These creamy and cheesy Turkey Enchiladas are the perfect way to use up leftover shredded turkey or chicken. A simple shredded turkey filling with cheese and green chilies is wrapped in flour tortillas and smothered with a quick creamy salsa verde sauce.

These enchiladas are absolutely delicious and come together in about 30 minutes. Enchiladas are one of the best ways I can imagine using up that leftover holiday turkey!

Creamy Turkey Enchiladas

A creamy, cheesy turkey enchilada filling plus a quick creamy verde sauce sauce make this delicious enchilada recipe perfect for any night of the week.

Enchiladas are one of my all-time favorite comfort foods! I love classic red chicken enchiladas or tex-mex ground beef enchiladas.

While these turkey enchiladas may taste like they took hours of prep, they’re really easy to throw together even on a busy week night. Even though this type of cream-based enchilada recipe is more Tex-Mex than Mex, it incorporates classic Mexican flavors.

The green chiles in the salsa verde play well with the cream, and the tangy tomatillos of the salsa verde help cut through the richness of the sauce.

This is a great way to use up any leftover turkey from Thanksgiving, or you can swap in store bought rotisserie chicken.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Easy – this recipe is so easy to throw together any night of the week! Using shredded cooked turkey or rotisserie chicken and a quick creamy salsa verde sauce makes this recipe a breeze.

Great for meal prep – This recipe is easy to double or triple and re-heats like a dream. You can freeze it before baking making it an awesome recipe for meal trains. You can freeze it after it’s baked and reheat it no problem! It’s a wonderful freezer meal option to have on hand.

Customizable – Turkey enchiladas are so easy to customize to your tastes! You can swap in different proteins like shredded pork (carnitas), chicken, shredded beef, or even veggies. Try a different sauce like mole or salsa verde. Need to use up some veggies? No problem! Throw some sautéed veggies in the filling.

How to Make Turkey Enchiladas

This recipe is cozy and delicious without being overly involved. I love making turkey enchiladas any night of the week!

Tools Needed

• 9×13 BAKING DISH
• MIXING BOWL
• SHARP KNIFE
• CUTTING BOARD

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Turkey. I made this recipe to use up shredded leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. You could swap in shredded chicken as well.
• Canned green chilies. Diced green chilies add some nice flavor to the filling. You could also roast or saute some diced poblano pepper and add that instead.
• Sour cream. Sour cream makes the sauce perfectly tangy and creamy.
• Heavy cream. Heavy cream mixed with the sour cream makes the perfect sauce.
• Salsa verde. You can use store bought or homemade here.
• Monterey jack cheese. I love using monterey jack cheese because it’s so melty. You could swap in most shredded cheeses like cheddar, mozzarella, oaxaca, or pepperjack.
• Green onions. I love the mild flavor that the green onions add, but you could swap in finely diced onion.
• Spices. You’ll need cumin and chili powder for this recipe.
• Cilantro. I like adding cilantro to the filling for freshness, but you could skip the cilantro if you’re not a fan.
• Tortillas. I prefer using quality flour tortillas for this recipe, but you could swap in corn if desired.

The Process

1. Mix the filling. In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded turkey with the rest of the filling ingredients and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Mix the sauce. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, heavy cream, salsa verde, and cumin until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Prep the tortillas. Microwave the tortillas for about 30 seconds until they’re soft, stretchy, and pliable.
4. Roll the enchiladas. Lay a tortilla out on a clean cutting board or work surface. Place about 1/3 cup of filling in a line on top of a tortilla. Roll it up and place it seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.
5. Top and bake. Top the enchiladas with the sauce and top with the reserved cheese. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

What to Serve with Turkey Enchiladas

While these turkey enchiladas are delicious on their own, I love serving them with all kinds of sides.

If you’re really going for a Tex-Mex fiesta, try serving them alongside my 5-INGREDIENT GUACAMOLE, INSTANT POT REFRIED BEANS, STOVETOP MEXICAN RICE, or ELOTE QUESO with a WATERMELON MARGARITA on the side.

Whatever you serve with these enchiladas, they will be delicious!

Storage Instructions

My favorite part of turkey enchiladas is that they’re so easy to freeze and store! They’re a great meal to give away for meal trains and it’s easy to make a double batch so you always have some in the freezer.

To store: Let your enchiladas cool to room temperature. Transfer them to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you want to freeze enchiladas, transfer your cooled enchiladas to an airtight container or freezer-safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat: if reheating from frozen, let the enchiladas defrost in the fridge. Once defrosted, microwave them until warmed through.

If you want to freeze turkey enchiladas before baking, follow the instructions up to assembly. After you assemble the enchiladas, you can place them in a baking dish or an aluminum baking tray. Top with sauce and cheese, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake after freezing, transfer the enchiladas to the fridge overnight to defrost. Once defrosted, bake as directed.

How to Top Creamy Turkey Enchiladas

If you know me, you know that I am a HUGE toppings person. The more the merrier, I say! Here are some of my favorite ingredients for topping turkey enchiladas warm out of the oven:

• Fresh Cilantro
• Green Onion
• Thinly-sliced White Onion
• Guacamole
• Tomato Salsa
• Corn Salsa
• Sour Cream

Turkey Enchiladas FAQs

Are turkey enchiladas gluten free?

Yes! If you use corn tortillas or gluten-free flour tortillas these enchiladas are gluten-free.

Do you have to fry flour tortillas for enchiladas?

Nope! I always fry my corn tortillas (like in my Red Chicken Enchiladas recipe), but when using flour I just microwave them until they’re soft and stretchy.

What’s the best cheese for ground beef enchiladas?

I love Monterrey jack cheese because it has good flavor and it’s super melty. You could use a combination of cheddar and monterrey jack, or even pepper jack cheese.

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Need an easy post-holiday dinner recipe? These easy, cheesy and creamy Turkey Enchiladas are absolutely perfect! If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More Mexican-Inspired Recipes

Beef Chile Colorado
Red Chilaquiles
Easy Pollo Asado
Bean and Cheese Tostadas
Pozole Verde with Pork

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