Chicken Enchilada Pasta (Print Version)

A Tex-Mex fusion combining shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, pasta, and melted cheese for an easy, flavorful dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded

→ Pasta

02 - 12 oz penne or rotini pasta

→ Vegetables & Beans

03 - 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
04 - 1 bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 small onion, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
08 - 1 cup frozen corn

→ Sauces & Dairy

09 - 2 cups red enchilada sauce
10 - 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
11 - 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
12 - ½ cup sour cream

→ Spices & Seasonings

13 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - ½ teaspoon chili powder
16 - Salt and pepper to taste
17 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garnishes

18 - Fresh cilantro, chopped
19 - Sliced green onions
20 - Diced avocado

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and bell pepper, sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
03 - Add shredded chicken, drained black beans, diced tomatoes, frozen corn, ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes until heated through.
04 - Pour in the enchilada sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked pasta and toss until well combined.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream and half of the cheese blend, mixing until the sauce is creamy and all ingredients are evenly coated.
06 - Sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over the surface. Cover the skillet and let sit for 3-4 minutes until cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
07 - Transfer to serving plates and garnish with fresh cilantro, green onions, or diced avocado as desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything happens in one skillet after you boil the pasta, so cleanup is actually manageable on a weeknight.
  • The creamy enchilada sauce clings to every piece of pasta like it was designed for this instead of tortillas.
  • You get all the comfort of baked enchiladas without turning on the oven or spending an hour in the kitchen.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have mingled overnight in the fridge.
02 -
  • Drain your diced tomatoes or the dish will turn soupy instead of creamy, I had to pour off liquid the first time and it threw off my timing.
  • Add the sour cream on low heat or it can break and look curdled, which doesn't affect taste but makes it less pretty.
  • Don't skip rinsing the black beans, that thick liquid makes the sauce slimy and nobody wants that texture.
  • Use a skillet large enough to hold everything comfortably or you'll be chasing pasta across your stovetop like I did once.
03 -
  • Reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining, you can stir it in at the end if your sauce gets too thick.
  • Shred your own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded because it melts smoother without all those anti-caking agents.
  • Toast your cumin in the dry skillet for thirty seconds before adding the oil, it'll release deeper flavor that makes people ask what your secret is.
  • Let the finished dish rest for five minutes before serving so the sauce thickens up and clings to the pasta instead of running all over the plate.
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