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Being Hispanic, it’s no surprise that we eat a TON of Mexican food at our house!
We have it AT LEAST once a week for dinner, but realistically it’s more than that. There are just so many delicious dishes, and these cream cheese chicken enchiladas are a GO-TO.
They are a tasty variation of our classic Enchiladas and Creamy Chicken Enchiladas. The filling is creamy and SO good – packed with chicken, seasonings, and plenty of tangy cream cheese.
We especially love that they’re so easy to make! Mix, fill, and bake. It really doesn’t get any simpler than that. They’re also great for making ahead of time and are one of our FAVORITE freezer meals!
These enchiladas are a top requested dish for our Luna family get-togethers and hopefully can be for you and your family!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Quick prep time. With only 20 minutes of prep, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute dinner plans.
- Make-ahead convenience. Prepare for a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta or have it on hand for a busy day, this can be made ahead and frozen for up to 3 months.
- Flexible ingredient choices. Whether using store-bought or Homemade Enchilada Sauce, rotisserie chicken, or Shredded Chicken, this recipe accommodates various ingredient preferences.
Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas Ingredients and Substitutions
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened – room-temperature will incorporate better
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic – about 4 cloves of garlic, see How to Mince Garlic
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic pepper
- ½ cup lime juice – Use 2 medium limes for fresh juice or use bottled lime juice.
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken – Make crock pot Shredded Chicken, oven Baked Chicken, or shred a rotisserie chicken.
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese or Colby Jack cheese, divided – or mild cheddar, colby jack, queso blanco, or a spicier pepper jack cheese.
- 10 (8-inch) tortillas, soft taco size – We use Flour Tortillas for this recipe, but corn tortillas may be used as well. Since they tend to be smaller you’ll need to use more.
- 1 (15-ounce) can green enchilada sauce – store-bought or homemade Green Enchilada Sauce
- toppings, if desired – green onions, diced tomatoes, sliced avocados, or sour cream
How to Make Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
- PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside, or Line the Pan with Parchment Paper.
- FILLING. In a medium bowl, stir softened cream cheese, minced garlic, cumin, salt, garlic pepper, lime juice, diced tomatoes, diced green chiles, fresh cilantro, cooked shredded chicken, and 1 cup shredded cheese.
- ASSEMBLE. Pour a little bit of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread it around before adding the enchiladas.
- Add ½ cup of the chicken and cheese mixture along the center of each tortilla and roll up. Place in the prepared baking dish with the seam down.
- Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheese.
- BAKE. Bake for 20 minutes.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Warm tortillas tend to roll better without tearing, especially corn tortillas. Warm them up in the microwave, or briefly fry them.
- Don’t overfill the tortillas and place them seam side down so that all the filling stays inside.
- Bake the enchiladas uncovered to keep them from getting soggy. If the cheese has browned before the enchiladas are done, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the casserole during the last few minutes.
Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic pepper
- ½ cup lime juice
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese or Colby Jack cheese, divided
- 10 (8-inch) tortillas, soft taco size
- 1 (15-ounce) can green enchilada sauce
- toppings, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Fold in tomatoes, green chiles, cilantro, 1 cup shredded cheese, and shredded chicken.
- Pour a little bit of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the pan and spread around before adding the enchiladas.
- Add ½ cup of the chicken mixture along the middle of each tortilla and roll up. Place in a prepared baking dish with the seam down.
- Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Keep the unbaked enchiladas, covered, in the refrigerator for 24 hours. To keep them from getting soggy, add only half of the enchilada sauce. Save the rest of the sauce and remaining cheese to add right before baking the enchiladas.
Prepare the enchiladas as directed in the recipe. Wrap the entire tray with plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil and freeze for about 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge remove plastic and foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
To bake from frozen, remove the plastic and replace the foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until they are cooked through.
Store leftovers, covered, or placed into airtight containers in the refrigerator for 4 days. Small servings can be reheated in the microwave or larger portions in the oven.
Complete The Meal
Sides
Cilantro Lime Rice
30 mins
Canned Refried Beans
10 mins
Mexican Corn Salad
25 mins
Homemade Spanish Rice Recipe
45 mins
Desserts
Chicken Enchiladas
Collections
This recipe was originally published August 2023.
Great recipe. And my “jump to” worked just fine each time I went into it on my phone. I had to click it a couple times when I pulled it up on my desktop however.
Absolutely amazing. My youngest always says ” I don’t like chicken” . … BUT OMG she just went to town on these!
I am not a person to subscribe or put my email on much of anything….but Lil Luna and 1 one other chef are the only ones I follow and subscribe to. And with good reason!
The very first recipe that got me hooked on like Luna’s publications…. is her crock pot CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP… which is a family favorite as well!!! Bri
Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy the recipes. That means so much!
We all loved this dish in my house! It was the perfect easy dinner and so delicious! Definitely adding it to our weekly dinner rotation, thank you!
These were wonderful and creamy. My family loved this, it was a huge hit! I will definitely be adding this recipe to the rotation.
this dish was amazing and my friends loved every second of it! thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe
I love your recipes but I have a problem. Your ‘Jump to Recipe’ button almost never works. Do others have this problem?
I’d be interested to hear what others say. It works great for us on our end. Sorry to hear it is giving you trouble.
I have to push it 3 or 4 times but it eventually works