Rich and creamy, these White Chicken Enchiladas are easy chicken enchiladas that are covered in a simple sour cream and green chile sauce.
Originally posted March 15 2011 – I originally posted this right after the birth of my 2nd child, and now, 6 years later, it’s still a favorite enchilada recipe. These White Chicken Enchiladas are different than your traditional enchiladas – filled with chicken and cheese and covered in a creamy sour cream and green chile sauce. The green chiles give them a lot of flavor without too much heat, which makes these very family friendly. These White Chicken Enchiladas are the perfect Tex-Mex dinner recipe!
The original post from 2011 follows:
Call me crazy, but I have to admit that I really am starting to miss being in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong – it’s been great having some time off – not having to worry about what to make, having the energy to make it, and even having to go to the grocery store. But it’s been over a week now since I’ve cooked anything, and I am so blessed to have family and friends bringing food this week. My body is telling me to take it easy, but my mind keeps going to different recipes I want to try. And yes – I’ve found myself flipping through a Rachael Ray magazine or a cookbook more than once these last few days. At least I know that when the time is right, I’ll be jumping right back into the kitchen!!
The recipe:
This is a recipe that I’ve wanted to try forever. It’s from one of my favorite blogs – Cassie Craves – and is listed as one of her most popular recipes. And I can see why, because these are absolutely fabulous. But I’ve found that some of the best recipes that have come out of my kitchen are from other food blogs!! If you are an enchilada fan, this is one that you need to put on your menu right away!
Looking for more enchilada recipes?
These Easy Enchiladas are just that – super easy! If you’re looking for a vegetarian option, try these Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas. Or try these Chicken, Black Bean and Zucchini Enchiladas with Creamy Green Chile Sauce for something a little different.
Or try these enchilada recipes from around the web: Ranch Chicken Enchiladas from The Recipe Critic, Skinny Enchiladas from Boys Ahoy, or these Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas from The Girl Who Ate Everything.
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White Chicken Enchiladas
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
Description
Rich and creamy, these White Chicken Enchiladas are easy chicken enchiladas that are covered in a simple sour cream and green chile sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 8-inch flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 14 oz chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 7-ounce can diced green chiles
- cilantro for garnish, optional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine 1 cup of the cheese and the chicken. Place some of the mixture down the center of each tortilla and roll up, placing in the prepared dish, seam side down.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth. Cook the mixture until thickened. Stir in the sour cream and the green chiles. Pour the mixture over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Sprinkle with cilantro before serving, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
adapted from Cassie Craves
Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 enchiladas
- Calories: 835
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 1038 mg
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated Fat: 25 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 47 g
- Cholesterol: 157 mg
Kitten with a Whisk says
Cassie's blog is one of my favorties too! I've been meaning to try this one for a while and now I just might have to!
PS- If I don't cook for a while, I go through "withdrawls" too. =)
Cassie says
Thanks so much for the shout-out, Deborah!! I'm so glad you liked these, too. They are so simple and delicious — my favorite kind of food! 🙂
Maria says
Mmm! Maybe I will make enchiladas tonight!
Steph@PlainChicken.com says
These look great!
Joanne says
I would definitely crave getting in the kitchen if I were you, so I totally understand. I love enchiladas but have never had a white version. These look so good!
Val says
Looks amazing!
Melissa Kay Rush says
I love this recipe so. So much.
★★★★★
teresa says
i haven't had enchiladas like this in a while, i love them!
fitnessnfoodiegirl says
Those look great! I think enchiladas is going to be on the menu this week!
Monet says
I know you will be up and cooking in no time…I get the same urge when I have to be off of my feet. I can't imagine how hard its going to be for me when I have a baby. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I'm hungry now! I hope you have a blessed and peaceful day tomorrow. Hugs from Austin!
Abby says
I just bookmarked this at Cassie's blog! Great minds think alike, huh?
grace says
i like red sauce. i like green sauce. neither, though, can come close to a white sauce when it comes to enchiladas. delicious.
jessie says
These were fabulous! Thanks for the recipe!
Jackie says
Hi Deborah,
I just wanted to say a couple of things:
1. I love your blog
2. Yr a friend in my head
3. I’m making this recipe for my Cinco de Mayo/Cotto vs Mayweather fight party on Saturday.
4. I love all your recipes.
5. Daz it!!
Jackie
Kim says
Looks delish. Can’t wait to try it. Hope you don’t mind I linked to it on my site.
Val from PA says
Just tried this last night after seeing it included in the “No Waste Menu Plan” that you posted a few weeks ago… It was scrumptious!! I really just wanted to eat the yummy sauce right out of the pan and forget about the enchiladas altogether but I restrained myself… My whole family loved them! Served them with some Mexican rice and chips and salsa… Definitely my kind of meal! Thanks for the menu plan/grocery list, by the way! Happy to say I’m using it this week and have loved everything so far!
Emily says
I only assumed when you said 1 can of chicken broth that you meant a 14 oz can. After following all the directions, my sauce turned out the consistency of soup..
