Wondering what to serve with your chicken enchiladas? This post will help you decide What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas (35 Easy Sides) from salads and soups, to rice and salsas. Perfect for a family dinner with kids, large crowd gatherings, or a small dinner for two! Instant Pot, Air Fryer, and Slow Cooker options included for ease!
Chopped salad, rice pilaf, fresh guacamole, and street corn dip – these all go great with chicken enchiladas! This iconic tortilla dish can be made with slow cooker shredded chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken, a great main course! Similar to smothered tacos or taquitos, consider serving with the sides below for a filling meal.
Top enchiladas with fresh salsa, cilantro, green onions, crumbed cheese, or pickled jalapeños for extra flavors and try these great recipes below! These side dish ideas are perfect for busy weeknights, made with simple ingredients the whole family will love these recipes!
Table of contents for What to Serve with Chicken Enchiladas (35 Easy Sides):
1. Salads
Street Corn Pasta Salad
This spicy Mexican-style Street Corn Pasta Salad incorporates all the flavors of street corn into the creamiest corn-filled summer pasta salad. Sweet summertime corn, mixed with creamy dressing and tossed with pasta, grilled corn, spicy chili butter, and salty crumbled Mexican cotija cheese. It’s quick to make and totally delicious, especially with extra lime mayo and chili butter. A quintessential summer pasta salad, serve this up at your next summer party, it’s always delicious.
Mexican Salad
This Mexican Salad is far more delicious than any restaurant and serves a crowd at a fraction of the price! It’s fresh, filling, flavorful, gluten-free, loaded with vegetables and drizzled with intoxicating Cilantro Lime Dressing. You will want to do douse the dressing on EVERYTHING, guaranteed. This Mexican Salad recipe is bursting smokey grilled sweet corn, crunchy red bell peppers, juicy tomatoes, hearty black beans, salty pepitas, creamy avocados, fresh romaine lettuce, kicking Pepper Jack cheese and crispy tortilla strips. You can dress this Mexican Salad up or down by adding chili lime chicken, chipotle chicken or cilantro lime chicken or more or less of your favorite ingredients to make it YOUR favorite Mexican Salad!
Tomato Avocado Salad
With fresh ingredients and a few seasonings, this Tomato Avocado Salad is an addictive side dish that comes together in minutes. Serve as a side to grilled chicken or steak, or on top of a salmon fillet. You can even add it to tacos! However you serve it, I know you’ll love it!
Spicy Turkey Taco Salad with Baja Dressing
Making Thursday night tacos a thing, with this Spicy Turkey Taco Salad with Baja Dressing. Chipotle chili seasoned turkey taco meat, mixed with fresh greens, black beans, avocado, mango, and a little cheddar cheese too. Topped with tortilla chips for crunch, and finished with a creamy Baja style dressing that’s spicy and cooling. SO GOOD. If you’re looking for a non-boring salad, this is it!
Cilantro Lime Slaw
This Cilantro Lime Slaw recipe is easy to make in just 10 minutes, it tastes extra fresh and light, and it can work great as a zesty side dish or as a topping for tacos, burgers, sandwiches and more.
Mexican Brussels Sprouts Salad with Tomatillo Dressing
Mexican Brussels Sprouts Salad with cotija cheese, avocado, sweet corn, and creamy tomatillo dressing. Enjoy this shaved Brussels sprouts salad as a side dish, or top with blackened shrimp or grilled chicken for a total flavor fiesta meal.
Mexican Caesar Salad
This Mexican Caesar Salad is loaded with classic Mexican ingredients and toppings. It’s fresh, light, delicious, and flavorful — this Caesar salad might even taste better than the original!
Avocado Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs
This simple summery avocado salad takes avocado from supporting ingredient to the main attraction.
Black Bean Corn & Avocado Salad
This black bean and corn salad has an incredible homemade tangy lime vinaigrette dressing. It’s delicious yet healthy, and you’ll want to serve it with every summer meal!
Mexican Chopped Salad
Mexican Chopped Salad – a perfect summertime salad that is great for barbecues with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, onion, corn and avocado with a simple dressing.
