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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!

A DELICIOUS CHICKEN ENCHILADA RECIPE

One of my favorite Mexican meals (besides chimichangas) are enchiladas. 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’s the perfect weeknight meal that can be pulled together pretty quickly!

forkful, chicken enchiladas on a plate with fresh parsley

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S):

What is the best way to prepare shredded chicken?

*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.

Do you have a more traditional red sauce enchilada recipe?

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!

What can I serve with white chicken enchiladas?

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.

Could I use corn tortillas instead?

Absolutely! Corn tortillas need to be individually warmed up before rolling or they will tear as you roll them up keep that in mind.

How do you store leftover white chicken enchiladas?

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.
flour tortillas, shredded cooked chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, butter, flour, chicken broth, sour cream, diced green chiles salt, pepper, Adobo seasoning

HOW TO MAKE WHITE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS RECIPE:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add in 1 cup of shredded cheese. Season with salt, pepper and a little Adobo seasoning.

shredded chicken, shredded cheese, salt, pepper, Adobo seasoning in a medium glass bowl

Place chicken mixture in each of the flour tortillas.

chicken and cheese filling placed into the center of a flour tortilla

Roll them all up and place them in your baking dish. Just squeeze them all in there.

flour tortillas filled with chicken in a baking dish.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and let cook and thicken for 1 minute (don’t let it burn.)

flour added to melted butter in a medium sauce pan

Add chicken broth and whisk until smooth. 

whisking in chicken broth to butter, flour mixture

Stir in sour cream and chiles. Be sure not to let the mixture boil.

sour cream and green chiles added to broth mixture in a sauce pan

Take sauce off the heat and pour it over the enchiladas. Top with remaining shredded cheese.

pouring white sauce over chicken filled flour tortillas in a dish.

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.

FINISHED, MELTED CHEESE ON CHICKEN ENCHILADAS in a clear baking dish

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Originally published: April 2012
Updated photos and republished: March 2024

Easy Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas

White Chicken Enchiladas (+Video)

This recipe for creamy White Chicken Enchiladas is made with flour tortillas, shredded chicken, cheese, green chiles and a delicious creamy white sauce!
4.94 from 681 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 5

Ingredients

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.
    chicken mixture in a bowl.
  • Place chicken mixture into each of the 10 flour tortillas.
    chicken filling in 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).
    butter and flour in a saucepan.
  • Add 2 cups chicken broth and whisk until smooth.
    chicken broth added to saucepan.
  • Stir in 1 cup sour cream and 4 ounce can diced green chiles. Be sure not to let the mixture boil.
    creamy white chicken enchilada sauce in a pan.
  • Take sauce off the heat and pour it over the enchiladas.
    white cream sauce on top of rolled up 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.
    fully baked creamy white chicken enchiladas.

Video

YouTube 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. 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 502kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 31g | Sodium: 1044mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

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.

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362 Comments

  1. 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.

  2. Just had these for dinner. Delicious! Your page is my new "go to" when I'm looking for something new. No disappointments here. Thanks.

  3. I make these all the time. A wonderful substitution if you really enjoy spicy food is pepperjack for the jack.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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!

  7. 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.

  8. 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!

    1. 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 🙂

    2. 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.

  9. 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

    1. 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!

    2. Brandie…I made this last night and it was so delicious. The greek yogurt worked great! Thanks so much! Michelle

  10. 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.

  11. 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. 🙂

  12. Thanks for this recipe Brandie! Just took it out of the oven & had my first bite. Will def be making this again soon! 🙂

    1. Thank you Lolly Jane! You were so sweet to take the time to let me know how it turned out!

  13. 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.

    1. Now that is a big compliment when the picky eater loves something! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out!

  14. 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!!

  15. 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!

    1. 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.

  16. 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