Chicken Enchiladas With White Sauce

You have yet to try the best Chicken Enchiladas With White Sauce! These enchiladas are made with an extra flavorful rich filling smothered with homemade green chile white enchilada sauce.

This casserole dish is perfect for making ahead which will cut your cooking time in half and serve dinner in less than 30 minutes.

We love to serve it with lime cilantro rice, this easy Pico De Gallo or corn on the cob, and of course, 3 ingredient guacamole, and some tortilla chips.

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• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips
• Serving Suggestions
• Make Ahead, Storing And Freezing Instructions
• Easy Mexican Recipes
• Recipe Card
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Ingredients

The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.

• Chiles - I like to use mild chiles (green) in this recipe but I use enough to get a spicy kick together with the smoky-peppery flavor that these chiles have. Alternatively, some brands that sell pickled jalapenos have a very mild sweet flavor and are a great choice to use instead for non-spicy lovers. Chiles play an important role in enchiladas but you can definitely make the white enchilada sauce without any of these. Use your best judgment and brand you know to come up with the best amount to use in the enchiladas. Traditionally, enchiladas will taste spicy!

• Chicken - a precooked chicken, leftover chicken dinner, rotisserie chicken - all of these are the best candidates for enchiladas. Read how to cook perfect chicken breast below in the Tips section. Don’t like chicken? Use shredded turkey or cooked ground turkey, ground beef instead. Have you tried my Beef Enchilada Casserole, maybe you’ll love this one too!

• Sour cream chicken enchiladas - full fat sour cream will give the most richness and thickness to the sauce. 

• Chicken broth - either homemade or store-bought. I always go for organic or low sodium chicken or vegetable broths whenever possible. This way not only it is healthier but helps me to control amount fo spices I will be adding to the dish. And I love spices!

• Aromatics and spices - I used a little of my favorite Mexican dish seasoning combo but for a quick fix go for a premixed Fajita, Burrito or Taco seasoning mix. If you're also short on time, garlic can be substituted with garlic powder, and onions with onion powder. Dried herbs such as parsley or cilantro can easily be used in place of fresh ones.

• Flour, gluten free flour or corn Tortillas - I recommend warming up the tortillas before handling and rolling. This makes the tortillas soft and flexible again (this may not be very important with regular wheat tortillas but with gluten-free tortillas, it is necessary as they can easily break). We then are going to dip each tortilla into warm white enchilada sauce and stuff it with the filling.

• Cheese - Monterey Jack melts beautifully especially all over the top. Alternatively use a blend of favorite melty cheese such as Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese.

• Baking dish - for enchiladas always use a deep and wider baking dish to hold up the sauce and fit the enchiladas snuggly inside. I used 9 x 13 inches baking dish.

• Don't forget the garnishes: finely diced red onion, fresh cilantro, parsley, avocado, diced fresh tomatoes, green onions, fine diced bell peppers, chili powder, more green chilis!

Instructions

Make white sauce recipe. Melt butter in a medium saucepot over medium heat.

Whisk until melted and gradually add flour, stirring constantly for 1-2 minutes until flour is absorbed, thickened and a paste-like texture achieved (a roux).

Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisk until smooth and turn the heat on low. Simmer until the mixture has thickened a bit. (about 7-10 minutes)

If it seems too thick you have simmered it for too long or measured the ingredients incorrectly.

Add more broth or thin it out with ¼ cup water (add it gradually until sauce has become thinner). Stir in the green chilies, sour cream, ½ cup Monterey jack cheese. The sauce will thicken even more as it cools.

Set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, saute onion in a small nonstick pan with vegetable oil. When the onion is starting to become soft, add garlic and saute for 1 minute more. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine rotisserie chicken, onion and garlic mixture, corn, grated cheese, spices (oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper),¾ cup cheese, and 2 heaping tablespoons of white enchilada sauce.

Optional Step: If not making these for kids, add another spoonful of pickled chilies into filling too! The more the merrier!

Assemble the Enchiladas. Prepare a bowl with enchilada sauce, warmed tortillas, a cutting board, or a large dinner plate (for rolling up the tortillas), and the chicken mixture. 

In a 9x13 baking dish pour enchilada sauce enough to cover the bottom of the dish.

One by one, dip each tortilla into the white enchilada sauce, shake off the excess sauce and place it on the plate.

Fill the center of each tortilla with about 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken mixture and roll them all up tightly.

For easier rolling, I place the mixture slightly off the center. Transfer enchiladas seam side down in the prepared baking dish.

Pour the sauce on top of the enchiladas, and add the remaining cheese (½ cup) or more if desired! Personal preference!

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Optional: I like to bake these for 20 minutes and then turn on the oven broiler setting and bake them for 5 or less minutes (will depend on your oven) until cheese is nicely golden brown.

