Irresistible Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas: An Easy, Flavorful Family Dinner Recipe
Prepare to fall in love with these incredibly delicious and satisfyingly creamy chicken enchiladas. They’ve earned their spot as one of my family’s most requested dishes, and for good reason! Combining simple, wholesome ingredients with an explosion of flavor, these enchiladas never fail to bring smiles to the dinner table. If you’re searching for a comforting, hearty meal that’s both easy to prepare and profoundly delicious, look no further. This recipe promises a rich, savory experience that will have everyone asking for seconds, and likely, the recipe too!
Among all the dishes I regularly prepare, these creamy chicken enchiladas are hands-down the most requested recipe. The inspiration for these delightful “white enchiladas” came from my dear friend Terri over 15 years ago. I adored her version, and ever since, they’ve been a staple in my kitchen. Over the years, I’ve lovingly tweaked and refined the recipe, perfecting the balance of flavors and textures to arrive at the incredible dish you see today. It’s truly a testament to how simple ingredients can create something extraordinary.
This recipe transforms humble flour tortillas and tender chicken into a symphony of creamy, cheesy goodness. The secret lies in the luxurious white sauce that envelops the flavorful filling, creating an incredibly moist and rich experience with every bite. Whether you’re feeding a hungry family on a busy weeknight or preparing a potluck dish that will surely impress, these creamy chicken enchiladas are an absolute winner. They embody the essence of Tex-Mex comfort food, elevated with a homemade touch.
Time Needed: Quick & Efficient Cooking
One of the best aspects of this creamy chicken enchilada recipe is its efficiency. If you’ve embraced the concept of meal prepping and have pre-cooked ingredients ready in your freezer, this entire meal can be on the table in about 40 minutes. This makes it an ideal choice for busy weeknights when time is precious but you still crave a homemade, satisfying dinner. However, even if you’re starting from scratch, factoring in the chopping and sautéing of your fresh vegetables, you’ll only need to add an extra 15-20 minutes to your preparation time, keeping the total cook time well under an hour.
This flexibility is key to enjoying delicious homemade meals without the stress. We’ll delve deeper into smart meal prep strategies in the tips section to show you how to truly streamline this process and make creamy chicken enchiladas a regular, low-effort part of your dinner rotation.
Essential Ingredients for Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
The beauty of these enchiladas lies in their approachable ingredient list. Each component plays a vital role in creating the signature creamy texture and robust flavor that makes this dish so irresistible. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive list of what you’ll need. Don’t forget to check the detailed recipe card below for specific quantities to ensure perfect results every time!
- Shredded or Chopped Cooked Chicken: The star of our filling! Pre-cooked chicken, whether leftover, rotisserie, or batch-prepared, significantly cuts down on prep time. Its tender texture perfectly complements the creamy sauce.
- Cream of Chicken Soup (Condensed): This pantry staple forms the rich, savory base of our signature white sauce, providing depth and a comforting flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Used to thin out the cream of chicken soup and sour cream, creating the perfect consistency for both the filling and the optional topping sauce.
- Sour Cream: The magic ingredient for ultimate creaminess and a slight tangy kick, balancing the richness of the soup. Full-fat sour cream works best for a truly indulgent result.
- Chopped & Sautéed Onion: Adds aromatic depth and a touch of sweetness to the filling. Sautéing them beforehand mellows their flavor and enhances their texture.
- Chopped & Sautéed Bell Pepper: Contributes freshness, a subtle crunch, and vibrant color. Any color bell pepper will work beautifully.
- Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chilies (Drained): This blend brings a fantastic Tex-Mex flavor profile with a mild spicy kick and juicy tomato bits. Draining prevents the enchiladas from becoming watery.
- Diced Green Chilies (Canned, Drained): For an extra layer of mild chili flavor without overwhelming heat. They enhance the authentic taste.
- Cumin: An essential spice for Tex-Mex cuisine, adding warm, earthy notes that tie all the flavors together.
- Adobo or Garlic Salt: These seasonings provide a foundational savory flavor. Adobo offers a blend of garlic, oregano, and black pepper, while garlic salt offers a simple, potent garlic punch. Choose based on your preference.
- Flour Tortillas (8-inch): Soft flour tortillas are perfect for rolling and become wonderfully tender after baking, soaking up all the creamy sauce.
- Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese: A mix of cheeses (like Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Asadero, and Queso Blanco) provides superior melt and a delicious cheesy crust. Freshly shredded is always best!
- Non-Stick Cooking Spray: For preparing your baking dish, ensuring easy cleanup and preventing sticking.
Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Follow these detailed steps to assemble your incredibly flavorful and creamy chicken enchiladas. Each stage is designed to maximize flavor and ensure a perfectly baked dish. Remember, organization is key to smooth cooking!
