Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas. This is our favorite chicken enchilada recipe! Creamy and delicious with NO cream of anything soup is what makes this Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili recipe so perfect! Soft tortillas stuffed with chicken and cheese then topped with an easy-to-make white sauce made with flour, butter, chicken broth, sour cream, and green chiles. The perfect chicken enchiladas to make for dinner!
Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce
We love Mexican food in our house, especially green chili chicken enchiladas. Thankfully making tasty Mexican dishes at home like these creamy white chicken enchiladas is super easy to do. If I could I would have Mexican food from one of our local restaurants just about every night for dinner. The food there is amazing and the whole family loves it. However, when I can make a tasty easy Mexican dish at home there is no need for us to get take out.
I know these white chicken enchiladas are different than your traditional chicken enchiladas with red sauce, but the flavor is amazing. We actually prefer these chicken enchiladas with white sauce to the traditional chicken enchiladas with red sauce.
I originally shared this easy Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chilis in 2011, but it was time for some new photos and an update. We love these easy chicken enchiladas with white chili sauce as much now as we did when we first shared this recipe, but I have to say it is much better to share it with beautiful photos, even if the new photos make me hungry just looking at them.
Casserole Supplies
When making delicious casseroles and other baked dishes, it helps to have the right tools for the job!
Easy Mexican Dinner Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Chicken Enchilada Spaghetti Squash
- Slow Cooker Mexican Stir Fry
- Chicken Taco Salad
- Slow Cooker Taco Meat
- Beef Enchiladas Recipe
What Can I serve with Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce?
There are many side dishes to serve with chicken enchiladas with white sauce. I like to keep things as simple as I can and have a few go to side dishes that we make.
Easy Mexican rice and some tortilla chips with homemade restaurant-style salsa or homemade guacamole are my go-to side dishes when making chicken enchiladas. But you could also serve a leafy green salad, Mexican cauliflower rice, or cheese quesadillas as well.
How to Serve Enchiladas
Personally, I don’t think these Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chilis need anything on top of them, but you can add a dollop of sour cream, salsa, or guacamole if you want to. Some of my kids like to add slices of avocado and some diced tomatoes on top.
Tips for Cooking and Shredding Chicken
This green chili enchiladas recipe calls for 2 cups of cooked chicken, there are a few different ways that you can cook chicken, or you can skip cooking it all together and use a store-bought already cooked rotisserie chicken.
You can boil the chicken. Just add raw chicken breasts to a pot and cover with 3 cups of chicken broth or water whichever you prefer. Heat on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn heat to low and cover the pot with a lid and let simmer for 10 minutes.
You can bake the chicken. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray place the chicken breast on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Then bake for 35-45 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
When you are shredding chicken you can do it with 2 forks, or my favorite way of shredding chicken with a stand mixer.
Can I make this ahead of time?
If you know you are going to be busy and want to make this dish ahead of time, do all of the steps for making green chili enchiladas except baking it. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Then bake for 25-30 minutes.
How to Store leftovers of this Chicken Enchilada Recipe with White Sauce
If you have any leftovers allow them to cool completely and then store them in the fridge in an air-tight container. They will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.
Can I Freeze Chicken Enchiladas?
This is a great dish to make ahead and freeze. There are a few different ways that you can freeze this dish. Either way, you choose to freeze them, the enchiladas will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
After baking. You can freeze it after you have baked it. If you are baking it then you will want to allow it to cool before freezing. I suggest using a tin pan when making this for the freezer so you are not losing a baking dish in your kitchen. To freeze in a baking dish cover tightly with plastic wrap, then a layer of tin foil. To cook after being frozen remove from the freezer the night before to allow it to thaw. Then remove the plastic wrap and the tin foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Before Baking in a baking dish. Follow all of the steps except baking and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then a layer of tin foil. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook after being frozen remove from the freezer the night before to allow it to thaw. Then remove the plastic wrap and the tin foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Before baking with sauce and enchiladas separate. I personally prefer to freeze the sauce separate from the enchiladas to avoid them getting soggy. To do this, roll up the enchiladas and place them on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Once frozen place the rolled-up enchiladas in a freezer bag, make sure you squeeze the air out of the freezer bags. Pour the sauce into another freezer bag and seal shut, make sure you squeeze the air out of the freezer bags. Lay the bag flat on a baking sheet and place in the freezer until solid. When solid remove from the baking sheet and store in the freezer.
Remove the bag of sauce from the freezer the night before to thaw or you can thaw in the microwave for a few minutes. Then place the frozen enchiladas from the bag into a baking dish, pour the sauce on top of them and then sprinkle the remaining cheese and bake for 40 minutes.
White Chicken Enchiladas with sour cream sauce ingredients
- Soft flour tortillas (Taco Sized)
- Cooked chicken
- Shredded Monterey Jack cheese Or Pepper Jack cheese
- Cream cheese
- Garlic powder
- Butter
- Taco seasoning
- Flour
- Chicken broth
- Sour cream
- Canned diced green chilies
How to Make White Chicken Enchiladas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 pan.
