These Pulled Pork Enchiladas are made with Pork Carnitas and topped with a delicious homemade Enchilada Sauce!
This post is part of a series of meals made using Easy Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork) that I posted last week. It freezes so well and defrosts quickly, making it great to have on hand for fast meals – like Enchiladas. However this recipe can be made using any pre cooked meat – shredded chicken in particular would be fantastic. It takes a mere 15 minutes to assemble (if that), then just pop it into the oven.
Pulled Pork Enchiladas (Pork Carnitas)
There are so many ways to make enchiladas, but this is definitely my favourite, made with Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork). Shreds of moist pulled pork are mixed up with golden kernels of corn and black beans encased in a tortilla and topped with enchilada sauce and gooey melting cheese…..just describing it makes me go weak at the knees.
It goes without saying that I love cooking (and eating), and I do love taking my time in the kitchen, experimenting or making things that require patience. But on a day to day basis, I don’t just whip up a Duck Ragu with Homemade Pappardelle. 90% of my mid week dinners take me less than 15 minutes of prep (90% of which are on the table in 15 minutes!).
This is one of those dinners. 15 minutes of assembling, then throw it in the oven to do its thing. No chopping required. Just opening a couple of cans and crisping up the pulled pork to get the crunchy brown bits, the crowning glory of Pork Carnitas.
Roll up the tortillas, top with enchilada sauce and cheese, then bake until bubbly and golden on top. I like to leave the edges of the Pulled Pork Enchiladas without sauce which lets them brown nicely and go a little crisp which adds great texture. But I use enough sauce that you could cover all the enchiladas, if you wanted to.
In my books, Pork Carnitas are the ultimate “freezer stock” for seriously tasty fast food. You can make enchiladas (obviously), quesadillas, tacos, soups, salads and burritos, to name a few. I also make Mexican Sloppy Joes, Mexican Spring Rolls and Taco Soup – I’ll be sharing my recipe for these in the coming weeks.
Whenever I make Pork Carnitas, I use the largest pork I can fit into my slow cooker so I can make as much as possible, then I freeze them in small batches for convenience. I usually defrost it in the microwave (usually 1 minute per cup of pulled pork). Then I always pan fry, not to warm it through but to get the brown crunchy bits. It only takes a minute or two, and is a “must do” in my books – Pork Carnitas without the brown crunchy bits is like sausage rolls without tomato sauce, it just shouldn’t be done. You can read more about my ravings on the brown crunchy bits in the recipe I shared for Pork Carnitas.
Though I love Enchiladas the most when made with Pork Carnitas, I often make this with other meat, usually shredded chicken as I always seem to have this on hand. I’ve also made this with diced beef too. But because the Pork Carnitas are already flavoured with Mexican spices, if I use another meat I add a sprinkle of spices – instructions for this are included in the recipe below.
This Pulled Pork Enchiladas is a great recipe to add to your midweek meal rotation – it’s so fast and SO delicious! I hope you try it!– Nagi x
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Pulled Pork Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 cups (packed) Pork Carnitas (Mexican Pulled Pork) or other shredded meat (see notes)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup tinned black beans or red kidney beans , drained
- 1 can (15oz / 400g) corn kernels , drained
- 2 cups shredded cheese (any good melting cheese)
- 8 tortillas
- 3 cups (750ml / 25oz) Enchilada Sauce (homemade or store bought)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over high heat. Add the pork carnitas and cook until the bottom is nicely browned - about 1 1/2 minutes. Do not turn, just make the bottom crispy (to keep the pulled pork as moist as possible), then remove the pulled pork into a bowl. It does not matter if the top isn't heated through, it will heat in the oven.
- Add the corn, black beans, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup cheese into the bowl and mix to combine.
- Spread 1/2 cup of Enchilada Sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Place 1/2 packed cup of filling (from step 3) into a tortilla and roll up and place in the baking dish.
- Pour over the remaining Enchilada Sauce, and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and scatter the cheese on, then bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
- Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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Jana says
Made these today, so wonderful! I did it just like you said, it will be my go to recipe! Thanks so much for this recipe.
Nagi says
So glad to hear that Jana! Thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Pamela Bordelon says
Delicious! I didn’t add the corn, but followed the rest of the recipe and we loved it.
Nagi says
Hi Pamela, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for letting me know! ❤️ N xx
Margaret Coombes says
Hi Nagi, made this using your flatbreads instead of tortillas. A winner!!!!!
Nagi says
Ohhhh! You Rock Margaret, serving these with homemade flatbreads is da bomb! N xx
stasia spalding says
How is this recipes with green enchilada sauce?
Nagi says
DELISH!!! I love green enchilada sauce 🙂
Eddie says
Looking for your classic enchilada sauce recipe… Dying to make pork enchiladas!! 🙂
Nagi says
Here you go! Terrible photos from the early days but a terrific recipe still! 🙂 https://www.recipetineats.com/enchilada-sauce-easy-classic-recipe/
Jeanne says
Do you use corn or flour tortillas?
Nagi says
I prefer flour 🙂 But pliable corn is fine too!
Elizabeth says
Fantastic recipe! My husband has requested that this become a regular meal at our house. I wouldn’t change a thing. Yum!
Nagi says
Yay! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed it Elizabeth, thanks for letting me know! N x
Lisa says
I made these enchiladas tonight with pulled pork i had cooked a couple of weeks ago and frozen the leftovers as recommended. I also made the enchilada sauce which is an absolute winner recipe. Yum, my husband and I both really enjoyed the dish and there is plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Thanks Nagi for another great recipe.
Nagi says
Thanks Lisa! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
M Chard says
Made the slow cooker pork last night. Not bad; I really prefer to slow cook on the grill because of the flavor and crust it gets but I was in hurry to get out of the house and I needed dinner to cook while we were gone. Then tonight I used the pork to make the pork enchiladas. Delicious! I reserved the liquid from the slow cooker and used it to make your homemade enchilada sauce. It was SOOOO good. Lots of flavor, I didn’t have to do a lot of seasoning. And, I took your recipe for cilantro rice and added it to the pork, corn, black bean mixture. Yum! The only sad part is that the enchilada recipe used up all the wonderful sauce and I don’t have any left for a different dish.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
So glad you loved it M Chard!! Thank you for letting me know!! N x
Katie says
Can you assemble these enchiladas and freeze them so that they can be all done and cooked at another time?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Katie! Yes, you sure can! Enchiladas are fabulous for freezing!
Melissa says
We made the enchilada sauce and carnitas last night, and had enchiladas this evening. Really easy, and super tasty, and some carnitas in the freezer for a later date :D. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Melissa! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!!
Allison says
I made these the other week and they were one of my boyfriend’s favorites! I didn’t love them as much… I had some issues with the tortillas. I used corn tortillas and they did not hold their shape at all. Once they were out of the oven it sort of all mushed together where I couldn’t tell where one started and another one ended. I think next time I will use flour unless anyone has any tips to using corn? I tried microwaving them first but they still broke apart when folding.
The enchilada sauce was GREAT and I am so happy I tried it. I was going to shortcut and buy a jarred one but based on the comments I thought I should try it. And it really was super easy and didn’t add that much time to the meal. And on another note – I felt really proud of myself that I made homemade enchilada sauce!