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
One of the most popular recipes on this site: Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad! Toss bowtie pasta with lots of corn, fresh herbs, black beans, and a simple creamy chili-lime dressing.
2. Starches
15 Minute Soy Sauce Butter Fried Rice
15 Minute Soy Sauce Butter Fried Rice, the crazy easy dish that’s one of our favorite easy dinners. Stir fried rice in the simplest mix of soy sauce, chili flakes, and butter (the real secret). Mix in bright green broccoli and green onions for color. This fast and easy fried rice can be made and ready in less than 15 minutes making it perfect for busy days.
One Pot Cheesy Creamed Corn Orzo
One Pot Cheesy Creamed Corn Orzo. Similar to risotto, but even creamier, and even more DELICIOUS. This is the ultimate summer comfort food. This simple corn orzo is made in 25 minutes, uses just one pan, and is a great way to use up fresh sweet summer corn. It’s creamy, garlicky, packed with fresh corn, and finished with crispy homemade bacon bits and fresh herbs. Perfect cozy, summer dinner or easy side, any night of the week. Everyone will enjoy this dish!
Nacho Fries with Chipotle Queso
Nacho Fries with Chipotle Queso. I took a little inspo from T-bell and recreated their “nacho” fries at home. Oven baked fries tossed in a homemade mix of smoky Mexican-inspired spices. The fries alone are DELICIOUS and leave you with “nacho” dusted fingertips. But the queso, which is creamy and extra cheesy, really tops them off. Everything together makes for an awesome appetizer.
Perfect Brown Rice (without a rice cooker)
This perfect brown rice is a great, easy side dish ready in just about 40 minutes. You can make this light, fluffy brown rice in a stock pot, no fancy equipment needed. With a rice to water ration of 1:2, you can easily adjust this recipe based on how many servings you need. A little salt while boiling adds the perfect bit of flavor, making this rice a great base for any meal!
Spanish Rice
This homemade Spanish rice recipe is an easy, delicious side dish! Fluffy and flavorful, it pairs perfectly with Mexican mains like tacos and enchiladas.
Cilantro Lime Rice
Forget about Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice and make your own! This recipe is bursting with fresh lime and cilantro flavor, and it’s perfect in burrito bowls or as a side dish for tacos, enchiladas and more!
Perfect Steamed Rice (without a rice cooker)
This perfect steamed rice is a great, easy side dish ready in just about 30 minutes. You can make this light, fluffy rice in a stock pot, no fancy equipment needed. With a rice to water ration of 1:2, you can easily adjust this recipe based on how many servings you need. A little salt while boiling adds the perfect bit of flavor, making this rice a great base for any meal!
Easy Mexican Rice
This easy Mexican rice recipe is SO simple you’ll want to make it every Taco Tuesday, or as a side dish for all your Mexican meals!
Kicked-Up Skillet Black Beans
An easy and versatile recipe for spicy black beans. This is the perfect Mexican side dish, and also makes a delicious filling for tacos or quesadillas. One skillet, canned black beans, and a fantastic blend of spices will help you prep this flavorful dish in a flash.
3. Vegetables
Spicy Cauliflower Cheese Bites with Tahini Ranch
Meet the healthier, better tasting, Super Bowl appetizer, Spicy Cauliflower Cheese Bites with Tahini Ranch.
Mexican Street Corn Brussels Sprouts
Creamy, delicious, crispy and flavorful this Mexican Street Corn Brussels Sprouts recipe is the perfect side dish or appetizer for your next taco night! Roasted or air fried until charred, brussels sprouts are tossed with all the fixings of traditional Mexican street corn for a bright, vibrant and flavorful side dish everyone is guaranteed to love!
Pico de Gallo Salsa
This is the best Pico de Gallo recipe, a fresh and healthy salsa made with fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lots of lime juice. Spice it up with some jalapeno if you like it hot!
