Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
If you haven’t had these green chile chicken enchiladas, you are missing out! The easy from-scratch white sauce makes them over the top!
If you haven’t made these creamy green chile chicken enchiladas, you have not lived.
Pinned over 50,000 times, there’s a reason they are so popular. They don’t just look good on Pinterest…they ARE good. Crazy good.
Homemade Creamy Sauce
What exactly are we doing with this homemade sauce?
We are basically making a homemade cream of chicken soup and bedazzling it with green enchilada sauce or salsa and bit of sour cream.
It’s thick, creamy and flavorful. You’re going to make it and set it aside.
Green Chile Enchilada Filling
The filling for these enchiladas consists of:
- cooked chicken
- green chiles
- cream cheese
- white or black beans
- cilantro
- fresh lime juice
Mash up all of that goodness into one glorious bowl of enchilada filling.
It.is.so.good.
How to Assemble Enchiladas
Flour or corn tortillas can be used for this recipe (both are delicious!). I use 6- or 8-inch tortillas. Whichever size I have hanging around.
Scoop about 1/2 cup filling onto each tortilla and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese.
Grease a 9X13-inch pan and spread a bit of the sauce on the bottom of the pan.
Roll each enchilada up and snuggle it in with the others. I cram 10-12 enchiladas into the pan, cover with sauce, sprinkle with cheese, and bake until bubbly-bubbly and golden.
White Sauce vs Red Sauce Enchiladas
These creamy white sauce enchiladas are glorious. And I firmly believe they have their place in the enchilada world, even though purists may claim that enchiladas only belong to the red sauce world.
My heart holds space for all enchiladas, no matter the sauce or the style.
But these creamy green chile chicken enchiladas are a huge favorite.
Make-Ahead and Freezable
Easy and delicious, the perfect combo for a weeknight meal, these enchiladas can be made ahead of time. Assembled in the pan, they can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen before baking.
Keep in mind that the tortillas (especially flour tortillas) will soften quite a bit more if making them ahead of time.
Adaptable Recipe
If you’ve made these in the past, be sure to check out the notes of the recipe below for some simple adaptations.
The enchiladas can be made:
- with flour or corn tortillas
- with white beans or black beans or without any beans at all
- with canned green chiles or with green enchilada sauce or salsa verde
After more than a decade, these creamy green chile chicken enchiladas are still one of my favorite meals ever.
What to Serve With This:
Mexican Rice
Fresh, seasonal fruit
Roasted broccoli or asparagus
Garnishes such as lime wedges, cilantro, sour cream, extra cheese, or cherry tomatoes
One Year Ago: Almond Joy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Two Years Ago: Cinnamon & Sugar Dusted Whole Grain Applesauce Muffins
Three Years Ago: Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Peppers {With a Slow Cooker Variation}
Four Years Ago: Smothered Sweet Pork Burritos
Five Years Ago: Peaches and Cream Sensation
Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
Filling:
- 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
- 2 cans (4-ounces each) green chiles, lightly drained (see note)
- 8-ounce package cream cheese, light or regular, softened and cubed
- 1 can (15-ounces) white or black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean you prefer here or leave them out)
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup chopped onion, about 1/2 medium onion
- 2 tablespoons flour
- ⅓ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup green chile enchilada sauce or salsa verde (see note for homemade version)
- ½ cup sour cream, light or regular
Assembly:
- 8 ounces (about 2 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 10 soft taco size flour or corn tortillas
- Handful of chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken, beans, cilantro and lime juice. Mix to combine. Set aside.
- For the sauce: in a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth.
- Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.
- Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread 1/4 cup of the sauce in a thin layer on the bottom of the dish.
- Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas.
- Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I get about 10-12 enchiladas for this recipe; the exact number will depend on the size of tortillas).
- Pour the white sauce over the top of the enchiladas and spread evenly. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Recipe originally posted May 2010; updated with new pictures, recipe notes and commentary.
366 Comments on “Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas”
These were excellent!
Easy and delicious! Freezes well, too. I do double batches. Thank you, Mel
I made these last night for friends who came to dinner, and they were delicious! Everyone loved them. Our friends are gluten free, so I used corn tortillas (I layered them like lasagna instead of rolling them up because I’m very lazy). I also used white rice flour in place of the all purpose flour in the sauce. It was so yummy! Might them for another dinner party next weekend!
Going to make this tonight, but just curious…it says it makes 12 enchiladas, but ingredients say 10 flour or corn tortillas. Which is correct?
It really depends on how full you fill each tortilla, so it will make somewhere between 10-12.
I made this last night! OMG it was great! Half of the family is not fond of heat, I am not included in that group! Added a dash of heat to mine, everybody loved it !
