Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas
This recipe for Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas is made with flour tortillas, shredded chicken, cheese, green chiles and a delicious creamy white sauce!
An Easy Chicken Enchilada Recipe
This is one of those recipes that everyone loves – even picky eaters! It’s not spicy and has a wonderful creamy sauce that really pulls it all together. It is absolutely delicious and a wonderful alternative to those that maybe don’t enjoy the red sauce version. It’s the perfect weeknight meal that can be pulled together pretty quickly!
I have made this recipe so many times. I make it exactly to the recipe. It’s always a hit–even with two picky kiddos. We love it so much, we’ve eaten the leftovers for breakfast!
– Rachel
Frequently Asked Questions:
*You can cook chicken for this recipe in a couple of ways. You can roast a couple of chicken breasts in the oven. Just drizzle a bit of olive oil on them and season with salt and pepper and cook for about 35-45 minutes.
*Or you can boil your chicken until cooked.
*Or you could use a store bought rotisserie chicken.
*It just depends on how much time you have to prepare this and what flavor you want from your chicken. The roasted and rotisserie chicken are going to give you the most flavor.
*Once your chicken is cooked, you’ll want to shred it using two forks. Or if you have a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, put your chicken in the mixing bowl and mix until shredded.
If you are looking for a more traditional homemade red enchilada sauce, be sure to check out my recipe for Chicken Enchilada with red sauce!
Some Crock Pot Refried Beans or one of my personal favorites – my 3-Ingredient Mexican Rice! Or, if you like, just serve with a delicious, leafy green salad.
Absolutely! Corn tortillas need to be individually warmed up before rolling or they will tear as you roll them up keep that in mind.
White Chicken Enchiladas can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They can be frozen (before being cooked) for up to 3 months. Cover well to protect against freezer burn and make sure the sauce is completely cool before wrapping. When ready to cook, make sure to let it come to room temperature before cooking per directions. You can also store leftovers in the freezer then re-heat in the microwave.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- flour tortillas – this recipe calls for flour tortillas but feel free to use corn tortillas (just heat them up before rolling so they don’t tear.) I used a larger soft taco sized tortillas but you can use smaller and get more out of this recipe.
- shredded cooked chicken – see my FAQ’s above on different chicken options.
- Monterey Jack Cheese – use your favorite blend of shredded cheese. This recipe is very easy to customize. If you want to a bit of spice, you can use a Pepper Jack cheese.
- butter and flour – you will be using these to thicken up the sauce.
- chicken broth – if you are trying to cut down the sodium, you can use low or no sodium broth.
- sour cream – if you don’t like sour cream you can use plain Greek yogurt or even softened cream cheese.
- diced green chiles – this barely adds any spiciness at all but if you cannot have even the tiniest bit of spice then just leave it out.
- salt, pepper and Adobo seasoning – use any combination of seasoning you prefer. You can even use a homemade taco seasoning.
How To Make White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium-sized bowl, mix together 2 cups shredded chicken with 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Season with salt, pepper and a little Adobo seasoning.
Place chicken mixture in each of the flour tortillas.
Roll them all up and place them in your baking dish. Just squeeze them all in there.
In a medium sauce pan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and let cook and thicken for 1 minute (don’t let it burn.)
Add chicken broth and whisk until smooth.
Stir in sour cream and chiles. Be sure not to let the mixture boil.
Take sauce off the heat and pour it over the enchiladas. Top with remaining shredded cheese.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes. If you’d like, you can turn the broiler on high and broil these for a minute or two until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly. Serve warm with your favorite sides.
Craving More Recipes?
- White Chicken Enchiladas (For Two)
- White Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Cornbread Taco Bake
- Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
- Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas
- Bisquick Chicken Enchilada Bake
- Swiss Chicken Enchiladas
- Creamy Shrimp Enchiladas
- Ground Beef Enchiladas
- White Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Originally published: April 2012
Updated photos and republished: March 2024
White Chicken Enchiladas (+Video)
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or mozzarella)
- salt, pepper, Adobo seasoning, to taste
- 10 flour tortillas (taco size)
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles (do not drain)
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken with 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese along with salt, pepper, Adobo seasoning, to taste.
