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Easy Skillet Butternut Squash Chicken Enchiladas. Chicken seasoned with smoky chipotle peppers, enchilada sauce, and cream cheese, all mixed together with autumn butternut squash to create a creamy, saucy chicken enchilada with fall flavors added in! The yummy butternut squash cubes add a wonderful subtle sweetness when paired with the spicy chipotle enchilada sauce. Unexpected but delish! Top with tortillas and cheese before oven-baking. That touch of cream cheese makes all the difference. A great cozy weather dinner!
Here’s the thing about me, I do my best work with a little bit of pressure put on me. I can’t say it’s a fun way to work, but over the years, it’s what I’ve come to learn about myself.
Right now, there is a bit of pressure to be “getting it all done.” It’s our busy season, and while part of me is anxious about it all, most of me is thriving, and honestly, I have the most inspiration. It’s kind of fun.
And yes, I am a crazy person. I inherited this from my mother.
I made these enchiladas later in the day the other week. It was definitely on a whim, but the idea sounded so yummy to me, and I knew that if I didn’t test the recipe that day, they may never be created!
No time for overthinking so I dove in and made these, and wow, they really came out so delicious. The addition of butternut squash is a little bit unexpected but totally delicious!
The cream cheese mixed in creates the creamiest enchilada sauce, making the enchiladas even more delicious. Mom and Dad loved these, as did Creighton. Even my younger sister, Asher, who can be very picky, loved them! When the family approves of a dish, you know it’s good!
Step 1: cook the chicken
In an oven-safe skillet, mix chopped onions with chicken tenders. Use tenders, as they will cook evenly all the way through in a short time. If using chicken breasts, just cut them a little smaller.
Add the cubes of butternut squash to the chicken. Then, season it all with smoked paprika, garlic powder, a small amount of warming sage, and salt. Next, add spicy/smoky chipotle chiles in adobo; I use at least three chiles, but make sure to use them to your taste. You donât want the sauce too spicy or not spicy enough!
Pour over a can of diced green chiles and red enchilada sauce. Simmer the chicken in the sauce until it is fully cooked and shreds easily. During this time, the squash should become soft.
Step 2: shred the chicken + mix in the cream cheese,
Pull the skillet off the burner, then, using two forks, shred the chicken directly into the sauce.
Add the cream and mix everything together until you have a creamy sauce. As you shred the chicken and mix the cream cheese into the sauce, the squash will get a little mashed, creating an even more delicious sauce!
Step 3: add the tortillas, the cheese, and bake
Snuggle a few tortillas on top of the saucy chicken, then add some shredded cheese and bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts.
You can serve this topped with fresh slices of avocado and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. I love adding salted, roasted pumpkin seeds as wellâthey’re actually used in many Mexican recipes!
This is not fancy but, of course, so delicious!
Looking for other quick dinner recipes? Here are a few:
Crockpot Thai Short Ribs with Coconut Rice
Baked Chipotle Cheddar Sweet Potato Chowder
One Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Orzo
Herby Buttered Balsamic Mushroom Ravioli
Smothered Chicken in Mushroom Wine Pan Sauce
Lastly, if you make this Easy Skillet Butternut Squash Chicken Enchiladas, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, donât forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I added a half a can of black beans and corn to these too and they were SO good!
Hey Sydney,
Awesome!! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed. I appreciate you giving it a try and your feedback! Have the best day! XxT
This was excellent! I put the mixture into tortillas and made traditional enchiladas with the cheese on top. Only note I have is that the adobe peppers are HOT, I rinsed mine off after dicing them to help get rid of some seeds and heat. If you like extremely spicy Iâd leave as is. Great recipe!
Hey Angela,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Monday! xT
I thought this was ahhhmazing! I used sweet potatos because thatâs what I could find pre chopped and peeled and they worked great. It was easy to throw together too. It is pretty spicy so if youâre sensitive to that go light on the chipotles.
Hey Heather,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, Iâm so glad it was enjoyed! xxx
Can green enchiladas sauce be used instead of red?
Hey Linda,
It can…I’m just not sure I would recommend it for this recipe. You might end up with a super brown sauce. Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Hi, do you coat the pan before adding onion, chicken, etc.?
Hey Geeta,
I did not, but you could add some olive oil if you wanted. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
So good! The sauce is so flavorful and creamy, perfect amount of spice. The chicken also came out so nice and tender- not dry at all. The only thing I would change is maybe cook the butternut squash longer because it has a bit of a crunch still (I also didn’t peel mine). Definitely will make again!
Hey Sasha,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe! Love to hear that it turned out well for you:) Happy Thursday! xT
My husband and I really enjoyed this! My 8 year old ate all the chicken out of the mixture, lol. I used frozen butternut squash from Aldi that I thawed in the fridge and before I topped the skillet with cheese and tortillas I used a potato masher to break the squash down into the filling – it thickened it all up significantly and I appreciated the texture. I used about 2.5Tbs of finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo and an additional Tbs of the paste from the can and it the end result had a pleasantly spicy kick.
I will certainly make this recipe again, perhaps with black beans other times of the year when butternut squash season is over!
Hey Rachael,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear this dish turned out nicely for you, thank you so much for making it and your feedback! xT
So good! I didn’t even do the tortillas and cheese on top, just served it over rice with avocado on top. Also very easy – love it. ð
Thanks so much, Jen!! So glad you enjoyed this dish, great idea to serve over rice! Thanks for making the recipe! xT
The chicken cooked and shredded on schedule but I had to cook it about 10 minutes longer for the squash to soften. That’s probably because the store pre-diced squash has a larger cube. It was worth the extra time, though. This recipe is amazing! Everyone just gobbled it up. I should have made a double recipe!
Hey Juliana,
Amazing!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe, I’m so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Have a great Monday! XxT
Amazing! This recipe will be a family staple. Easy and delicious! Thank you
Love to hear this, Libby! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your feedback! Have the best weekend! xT
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit with the whole family! They have requested that I put it in our regular meal rotation. Thank you for the recipe!
Hey Lindsay,
Wonderful! So glad to hear this dish turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great fall weekend! xT