These smoked chicken enchiladas are packed with shredded BBQ chicken thighs, bubbly melted cheese, and green chiles, and cooked over smoke. Cheesy and full of spice, this BBQ spin on a party classic is sure to become a new favorite.
There aren’t many dishes better for feeding a crowd than enchiladas. This flavor-packed Mexican fare is both delicious and easy to prep ahead. As the centerpiece to a summer BBQ or a spicy winter warmer, these smoked chicken enchiladas are about to become your new favorite recipe.
There are a few steps to this recipe but we promise that if you stick with it, the payoff will be well worth it! The layers of flavors build perfectly on each other to create a spicy, cheesy, rich bite. The chicken benefits from layers of flavor beginning with simple taco seasoning before it’s smoked, sauced, wrapped, and smothered in golden bubbly cheese.
You can easily prep the enchiladas ahead of time, smoking the chicken and layering everything together so the dish is ready to go when you are. Once you’re ready, you simply smoke the enchiladas for a final hour – giving you plenty of time to work up an appetite.
We love to make a variety of sides with our enchiladas and turn it into a full-scale feast. A refreshing guacamole cools any spicy sauce, pico de gallo adds a bright punch of flavor, lime-dressed slaw cuts through the richness, and black beans and rice is a comfort food classic for a reason.
Quick Tips
- We’ve used smoked chicken thighs for this recipe as they’re juicier than breasts due to their higher fat content, but feel free to use any cut you like (you could even smoke a whole chicken!)
- Use a light wood for smoking so you don’t overpower the flavor of the cheese—apple, pecan, or cherry are all great
- I always prefer to use purpose-made meat claws for pulling smoked chicken, but if you don’t have any you can simply use two forks
- Got leftovers? Put any remaining enchiladas in an airtight container and store in the refrigerators for up to 3 days
Smoked Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp taco seasoning or favorite Mexican spice rub
- 8 oz sour cream
- 2 cups Monterrey Jack shredded cheese divided in two
- 3 cups enchilada sauce divided in two
- 4 oz roasted green chiles
- 10 corn tortillas
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fire up your smoker to 250°F (120°C)
- While the smoker warms up, apply the taco seasoning to the chicken thighs. Cover evenly on all sides.
- Place the seasoned chicken thighs on the smoker grates and cook to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), about 1 ½ hours
- Pull chicken thighs from the smoker and transfer to a large bowl. Pull the chicken using shredding claws, or simply use two forks.
- To the shredded chicken, add sour cream, half the cheese, half the enchilada sauce, and the green chiles. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste
- Fill the tortillas with the chicken mixture, tightly roll, and place into a smoker-safe baking dish, disposable foil tray, or cast iron skillet. Continue until the dish is full (you may need to do these in batches)
- Cover the filled tortillas with the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese (if cooking enchiladas in batches, make sure you save enough sauce and cheese for the second batch).
- Place enchiladas and smoke for 30 minutes, or until tortillas have started to brown and cheese has melted
- Remove from the smoker and serve immediately