- Place chicken mixture into each of the 10 flour tortillas.
- Roll them all up and place them in the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium sauce pan, melt 3 Tablespoons butter. Whisk in 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour and let cook and thicken for 1 minute (don't let it burn).
- Add 2 cups chicken broth and whisk until smooth.
- Stir in 1 cup sour cream and 4 ounce can diced green chiles. Be sure not to let the mixture boil.
- Take sauce off the heat and pour it over the enchiladas.
- Top with 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes. If you'd like, you can turn the broiler on high and broil these for a minute or two until cheese is slighly browned and bubbly.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- I have this set for five servings assuming it would be 2 enchiladas per person.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I'm wondering if i can make this ahead of time and freeze it?
I've got to try this asap. Finally a recipe without a can of cream of nasty soup.
I add corn to mine. My kids and the hubby love this meal.
These are great tasting, only thing I didn't like was the soft texture off the tortilla after they were cooked with the sauce. I am of Hispanic descent and traditionally enchiladas are made with corn tortilla, however you must soften them a little bit by placing the corn tortilla in a pan of hot oil on each side so that it is soft enough to roll up. This can be tedious and time consuming. Next time I try this recipe I will definitely try with corn tortillas and some chopped cilantro sprinkled on top. Thanks for the great recipe.
Love everything I have fixed from your page! Fixing this tonight, sounds yummy!
Just had these for dinner. Delicious! Your page is my new "go to" when I'm looking for something new. No disappointments here. Thanks.
I make these all the time. A wonderful substitution if you really enjoy spicy food is pepperjack for the jack.
I made these a couple of weeks ago and they were really good; however, I think the chicken needed something extra. I think I may add some beans or extra chilies next time. I will definitely be making them again.
O.M.G. SO good! Like a lot of people, I don't like red sauce and corn tortillas associated with enchiladas. EVERYONE in my house loved these and I am sure I will be making them again.
I am not a big fan of enchiladas because I don't care for red sauce and corn tortillas, but everyone else in my house loves them. I made these for dinner last week and they were a HUGE hit with everyone and I even loved them. I will definitely be making these again!
These were a big hit with my family! I did use a half and half mixture of Plain Greek yogurt and sour cream and added about 1/4 cup Green Salsa Verde to the sauce….Mmmm! This was my first "Mexican" recipe to make, and it's a definite keeper! Thanks for the inspiration to try new things.
Hubby, oldest son & I love those Stouffer's chicken enchiladas in white sauce you can buy in the frozen food section. Really expensive and not enough to go around. Decided to try your recipe and oh my! These are so good! Better than the Stouffer's. We had them for dinner last night and oldest son asked me to make them again tonight! Only thing different I did was used corn tortillas rather than the flour taco shells. A bit more work as you have to dip the tortillas in the sauce before you put the chicken in and roll it up (messier too!) but they came out really well. I was thinking about adding rice to the bottom of the pan and putting the enchildas on top but honestly it doesn't need it. We will definately be adding this to our dinner rotation! Thanks!
Hi Suzie! Thank you so much! And it's good to know that the corn tortillas worked out well for you too. Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know 🙂
Another good way to soften corn tortillas for rolling is to steam them. I do this by putting a splatter screen over a skillet of water and doming it with a lid. I put the tortillas on a coffee filter and in just a short period of time I can roll them. WAY LESS MESS!! I always allow steam to build up before I put the first one in.
Brandie,
I've made so many of your recipes and of course, have LOVED all of them! You are nothing short of genius! I am planning on making these this weekend, but my husband doesn't like sour cream. Is it ok to use yogurt in a recipe like this? Thanks Brandie!!
Michelle
Hi Michelle! What a sweet comment! Thank you so very much. I am so thrilled you have liked the recipes you've tried so far. I think you could get away with using yogurt. Just go with your regular ole plain unsweetened yogurt. Or Greek yogurt would probably work too. I would love to know how it turns out for ya!