Thank you Thank you Thank you
Could be the best chicken enchilada recipe I’ve ever made (and I’ve made a few), The sauce absolutely makes the dish. Will be putting this in my favorites file!
I’ve made these quite a few times, and recently I started using the listed homemade green enchilada sauce recipe instead of the salsa verde.
They were already delicious, but the homemade sauce takes it to a whole new level! I can’t make it any other way now! Seriously SO good!
This was a big hit with my family. Goes together quickly, the flavors are excellent plus there were leftovers for the next day. The only thing I changed was adding several splashes of Green Tabasco sauce as we like things a tad spicy. Really delicious
Tried this recipe last night and can’t wait for leftovers later today! The flavor was 5 + stars. I tweaked because of other reviews but nothing significant. I used 1 can chili’s and also 1/2 – 1 cup salsa verde to add moisture and only had corn tortillas (on the small side for enchiladas) so I layered them making a filling in the center also because corn tortillas don’t roll well for me. Will make again!
Everyone in the house LOVED these
How much milk in total do you use 1/4 c milk and 1/3 c chicken broth was not making sauce
Hi Glenda, I use 1/4 cup milk and 1/3 cup chicken broth. It makes a small amount of sauce but thins out a bit when you add the sour cream and green enchilada sauce
These are the most delicious chicken enchiladas that I have ever eaten.
Make them and I promise you will not be disappointed!
Only disappointed when they are gone.
The BEST chicken enchilada recipe! I made these for a dinner party and everyone raved! They are delicious and tender! My friend is a chef and she had to have the recipe! I am making these again today for my adult son and friends for a dinner party and I know they will love these. I served with cilantro, mexican rice.
These are a family favorite and I make them quite frequently. I do leave out the beans and we use the green chili enchilada sauce.
I made these last night and my husband thought they were takeout from our favorite Mexican restaurant! They were amazing. I followed the recipe almost to a T. The only thing I did differently is use both cans of green chili and added a little of the enchilada sauce as well, maybe 2 ounces. All in all it was amazing and is moving to a recipe card with your name on it to use a million times over! Thanks for the great recipe!
So first off there are two types of enchiladas. The kind where the tortillas stay together and are firm is one kind. This kind is more of a smothered enchilada recipe. The tortillas will be gooey and it’s more like a casserole than regular tortillas.
If it’s too creamy consider using half the cream cheese for this. Smothered enchiladas do require the filling to be similar to the sauce or the different textures taste off.
I do modify this recipe quite a bit. I don’t use green chilies. I use nopalitos (cactus). They are tender and perfect for enchiladas without as much heat. I don’t use the beans but I do add fajita style onions to the filling. I also use crema which is a Mexican sour cream. More authentic. I add a little cotija cheese too. I always forget to put the cheese in the enchiladas so I just pour it all on top. I have a deep love for cheese. I add cheddar too.
This recipe is a great recipe to start with and tweak however you want. I really like how versatile it is. The real gold in this is the sauce. Bechamel sauce is a great sauce for making creamy foods and the ratios are perfect.
I loved this, very easy to make! I would double the enchilada sauce next time but that’s just me!
This recipe is fantastic and I have been using it for years!!! I have recently tried it as a vegetarian dish — used 2 cans of white beans ( cannellini and/or great northern), and also 1 whole brick of original tempeh.
It is delicious!!!
I love the vegetarian version now!!
The flavors were good, but this was a gloppy mess. I made exactly as written. I would keep the sauce, but completely omit the cream cheese in the filling and add more seasoning to the chicken. (I liberally added cumin, chile powder, onion powder, and garlic powder prior to cooking the chicken.) There is plenty of creaminess going on without the cream cheese. Definitely use corn tortillas- flour tortillas have no business being in an enchilada, anyway! Even if you don’t like corn tortilla tacos, they will soften considerably in the cooking process. If I had used flour tortillas for this, it wouldn’t have been edible.
I used flour tortillas and the enchiladas turned out amazing. No gloppy mess at all! Guess it’s just a matter of opinion 🙂
no issues with flour tortillas for me, corn tortillas are just not good. love this recipe
I’ve used floor tortillas multiple times and they turn out great.
I enjoyed making this recipe! Used green chiles instead of salsa verde. The gravy came out perfect! Thanks for your tips on this..cooking as we speak!
How much milk or broth did you use the 1/3 and 1/4 wasn’t making sauce Did I misread something
I make these frequently and everybody loves them! One time I went to make them I realized I didn’t have any cream cheese so I added extra monterey jack and several tablespoons of mayonnaise and they turned out fine. The mayonnaise added moisture to the recipe.
As someone else asked, the cook temp in the written recipe and the cook temp in the attached video on this page for the recipe don’t match. The written states 375 and the video states 450. Would you mind verifying which is correct? Thanks so much!
