Chicken Enchiladas

These green chile Chicken Enchiladas are quick, easy, and perfectly spiced. They are a top-requested family favorite!

We frequently make these Chicken Enchiladas when we have company over for dinner because everyone loves them! We love to serve them with Mexican Rice, Homemade Salsa, and Tacos for an all-out Mexican dinner!

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas in a 9x13 pan topped with tomatoes.

A family go-to!

Because of my heritage, I’ve learned how to make so many Mexican recipes, one of those being today’s Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas (we obviously love enchiladas and have versions for Red Cheese Enchiladas and Beef Enchiladas as well).

Not only are Chicken Enchiladas so easy but they are so good! They are perfect for making in mass quantities and are super freezer friendly.

I usually have all the needed ingredients on hand so we make them quite often. I love giving this Chicken Enchilada recipe (frozen) to new moms so they have a simple and delicious dinner for their families. 😉

Ingredients for chicken enchilada recipe in a glass mixing bowl.

How to Make Chicken Enchiladas

Making this Chicken Enchilada recipe is simple! Just follow these simple steps to make this easy, cheesy dinner recipe!

PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

CHICKEN MIX. Combine the shredded chicken, cheese, green chiles, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

TORTILLAS. Bring the enchilada sauce (or homemade Enchilada Sauce) to a boil and then remove from heat. Dip each tortilla into the heated sauce for a few seconds to soften them. (If your tortillas are falling apart during this step, then your tortillas could be old and should probably be microwaved instead to soften).

FILL. Place the softened tortilla in the baking dish and spoon ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons of sour cream down the center (NOTE: The squeeze sour cream packages work great for this!)

ROLL + BAKE. Roll up the tortilla and make sure it’s seam-side down in the baking dish.

BAKE. Top with shredded cheese and bake for about 20 minutes.

This easy Chicken Enchilada recipe makes 4 servings, but we usually double it to feed a larger crowd and use a 9×13 pan.

Recipe Tips

Chicken. Use canned chicken, chicken breasts in the oven, or rotisserie chicken and shred it with a fork. Another idea is to keep shredded chicken in the freezer to use in your favorite recipes.

Cheese. Using a different cheese blend can certainly change the flavor. Try a Mexican blend, grated marble Colby jack, or cheddar cheeses and pepper jack blend.

Soften the tortilla without dipping or frying. Warm tortillas in the microwave or on a pan in the oven. When they are just warm, keep them wrapped in a thick kitchen towel or a tortilla warmer.

Red and green enchiladas are both delicious. Red Enchilada Sauce is made using a base of red chilies and or chili powder whereas Green Enchilada sauce uses different blends of green chilies, tomatillos, and jalapenos. 

Soggy enchiladas. Enchiladas should be saucy, but not soggy. Some factors to think about when making Chicken Enchiladas include: 

  • Bake uncovered and then let them cool a bit to allow steam to evaporate.
  • Soften the corn tortilla so that it rolls easily, but don’t saturate it. 
  • Adding too much sour cream or enchilada sauce can cause it to be soggy. You can always add more sauce after they have baked.

Variations

  • Swap the corn tortillas with similarly sized Flour Tortillas. No need to dip flour tortillas in the sauce before rolling.
  • Substitute the sour cream for your favorite plain yogurt.
  • Add olives, diced onions, sliced jalapenos, cilantro, salsa, chili peppers, black beans, or corn.

What to serve with chicken enchiladas

The Mexican side dish options are endless!

These are some of our go-to’s

In general, we like to have lots of side options but preferably made by different cooking methods. If the oven is used for baking these Chicken Enchiladas, then we make a side that can be done in the slow cooker or on the stove.

Keep that in mind when deciding what to serve with these enchiladas.

Make more Green Enchiladas

Want to make this in a 9×13 pan? No sweat!

Here is what you’ll need:

  • 3-4 cups shredded chicken
  • 3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese
  • 1-28 oz. cans Las Palmas Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
  • 12-15 corn tortillas
  • 1-2 cans 4.5 oz. chopped green chiles
  • 1½-2 cups sour cream
  • salt and pepper

Enchiladas are the best!! We’ve made several versions before, but for a standard Chicken Enchilada recipe, this is our go-to.

We also have a more American version with flour tortillas that you can check out HERE.

Adding shredded cheese on top of green chile chicken enchiladas.

SToring Info

Make ahead of time. Make the enchiladas as instructed, cover them with foil or saran wrap, and place them in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance. To make them even better, take the excess sauce and place it in an air-tight container. Pour on the sauce and add the cheese before storing.

To reheat. If stored properly, Chicken Enchiladas can last in the fridge for up to 4 days. We typically reheat them in the microwave, but you can also reheat them on low in the oven.

FREEZE. We LOVE to freeze these Chicken Enchiladas and save them for later. In fact, we often double the batch and then eat one and freeze the rest for another night.

We suggest making them in a disposable pan. Cover tightly with foil and place in a freezer-safe bag. When done this way, they can last in the freezer for several months.

To cook, let the enchiladas thaw in the fridge overnight and cook for about 25 minutes.

Chicken enchiladas recipe in 9x13 baking dish.

Recipe FAQ

What is best for chicken enchiladas – flour or corn tortillas?

Both work great for this recipe. We prefer corn tortillas since they are more traditional and what we were raised on, but flour work as well and can be store bought or homemade tortillas. Although both work, we do think corn tortillas add more flavor to the recipe.

What to serve with chicken enchiladas?

The possibilities are endless, but we love to serve rice (Spanish Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice), Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Mexican Corn on the Cob and Tacos.

