Put a Mexican spin on your Thanksgiving leftovers by making these shredded turkey enchiladas. This is a quick and easy meal that gets dinner on the table fast.
These Enchiladas Are an Easy Way to Eat Up Those Turkey Leftovers
We always end up with a mound of leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, and I’m not complaining about it.
While I typically add shredded turkey to casseroles, soups, and pot pies, I also love using it as a replacement for chicken in my favorite weeknight enchiladas.
To make the filling for these enchiladas, I toss the turkey in a seasoned sour cream and cheese mixture. The sour cream adds a rich tanginess that complements the slightly spicy enchilada sauce, and it also helps to keep the turkey nice and moist.
You can bake your enchiladas now or freeze them for later. This is a great freezer meal to have on hand for busy weeknights!
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Dip the tortillas in hot oil to soften them. We’re not deep frying them, just dunking them in a little more than ¼ cup of hot oil to prevent them from cracking as we roll them up.
Spread a little enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish. This helps to prevent the enchiladas from sticking to the bottom of the pan, and it also ensures they’re flavored all over with the sauce.
Add fresh garnishes. The creamy, cheesy turkey enchilada filling pairs so well with cooling garnishes like homemade salsa or pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, chopped cilantro, or spicy pickled jalapeños.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Shredded, cooked turkey — We typically roast a whole turkey or rotisserie it on the grill. Sometimes I’ll even roast a separate turkey breast for planned leftovers.
- Onion — I used a yellow onion, but red onion or even a couple shallots will work.
- Canned diced green chiles — Mild or hot, the spice level is up to you.
- Spices — Ground cumin and garlic powder flavor the creamy turkey filling.
- Sour cream — Makes these super simple enchiladas taste like something you’d get at your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant. Don’t skip the sour cream or else the turkey filling will be dry.
- Shredded cheese — I used Monterrey Jack, but cheddar, Colby Jack, or a Mexican cheese blend would also work.
- Red enchilada sauce — I cracked open a can of the store-bought stuff to save time.
- Corn tortillas — Need to be dipped in hot oil to make them more pliable and easy to roll up.
Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions
- Make your own enchilada sauce with this authentic recipe.
- Swap out green enchilada sauce for red.
- Use flour tortillas instead of corn (in that case, you don’t need to dip them in hot oil.)
- Use cooked ground turkey instead of shredded leftover turkey.
- Replace the shredded turkey with poached chicken, leftover roast chicken, or Instant Pot chicken breasts.
How to Make Turkey Enchiladas
- Sauté the aromatics, then stir in the sour cream. Add the chopped onion, green chiles, and spices to an oiled skillet and cook until the onion has softened. Turn the aromatics into a bowl and mix in the sour cream.
- Dip the corn tortillas in hot oil to soften. You only need to heat up about 6 tablespoons of oil (something neutral like canola or vegetable oil). Once the oil is shimmering, use kitchen tongs to dip the tortillas for 20ish seconds per side.
- Finish the creamy filling. To the now-cool sour cream mixture, fold in the shredded turkey and cheese.
- Roll up the enchiladas. Don’t overfill the enchiladas or else the filling will ooze out as they bake. Place the enchiladas seam-side down in the baking dish, then top with sauce and a generous sprinkle of cheese.
- Bake until bubbling. The turkey enchiladas are baked, covered, for around 20 minutes before the foil is removed so the cheese on top can brown. To prevent the cheese from clinging to the foil, spray it with a little non-stick cooking spray first.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Shredded Turkey Enchiladas Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, divided
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 4-ounce cans diced green chiles
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup sour cream, plus more for serving
- 4 cups shredded cooked turkey meat
- 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- 28-ounce canned red enchilada sauce
- 12 corn tortillas
Instructions
- Cook the onion and spices. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a small skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons oil. Add 1 cup chopped yellow onion, 2 cans diced green chiles, 1 ½ teaspoons cumin, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Cook until the onion is soft, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, stir in ½ cup sour cream, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, soften the corn tortillas. Heat the remaining 6 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium-high, until hot. Using tongs, dip each tortilla into the hot oil for 20-30 seconds on each side, just until softened and pliable. Place on a plate lined with paper towels and repeat with the remaining tortillas.
- Mix the enchilada filling. Add 4 cups shredded turkey and 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese to the onion mixture and stir well to combine.
- Assemble the enchiladas. Evenly spread 1 cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9” x 13" baking dish. Fill the center of a tortilla with a generous scoop of the turkey mixture, roll up, and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup Monterey Jack.
- Bake the enchiladas until bubbly. Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray, cover the dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the sauce bubbly. Remove the foil and bake another 5 minutes for the cheese to lightly brown. Garnish with chopped green onion, more sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and salsa or fresh tomatoes.
Nutrition
What to Serve With Turkey Enchiladas
- Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican Rice
- Pinto Beans or Refried Beans
- Spicy Garlic Guacamole
- Mexican Street Corn
- Mexican Coleslaw
- Mexican Kale Salad
Storage Tips
Leftover enchiladas will keep for 4 days in the fridge, noting that the tortillas will soften over time. You can also freeze baked enchiladas for 3 months.
More Easy Enchilada Recipes
- Beef Enchilada Casserole
- Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
- Chicken Mole Enchiladas
- Beef and Butternut Squash Enchiladas
- Creamy Green Chicken Enchiladas
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
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