Sorry about the discrepancy – The written recipe is correct (375 degrees).
This has fast become a family favorite! Easy enough for a weeknight meal.
Made this tonight. Followed directions precisely as written. Not sure where I went wrong? Mine turned out very soggy. It was so bad that we tossed the entire batch in the garbage afterwards. I am not blaming the creator….I just don’t have a clue what went wrong ? Oh well, there’s no fixing it….. when it becomes soggy the way mine was it almost made us cry because there were so many wasted ingredients.
Hi Nancy – what type of tortillas did you use?
Did you drain your beans?
Going to make these and a few other mexican dishes for 30 people. Did I miss where it said how many it feeds? Trying to figure out double, or tripling the recipe!
Hi Sheri, this dish serves about 6
These are fantastic. Very great combination of ingredients and flavors. Very tasty, very creamy.
Mel…..these are delicious. Made them with pinto beans I had on hand. Delish!! Another winner. Had some leftovers…..had them yesterday……just as good as leftovers as they were the first time around!!!!
This is one of my favorite “go-to” meals of yours when I want to impress company! So stinkin delicious!!
Do you think turkey would work for this recipe?
Yes!
Delicious. Just made them for dinner tonight. Made everything from scratch. Well worth it. I had the exact amount that you had. Thank you so much.
These are so so good!!!!
Making again for sure
My husband loves enchiladas. I do not. After making these enchiladas though, I think I may have converted! Thanks for a new recipe! I didn’t have any lime juice, so I threw in some hummus. It was amazing!!!
Made this last week to rave reviews and again this week by popular request. Seriously delish.
This was absolutely delicious! I made this yesterday afternoon and immediately took some to share with my friends. I used a 7 oz can of medium heat green chilis for the filling and another 7 oz can in the sauce because I did not have any green enchilada sauce. The sauce was far too thick so once I had followed the directions to finish the sauce, I added more chicken broth to bring it to the right consistency and to have enough to cover all of the enchiladas (there was enough filling for 10 generously filled enchiladas). I used a Mexican cheese blend for both the filling and for the topping and I used more than what was specified in the recipe. I will definitely make this again. Great recipe and great way to use up most of a frozen turkey breast that I had stashed in the freezer from the last turkey that I had roasted a few months ago.
Made these last night and they were delicious.
Thanks, Mel.
These enchiladas were so good! I will make them often!
I have made these several times. Very good! But does anyone know what the approximate calorie count is?
Is cook time 375F or 450F ? Written recipe states 375F but video states 450F for 35 minutes. Thanks for the update.
Hi Lina, I think you may have been watching a different video? I just checked and both the video for these enchiladas and the recipe state 375. Hope that helps!
Your video attached does say to cook at 450° for 25-30 mins.
About to try this recipe with the homemade green sauce! I usually make enchiladas with red sauce as a staple, but I’m curious to expand! I’m going to try using ricotta instead of cream cheese since that’s what I have on hand! We’ll see!
These enchiladas were excellent, so tasty, creamy & delish!
! I have been making your recipes for a couple of years but haven’t commented. Every one of the recipes is amazing. You have never let me down. Thanks for all you do to give us the best!!!
Thank you so much!
These were absolutely delicious! I dont know what took me so long to make them! Will absolutely make these again! Thanks Mel!!
Mel – Once again you post another absolute winner. A well-received recipe from the whole family. Added to the rotation for occasional since it’s a little dairy-heavy. Easily converted to vegetarian with “replacement” soy “chicken” alternative (used Delight Soy but I can see Gardein and Morningstar chicken replacements working perfectly fine).
Thanks for another excellent recipe.
Thanks so much, Jason!
I made these last night and they were very tasty, but a good bit of work. For me, they made a lot more enchiladas than suggested – I ended up with enough filling for 18 even without the beans. I also agree that they’re fairly rich. I wonder if they wouldn’t be just as good with just the green enchilada sauce, instead of the white. Your recipe for the green sauce was yummy. I did not need to double up on the sauce, by the way.
Thank you for this recipe. It has a great combination of convenience and home made flavor. Creamy and a nice heat. I added fresh cut tomatoes in serving. Excellent!
Just made these for dinner last night. They did not disappoint! So creamy and delicious! I absolutely love your recipes!
Thank you so much, Stacie!
Excellent dish, the sauce especially rocked. I’ve made so many types of recipes over the years which were okay, but this was exceptional. I recommend doubling on the sauce recipe so the enchiladas don’t dry out when baking. Fantastic recipe, thank you for sharing. I’d recommend it to anyone.
I love the flavor of the sauce and I made the salsa Verde from your recipe and it was so good mixed in to the sauce with sour cream.