Deborah says
@Emily, it should thicken up some when cooked in the flour/butter mixture. And then it thickens just a bit more when the sour cream is added. It’s not super thick, but shouldn’t be really thin, either.
Sue Rolls says
I want to make these enchiladas but need to know if you can make a couple of days ahead and refrigerate.
Deborah says
I haven’t tried making these ahead of time, but I would guess that if you make them ahead up until the baking step, and then just baked them the day of, they would be fine.
Icela says
I dont see why not. Health department recommends tossing cooked food and dairy after 7 days (last I checked). But if it were me, I would make the enchiladas (cover with damp napkins to keep tortillas from drying out) and make the sauce without adding the sour cream. On the day of, heat sauce up and add sour cream and throw it in the oven 🤷🏾♀️
Carole says
Hi there. The current Food on Friday on Carole’s Chatter is collecting links to posts about Mexican dishes and flavours. I do hope you link this one in. This is the link . Please do pop back to check out some of the other links – there are a lot of good ones already. Have a great week.
Carole says
Deborah, thank you for linking this in to Food on Friday. We have got a super collection of Mexican dishes. I hope you have stopped by some of the other links to check them out!
Ps I have just signed up to follow your blog. A follow back to Carole’s Chatter would be wonderful – or have you already followed? Cheers
Kim says
I tried this tonight and we loved it. I was worried it would be bland though, so I added a few things. I sautéed an onion, then added a can of chilies to the pan, then I added my cooked chicken. I seasoned it with chili powder and smoked salt and then added the juice of two limes. I let it simmer for about 15 minutes, then proceeded with the recipe. The chicken was so so so so good, and the sauce complimented it so well. We all loved it.
Carol says
Can this be made ahead of time (stored in fridge) then baked when ready to serve? Not sure if the sauce would made it soggy?
Deborah says
I haven’t tried these specific enchiladas, but I have made enchiladas ahead of time with great success. I’m guessing they would still be great made ahead of time.
Nichole says
Just popped these in the oven! I have four girls and they are all drooling in anticipation right now.
Nichole says
Yep! They were fantastic! Thanks for the great recipe!!
Deborah says
Yay! So glad – these are one of our favorites!!
Catherine says
These freeze well. My sister makes a version of this at her restaurant and has frozen them. We top with lettuce, tomato, salsa and sour cream, grated cheese and slices of jalapeño.
Deborah says
Thanks – that is great to know!
Nikki says
I made this recipe for the first time tonight. I dolled up the chicken with sauteed onions, garlic, salt and pepper and proceeded with the remainder of the recipe! Turned out great! I will def make this again! So simple and tasty!
Deborah says
Yum! So glad you liked the recipe!
Busy Mom says
Loved these creamy, cheesy enchiladas! I’ve made several different but similar green chicken enchiladas with flour tortillas recipes, and this one was definitely my favorite 🙂
Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Marilyn says
These are Great! I made them for a family get together. We have very picky caught in laws, lol. Everyone loved them. This goes on top of my go to list! Thank you. ( I think I’ll use pepper jack cheese for my “Mexicali friends though)
★★★★★
Deborah says
Awesome – I’m so glad that even the in-laws loved them!
Jaclyn says
I am so glad I came across this recipe and cannot wait to make it tonight! Not a huge fan of sour cream- can I skip that part or do you really not taste sour cream??! Thank you!
Merlyn says
Can these be made in microwave? My oven is on the blink. I know they won’t brown but that’s ok.
Doreen says
Hello Deborah… I don’t usually give reviews but it would be rude of me if I didn’t give credit where credit is deserved. I’ve made these enchiladas twice in the last month and they are a hit in my house. I must admit that I use corn tortillas that I’ve lightly fried in veggie oil to soften and drained on a cookie sheet covered in paper towels. I need to make a lot for my family of 5, two 20 year old boys and a teen age girl all have healthy appetites. Being a Mexican family and having tried flour tortillas for enchiladas in the past, the taste and texture just don’t hit the right note. What makes these so great is the cheesy, white sour cream sauce with canned green chiles. So fast and easy to make that if I skipped the arroz or frijoles my family might not even notice. Muchas Gracias from an old Chicana Abuela
★★★★★
Deborah says
This is one of the best comments I have received – thank you so much!!!
Maggie Unzueta says
It looks delicious. I wish this were in front of me right now.
Debby says
Making this for a family in need from church. Do I use chicken breasts, or any part of chicken? Also how do you cook your chicken so it isn’t dry prior to assembly enchiladas. How long to reheat this after it has been in refrigerator ? Thank you
Deborah says
I will usually use whatever I have on hand. Sometimes that is chicken breasts that have been grilled or baked, or I’ve been making them in the Instant Pot a lot lately. You can also use a rotisserie chicken, or cook a whole chicken in the slow cooker. Breasts will dry out much easier, so if you are worried about dry chicken, I’d suggest using a whole chicken and shredding it. To reheat, I will usually put it in the oven (covered with foil) at 350 and bake until it is bubbling around the edges, probably around 20-30 minutes.
