Pumpkin puree and fragrant, earthy spices add a touch of savory fall flavor to these rotisserie chicken-filled enchiladas!
Enchiladas are the kind of meal that ALWAYS invokes smiles – at least in our household.
Tough day at work/school/life? Enchiladas are the answer. You literally can’t be in a bad mood eating them!
I have a few enchilada recipes on the site like these Skinny Beef and Cheese Enchiladas and these Ranch Enchiladas, but none are more popular than my Lazy Girl Enchiladas Verdes. The “lazy girl” title says it all — shortcuts like rotisserie chicken and taco seasoning quicken and simplify the process of making enchiladas without sacrificing any flavor.
Let’s talk Pumpkin Spice.
These Lazy Girl Pumpkin Spice Chicken Enchiladas get a fall-flavored upgrade thanks to two key ingredients in the super simple homemade sauce: pumpkin puree and cinnamon. I guarantee there is absolutely no sweetness from either ingredient – we are not talking Starbucks PSLs here! Think earthy, warm, hug on a plate goodness that tastes like you’re wearing flannel in front of the fire.
Homemade sauce?
Now if you’re thinking to yourself “homemade sauce doesn’t sound very ‘lazy girl'” then let me protest that this homemade sauce has two steps: heat and whisk. Opening your canned enchilada sauce has one step, this has two. I promise it’s worth it!
I used this Cookie + Kate Enchilada Sauce as a base and added our fall harvest ingredients to create a super simple to make homemade enchilada sauce. Once you 1) see how easy it is to make and 2) taste the goodness, there’s no going back to canned.
Four Reasons to Love These Lazy Girl Pumpkin Spice Chicken Enchiladas:
I promise you the moment you taste these cheesy chicken enchiladas, you’ll be sold!
- The homemade sauce is rich in authentic flavor with a unique twist thanks to our seasonal ingredients.
- Using pre-cooked shredded rotisserie saves time, effort and the cleaning of extra pans.
- Utilizing a taco seasoning packet to flavor the chicken and onions adds intense richness with minimal effort.
- Once the enchiladas are in the oven, you can go back to being the lazy girl/guy that you want to be while they cook!
I hope you love this recipe as much as Tyler and I did! We will be enjoying our leftovers for days to come – and they only get better with time!
Please let me know how you like these Lazy Girl Pumpkin Spice Chicken Enchiladas! Your feedback means the world to me.
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Lazy Girl Pumpkin Spice Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
pumpkin spice enchilada sauce
- 3 tbsp. flour I used gluten-free
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp. chili powder
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/2 can unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
enchiladas
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 rotisserie chicken breasts shredded (skin removed)
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1 packet taco seasoning I like Siete bc it's paleo/gluten-free
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack
- 8 tortillas flour or gluten-free flour recommended, see note
lime crema
- 1/2 cup greek yogurt
- juice of 1 lime
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º.
prep filling
- Start by shredding rotisserie chicken breasts and slicing onion (into thin strips).
- In a non-stick sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil and when warm, add onions. Let cook 4-5 minutes to soften, then add shredded chicken, taco seasoning packet and water. Bring to a boil then turn heat all the way low to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
make sauce
- Place flour and all seasonings (chili powder, cinnamon, ground cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano and salt) into a small bowl.
- In a medium sized pot, heat 3 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add a sprinkle of flour to test heat – it should sizzle right away.
- Add bowl of flour + spices to oil and whisk constantly while cooking for 1 minute. Then add tomato paste, pumpkin puree and vegetable/chicken broth and continue to whisk to remove any lumps.
- Bring sauce to a low boil then reduce heat to low. Let cook 5-7 minutes until thickened, then taste for salt adding more if needed. Remove from heat.
assemble enchiladas
- Start by adding 1 1/2 cups of enchilada sauce to a 9×12 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
- Take one tortilla and fill with about 1/4 cup of chicken mixture. Sprinkle lightly with cheese, then roll and place seam-side down into dish. Repeat for all 8 tortillas.
- Take the remaining enchilada sauce and pour over tortillas, making sure to cover the edges. You might have extra sauce – just make sure you have a nice even layer over top. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and cover dish with tin foil.
- Bake with tin foil on top of dish for 15 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly! Let cool slightly before topping with avocado crema before serving.
for avocado crema
- Mix all ingredients together, adding a little water to thin if necessary. Drizzle over top of cooked enchiladas and top with fresh cilantro for an authentic taste!
You’re introduction mentions cinnamon as one of the key ingredients but it isn’t listed or used in the recipe. Am I missing something?
Hi Kim! Looks like I was missing cinnamon in my ingredient list! Thank you for catching. You’ll need 1/2 tsp!