Made this recipe on the spot for my nieces. with variation.. which the recipe allowed. Thank you. How are such a good cook? Don’t know. I guess I read recipes.
I made these with jalapeño cream cheese, gave it a nice kick. Also I leave out the beans, instead I add roasted bell peppers. I make a whole chicken in the insta-pot and it comes out perfect. This is my families favorite way of having enchiladas!! Thanks for the recipe!!
I haven’t made the enchiladas yet but I Can’t wait to too. I love sour cream
enchiladas and these look so-o good. Thanks.
Delicious! I actually made them as a layered casserole in a 9×9 pan with corn tortillas (stacked up like a lasagna) and was extremely happy with how they came out!
I made these last night. I made them with corn tortillas, which was a perfect compliment to the other flavors. The recipe made almost 60% more filling than I could fit into the ten enchiladas I got into the pan. No regrets, though. I am happy for leftovers. These were the best enchiladas I have ever made. Of course, they were the first enchiladas I have ever made as well, but they were also the best enchiladas I have ever eaten. Thank you for a great recipe. It will stay in my family for many years to come.
Scrumptious! I’ve never been a fan of red sauce enchiladas but the delicious, slightly sweet, tangy, creamy flavor of this dish’s sauce is mouthwatering! Paired with the melt-in-your-mouth chile-chicken-cream cheese filling OMG, y’all got me licking the plate! Definitely recommend with corn tortillas, as flour would get soggy.
Thank you!
These were pretty good but not really my usual taste. For the effort that goes into making them, they aren’t worth it to me. That being said, my wife loves these and has them about once a month. They are very much worth my effort in her opinion, lol. She especially enjoys the green enchilada sauce. The only change we make is that we bake our chicken rather than rotisserie.
I made these delicious enchiladas. I added drained black beans & a little chili powder & cumin to my chicken mixture. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
Im coming right back here for more!
I am going to try this this week! Looks sooooo good! I also love your white baking dish. Where did you get it? I need a new one and I really love yours!
I got it from Amazon! I don’t think the exact one is still available but there are a lot of similar ones if you search there. 🙂
Way too much filling. I left the chicken out and used more beans, but still too much. I used corn tortillas filled to the gills. Also would definitely double the sauce and leave out the milk ( just use broth), since you add sour cream. Haven’t tasted yet, but looks great!
I recommend using Trader Joe’s hatch Chile salsa for the sauce. Perfect. Adds extra spice.
My family loved it! Added a little more sour cream to our own taste.
Mel, I love your recipes but this one didn’t work for me. Followed to a t except I didn’t add the beans. Baked at 375 for 40 minutes. The tortillas were soggy and the flavor was just a lot of spice and not much else. I wish I could have liked it more.
My friend made these for a freezer meal swap and I’m so excited to try them for my family/a family who needs a meal. One thing I didn’t see in the ingredients list were tortillas…..or am I crazy?
They are under the section titled “assembly” 🙂
The best, I added the broth from the breast cooking and used pepper jack cheese.
We love Mexican dishes! I made it! I must say that I rarely follow a recipe exactly, so as I usually do, I tweaked it just a bit by adding corn instead of beans and I also added sautéed onion, bell pepper and a variety of chunked cherry tomatoes to my chicken mixture. I also added 3 teaspoons of jalapeños instead of the second can of green Chile’s. We like it with a little more bite. I added a little cumin and chili powder to my chicken mixture as well. It was absolutely delicious and I will make it again! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I saw the directions for freezing and baking the dish from the assembled stage, but I baked the dish first and then froze it. How long should I bake it to reheat it?
I’d probably thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat it for 30 minutes or so in the oven.
Can these be frozen? I want to have these for a dinner later this week, and I’d love to make it on Sunday when I have more time.
Never mind, just reread the note! Thanks for the great recipe!
I made these for a party this past Christmas and they were a huge hit !!
I doubled the recipe and added jalapenos as well…making again today for dinner.
UNBELIEVABLE! Hands down the best Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas ever! I’ll never stop making and sharing these! I omitted the beans because some family members don’t like beans….but I just wanted to say thank you for an amazing recipe. It’s a 11 out of 10 on the delicious scale!
I’ve made these 3x now! Very good. I suggest making a little extra sauce. I suse flour tortillas, and didnt need to heat or soften. I prefer flour! I suggest adding a little
Extra cilantro, lime, and maybe even jalapeno. I am a VERY mild on heat person, and love cream.. but these are missing just a little more flavor. So I’d add even more if you love more heat and spice! Made it with cooking the chicken stove top which was just fine. Kind of a pain the shred of course 🙂 Amazing recipe, will always make for the rest of my days!