Christina Chime says
Love it love. The family is in love. I usually do a different version of chicken enchiladas but this one was yummy. I combined the sauce with the chicken then filled the tortillas. Yummy
★★★★★
Deborah says
I’m so glad you liked them!! We love them and are actually having them for dinner tonight!
Michelle says
I have Rotel but not plain green Chile’s, do you think that would be ok?
Corinne says
Excellent dish. I used 2 cans of the Kirkland chicken breast. I also put some of the sauce in each enchilada before I rolled it up and I only used 8 oz of the cheese but next time will use 16 oz. Thank you for the recipe.
Deborah says
I’m so glad that you enjoyed them!
E-World Cooking says
One of my favorite dish two times i made it in my home and get amazing taste and enjoy the dish with my family. Especially chicken with cream provide good taste ,thanks for sharing .
★★★★★
Deborah says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Janet M Staed says
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I love Enchiladas with white sauce.
Noticed another recipe playing on the side for Meringue Cookies. Look so easy and know my granddaughter would love to make these. At the end it shows going in the oven but the instructions did not show oven temperature or how long to cook. Can you provide these?
Deborah says
Yes! Here is the recipe for the meringue cookies. I hope you enjoy both! https://www.tasteandtellblog.com/meringue-cookies/
Natalie says
My absolute favourite Mexican dish! My bf is completely crazy at chicken enchiladas, he even finds a way cooking this by himself xD Sour cream is the good choice for this amazing combination 😉
– Natalie
Lyn says
This is a quick and easy recipe to make. One thing I would change is to put some of the cream mixture on the bottom layer of the pan, then place the filled tortillas on top of that. Then spread the rest of the cream on top, then sprinkle cheese. Without the bottom layer of cream, it can be difficult cutting out and removing enchiladas to serve. But this is a very delicious recipe. Thanks, I plan to make this again
★★★★
Ann says
Love this recipe, making it for late Christmas dinner after a huge brunch.. I like to saute 1/2 a medium onion to add to the chicken filling.
★★★★★
Maddie says
No spices?! This would be incredibly bland without any. I added in paprika, cumin, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt and pepper.
★★★
Maureen says
These were so delish my whole family enjoyed it!
★★★★★
Deborah says
Yay – I’m so glad you liked them!
Heather says
I’ve made this dish for my family twice now, and I can’t put into words how delicious it is. Even my super picky toddler scarfs these enchiladas down. They’re out of this world!
★★★★★
Marlene says
OMG! These are soooo delicious! This is now my favorite enchilada recipe and will definitely serve this when company comes. I tweaked the recipe a bit by adding a can of black beans and used leftover roast chicken. So very yummy!
★★★★★
Jennifer Kurth says
I ade these for dinner, and they were amazing. I did poach my chicken in chicken broth seasoned with cumin salt and pepper. Since I doubled the recipe I forgot to buy two cans of diced green chiles but it was just fine without the second can. I’ll definitely be keeping this in my rotation, thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Amanda MacIntire says
Yep, these are “the bomb” as my kids say. I used a rotissere chicken from the local mega mart, pulled and shredded, added some cumin, garlic powder, a little chili powder and sauteed with some diced onion til the onion was soft, then assembled. I definately recommend spooning some of the sauce mixture into the bottom of the baking dish so the enchiladas are easy to serve and it keeps them from being too dry. I have made these with flour tortillas and corn; the flour can get a bit doughy or gummy if the filling is cold. Either way, these are easy to make, but look and taste like Chef Aaron Sanchez made them.
★★★★
Anna says
Just made these!!! Sooo yummy!!
Deborah says
I’m so glad you liked them!
LeAnn VanderWerff says
I added diced black olives to the cheese before filling the shells and it was a big hit!
Kris White says
This is a new family favorite! I played around with many chicken inch lotta recipes, and this is by far the one they asked for it every time now. Thanks for posting
★★★★★
Hannah Booren says
I am excited to make these!! How would you freeze them? Pour sauce and add cheese but not bake? Thanks for the help
Helen burton says
Can u make this recipe using beef instead of chicken?
Dee Evans says
i loved this so much ! i add extra cheese just because i LOOOVE cheese lol & for my sauce i had to add another tablespoon of flour , but other than that it’s perfect ! this is my 3rd time making them and they never last longer than a day or two LOL
★★★★★
Heather Cortijo says
This recipe has become a weekly staple in my home! So easy and delicious. I gets loads of compliments when I make this for a crowd, and always end up sharing the recipe with at least one person. Thank you!
★★★★★
Ingeri Milam says
My daughter always asks f96r these now! Love it and easy to make. I buy a roasted chicken if in a hurry!
Denise Smith says
This is a recipe my whole family looks forward to! I have now made this about 6 times, and it’s just so easy to throw together. I used a Sams Club pre cooked chicken to save time. There are never any leftovers when we have these yummy enchiladas.
★★★★★