Tips

• The creamy and cheesy sauce - I highly recommend making a double batch of this sauce to avoid the disappointment of not having enough to enjoy it with other dishes later. Perfectly creamy, with a spicy kick to it, it is the heaven of creamy sauces. Believe me! This sauce is an adaptation of my Gluten Free Cream Of Chicken Soup. Which I used to make one of the top popular post on this blog: Creamy Chicken Enchiladas.

• PRO TIP: Keep the tortillas, especially any leftover unrolled tortillas properly sealed in a dry, warm place. This will ensure they remain fresh, soft and ''foldable'' for longer. If stored unsealed or refrigerated, they will quickly loose their texture and dry out.

• Salt - if the salt intake is important to you, always go for low sodium broths or make one yourself with a plain whole chicken or just parts of the bird. Add as much salt, black pepper you like, and in fact, you only need a little. Also, avoid using rotisserie chicken as it is generally high in sodium. It takes only 10 minutes to boil the chicken, literally! When making the filling taste it for any extra seasoning, same with the enchilada sauce. 

• Hungry for more? Try something different each time when making these creamy white chicken enchiladas, instead of the creamy white sauce (in case one day you get tired of it, just in case) use my Quick Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce instead. 

How To Cook Tortillas?

There are a couple of ways to reheat the tortillas. Place the tortillas in foil and reheat in the oven until just warm. In a kitchen towel in the microwave or simply on a skillet until browned.

Some folks do differently, some reheat tortillas in a dry pan and some like to add a little bit of oil just enough for the tortillas to crisp up but still remain foldable

How To Cook The Chicken For Enchiladas?

Bake it! Make your own rotisserie chicken! You don't necessarily have to cook the whole bird in the oven.

You only need a little for this recipe - 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast or a couple of chicken thighs.

How to bake chicken breast in the oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss chicken breasts with olive oil and favorite seasonings (or simple all seasoning or just salt and pepper will work just fine).

Mix well to coat. Place in a lightly greased baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Let rest for 5 minutes and shred into thin strips with two forks, dice it with no small cubes, or use a stand mixer!

Place the chicken into a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, turn it on for a minute or so and your chicken will be shredded in no time!

Boil it! In a large pot over medium-high heat, add chicken breast or chicken thighs. Fill with water enough to cover the chicken, season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium. Let simmer for about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken with kitchen tongs and let rest for 5 minutes.

Shred or dice as described above. The skinless boneless chicken will cook quicker than chicken breast or thighs with ribs and bones. It may take another 5 minutes for these to cook through.

Use a kitchen thermometer to register the chicken temperature at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Serving Suggestions

Start your dinner with a little aperitive like this mouthwatering watermelon margaritas, jalapeno cornbread muffins, or for Dessert and frozen watermelon margaritas for digestive!

The best way to serve my favorite chicken enchilada recipe is with Mexican Rice, Lime Cilantro Rice, a big bowl of Easy Pico De Gallo on the side, Cajun Corn On The Cob, of course, Guacamole, and some tortilla chips.

For Dessert: Mango Mousse, Strawberry Mousse.

Enchilada toppings:

• Diced avocados

• Green onion, scallions, chives

• Drizzle with Sour cream or plain greek yogurt (also coconut yogurt will taste delish!)

• Pico de gallo (authentic Mexican fresh tomato salsa)

• Avocado crema - mix of avocado, sour cream and lime/lemon juice.

• Guacamole

• Hot sauce such as Homemade Buffalo Sauce, if you feeling extra spicy!

• Jalapenos (fresh or marinated/pickled)

• Diced tomatoes

• Cilantro/Coriander chopped or whole leaves or substitute with Parsley

• Lime, lemon wedges

• Black olives (pitted & sliced) - if serving with olives make sure to drain them from water and extra sodium if used by the manufacturer. They are naturally salty and I would use a small amount or use less salt in the casserole.

• Corn (canned or fresh) - Make my Cajun Corn On The Cob with or without the creamy layer and serve with enchilada.

• Cotija cheese or feta cheese

• Pickled cabbage

• Gluten-free tortilla chips

• Or serve a fresh salad such as Cucumber, Tomatoes and Onion as a side dish.

Make Ahead, Storing And Freezing Instructions

Make ahead. Chicken and white enchilada sauce can be cooked 1-2 days prior. Keep them separately in an airtight container in the fridge.

When ready to make the enchiladas, reheat the sauce in a microwave or a small saucepot with some milk, water, or broth to thin it out as it will become too thick once refrigerated. 

Storing. In case of leftovers (if any!) store them in an airtight container, refrigerated for 3-4 days according to FDA.

Creamy sauce, especially sour cream-based will separate, become chunky, and lose its flavor once frozen and thawed.

Tip for frozen enchiladas: What I suggest is to roll the enchiladas without adding the sauce to the filling (and in this case without dipping the tortillas into the sauce), freeze the enchiladas in an airtight container, and make the white sauce on the day when you are ready to bake the dish.

General note: Creamy-based sauces and dishes should not be left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature to avoid food-borne illnesses.