Add the cooked chicken to a bowl and shred with a fork if needed to shred. Add 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese Or Pepper Jack cheese, garlic powder, and cream cheese to the bowl and mix well so everything is combined.
In a saucepan, melt butter, stir in flour and taco seasoning and cook for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
Stir in sour cream and chilies. DO NOT bring to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat.
In each tortilla shell add in some chicken and cheese mixture roll up and place in the baking dish.
Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.
Chicken Dinner Recipes
If you have chicken you are needing to use up, check out these delicious chicken dinner recipes.
- Cracker Barrel Chicken and dumplings recipe
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole
- Lemon Garlic Chicken
- Panko Chicken
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken
White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 cups boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2.5 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese Or Pepper Jack cheese
- 5 ounces cream cheese
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces canned diced green chillies
- 10 soft flour tortillas
Instructions
- Cook chicken by preferred method, boil, bake or using a rotisserie chicken.
- Once chicken is cooked, Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 pan.
- Add the cooked chicken to a bowl and shred with fork if it needs to shred. Add 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese Or Pepper Jack cheese, garlic powder and cream cheese to the bowl and mix well so everything is combined.
- In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and taco seasoning and cook 1 minute. Add 2 cups of chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
- Stir in sour cream and chilies. DO NOT bring to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat.
- In each tortilla shell add in some chicken and cheese mixture roll up and place in the baking dish.
- Pourthe sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.
Comments & Reviews
Robin says
Great recipe! Now it’s my go-to for enchiladas.
Cynthia Hanzel says
OMG. This recipe was so good and so easy to make. I will definitely make again and again. You won’t be sorry and your family will love it.
Connie king says
Definitely a favorite! We loved this.
Maureen says
Sooo good!! We have it on regular rotation. The sauce is delish and there’s plenty of it. I usually use a whole rotisserie chicken and a whole bar of cream cheese and stuff the tortillas which usually takes more than 10 but there’s enough sauce to go around. It’s a super easy recipe and everyone loves it!
LOIS CATES says
Absolutely the best! I’ll definitely make this again!
Julie Lane says
This meal was so yummy!!!
Tiff’s Twisted Kitchen says
LOVE this recipe!
I’ve made it numerous times, with flour & corn tortillas. I have stopped putting cream cheese in the filling. But I do add extra shredded cheese; usually also including Colby Jack or whatever is in the fridge. Extra green chilies sometimes go in the meat filling.
This recipes has turned into a way to recycle whatever meat I have leftover. It never disappoints!
Diana says
Definitely one of my favorites!
Julieanna Smith says
Loved this! I added an extra can of green chiles and a can of green chiles enchiladas sauce. It was delicious. Definitely saving this recipe.
Cate says
I baked the chicken first, this recipe is bussin!
Johnna says
Made these tonight and they were SO GOOD! I used half Monterey Jack and half Pepper Jack and I’m glad I added the pepper jack, I think it would have been too mild for us if I hadn’t. I might even add some cumin the next time I make it. And there will definitely be a next time! My only misstep was not doing my prep work first, I definitely recommend doing all the chicken cutting, cheese shredding, making the chicken mixture, and measuring everything before starting the sauce.
Lyndsay Bahrke says
These were delicious! The sauce is so yummy!
I decided to substitute 1/3 fat cream cheese and used plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream. The chicken filling was a little skimpy for our preference, so next time I’ll either add a can of black beans or double the chicken.
I’ll definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer says
This recipe was simple and absolutely scrumptious. Everyone in the family LOVED it and went back for seconds. Can’t wait to make this again. Will add to my regular go-to’s.
Angie Williams says
I love this recipe!!!
Thank you so much!!!
I did add one item that turned out perfect, a table spoon of cottage cheese to each Chicken enchilada!
Stacey Pfremmer says
Absolutely delicious! We put lettuce, black olives, salsa, & sour cream on top & served with rice & beans on the side. Also made guacamole. Definitely will be making again!
JoyLou says
We really liked these. Thanks for sharing.
I did have to add an extra tablespoon of flour. I only used half a can of the chiles which seemed perfect. Also, the meat/cheese mixture was only enough for 7 tortillas (I used low carb regular sized ones). Ten would not have fit in my 9×13 dish. Again, thanks!
Nadine says
Question
The ingredients state 5oz of cream cheese, but in the instructions it says sour cream. Which one do I use?
Savanah says
Nadine,
You use both.
The filling uses five ounces of cream cheese (step 3).
The sauce uses one cup of sour cream (step 5).
Tessa says
I made the recipe exactly how it was posted except used 2 bowls and did half chicken & half shrimp. So good!! Will definitely make again!!
Jenn says
Awesome recipe.. I added green enchilada sauce to the homemade sauce and cut back the chicken broth.
Cathy Burton says
Love this recipe! I make it w/o the tortillas, so we use Corn chips and dip into Chicken mixture. I follow the recipe, just don’t fill any tortillas.