Mexican food nights are a staple in almost every household. While classic red enchiladas and crispy tacos always hit the spot, there is something absolutely magical about a pan of Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas. If you have never experienced the velvety, tangy, and savory goodness of a white sour cream sauce draped over soft tortillas and tender chicken, your weeknight dinner routine is about to change forever.
This recipe is the definition of comfort food. It skips the heavy canned condensed soups in favor of a simple, homemade sour cream and green chile sauce that takes just minutes to whisk together on the stove. The result is a bubbly, golden, and incredibly rich dish that feels like it came straight from your favorite Mexican restaurant.
If you are a fan of rich, creamy, and satisfying dinners like this fantastic High Protein Marry Me Chicken, or a decadent, cheesy masterpiece like The Uncontested King of Comfort Food: Five-Cheese Baked Mac & Cheese, these white enchiladas are guaranteed to become a fast favorite.
Why You’ll Love This Enchilada Recipe
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No Cream of Chicken Soup: Many white enchilada recipes rely on canned condensed soup. This recipe uses a quick, simple butter-and-flour roux mixed with chicken broth and sour cream for a fresher, much more flavorful sauce.
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Perfect Use for Leftovers: This is the ultimate recipe for using up leftover baked chicken or a store-bought rotisserie chicken. It cuts the prep time in half!
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Mild but Flavorful: The diced green chiles add a wonderful tangy flavor without overwhelming heat, making this a totally kid-friendly dish.
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Make-Ahead Friendly: You can assemble the entire pan of enchiladas ahead of time, cover it, and keep it in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
The Essential Ingredients You Will Need
To build the perfect pan of white chicken enchiladas, you need two components: the savory filling and the creamy sauce.
For the Chicken Filling:
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Cooked Shredded Chicken (2 ½ cups): Rotisserie chicken is a lifesaver here, but you can also boil or bake your own chicken breasts.
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Monterey Jack Cheese (3 cups total, divided): Monterey Jack melts beautifully and has a mild flavor that pairs perfectly with the green chiles. You will use some in the filling and the rest to top the enchiladas.
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Flour Tortillas (8 medium): Flour tortillas are traditional for white enchiladas because they hold up well to the creamy sauce.
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Spices: A simple blend of cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper seasons the chicken perfectly.
For the Sour Cream Green Chile Sauce:
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Butter (3 tbsp) & Flour (3 tbsp): This creates the roux that thickens the sauce.
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Chicken Broth (2 cups): Provides a savory, deeply flavored base for the sauce.
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Sour Cream (1 cup): Full-fat sour cream works best to give the sauce its signature tangy, velvety texture.
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Diced Green Chiles (1 4-oz can): Do not drain them! The juices add fantastic flavor to the sauce.
Looking for a warm, comforting starter to serve before your Mexican feast? A bowl of High Protein Soup is the perfect cozy appetizer!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Enchiladas
While it looks impressive, this dish comes together in just a few simple steps.
1. Prep the Oven and the Filling Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine your shredded cooked chicken, 1 cup of the shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and the cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
2. Roll the Enchiladas Lay out your flour tortillas. Spoon a generous amount of the chicken and cheese filling in a line down the center of each tortilla. Roll them up tightly and place them seam-side down into your prepared baking dish. Pack them closely together so they don’t unroll!
3. Build the Creamy Sauce In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour and let it cook for exactly 1 minute to cook off the raw flour taste. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps from forming. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes until it thickens slightly.
Craving something with a little more heat later in the week? Add this spicy, crispy Bang Bang Chicken to your meal plan!
4. Add the Sour Cream and Chiles This is the most important step! Remove the saucepan completely from the heat. Stir in the sour cream and the entire can of diced green chiles (including the liquid). Do not let the sauce boil after you add the sour cream, or it will curdle and separate!
5. Smother and Bake Pour the creamy green chile sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas in the baking dish. Make sure all the edges are covered so they don’t dry out in the oven. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. You will know they are done when the sauce is bubbling up around the edges and the cheese is melted and slightly golden.
6. Garnish and Serve Let the enchiladas rest for 5 minutes before serving so the sauce can set up slightly. Garnish with fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes, or sliced jalapeños!
Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups cooked chicken, shredded rotisserie is great
- 3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded divided
- 8 medium flour tortillas
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream full fat
- 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles undrained
- fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a bowl, toss the shredded chicken with 1 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Spoon the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tightly and place seam-side down in the baking dish.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until smooth. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
- Stir the sour cream and diced green chiles (with juices) into the sauce until smooth. Do not let it boil.
- Pour the sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Top with the remaining 2 cups of Monterey Jack cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Let rest for 5 minutes, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve hot.
Notes
Pro Tips for the Best Enchiladas
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Corn vs. Flour Tortillas: If you prefer to use corn tortillas to keep the dish gluten-free, make sure you flash-fry them in a little bit of oil for 10 seconds per side first. This prevents them from turning into mush when baked in the sauce.
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Cheese Variations: Pepper Jack is a fantastic substitution if you want a little extra spice. A Mexican cheese blend works wonderfully as well.
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Make It a Full Feast: Serve these enchiladas with a side of black beans and Spanish rice. For dessert, cool down your palate with a massive slice of rich, fruity Strawberry Cheesecake. And if you have leftovers, pair them with easy Cottage Cheese Bagels the next morning for a savory breakfast!
Storage and Freezing Instructions
Refrigerating: Store any leftover enchiladas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until hot.
Freezing: This casserole freezes beautifully! Assemble the enchiladas and pour the sauce over the top, but hold off on the final layer of cheese. Wrap the dish tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, top with the remaining cheese, and bake as directed (adding about 10 extra minutes to the bake time)