Not sure why, but my previous post didn’t show up. Love these! A family favorite. I added ground sausage one time because I didn’t have chicken it gives it a little kick and is so yummy. I love it both ways! Thanks, Mel, for another amazing recipe!
OMG These were awesome! I will be making them again. I did make a few substitutions, didn’t have sour cream so used yogurt which I think added a little extra tang to the recipe, and only had pepper jack cheese. Next time I’m going to make more sauce to use for leftovers.
I love the idea of using yogurt! Yes it does add a little bit of tang to the recipe. I’m going to use yogurt the next time I make this.
Hi give this 5 stars because it was delicious. But, I do have one issue. Need to warm or soften up the tortillas before filling. If you don’t they are too stiff and will break. The tortillas should be soft and malleable. Otherwise, great recipe.
Hello,
I am interested in making this recipe for dinner but do not have tortillas. How would I modify it just for the filling and the sauce to bake it as essentially a no tortilla casserole?
Thank You,
Julia
I’m not sure – sorry! I’d probably just follow the recipe and omit the tortillas (and the rolling up step)
Use zucchini, yellow squash or eggplant sliced thin length wise then roll the filling in the veggies.
I do the same thing with my lasagna by substituting thinly sliced zucchini for the pasta. My husband is diabetic and can’t eat too much pasta.
Delicious!! I like easy so i make everything and then layer items like 2 layer lasagna. Makes a great potluck dish and cuts nicely. I’ve made the beef enchiladas in casserole form for my sons sports banquet and it goes quickly. I needed something new. Everyone loved it
First off, thank you Mel for sharing your recipe! It sounds scrumptious!!
Christina,
Would you share how you layered the ingredients to make it into a lasagna, and if you had to alter the amount called for, for any of the ingredients? I would appreciate it!
Not the original commenter, but I always make my enchiladas “lasagna style” I can fit so much more in a pan. I have a large, active family and if I’m going to go to the trouble of making enchiladas I want it to serve two meals. I normally double all ingredients and then layer in three layers in my largest casserole pan. So, layer of corn tortillas (We have a gluten allergy) 1/3 meat, sprinkle cheese, drizzle sauce, layer of tortillas repeat. Then on top the rest of sauce and cheese. This usually fills up pan and I can feed 6 people two delicious meals!
My husband is type 1 diabetic. I was able to make this recipe using egg wrap tortillas, heavy cream instead of milk and no beans. It came out to 12 carbs a serving and tasted wonderful
First off, these enchiladas are AMAZING! I love to make these when we have guests over and they are always a hit!! Also, I’ve never formally thanked you for your amazing recipes! I’m just a newlywed (2> years married) and your recipes are what helped me gain confidence and love for cooking! Thank you, Mel!
Thank you SO much, Stephanie!!
Delicious! Liked using the Hertz salsa verde with the sauce.
Have you tried to double this recipe by simply doubling all of the ingredients? I need to make ahead for a big crowd and didn’t know if someone has doubled it and just doubling ingredients worked? Sometimes it varies when doubling so I wanted to check!
Note: There will be 8 people eating.
Hi Julia, I noticed that you didn’t get a reply, so I’ll tell you what I have done. I made white rice using chicken broth as the liquid (you could add other seasonings if you like) and stir in a chopped seeded jalapeño and some cilantro. I layer the rice in a casserole dish. Stir the filling and sauce together and put it over the rice, and top with shredded cheese. You could also add cooked pasta and stir it all together before putting in the casserole dish and topping with cheese. I doubled the sauce. You could even triple it and it would be great.
Yes, I’ve doubled – works great!
I thought the sauce was fantastic. I bought a jar of meijers salsa verde and poured the entire thing into it. I would eat the sauce with tortilla chips alone . I wasn’t super impressed with the chicken filling… I also don’t like to spend money on a rotisserie chicken. Instead I used a six pack of boneless, skinless chicken thighs and put them in a slower cooker with a can of tomatoes with chilies, salt and pepper. I think next time I would add a spoonful or two of a better than bullion soup base (I use this in chicken tacos and it’s awesome). I love putting my meat in a slower cooker, especially as a mom with young ones. The meat is usually so tender. I beat the cream cheese together with the can of chilies and added the meat to that. I also used the beater to shred the chicken. It was super easy. I left out the cilantro and lime as I’m not a fan.
Yummy
I made these for supper last evening and they were a hit for the whole family! I made the homemade enchilada sauce and it was FAR superior to any store bought stuff! I could eat it just plain even! But it definitely made for more work! I was joking to my husband about the prep time being only 25 minutes and how for me the prep time would have to be at least tripled and he said “Well she probably didn’t include things like having to help the five year old clean up lego that he spilled on the kitchen floor before his 10 mo old sister could come along and start tasting it, among other interruptions!” How do you do it when cooking? Your children are a bit older than mine but what do you do when they are interrupting you and asking questions and having disagreements and begging for this or that and even just trying to converse with you when you’re needing to focus on what the next step in the cooking process is? Sometimes I just feel like pulling my hair out! Anyway I used a rotisserie chicken in this recipe and added one more cup of chicken to the meat mixture. I also used the fajita size flour tortillas and filled them with about a half cup of filling. It made 13-14 enchiladas. They did not all fit into one 9×13 pan so had to use a loaf pan for few of them. And then I served it with cooked corn and absolutely the BEST baked Mexican Rice that was ever created!
Well I definitely don’t think you are alone! It’s just been in the last few years that my dinner hour has settled down just a bit since my kids are a little older, but even now, it’s crazy! And sometimes I’m not able to get dinner on the table in the prescribed “prep” and “cook” times in my own recipes. Those are definitely written with ideal circumstances in mind and no toddlers in sight. 🙂 You are doing great, momma! It’s crazy, for sure, and I think people are surprised to find out that as much as I love food and cooking, I actually despise making dinner on most nights because schedules and life is so busy and the kids need so much of my attention (and gosh darn it, how come I don’t hear angels singing??) 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for a great recipe – it’s a keeper!
First, decent recipe…Just made this, and to be honest, I would recommend a few edits.
1× it’s really rich. Cut the amount cheese in half at least, use light sour cream to sub the missing portion, but only by a 1/4th. 2× it’s really mild. Like I’m not a omg I need spicy, but there is absolutely no heat to this. How I fixed it. In a small saucepan I combined over med. heat the following, the cheese that u were going to top it with, about 8-10 dashes of Louisiana, a little green tomatillo salsa, and a bit of sour cream along with some cayenne and lime juice. I spread the cheese mixture over the top to give it a little kick while still being able to give that pretty browned cheese crunch…just my 2 cents…
These were delicious. I made 12 with corn tortillas. I used gluten free flour, which worked perfectly.. I used a rotisserie chicken. I try a lot of chicken enchiladas, I think these are my favorite. I wish I had noticed they freeze well before baking, I would have frozen half—but we have lots of good leftovers. Definitely make this recipe.
In which Universe are these ENCHILADAS? ROTISSERIE CHICKEN? CREAM CHEESE? FLOUR TORTILLAS? WHITE BEANS? STUFFED WITH BEANS? LMAO
Seriously, I can’t believe you really think these are “Enchiladas.”
Best enchiladas ever! Enchiladas enchiladas enchiladas. Let’s sing it.
Hahahahaha
There is really no need to be such a screamy bitch about. No one is claiming these are *authentic* enchiladas. If you aren’t interested in the recipe, don’t make it. And take your negativity elsewhere.
I made this last night for supper and we loved it. I used lower fat cream cheese and sour cream, and cannellini beans. I will definitely make this again in the future and may try it with corn tortillas instead of flour next time. Great recipe!
Made this today and it was wonderful!! It was a little time consuming, so I did use the rotisserie chicken and canned green enchilada sauce. I used the white beans( what a wonderful addition!!!) Next time I will take the extra time and make your enchilada sauce. Can’t wait to eat the left overs! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
I couldn’t find my recipe that I really liked for chicken enchiladas. I’ve had it for 20 years. I knew the ingredients it had and wanted the same style. THIS RECIPE is the best! It took my old one up several notches! DELICIOUS!
This recipe is fantastic! I served this to dinner guests recently and they raved about this dish! Will definitely make this again soon!
This was so delicious! I made it for weekend guests and they just raved about it!
Wonderful. I got about 12 enchiladas out of this recipe. I used the taco size flour tortillas. Like another did, I also mixed in some of the Monterey Jack cheese with the filling mixture, only because I am a lazy cook and I like my cheese uniformly melted throughout the enchilada. I also made the sauce in my Vitamix, also because I am a lazy cook, and it turned out super-speedy delicious. I briefly heated the sauce afterward in a saucepan to thicken it and whisked in the sour cream cream at the end. So if anyone likes a smooth and creamy sauce, that worked very well.
I’ve made this recipe several times now and because everyone loves it, I make a double batch. I simplified the assembly by just mixing all the grated cheese (except the 1/2 cup set aside for the top) into the filling mixture. It still works out to about a 1/2 cup per tortilla.
Yay! Glad to hear it, Leesa!
So, these are a bit different than the honey lime ones, right? I have been making the honey lime ones for quite a while and we love them, just wondering if this is a simpler version or something totally different. Thanks 🙂
Yes, these are pretty different than the honey lime enchiladas…I think of the two, the honey lime enchiladas are a simpler recipe.