Roasted Mexican Zucchini
Roasted Mexican Zucchini is the perfect low carb side dish that’s easy to make and ready in only 20 minutes! Tossed with a handful of seasonings, lime juice, cilantro, and cotija cheese, it’s a quick and flavorful side that goes well with any Mexican lunch and dinner.
Roasted Chili Corn Salsa (Chipotle Copycat!)
This roasted chili-corn salsa is a copycat version of the corn salsa served at Chipotle Mexican Grill! Sweet corn, charred poblano peppers, cilantro, red onion, and a healthy squeeze of lime juice are key flavors in preparing this new family favorite. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and tangy and ready in 25 minutes!
Refried Pinto Beans
These easy refried pinto beans come together in no time and make for a delicious side dish to have with any of your favorite Tex-Mex and Mexican meals.
Instant Pot Mexican Pinto Beans
A simple pot of flavorful, Mexican pinto beans is the foundation of many of our favorite quick meals. Plus, thanks to the Instant Pot, pinto beans go from dry to perfectly-cooked in just over an hour.
Mexican Black Beans
This Mexican Black Beans recipe is an easy and tasty restaurant-style side dish for any Mexican dinner! Serve it with your tacos, enchiladas, fajitas and burritos to complete your Tex-Mex meal.
Grilled Vegetables with Chimichurri Sauce
Grilled vegetables get a serious flavor boost with a few spoonful’s of this spunky Argentinian chimichurri as a bright and zesty finishing sauce in this easy vegetarian side dish.
4. Other
Creamy Cottage Cheese Queso Dip
This creamy cottage cheese queso dip is protein packed and so delicious! Perfect for game day or as an additional to taco Tuesday. Using AE Dairy Whipped Smooth Cottage Cheese, means this recipe comes together in minutes! Simply melt cottage cheese and shredded cheese together until you get a smooth mixture, season with paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder. Top you cottage cheese queso with fresh Pico or chopped cilantro and fresh jalapeños.
Green Goddess Guac
A creamy, veggie-packed dip that’s part guacamole and part Green Goddess.
Easy 7 Ingredient Guacamole
This easy 7 ingredient guacamole is as easy as it gets. Perfect as a dip, spread, or appetizer! Customize this guacamole to your liking, add in roasted poblanos or jalapenos for some spice. Serve with chips, veggies, or use on sandwiches and tacos. You cant go wrong with a simple bowl of guacamole!
Easy 5 Ingredient White Queso Dip (Crockpot Friendly)
This easy 5 ingredient white queso dip is perfect for game day or taco night! Pepper jack cheese, Velveeta, green Chiles, evaporated milk, and seasonings make up this easy dip. This slow cooker friendly version is perfect to make ahead and keep warm for a few hours, but you can also make this on the stove top and serve immediately.
Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Tortilla Soup
This simple one pot spicy Salsa Verde Chicken and Rice Tortilla Soup is the perfect bowl of wholesome, filling soup to warm up to on the coldest of days. Made with poblano peppers, shredded chicken, and a mix of chili powder, paprika, and oregano. Mix in rice and enjoy with salty chips on top. It’s spicy, cozy and so delicious. Top each bowl of tortilla soup with plenty of cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, and avocado. And of course, plenty of tortilla chips.
Hot Chicken Enchilada Bean Dip
My Hot Chicken Enchilada Bean Dip – our favorite New Years’ appetizer. This is the creamiest, cheesiest, chicken and bean-filled dip. Perfect for New Year’s Eve festivities and all those upcoming winter game days. Made with peppers, beans, shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, and, of course, plenty of cheese on top. It’s spicy, creamy, and so delicious. Serve this up dip-style with fresh toppings, tortilla chips, and soft flour tortillas on the side for dipping.
Variations & Serving Ideas:
- Serve with a buffet of toppings like cilantro, green onions, cubed avocado, sour cream, feta cheese, black olives, guacamole, and salsa
- Serve different sides family style for a fun dinner idea
- Serve with refried beans, Mexican corn, or salad
- Use homemade enchilada sauce or green enchilada sauce
- Use corn or flour tortillas
- Use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken for your chicken enchiladas
Try these delicious Lightened Up Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas for lighter option!
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