These Cran-Chicken Enchiladas are a delicious twist on classic enchiladas, using your favorite holiday leftovers, topped with cranberry salsa.

Enchiladas served on a plate

We love Mexican food if you already didn’t know that. I especially love a healthier version of one of my favorites. This recipe I adapted from one that was for Thanksgiving leftovers – Cran-Turkey Enchiladas.

Baked enchiladas with toppings in baking dish viewed from above

I like this because the enchiladas aren’t drenched in sauce and I like the tangy-sweetness these enchiladas have. So whether you do chicken or turkey, try out this healthier, yummier enchilada. You won’t be disappointed.

Enjoy! XOXO San

Ingredients measured out in bowls

How do you make Cran-Chicken Enchiladas?

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

    Filling ingredients in a mixing bowl

  • In a large bowl stir together chicken, half the cranberry sauce, beans, 1/2 cup of the salsa, 3/4 cup of the cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Filling ingredients mixed together in a bowl

  • Spoon about 2/3 cup filling on each tortilla. Roll up tortillas around filling. Place, seam sides down, in prepared dish; set aside.

Flour tortillas with filling placed in middle of tortillas

  • For sauce, in a bowl stir together remaining cranberry sauce, remaining salsa, and hot pepper sauce.

Sauce in a bowl

  • Spoon over filled tortillas. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes.

Enchiladas prepared in a baking dish with sauce on top

  • Uncover; top with remaining cheese. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional cilantro and green onions.

Side view of cooked enchiladas with toppings

Make this Cran-Turkey Chili as another way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.

Take these Cran-Chicken Enchiladas to another level by making with my Best Ever 5-Minute Salsa and Best Ever Flour Tortillas or Whole-Wheat Tortillas

Don’t forget to pin this to your favorite Pinterest board to save for later!

Cran-Chicken Enchiladas

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 8
These Cran-Chicken Enchiladas are a delicious twist on classic enchiladas, using your favorite holiday leftovers, topped with a cranberry salsa.
Baked enchiladas with toppings in baking dish viewed from above

Ingredients
 

  • 2 - 2-1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 16 ounces whole cranberry sauce
  • 15 ounces black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups bottled salsa
  • 1 cup shredded colby and Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
  • 3 green onions sliced
  • 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 8 whole wheat or regular flour tortillas 7-8 inch
  • 1 teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
  • In a large bowl stir together chicken, half the cranberry sauce, beans, 1/2 cup of the salsa, 3/4 cup of the cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spoon about 2/3 cup filling on each tortilla. Roll up tortillas around filling. Place, seam sides down, in prepared dish; set aside.
  • For sauce, in bowl stir together remaining cranberry sauce, remaining salsa, and hot pepper sauce. Spoon over filled tortillas. Cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover; top with remaining cheese. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until heated through and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional cilantro and green onions.

Notes

Note: This freezes well. In fact, this is my Mom's go-to meal when she is taking dinner to another family. She will double the batch and freeze or deliver to someone else.
Baked enchiladas with toppings in baking dish viewed from above
Tried this recipe?Let us know what you think!

close up cooked enchiladas

My review: To me, I love these more than the average enchilada. One is because of the sauce. Two, because of the touch of sweetness. Three, because you can use your leftovers from your Thanksgiving meal.

Kid’s reviews: Well, they will eat them but they would rather this be drenched in red enchilada sauce. Well, I like the healthier approach, so they will eat them but it isn’t in their top ten.

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17 Comments

  1. These would be a perfect and tasty way to use up all my extra turkey after Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing!

  2. We love Mexican food also. In fact, I am fixing tostados for dinner tonight. These sound so yummy and I am always looking for great recipes to use with my left over turkey. YUM! Thanks so much for sharing with Share Your Cup. Hope to see you often!
    hugs,
    Jann

  3. I will be making an xtra turkey for my small family of 4, and using the leftovers to make this meal for our next freezer swap! Love this, thanks :). And what a great unusual way to use up the leftovers from thanksgiving .

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