Ridiculously good. I made double to freeze another batch for later. The whole family loved them, even my picky 6 year old. I made Mel’s Calico Baked Beans in the crock pot to go with them. These are definitely going in the rotation!
I normally don’t post comments, but these were amazing! I had some roasted Hatch Chiles I wanted to use up so I used those to make your green enchilada sauce to go with it. Instead of sour cream I used plain Greek yogurt. Absolutely delicious – I can’t wait to make these again!!!
Glad you loved them, Debra!
These enchliladas are out of this world and I haven’t even baked them. Licking the spoon tells me all I need to know. THANKS.
This recipe is 100% reliable. I use it every time I am taking a meal to a family after a baby (or similar). Everyone always wants the recipe and tells me it was delicious.
Thanks, Brittany!
Do you have the nutritional information for this recipe, for macro counters?
I don’t – sorry!
Have you ever used the insta pot smoky honey cilantro chicken to make these enchiladas? I’m thinking of trying it out for Father’s Day and was wondering if you thought this would work or if you’d modify this recipe at all when using that chicken?
No, but I bet that would be delicious!
All I can say is YUMMY! This is one you will want to try. I made mine with canned mild green Chile’s and black beans. I used a rotisserie chicken to save time.
Mel, I served these enchiladas for a dinner party last night and everyone loved them. Thanks for a great recipe. My question is, I have enough left over for another meal. Do you think I could freeze them and reheat to serve again, even though already baked? Thank you.
Yes! I definitely think you could do that. The tortillas might be a bit softer, but the flavor should still be spot on.
I love this recipe! Second time making it
This one is one of my favorites!
Yummy! The best and creamiest chicken enchiladas I have ever made.
Thanks, cute Rachel!
I’ve never commented before, but these days any new recipes I try are almost exclusively yours! Last night we had these and they were such a hit that my husband automatically assumed, “These are from Mel, aren’t they?” You have a good reputation around our dinner table. ^_^
Yay!!
These were so good that one of my children literally cried at the table.
Haha, I know this probably wasn’t meant to make me laugh, but it did (in a good way).
I’ve made these several times as written and love them! Yesterday, I made a small batch (just me) and made some drastic variations which turned out surprisingly well – for me, anyway 🙂
I used blanched collard greens in place of tortillas. For the sauce, I whisked some sour cream into salsa verde and skipped the roux-chicken broth part. No changes to filling – I used mayocoba beans. As I said, I was a bit surprised at how much I liked this variation. Much as I love tortillas, the collard greens with the filling and sauce were very good!
Not sure how collards would fly with kids…
I love that, Liz! I might have to try it, too (love the easier sauce as well).
Mel – Question . . . Video says bake at 450 . . . That does not match the recipe
Sorry about that! Bake per recipe directions at 375.
My family loved this ! A simple recipe that tastes delicious! I will. make this often.
No flavor? I have a bad cold and these still have flavor. I loved them. The only thing I would change since I did herdez salsa verde is subtract pepper since I still have little kids sensitive to spice. Okay I’m one of them, haha. Thanks for the deliciousness, Mel!
In what universe does this only take 15 minutes to prep? It took me at least that long just to cut the meat off the rotisserie chicken. I swear it took me about an hour to get this dish ready to go in the oven, (I made my husband come in and put the chicken mixture on the tortillas and roll them up —- he is much better at this skill than I) then the wait for it to cook added 25 more minutes. With all that effort, I expected much more flavor. My 16 year old son only ate half of his. He is usually much more excited about Mexican meals I have made in the past.
Hey Marisa – I agree that the prep time is a bit short (I just increased it to 25 minutes; I think there was a typo). However, I don’t include taking the chicken off the rotisserie bones as part of the prep time since it is just a suggestion in the recipe. The prep time includes using already cooked, shredded chicken. Hope that helps.
Awesome recipe! Hubby loved it. I made a few changes though. We like to feel the HEAT so I added some crushed red pepper and, instead of salsa verde, I used our homemade salsa which has more-than-usual jalapenos in it.
YUMMO! Keep the awesome recipes coming!!!
I consider myself a super cook.. 3 kids under age 5 and I find myself saying to my 5 year old “Just get used to burnt food, honey. It’s part of our reality.”
But these, thank the Lord, I can handle. They always hit the spot and take no time at all!! I’m making them for our Friendsgiving get together tonight as the main dish and I ain’t even scurred. (Usually cooking for friends is nerve wracking).
So kudos from a novice level cook!
Haha…you are cute, Ginny! Happy Friendsgiving!
I’m serving the enchiladas for a ladies luncheon at Christmas. What do you suggest I serve with it?
