Turkey Enchiladas filled with seasoned ground turkey or leftover cooked turkey and shredded cheese, then topped with an easy enchilada sauce, and more cheese. Baked in the oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and served with diced onions, cilantro, and sour cream.
Whether you have a lot of leftover shredded turkey in the fridge or are just looking for some ideas for using ground turkey, this enchilada recipe is for you!
These enchiladas are filled with seasoned shredded or ground turkey, topped with a generous amount of cheese, and baked in a delicious enchilada sauce until bubbly and hot.
Turkey Enchilada Ingredients
- Lean ground turkey or leftover shredded turkey (if using leftover shredded turkey, see section below)
- Dried seasonings – chili powder, salt, onion powder, dried oregano, garlic powder, and ground cumin
- Enchilada sauce – I used this easy enchilada sauce recipe, but you can use your favorite store-bought brand as well
- Flour tortillas – I like using flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas because they can hold up to the filling better and won’t tear.
- Shredded cheese – You can use a Mexican-blend cheese, or a mixture of mozzarella and Monterey jack.
How to Make Enchiladas with Leftover Turkey
Have a lot of leftover Thanksgiving turkey in the fridge that needs to get used up quickly? These enchiladas are the answer!
You’ll need about 2 1/2 cups of cooked shredded turkey. Add that to a large mixing bowl along with all the dried seasonings in the recipe below and 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce. Mix it all together and then give it a taste to see if it needs any extra salt. Then assemble and bake the enchiladas following the instructions in the recipe.
Storing and Freezing
- To store, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To freeze, let them cool completely in the fridge. Transfer the enchiladas to a freezer safe container or freezer bag and freeze. You can also wrap the enchiladas completely in aluminum foil and freeze.
Love enchiladas as much as I do? Be sure to check out my beef enchiladas, chicken enchiladas, and breakfast enchiladas.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground turkey or 2 ½ cups leftover cooked shredded turkey (see notes if using shredded turkey)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 ¾ cups easy enchilada sauce, divided
- 8 large flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese, divided
- optional toppings: diced onions, chopped cilantro, sour cream, shredded lettuce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey, chili powder, salt, onion powder, oregano, garlic powder and cumin.
- Use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat into smaller chunks. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, until turkey is browned and cooked through.
- Add 1/4 cup enchilada sauce, stir to combine, and remove from heat. Taste and season with more salt if necessary.
- Microwave the tortillas on a plate for 1 minute, flipping them halfway through until all of them are warm and pliable.
- Pour 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce into a 9×13 baking dish, and spread it out to fully coat the bottom.
- Assemble the enchiladas by filling each tortilla evenly with the turkey mixture and 3/4 cup of shredded cheese. Roll the tortillas tightly to close and place in a large baking dish seam side down.
- Pour the remaining 1 1/4 cups enchilada sauce over the tortillas, top with the remaining 1 1/4 cups shredded cheese, and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve immediately and garnish with desired toppings.
Isabel’s Tips:
- To use cooked leftover shredded turkey, combine 2 1/2 cups turkey, all the dried seasonings in the recipe, and 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce in a large bowl. Taste and season with more salt if necessary. Then continue following the recipe at step 5.
- Enchilada sauce: I highly recommend making your own using this easy enchilada sauce made from dried spices and herbs or this authentic enchilada sauce made from whole dried chiles and Mexican chocolate. If you’re short on time, you can use your favorite store-bought sauce.
- To store enchiladas, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- To freeze enchiladas, let them cool completely in the fridge. Transfer the enchiladas to a freezer safe container or freezer bag and freeze. You can also wrap the enchiladas completely in aluminum foil and freeze.
Nutrition Information
I’ve never attempted to make my own sauce. So glad I did. Very good. I did add small can of tomato sauce too. .I also made the turkey enchaladas using left over toasted turkey. added sm can of diced green chillies. Wow very flavourful..will do this again..thank you.Donna
Thank you so much, Donna!
I made these using your recipe for Easy Enchilada Sauce and was happy that both were able to be made with ingredients I already had on hand! The enchilada recipe itself is a good starting point and can be easily altered to your families preferred spice level, but is lovely as is!