For more enchiladaS:

Chicken Enchiladas

4.99 from 421 votes
These green chile Chicken Enchiladas are quick, easy, and perfectly spiced. They are a top-requested family favorite!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 588 kcal
Author Lil’ Luna

Ingredients

  • 2 cup chicken cooked and shredded
  • 2 cup Colby jack cheese shredded
  • 19 oz. Las Palmas green chile enchilada sauce
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 6-8 corn tortillas
  • 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • In a small bowl, combine chicken, 1 cup of cheese, green chiles, salt, and pepper.
  • In a small skillet, bring enchilada sauce to a boil. Remove from heat.
  • Dip each tortilla into the heated sauce for a few seconds to soften.
  • Spoon ⅓ cup of chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons sour cream down the center for each tortilla (I usually put the sour cream in a sandwich bag and cut the bottom tip which makes it easier to squirt right down the center).
  • Roll the tortilla and place seam-side down in 8×8 (or 9×9) inch baking dish.
  • Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour the remaining heated enchilada sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.

Video

Notes

FOR A 9×13 PAN… INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 – 4 CUPS CHICKEN
  • 3 CUPS MONTEREY JACK CHEESE
  • 1 – 28 OZ. CAN LAS PALMAS GREEN CHILE ENCHILADA SAUCE
  • 12-15 CORN TORTILLAS
  • 1 – 2 CANS 4.5 OZ. CHOPPED GREEN CHILES
  • 1 ½ – 2 CUPS SOUR CREAM
  • SALT & PEPPER
Make ahead of time. Make the enchiladas as instructed, cover them with foil or saran wrap, and place them in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance. To make them even better, take the excess sauce and place it in an air-tight container. Pour on the sauce and add the cheese before storing.
FREEZE. We LOVE to freeze these Chicken Enchiladas and save them for later. In fact, we often double the batch and then eat one and freeze the rest for another night.

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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Comments:

    1. 5 stars
      The Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a 5 Star WINNER!
      My family and I love having these Enchiladas for dinner.
      I especially love how easy they are to make.
      Mexican Rice or a small salad with Avocadoes add the finishing touch.

  1. 5 stars
    We love this recipe – it’s so easy! Just curious how the cooking time would change if we were to freeze? I’d like to give to a new mom as a frozen meal. Thanks!

  2. Really bad, way too much sour cream and don’t need the cream cheese. I wasn’t expecting traditional enchiladas but these were a mess. My family hated them and we threw them out. I have a recipe I will stick with. I do want to say I have tried other recipes from this website that have been good. I have never left a review before but this was a waste of time and money.

    1. That’s unfortunate, it’s been a big hit for my family and we’ve been using it for years. Might be because you used cream cheese in yours. The recipe doesn’t call for any.

  3. 5 stars
    OMG… these were awesome! I cut the recipe in 1/2 as I am by myself. They were easy and unbelievably good! Thanks so much for sharing!
    Now I have dinner for tomorrow too!

  4. Ms. Kristyn, Aloha I am looking forward to making this recipe sounds great, I don’t believe we really have real authentic Mexican food, I mean we have a lot of Mexican food restaurants and of course ” taco bell! , but nothing like the authentic Mexican food I ate while living in Dallas Texas and boy do I miss it. Your recipes sound and look fantastic and your directions and Soo understandable I am on my way to the store to pick up some ingredients and this Mexican cooking class is” ON “!! And I’m store bound.
    Mahalo my friend and again thank you for your time and sharing I know I appreciate you. !!! Peace and Godspeed,
    ……. Lokelani ☮️🙏🍍🌈❤️🤙🏝️🌈😎

  5. 5 stars
    I have made these easy enchiladas several times and they consistently come out great! They are quick to make, are delicious and you can customize this great recipe by adding a few extra ingredients!

  6. 4 stars
    I have questions. I used the measurements you listed. I even weighed the tomatillos 🤣 My sauce was very very liquid. So I boiled it down further. It had a bit of a sour bite. My tortillas also crumbled up. Bought them an hour before using, microwaved to soften. They held up wrapping but the final product was more like casserole. It tasted good, if I could get rid of the sour bite it would be even better lol. What I’m getting at is, any idea what I did wrong?

    1. Nothing. Corn tortillas are notoriously fragile. Tomatillos are tangy. And make a thin sauce.. I used the Los Palmas enchilada sauce she suggested and it wasn’t terribly thin. But maybe add less sauce on top if you want it less saucy? I haven’t cooked mine yet. But everything seemed standard to other green chili enchiladas. Keep playing with it! Maybe you just don’t like tomatillos?

    2. Hmmm… I always use the Las Palmas brand of green chile enchilada sauce and haven’t had a sour taste. If you do feel like the tortillas crumble or are soggy, I’d say start will less sauce and then add more as needed. You can always add a little more to the top either before or after baking.

  7. 5 stars
    Delicious and quick meal for my family! I use rotisserie chicken from grocery store and it’s amazing, plus an easy hack. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.

  8. 5 stars
    This looks absolutely amazing. I need to try this. I love your posts and all the amazing recipes you share. Thank you.

  9. 5 stars
    I have really enjoyed cooking many of your recipes, even though living in Alaska I am often limited on what I can get. I have always been able to substitute and get edible food for my 6 kids. I highly recommend people take the time to try your recipes they are enjoyable and not overly costly to make. God Bless your family!!

  10. 5 stars
    This recipe is extremely good. The last time I made it the sour cream curdled though. The time before I mixed the sour cream into the chicken mixture instead of layering 2 tablespoons on each one. I have found the layering is prone to curdle. I could feel the texture when I was eating it. Back to mixing it in.

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