Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

These creamy chicken are loaded with tender chicken, and green chilies, wrapped in a soft tortilla and smothered in a creamy sauce and lots of melty cheese. It’s a comforting meal that the whole family will love.

I grew up eating these creamy chicken enchiladas for dinner at least once a month. In fact, they were one of my most requested meals of my mom, because I love their easy creamy sauce and flavors. They’re a total comfort food for me.

These easy chicken enchiladas are different than traditional enchiladas with a red enchilada sauce, but are a delicious creamy dish. They are great served up with your favorite sides; some tortilla chips, Mexican style rice, refried beans, avocado salad, grilled corn, etc.

If you are or were Mormon you might have grown up with some version of these creamy chicken enchiladas as well. Nate’s mom’s version adds in diced onions to the filling, and my mom’s has diced green chiles. I’m going with my mom’s version to share with you, but will add some easy substitution ideas for you down below. However you make it, this creamy chicken enchilada recipe is sure to be a hit! 

These creamy green chile chicken enchiladas are a mouthwatering dish that has a velvety texture, delicious flavor and are extra tasty topped with fresh cilantro, sour cream, diced tomatoes, or avocado for some extra fresh flavor and color.

Ingredients Needed: 

This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.

• cans of cream of chicken soup
• shredded chicken – this is a great way to use leftover chicken, or use rotisserie chicken
• diced green chiles
• salsa – pick your favorite
• sour cream
• salt
• chili powder 
• shredded cheese – pick your favorite, cheddar cheese, monterey jack cheese, etc. 
• soft tortillas – you can use flour tortillas or corn tortillas

How to make Creamy Chicken Enchiladas?

1. Add the cream of chicken soup, salsa, sour cream, green chiles, salt, chili powder and 1 cup of the cheese to a medium or large bowl and stir it all together. Separate about 1 cup of the mixture, and set it aside, and add chicken to the rest of the mixture.
2. Lay our a tortilla and scoop about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll it up and place it into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Repeat with the additional tortillas and chicken filling. 
3. Spread the remaining 1 cup of the sauce on top of the tortillas. Then sprinkle with the remaining cheese. 
4. Bake for 30 minutes until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted on top. Let them sit for about 10 minutes, then serve the enchiladas warm with your favorite toppings. 

Tips and Tricks:

• You can cook your chicken for this recipe by roasting it in the oven and cooking for about 35-45 minutes. Boiling the chicken until cooked through. Grilling the chicken. Or you can use leftover chicken from another recipe you made earlier in the week, or grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
• I typically use flour tortillas for this recipe because they are softer and more pliable. If you want to use corn tortillas place 4 tortillas at a time on a microwave safe plate and cover them with a damp paper towel. Microwave them for 30 seconds.

Substitution Ideas:

• Dice up 1 medium onion and add it to your enchilada filling before stuffing the tortillas. 
• Instead of cream of chicken soup, try another creamy soup like nacho cheese soup, cheddar cheese soup, cream of potato soup, etc.
• If you want a little extra heat in your enchiladas try adding chopped jalapenos to the mixture instead of a can of green chiles (which are more of a mild heat).
• Add 4 oz of cream cheese to the sauce mixture to give these enchiladas an extra creamy boost.

How to store and reheat leftovers?

These enchiladas are great served as leftovers. Store them in an airtight container, or cover your baking pan tightly with plastic wrap and foil and they should stay good in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

You can reheat individual servings in the microwave in 30 second increments until they are hot throughout. Or you can put them in an oven safe dish in the oven at 300 F for about 20 minutes, or until heated throughout. 

If I know we won’t eat all the enchiladas sometimes I make two smaller 8×8 or 9×9 square pans of the enchiladas and cover one of those with plastic wrap and foil before baking them and freeze it for another time. 

You can let the frozen enchiladas thaw overnight in the fridge, or bake them an extra 15-20 minutes straight from frozen (just make sure to bake until they are cooked through).

These creamy white chicken enchiladas are such a great weeknight meal, because they are ready in less than 1 hour, with only minutes of prep, and the whole family will love them.