These sour cream turkey enchiladas are meaty, cheesy, and full of authentic Mexican flavor. With all that cheesy, sour cream flavor and bold spices, these enchiladas are easy to make and hard to stop eating!
With Thanksgiving fast approaching, having additional ideas for main meals using leftover turkey is ideal, and this recipe is perfect. I tweaked my chicken enchiladas recipe to create these sour cream turkey enchiladas. They’re so good, and they’re a fun, creative way to use up your leftover turkey.
I recommend pairing these enchiladas with my spicy queso dip, as well as a sweet dessert like these churro-inspired cinnamon twists.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: All you need is sour cream, some canned veggies, leftover turkey, and a few other ingredients found in any grocery store to make these enchiladas.
- So Easy: This recipe only takes a few steps and a little over an hour from start to finish. 60 minutes of that is baking time!
- The Perfect Leftover Turkey Recipe: Why make another batch of sandwiches when you can enjoy something hot, cheesy, creamy, and delicious?
- Customizable: You can easily tweak this recipe to suit your taste.
Ingredients
I’ve listed all the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe here. You can find a complete list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Leftover turkey
- Onion – chopped
- Green enchilada sauce
- Sour cream
- Sliced black olives
- Black pepper
- cumin
- Red pepper flakes
- Chili powder
- Colby Jack cheese
- Corn tortillas
Variations
- Other Leftovers: Use leftovers from this beef brisket recipe or Dutch oven pulled pork to make other delicious enchilada recipes.
- Red Enchilada Sauce: Try using red enchilada sauce for a dish with a bolder, smokier, slightly sweeter flavor.
- Extra Spicy: Try adding sliced jalapenos to the filling for more flavor and an even bigger kick of heat.
- Mild: Omit the red pepper flakes for a mild version.
- Cheese: I use Colby Jack, but any bold cheese will work. Try cheddar, cheddar Jack, Mexican blend, or taco blend.
How to Make Sour Cream Turkey Enchiladas
I’ve listed an overview of the recipe below for your review. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Combine shredded turkey, a large can of olives, onions, enchilada sauce, and seasonings in a large saucepan and simmer until heated through.
- In another saucepan, simmer the remaining enchilada sauce until heated through.
- Add a little sauce to the bottom of a prepared 9×13 baking dish.
- Add a layer of tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan. Then, top with sour cream, turkey, and cheese in that order. Repeat until all the ingredients have been layered, ending with the cheese.
- Top with a small can of black olives, cover with a foil sprayed with cooking spray, and bake at 375°F for about an hour. Then, remove the foil and bake until the cheese browns a bit.
Tips
- I recommend shredding your turkey after your holiday meal is over. It’s easier to shred it for recipes before it’s been refrigerated.
- Dip a few tortillas in the sauce at a time while layering them. If you dip them all at once, they’ll be too soggy and soft by the time the enchiladas have finished cooking.
- If you prefer firmer enchiladas, cook your tortillas for a couple of minutes in a skillet to prevent them from absorbing as much sauce.
- BE SURE you spray the inside of your foil with cooking spray, or all the cheese will pull away from your enchiladas when you remove it.
Sour Cream Turkey Enchiladas FAQ
Always use corn tortillas. They are sturdier than flour tortillas and work very well in enchiladas. For firmer enchiladas, lightly fry the tortillas to create a physical barrier that slows the tortillas’ absorption of sauce as the enchiladas bake.
Queso, guac, or salsa with chips, Spanish or Mexican rice, grilled corn, refried beans, and Mexican cornbread are all excellent choices. Finish the meal with churros for dessert.
There are a few cheese varieties that work well in enchiladas. Try Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, cheddar, Mexican blend, or taco blend. For the most authentic flavor, use Chihuahua or Oaxaca cheeses.
More Delicious Enchilada Recipes
Sour Cream Turkey Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 5 cups leftover turkey, shredded
- ½ large onion, chopped
- 2 28 oz cans green enchilada sauce
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1 3.5 oz can can sliced black olives
- 1 2.25 oz can can sliced black olives
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp red crushed peppers
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- 6 cups Colby jack cheese
- 16-18 yellow corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° and spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with a non stick spray. Set aside.
- Shred turkey and add to 3 qt saucepan.
- Drain both cans of olives, add the larger can to the saucepan with the shredded turkey.
- Add chopped onions and ¾ can of one enchilada sauce, pepper, cumin, red crushed peppers and chili powder to the turkey.
- In another saucepan, pour the remaining enchilada sauce and the other can into the pan.
- Heat both pans over low flame until heated through, stirring occasionally.
- Add a few tortillas at a time to pan with just the sauce to coat.
To Assemble
- Add a couple large spoons of sauce to bottom of the baking dish,
- Start by layering the tortillas, sour cream, turkey mixture, cheese and then tortillas, sour cream, turkey mixture, cheese, repeat ending with cheese.
- Top with the small can of black olives.
- Spray a piece of foil with non stick spray and place on top of enchiladas so the cheese will not stick to the foil.
- Pop in the oven, cook for 60 minutes, then remove foil and cook for 15 additional minutes to brown the cheese a bit.
Notes
- Turkey will remain fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Adjust your enchilada storage time according to when you made your turkey, storing it in an airtight container.
- Microwave individual servings at 1-minute intervals until hot.
- I recommend shredding your turkey after your holiday meal is over. It’s easier to shred it for recipes before it’s been refrigerated.
- Dip a few tortillas in the sauce at a time while layering them. If you dip them all at once, they’ll be too soggy and soft by the time the enchiladas have finished cooking.
- If you prefer firmer enchiladas, cook your tortillas for a couple of minutes in a skillet to prevent them from absorbing as much sauce.
- BE SURE you spray the inside of your foil with cooking spray, or all the cheese will pull away from your enchiladas when you remove it.
Have Pinterest?
Here are a few pics that are the perfect size for pinning to Pinterest.
Enjoy, Terri
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I tried these last night and it was so delicious! I now know my go-to enchilada recipe!
I’m so glad you loved them Miranda! Thanks for sharing! :)
can I use chicken instead
Yes, you sure can Frieda! I hope you enjoy. :)
Looks goo