Step 1: Prepare Your Aromatics. Begin by chopping your onion and bell pepper into small, even pieces. Heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until they become soft and translucent. This step mellows their flavors and adds a fantastic base to your filling.
Step 2: Create the Creamy Base. In a large mixing bowl, combine the condensed cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, and sour cream. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and well combined. This forms the creamy heart of both your filling and your optional topping sauce.
Step 3: Decide on Your Sauce Preference. At this point, you have a choice. If you prefer your enchiladas to be smothered in an extra layer of creamy white sauce, reserve about half of this mixture in a separate bowl. This portion will be poured over the rolled enchiladas before baking. If you prefer all the creaminess to be tucked inside the tortillas, keep the entire mixture together for the filling.
Step 4: Assemble the Flavorful Filling. To the remaining (or all of the) creamy mixture, add your shredded or chopped cooked chicken, the sautéed onion and bell pepper, the drained diced green chilies, and the drained Rotel tomatoes and green chilies. Now, it’s time to season! Add your cumin and Adobo or garlic salt to taste. Mix everything thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly coated in the creamy sauce and the flavors are well distributed.
Step 5: Incorporate the Cheese. Now, add about half of your shredded Mexican blend cheese directly into the chicken and sauce mixture. Stir gently until the cheese is evenly distributed throughout the filling. This ensures cheesy goodness in every bite, not just on top!
Step 6: Fill and Roll Your Tortillas. Lightly spray a 9×12 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Take one flour tortilla at a time and spoon approximately ½ cup of the chicken mixture onto its center. Carefully roll each tortilla tightly, ensuring the filling stays intact. Place the rolled enchilada seam-side down in your prepared baking dish. Repeat this process until all the tortillas are filled and arranged snugly in the pan.
Step 7: The Final Touches Before Baking. If you chose to reserve some of the creamy mixture for sauce, now is the time to pour it evenly over the rolled enchiladas in the baking dish. This will create that extra layer of lusciousness on top. Next, generously sprinkle the remaining shredded Mexican blend cheese over all the enchiladas. This cheese will melt and bubble into a golden, irresistible crust.
Step 8: Bake to Golden Perfection. Place the baking dish into your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly around the edges and the cheese on top is melted and lightly golden. The aroma filling your kitchen will be incredible! Once baked, remove from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the sauce to set slightly and makes for easier serving.
Expert Tips for Mastering Your Creamy Chicken Enchiladas & Streamlining Meal Prep
Making delicious meals shouldn’t be a source of stress, especially during busy weeknights. My philosophy revolves around smart preparation, and these creamy chicken enchiladas are a perfect example of how you can achieve a fantastic dinner with minimal fuss. Here are some of my favorite tips:
The “Prep It Before You Need It” Method
I rarely start a recipe by sautéing raw chicken or browning ground beef from scratch when I need a quick meal. I’m a huge advocate for doing as much preparation as possible well before dinnertime approaches. This strategy ensures that when hunger strikes, you’re ready to assemble, not cook. It transforms cooking from a chore into an enjoyable, low-stress activity.
For this creamy chicken enchilada recipe, leveraging fast ingredients from the freezer is a game-changer. Having pre-cooked chicken, sautéed onion, and sautéed bell pepper at the ready significantly speeds up your preparation time. Imagine simply grabbing these components from your freezer and mixing them into your creamy sauce – dinner is practically made! This recipe is also absolutely perfect when made with a store-bought rotisserie chicken. Don’t forget to check out my other rotisserie chicken dinner ideas for even more easy weeknight solutions.
Batch Cooking for Efficiency
The secret to “prep it before you need it” is batch cooking. It’s far more time-efficient to sauté or grill several pounds of chicken once, then portion and freeze it, rather than cooking one pound at a time multiple times throughout the week. The same principle applies to other common recipe components: browning a large batch of ground beef, sautéing a whole bag of chopped onions until golden, or prepping a bounty of chopped bell peppers. We particularly love doing huge batches of peppers and onions in the summer when fresh bell peppers are plentiful and more affordable, but you can do this any time of year.
This “prep it before you need it” method is the crux of the Secrets of a Busy Cook and is arguably the biggest key in cutting down on evening prep time. By using pre-cooked ingredients, you save significant amounts of chopping, active cooking, and post-dinner clean-up time. This means you can enjoy your evenings more, even when you’re tired and everyone in the household is hungry!
Customizing Your Enchiladas
- Spicy Kick: For those who love a bit more heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a dash of your favorite hot sauce to the filling. You could also use a spicier variety of canned green chilies.
