Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

side shot of creamy white chicken enchiladas with cheese sauce

4.50 from 144 votes

Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

These white chicken enchiladas are creamy, cheesy, and so easy to make! Shredded chicken, green chiles, and melty cheese are wrapped in soft tortillas and smothered in a rich, homemade white enchilada sauce.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: people

Calories: 708kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

9x13-inch Baking Dish

Ingredients

For the Enchiladas:

3 cups shredded cooked chicken *
1 cup green chile enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
7 ounces diced green chiles 1 large or 2 small cans, drained and rinsed
½ cup diced yellow onion optional
10 medium flour tortillas

For the Cheese Sauce:

2 tablespoons salted butter ¼ stick
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8.5 ounces unsalted chicken broth
1 cup low fat sour cream room temperature
7 ounces diced green chiles 1 large or 2 small cans, drained and rinsed
1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped fresh cilantro optional, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, stir together the chicken, enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, 7 ounces green chiles, and onion.
3 cups shredded cooked chicken, 1 cup green chile enchilada sauce, 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, 7 ounces diced green chiles, ½ cup diced yellow onion
Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into each tortilla (fill down the center), and roll to close.
10 medium flour tortillas
Place in the baking dish, seam side down.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour until smooth.
2 tablespoons salted butter, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pour in the chicken broth and whisk to combine. Allow to simmer and thicken for 2-3 minutes.
8.5 ounces unsalted chicken broth
Slowly stir in the sour cream and remaining 7 ounces green chiles. You can temper the sour cream by stirring in a bit of the warm broth mixture, then stirring the whole thing back into the pot. This helps prevent curdling with low-fat sour cream.
1 cup low fat sour cream, 7 ounces diced green chiles
When bubbling, stir in 1 cup of cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Pour the cheese sauce over the enchiladas, fully covering. Top with the last remaining ½ cup cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned. Garnish with cilantro.
chopped fresh cilantro

Video

Notes

*For ease, you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken.

Tips:

This meal is already super hearty, but you can use canned white beans or black beans (drained and rinsed) for extra heartiness and texture.
Lightly warm the tortillas in the microwave or on the stovetop before filling so they’re pliable and less likely to crack.
I put 8 tortillas along the long side of the baking dish, then squeezed in the extra 2 along the side. You can also place the remaining 2 in a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
Low-fat sour cream works here, but it can curdle more easily, so make sure to bring it to room temperature first, then temper it over low heat, stirring constantly.
The white enchilada sauce should be thick and stretchy, but still pourable. If it's too thick to pour, you can thin it with a little extra chicken broth.
Serve on its own, with rice and beans, or with some greens.

Make-Ahead: Assemble the enchiladas and sauce separately, then combine just before baking to prevent the tortillas from soaking up too much liquid.

Storage:Store white chicken enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition