My sour cream chicken enchiladas are packed full of authentic Mexican flavors and they’re quick enough to make for a weeknight meal. I filled these creamy enchiladas with shredded chicken, beans, and Monterey jack cheese for a hearty meal. Topped with sour cream enchilada sauce, they are crave-ably delicious. This recipe is great for serving a crowd, and I love to make it on game day too!
Top Reader Reviews
Another great enchilada recipe! The only thing I changed was to add a teaspoon of hot New Mexico chile powder to the cumin/salt mix as we like things a bit spicy. I was sure there would be too much filling, but in fact it was perfect for eight 8-inch flour tortillas.
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Love , love , love this recipe
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Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce
Every family has one of them: a tomato hater. My classic chicken enchiladas call for a red sauce as the base, but I made these sour cream chicken enchiladas without any tomatoes at all! The creamy enchilada sauce is rich and flavorful thanks to sour cream, green chiles, chicken broth, and an array of herbs and spices. These sour cream and chicken enchiladas are super rich and filling, and my whole family loves them!
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Prevent a Split Sauce
Because sour cream is prone to curdling under high heat, I always let the sauce cool slightly before spreading it over the enchiladas. This keeps the sauce creamy and helps the tortillas stay intact during baking. I’ve tested this both ways–adding sauce hot vs. slightly cooled–and cooling the sauce for even 2-3 minutes before assembling made a big difference in texture and presentation.
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Ingredients
For the Enchilada Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick)
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream (*)
- 4 ounces green chiles (1 can)
For the Enchiladas:
- 2½ cups shredded cooked chicken (**)
- 15 ounces black beans (1 can, drained)
- 4 green onions (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (from ½ lime)
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (divided)
- 8 large flour tortillas
Optional Toppings:
- chopped fresh cilantro
- chopped onion
- chopped jalapeño peppers
- avocado slices
- cotija cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic, salt, and cumin, cook for a minute until softened.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon minced onion, 1 clove garlic, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Stir in the flour and let it cook for about 30 seconds until it forms a paste.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Gently and gradually whisk in the chicken broth, continue to whisk until the mixture reaches a smooth, sauce-like consistency. If you add too much liquid, let the mixture simmer for a minute to reduce.2-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Stir in the sour cream and green chiles, remove from heat, and set aside.1 cup sour cream, 4 ounces green chiles
- In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, black beans, green onions, lime juice, 1 cup of cheese, and 1 cup of enchilada sauce.2½ cups shredded cooked chicken, 15 ounces black beans, 4 green onions, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
- Pour ½ cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
- Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of enchilada filling.8 large flour tortillas
- Place the enchiladas, seam side down, into the baking pan and pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the edges of the tortillas are starting to become brown and crispy.
- If desired, top with fresh cilantro, chopped onion, chopped jalapeño peppers, avocado slices, and cotija cheese.chopped fresh cilantro, chopped onion, chopped jalapeño peppers, avocado slices, cotija cheese
Notes
- Enchiladas are traditionally made with corn tortillas, but I find flour much easier to work with. It all comes down to personal preference!
- Your enchiladas can become soggy if they are overfilled or if the sauce is runny. Make sure the sauce is on the thicker side.
- I prefer to bake enchiladas uncovered to allow them to brown up nicely in the oven.
- Nutritional information does not include optional toppings.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce
The star of these creamy chicken enchiladas is the sour cream enchilada sauce. I make it super thick and gooey by creating a roux from seasoned flour and butter. A little cumin, onion, and garlic create the best Mexican-inspired flavor. I use chicken broth to give the sauce body, green chiles for spice, and of course, sour cream for richness and creaminess. This sauce is thick, tangy, and delicious!
How to Make Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas Step by Step
Melt the Butter: Preheat your oven to 350°F, grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat. Add in 1 tablespoon of minced onion, 1 clove of minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, and cook for 1 minute, or until softened.
Make a Roux: Stir in 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and let it cook for about 30 seconds, until it forms a paste and no longer smells like raw flour.
Thin the Sauce: Gently and gradually whisk in 2-3 cups of chicken broth. Continue to whisk until the mixture reaches a smooth, sauce-like consistency. If you add too much liquid, let the mixture simmer for a minute to reduce. We want the sauce to be pretty thick so the enchiladas don’t turn out soggy.
Add the Sour Cream: Then stir in 1 cup of sour cream and 4 ounces (1 can) of green chiles, remove from the heat, and set aside. I like to let the sauce cool while I prep the filling so it’s not too hot when I mix everything together.
Mix the Filling: In a medium bowl, combine 2½ cups shredded cooked chicken, 15 ounces (1 can) of black beans, 4 chopped green onions, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese, and 1 cup of the sour cream enchilada sauce. You should have about 4 cups of filling.
Prep the Pan: Pour ½ cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Spread it out to fully cover the bottom of the pan.
Fill the Enchiladas: Fill each of 8 large flour tortillas with about ½ cup of the enchilada filling. You should use up all of the filling. Roll each one up into a tube.
Layer the Enchiladas: Place the rolled enchiladas, seam side down, into the baking pan and pour the remaining sour cream sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese on top.
Bake, Garnish, and Serve: Bake your sour cream chicken enchiladas uncovered in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the edges of the tortillas are starting to become brown and crispy. If desired, top with fresh cilantro, chopped onion, chopped jalapeño peppers, avocado slices, and cotija cheese.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover sour cream chicken enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat enchiladas in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, until heated through. Or quickly warm them in the microwave for convenience.
More Chicken Enchilada Recipes to Try!
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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