- Vegetarian Option: Easily adapt this recipe by swapping the chicken for black beans or a mix of sautéed mushrooms and corn. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Cheese Variations: While Mexican blend is fantastic, feel free to experiment with other melting cheeses like straight Monterey Jack, Colby, or a touch of Pepper Jack for a subtle spicy note.
- Alternative Proteins: Cooked turkey or even shredded pork could also be delicious substitutes for chicken, offering a different flavor profile.
Recipe
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
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Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken
- 1 condensed cream of chicken soup
- 1 can chicken broth
- 8 oz. sour cream
- 1 onion, chopped & sautéed
- 1 bell pepper, chopped & sautéed (any color)
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies, drained
- 1 can diced green chilies, drained
- ½ tsp. cumin
- Adobo or garlic salt
- 6 flour tortillas, 8″
- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
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Chop and sauté the onion and bell pepper in the vegetable oil until softened.
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In a large bowl, combine condensed cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, and sour cream. Whisk until smooth. Decide if you want a sauce on top: if so, reserve ½ of this mixture; otherwise, keep all of it for the filling.
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To the remaining creamy mixture, add the shredded chicken, sautéed onion and pepper, drained green chilies, drained Rotel tomatoes, and spices to taste. Stir until well combined. Then, add half of the shredded Mexican blend cheese and mix it into the filling.
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a 9×12 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Place about ½ cup of the chicken filling mixture onto the center of each flour tortilla. Roll up each tortilla tightly and place it seam-side down in the prepared baking pan.
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If you reserved half the creamy mixture for sauce, pour it evenly over the rolled enchiladas in the pan now.
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Evenly sprinkle the remaining shredded Mexican blend cheese over all the enchiladas.
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Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and lightly golden. Let rest for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Although this recipe instructs you to sauté the peppers and onions, if you are diligently following the Secrets of a Busy Cook, you will likely already have prepared onions, peppers, and chicken in your freezer ready to use in this recipe. The principle of preparing frequently used ingredients in bulk and freezing them saves an incredible amount of time in the evening, without adding much time to the overall cooking process. For instance, when you’re already cooking onions for one meal, take an extra 5 minutes to cook up a whole bag instead of just one, then portion and freeze the rest for future use. If you consistently apply this method to common ingredients, your time spent in the kitchen will become significantly more efficient and enjoyable.
Nutrition per serving
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🥗 Perfect Side Dishes to Complement Your Enchiladas
These creamy chicken enchiladas are a meal in themselves, but pairing them with the right side dishes can elevate the entire dining experience. I personally love to serve them alongside classic Tex-Mex accompaniments that balance the richness of the enchiladas:
- Refried Beans: A must-have! I prepare them just like they do at my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants – warmed, topped with a dollop of red enchilada sauce (store-bought or homemade) and a sprinkle of shredded Mexican cheese. The savory, earthy beans are the perfect counterpoint to the creamy chicken.
- Fresh Green Salad: A simple, crisp green salad with a light vinaigrette provides a refreshing contrast. The coolness and acidity cut through the richness of the enchiladas beautifully, adding a lovely freshness to your plate.
- Slow-Simmered Green Beans: If you prefer a cooked vegetable, slow-simmered green beans, perhaps with a little bacon or ham hock, offer a comforting and traditional side that pairs wonderfully. Their tender texture and savory flavor create a harmonious balance.
- Mexican Rice: A classic choice! A fluffy side of Mexican or Spanish rice is always a welcome addition, soaking up any extra sauce and adding another layer of traditional flavor.
- Guacamole & Salsa: While not strictly a side, a fresh bowl of homemade guacamole and your favorite salsa are fantastic for adding to the top of your enchiladas or simply enjoying with a side of tortilla chips.
📌 Pin this recipe for later!
Don’t let this incredible creamy chicken enchilada recipe slip away! Pin it to your favorite dinner or Tex-Mex recipe board on Pinterest so you can easily find it whenever you’re craving a delicious, easy, and family-approved meal. Share the love with your friends and family too – they’ll thank you for introducing them to this fantastic dish!
Conclusion: Your New Favorite Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Await!
There you have it – the complete guide to making truly irresistible creamy white chicken enchiladas. This recipe is more than just a meal; it’s a celebration of comfort, flavor, and efficiency. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a home cook looking for a reliable, crowd-pleasing dish, these enchiladas are designed to succeed. The tender chicken, the vibrant sautéed vegetables, and the rich, creamy sauce all baked to bubbly, cheesy perfection make for an unforgettable dining experience.
Don’t be surprised if this dish becomes a regular fixture in your family’s meal rotation. Its ease of preparation, especially when incorporating smart meal prep techniques, makes it ideal for any day of the week. So, gather your ingredients, follow these steps, and get ready to enjoy a taste of Tex-Mex heaven right in your own kitchen. Happy cooking!