Loaded Instant Pot Chicken Enchiladas
These Instant Pot chicken enchiladas are positively loaded with seared corn, pico de gallo, 2 sauces and creamy, melty cheese! They can be as spicy as you like, they’re easy to make ahead and take only 45 minutes to cook, mix, roll and serve!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 403kcal
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- sauté pan
- spatula
- cutting board
- cheese grater
- 2 forks
- mixing spoon
- 8” x 8” pyrex baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 ear fresh corn
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 1 cup Monterey Pepper Jack cheese
- ¼ cup pico de gallo
- 10 oz. red enchilada sauce
- ¼ cup tequila salsa - or your favorite, flavorful salsa
- 4 flour tortillas - or corn
- ¾ cup water
- garlic powder - 2 big sprinkles
- chipotle chili powder - 2 big sprinkles
- onion powder - 2 big sprinkles
- smoked paprika - 2 big sprinkles
- cayenne pepper (optional) - 2 big sprinkles
- oil, butter or cooking spray - for greasing the Pyrex
Instructions
- Add 2 chicken breasts and ¾ cups water to an Instant Pot. Give them a nice sprinkle of garlic powder, chipotle chili powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper (optional - if you want to make it spicy). Keep the spices handy because you’ll re-spice the chicken when it’s done cooking.
- Close the lid and make sure the steam release valve is DISENGAGED, so that it does not release steam as it cooks. Set the Instant Pot to PRESSURE COOK for 15 minutes.
- While the pot is building pressure and cooking the chicken, cut the kernels off of 1 fresh ear of corn, add 1 tsp. olive oil to a sauté pan and sauté kernels over HIGH heat. Don’t move the corn at all for about 3 minutes. This will create a lovely char on one side. Then, use a spatula to mix it in the pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes more. NOTE: It’s a good idea to use a spatter screen over your pan so that the corn doesn’t pop and jump out. If you don’t have one, use a vented lid. You can leave it in the pan until your chicken is done.
- Grate 1 cup of Monterey Pepper Jack cheese and set aside. Once the chicken is done, carefully press the release valve and allow pot to de-pressurize and release steam.
- Remove chicken onto a cutting board, and use 2 forks to shred it. Pour out the water in the pot, and place the chicken back in. Give it another nice sprinkle with spices and mix. Add ¼ cup pico de gallo, 5 oz. (half a can) red enchilada sauce, charred corn and ¼ cup tequila salsa. Mix thoroughly.
- Preheat oven to 350 F. (175 C.) Grease an 8” x 8” pyrex dish with either cooking spray or a small amount of olive oil and lay 1 of 4 tortillas on a surface. Add a nice amount of the chicken mixture in the center with a little sprinkle of cheese (saving most for sprinkling on top). Tightly roll the enchilada.
- Place them seam-side down in the baking dish and pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over them. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve fresh out of the oven. To cook and reheat later, simply wait till the dish is cool enough to refrigerate, and place plastic wrap on top. To reheat, simply cook again at 350 F. (175 C.) for 20 minutes.
Notes
1. If you want to prep these ahead of time, you can get everything ready a whole day ahead of baking – cooking the chicken, mixing, rolling and placing them in a pyrex with plastic wrap on top. But wait to pour the enchilada sauce and sprinkle the cheese on top just before baking.
2. When placing the chicken mixture into the tortillas, make sure not to spread it all the way to the edges. Leave about an inch so the filling doesn’t spill out when rolled and placed in the pyrex.
See post for detailed instructions with photos of the process.
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1enchilada | Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1347mg | Potassium: 599mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 976IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 248mg | Iron: 2mg