These chicken enchiladas are filled with a cheesy chicken mixture and topped with a homemade green chili enchilada sauce that will have your whole family asking for more. A family favorite on permanent menu rotation!
Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Serve these up with your favorite salsa, shredded lettuce, and toppings. My family loves a bit of diced avocado, salsa, sliced jalapenos, and fresh cilantro.
This recipe feeds a whole lot of mouths with little time and effort. Which, in my giant family, is incredibly important. You and I don’t have time for finding fancy ingredients or taking extra steps. We just want to get a good meal on the table as quickly as possible.
Key Ingredients:
- Tortillas. Soft flour tortillas work the best for stuffing with filling and rolling up. However, corn tortillas that have been warmed to make them more pliable are a good gluten-free option.
- Shredded Chicken. I like to throw some chicken breasts into the Instant Pot earlier in the day so I have the chicken ready to go. But when I’m in a quick hurry and haven’t thought that far ahead…canned chicken is just fine or grab some from the deli.
- Cheese. I recommend using a pepper jack or Mexican blend for this.
- Chicken Broth. A good, low-sodium chicken broth is the foundation for the yummy sauce. Veggie broth works too!
- Sour Cream. Plain Greek Yogurt tastes delicious and lightens up the calorie count, as well.
- Diced Chilies. Grab a can of green chilies (I always have a can or two in the pantry just for this dish.
I like to keep these ingredients on hand to throw this together in a fast hurry. Tortillas, shredded chicken, and cheese all keep well in the freezer and can be pulled out in the morning and thawed by supper in the evening.
The method:
- Mix the chicken and cheese together.
- Fill the tortillas, roll them up, and place them in a pan.
- Make your creamy white sauce.
- Pour the white sauce over the enchiladas and top with cheese.
- Bake until bubbly.
These enchiladas will serve 4 hungry adults or 6 “normal” servings. I like to make a whole pan and save the leftovers.
Making Ahead and Storing:
Make Ahead. These can be made ahead and wrapped up tightly with saran wrap or foil and placed in the fridge for up to a day. Bake as usual being sure to add a bit of extra time to account for the dish being cold when it hits the oven.
Storing. Be sure to wrap them well. They can be stored in the fridge for about 3 days. Reheat them in the microwave or the oven on 300 degrees. I like to wrap them with aluminum foil when I store them so they can go straight into the oven to be reheated.
Freezing. These are fantastic to freeze! Freeze them for a couple of months. In fact, plan on making a double batch and place the second batch in a foil pan to freeze for later. Let the frozen enchiladas thaw overnight before baking.
Tips & Questions:
Can I use canned chicken for this recipe?
Yes, you absolutely can! Just be sure to drain it first.
What can I sub for green chili’s?
Although I think this recipe is best with green chilies, diced jalapenos work well. You’ll want to reduce the amount you use because jalapeno’s are generally a bit spicier than green chilies.
This chicken green chili enchilada recipe will help you solve what to make for dinner when family shows up. Or you want to have friends over. Or when you want to make a great dinner for your family with enough left over to freeze for later. This is that recipe. It will make you look like an amazing cook with little effort and time.
Spicy White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 10 soft taco-size flour tortillas
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 3 cups shredded pepper jack
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 4 ounce can diced green chilies
- Sliced Jalapenos
- Avocado diced (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly grease a 9×13 pan.
- Mix shredded chicken and 2 cups pepper jack cheese.
- Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas and roll them up.
- Place the tortillas seam side down in the dish.
- In a sauce pan over medium heat melt butter and stir in the flour and cook 1 minute.
- Next whisk in the chicken stock until smooth.
- Continue to cook until it comes to a bubble.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Stir in the sour cream and green chilies.
- Pour the white sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Arrange however many jalapenos you like over the top.
- Bake 25 minutes until bubbly.
Notes
-To lighten this up, use Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream
