuffed chicken breast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1breast Calories: 569kcal (28%) Carbohydrates: 37g (12%) Protein: 43g (86%) Fat: 27g (42%) Saturated Fat: 13g (81%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g Monounsaturated Fat: 9g Trans Fat: 0.01g Cholesterol: 141mg (47%) Sodium: 2344mg (102%) Potassium: 624mg (18%) Fiber: 3g (13%) Sugar: 9g (10%) Vitamin A: 1856IU (37%) Vitamin C: 11mg (13%) Calcium: 430mg (43%) Iron: 2mg (11%)
Did You Make This?I want to see! Be sure to upload an image below & tag @thecookierookie on social media!
Upload A PhotoTag on
InstaLeave A Rating
More Chicken Enchilada Recipes We Love
- Classic Chicken Enchiladas
- Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Enchilada Pie
- Chicken Enchilada Dip
- Chicken Enchilada Pasta Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
- Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
- Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken and Sweet Potato Enchiladas
Claim your free ebook!
Subscribe to have posts delivered straight to your inbox!! PLUS get our FREE ebook!