Brandie…I made this last night and it was so delicious. The greek yogurt worked great! Thanks so much! Michelle
I added chicken rice a roni with a half a onion sauteed in the rice. And instead of using all water I used half green enchilada sauce half water ( for the rice) similar to how I make my own but with the white sauce. they came out amazing. I highly recommend it.
Love your twist on it! Sounds so good!
Awesome Enchilada recipe! My family of 5 says to make this at least once a week! It's a Winner even for my picky kids ages 4-10. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
This recipe is a keeper! It's been requested multiple times already! LOVE it!
Thanks for this recipe Brandie! Just took it out of the oven & had my first bite. Will def be making this again soon! 🙂
I just made this and it.is.delish!!!! Thank you for the recipe! (:
Thank you Lolly Jane! You were so sweet to take the time to let me know how it turned out!
I made this Friday night & my family LOVED it even my very picky 6 year old ate it. Easy to make I actually messed up the sauce but it was still good.
Now that is a big compliment when the picky eater loves something! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out!
Thank you so very much!! So happy you like this one! ~Brandie
Absolutely delicious!! Thanks so much for this recipe!!
Such a yummy recipe! My husband is not a fan of Mexican food and he gobbled these right up!! I want to make a double batch but don't know about freezing the sauce… Do you think I should make that fresh when I prepare them? Thanks!!
These enchiladas were really good! They were quick and easy to make. The only addition I made was to saute' some frest mushrooms and 1/2 of an onion in a couple of tablespoons of butter. Then I added that to the chicken and cheese and followed the recipe as was written. Oh, and I used the new green oinon flavored Ranch mix. Thanks for a great recipe!
Do you think that this recipe could be frozen and used later as a freezer meal? What do you think?
not a good one to freeze as when it thaws the tortillas WILL get soggy. I made up a batch early in the day as I had appointments at the time I normally make dinner and they even turned out a little on the soggy side.
Had to check this recipe out because it looks so similar to one I've been making for years; and it's indeed very similar! Two differences…Mine uses corn tortillas, and enough soft cream cheese and sour cream is mixed into the chicken filling to make it creamy. My favorite enchilada recipe!
DebNJoizee919@aol.com
I made this tonight and used cream of chicken instead of chicken stock. It came out really creamy and didn't make it soggy. I added a little milk to thin out the sauce. I also added a half of a pack of ranch mix to the sauce and it made it so tasty!
I'm a college student, and this recipe was so easy to make for myself and my roommate! It's on the menu for a dinner party tonight too!
This was the best!! My family loved this. Thank Iu so much for sharing this with us:-) looking now for more recipes to try from ur site.
I made these tonight for supper and oh my! These are awesome & they beat out any other enchilada recipe I have ever fixed! And my teens loved'em too! 2 thumbs up 🙂
Thank you so much Crystal & Theresa!! So thrilled to hear y'all like this recipe. It means so much to me when someone takes time out of their day to leave me a comment. I really do appreciate it and am so thankful!
Brandi, just wanted to tell you I am fixing these Again!! My family LOVES them! I do not tell you enough…. THANK YOU for another great dinner!
I honestly didn't have high expectations for this recipe because it seemed too simple…well, a big "duh" to me! It was so incredibly delicious and flavorful. Unfortunately, we all loved it and there weren't any leftovers to look forward to.
I should have known better than to doubt one of your recipes. I have been following your blog for the past few months and have tried dozens of your recipes. They've all been winners and I can't thank you enough!
-Crytal
Yummy! I have a very similar recipe I've been using for years. The only difference is we use cream of chicken soup for the sauce rather than the roux. Much creamier and you don't have to turn on the stove! 🙂
Visiting from Church Supper. These look so good. Wish I had the stuff to make them right this minute. I love mexican dishes. I will be trying this one soon. Thanks for a great recipe.