Angela says
I always fry my corn tortillas first in a little veg. oil, maybe 30 seconds on each side. It makes them easier to handle and roll up 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
You should be proud of yourself for making homemade enchilada sauce! 🙂 It really makes a difference I feel, it doesn’t have that slight undertone of artificial flavourings and preservatives that all store bought sauces have. 🙂 You know, I’m in Mexico right now and you would be very surprised to see the enchiladas here! They are made almost like a gratin, completely covered in sauce and mushy. 🙂 Sounds like yours was pretty darn authentic! 😉
Nick says
Just want to pop in to say that the slow cooker carnitas that turn into these enchiladas the following night are incredible and very high on my list of go-to’s when I’m planning meals for the week. Thanks for sharing!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thank you Nick! I am SO GLAD you loved it!!! N x
Susan says
Hi Nagi
I made them for my husband who LOVES – Mexican food- he said they were EXCELLENT!!! Can you tell me the brand of the white pan the enchiladas are shown in- looks perfect for the job! Thanks again for the great recipe,
Susan
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thank you so much Susan! I’m so glad your husband enjoyed it!! I’m sorry, I can’t remember the brand of the white pan and I’m not at home so I can’t check! It was very cheap though, something I picked up from my local supermarket (Coles in Australia) 🙂
Mike says
Just wondering about the temperature. After 10 minutes at 300 degrees, the sauce was just warm, not hot. When I added the cheese, I upped it to 350 degrees for 15 minutes and that seemed to do the trick.
Desiree says
I think it might be a typo as 180c is closer too 375f than 300f.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
GAHH! Yes Desiree, 180C is 350F. I have that ingrained in my fingertips now, I type it so many times. 🙁 I’m sorry Mike!
Becky says
What do I serve with this for a large group dinner?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Becky! I would make a simple pico de gallo salad. Diced tomatoes, red onion, lots of fresh cilantro/coriander and dressed with lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. 🙂 Nice and fresh!
Ryan says
Just made this for the family and they loved it. Thank you so much. The home made sauce was great.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Ryan! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! <3
Joe says
I am not not a cook at all but just a guy who wanted to make some tasty enchiladas to surprise my family. This recipe was a smash hit! The slow cooking method made the pork perfect. When combined with the other ingredients in flour tortillas, a side dish of yellow rice, and following the cooking time it all come together nicely. The only problem I had was making the enchilada sauce. I was out of oregano and substituted Italian seasoning. This was a BIG mistake! The second try was flawless. I highly recommend this superb recipe – thank you Nagi!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
YAY!! Your family is SO lucky to have you!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂 Isn’t pulled pork in enchiladas amazing? I can’t get enough of carnitas!! N x
gail says
Are these flour tortillas or corn? They look like flour? thanks, Gail
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Gail! Yes, the ones in the photo are flour but I’ve made these with corn too. 🙂 With corn tortillas, I pop them in the microwave for 10 seconds to warm through so they are more pliable. The corn tortillas in Australia are not the best unfortunately!
Bonnie Crim says
Would it be possible for you to email the answer to this question within 24 hours, as I will be making the enchiladas Thursday morn? I might have missed it, but can I freeze them after cooking? Thank you so very very much. Bonnie crim
Bonnie Crim says
Thank you so very much…..so very helpful…….Bonnie
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Bonnie! Yes you absolutely can freeze them after making them as long as the cooked meat wasn’t already frozen. i.e. you have cooked pulled pork that is frozen, then you defrost it and make this you can’t refreeze it again. Put if you have frozen RAW meat, you cook it, make these enchiladas then you CAN freeze it again. I hope you love it! I am in love in Enchiladas! 🙂
Matt says
Thanks for this recipe. Can you please explain why not to refreeze previously frozen cooked meat?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Matt! It’s a health hazard. The same rule applies to thawed raw meat – you must never refreeze raw meat that was previously frozen. 🙂
Janet hill says
These are just terrific. I made the recipe as written and it was delicious. A big hit at my house. I can imagine one can tweak it quite a bit depending on what you have on hand. This recipe makes a great point of departure. Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe. We loved it!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Janet! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. And you are absolutely right, you can tweak it however you want! I love making it meat free with corn and black beans 🙂 And I often use chicken too because I always have bags of frozen shredded chicken in the freezer. Thank you again for coming back to share your feedback!