Thanks for stopping by Church Supper and sharing this yummy recipe, Brandie! Have a blessed week and hope to see you again next Sunday ~EMM
So glad you shared my blog! Thank you. :). Send your fans my direction anytime.
This is always my fall back recipe when serving a crowd or new guests. It is so so yummy. I really like creamy foods and I especially love green chillies.
Joyful Momma
http://www.joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com
Anonymous – I'm glad to hear you liked the taste. The only suggestion I have would be to thicken the sauce a bit. Maybe add a bit of cream cheese to make it thicker?? Maybe someone on here will have another good suggestion for you 🙂
I just made these and they were really good. I added chopped onions to the chicken along with the shredded cheese. I didn’t like the fact that the sauce was so thin. I tried to cook it for quite a while to get it to thicken but it never did. I went ahead and added the sour cream and green chilies. I would like to have the sauce a little thicker before pouring it over the enchiladas. I didn’t have any complaints about the sogginess on the bottom.
Maybe try adding little more flour or use some masa to help with the thicking
Yes! Masa is a cabinet esential for Mexican recipes.
Less chicken broth and I add cheese to mine..
My family hasn't ever eatin enchiladas. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It has ingredients that I can get here or substitute or make my own. I am so excited!
We made these tonight and were delicious but the taco shells were soggy on the bottom. Is there a way to keep that from happening.
I normally see white corn tortillas being used in this recipe, the flour ones will get soggy unfortunately. Hope this helps 😉
I have used white corn for many years and it’s next to perfect every time. Family favorite in Texas!
I put some of the chicken mixture on the bottom of the pan so my tortillas aren’t sitting directly in the bottom of the dish. I think it helps with texture. Great sauce I could drink this stuff!
These look SO good. You're my hero! Definitely bookmarked!
I LOVE enchiladas but my kids don't like the red sauce. What a GREAT compromise! Can't wait to make these 🙂
Hey Brandie! This looks like a yummy and easy recipe! I especially like the tip about shredding the chicken. Now, I'm from Texas and you really threw me when your recipe called for "soft taco shells". I'd never heard of them! Well, of course I figured it out from the pictures…we call 'em tortillas! thanks for a great recipe.
We call them tortillas here in AZ too. BUT, remember, flour tortillas come in soft taco size, fajita size and burrito size. A few stores here even have snack size ones that are like 4 inches in diameter.
Yeah Baby! This is definitely MY kind of dish. I so agree with you about the red sauce on enchiladas…give me white all the way!! This sounds soo delicious. Mexican is my favorite ethnic dish…and with white sauce…HA CHA CHANYA!!!
I have been on a Mexican kick. We went out for Mexican Saturday night and I had shrimp fajitas that I am still craving more of. Those enchiladas look like they are right up my alley!
This looks really, really delicious!
Bran, I made enchiladas last week that were very similar to these ones! I normally like the red enchilada sauce, but the green chili sauce was divine! I think I may be a green chili sauce convert for good! Your pics are making me crave them all over again 🙂
Hi Brandy! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe! Can't wait to give it a try! Blessings from Bama!
I made a this recipe this weekend… Well one that was nearly identical. I swapped out the sour cream for nonfat Greek plain yogurt. It was awesome! It was a lovely replacement. I also added zucchini & spinach to the chicken & the family loved it. I recently saw another enchilada recipe with veggies in with the chicken & was inspired. This recipe adapted well to those changes.
If you like zucchini with your Mexican food try calabacitas, you can easily find the recipe on google. We go to Mexico quite frequently and enjoy authentic calabacitas and elote with most meals. 🙂
Yum! Thanks for the suggestion Debra!!
Can I use beef instead of chicken
Who doesn't LOVE a good chicken enchilada!! These look fantastically delicious!!! It's on the menu for later this week, thanks!!
I make these pretty much same,I put cheese in the sauce,black olives and a can of green chilies in the meat mixture,and maybe green onions also..
Yum!! I needed a good idea for this week's dinner menu and I love enchiladas. I usually make them with beef and a red sauce but this looks fantastic!