I think it’s delicious with cilantro lime rice (https://www.melskitchencafe.com/cilantro-lime-rice/), maybe this Mexican corn and tomato salad (https://www.melskitchencafe.com/mexican-tomato-and-corn-salad/) and maybe cornbread (https://www.melskitchencafe.com/the-cornbread-and-fluffy-honey-butter/)?
Yummy! I didn’t have the enchilada sauce on hand so I used a jar of homeade salsa and it worked great! Lots of flavor and creamy! The kids got out a bag of chips and started eating it with chips! So thankful my sister pointed me to your blog a couple years ago! We use it almost daily for our meals! Thanks so much!!!
Thanks, Gwen!
The sauce is awesome, but I didn’t care for the filling. Next time I will leave out the cream cheese and maybe use corn tortillas.
I never post comments about recipes, but I just had to with this one. It is by far THE BEST enchilada recipe I’ve tried and I’ve tried them all! What amazing flavor! I used salsa verde from Trader Joes in place of the chilis and enchilada sauce. I double the sauce and it was perfect. So incredibly yummy! I made extra filling and froze them for later. Now all I’ll have to do is whip up the sauce and dinner will be ready. Hubby LOVED them! Thanks a million!
Thanks for the review, Heather!
Simple enough recipe but loads of flavor! Even my real picky eaters loved this. “Mom, why don’t you make this more often?” This will be in our rotation for sure! Or great for those times when you need to bring a meal to someone. Just double the recipe – and really impress with this meal 🙂
Thank you so much, Betsey! It really means a lot that you would take the time to comment and let me know!
I forgot the salt and pepper so they turned out a bit bland. It isn’t included in the directions. When do you add it?
Sorry about that, April! I add it with the milk and broth or right after – it really can be added anytime while making the sauce.
I will be trying them again!
I like the recipe, but sauce was not near enough. Frustrating to have to stop in the middle and make more sauce, will know to double it next time. Turned out very well, my guys loved it.
My family loved these enchiladas! Great chile lime taste!
Made this recipe for my husband, and he loves it! Thank you it is wonderful.
I made these for dinner last night and they were EXCELLENT! I had my parents over for dinner. The absolutely loved them and said they are the best enchiladas they have ever had. They even called this morning to thank me again for such a delicious meal! Thank you for yet another fabulous recipe! I have an 8 month old baby who doesn’t like baby food anymore. He was devouring these (the filling). We couldn’t feed him fast enough. If only some of my other kids had that same appreciation for great food… 😉
So happy to hear that, Laurel!
Excellent, especially when made using the sauce recipe you provide. At the end of cooking I did a drizzle of sour cream over the top of the enchiladas. Thanks for the great recipe.
I made these for dinner tonight and they were *delicious*. I used salsa verde instead of the canned green chiles but other than that everything was as per your recipe. Seriously, yum! These are now on my make-it-again list
Thank you Mel for this wonderful recipe! My husband and I thought it was wonderful. Love the fact that it isn’t too saucy but oh so flavorful! I made your Green Enchilada Sauce as well – so great!
Made this for the first time this weekend, and they were a big hit! My hubby was beside himself with the deliciousness of these enchiladas 🙂 Will definitely make them again.
Love these!
Today I made a double batch of these for a friend’s family and my own. They are delicious! Thanks for the make-ahead instructions. It’s so helpful to have meals I can make and deliver in the morning when I’m bringing someone dinner. Trying to get a dinner made and delivered after my kids are home from school is very stressful!
My goodness was this delicious! I could have eaten the sauce plain with a spoon (I may have shamelessly cleaned out the edges of the pan with my finger). My whole family also loved it, which is rare for Mexican inspired food. My four year old asked me if I could make it again after two bites. I’m sure it will become a fixture in our meal rotation.
I also wanted to take a minute to thank you for putting your time and effort into maintaining this blog. You’re my go to stop for new dinner ideas as you’re one of the few blogs I’ve found with recipes that suit my family’s taste preferences and my cooking style. Almost every recipe I’ve tried has been a winner. I also appreciate that I don’t have to double/triple the recipes to feed my growing family of six. God bless.
Thanks for such a heartfelt comment, Shauna! Made my day!
These are really good. They got 3 thumbs up. However your beef enchiladas have the lead for the best Mexican meal with these being a close second.
Yeah, those beef ones are pretty stellar. 🙂
Wow!! These were dinner last night and they were a HIT!!! I have a few picky eaters, and they all devoured these and raved about them!! I like saucy but didn’t see your note about possibly doubling the sauce until they were already in the oven, and I thought they had a great amount of sauce as you have it! Thank you so much for another delicious meal to add in our home!!!
Thanks for the review, Nicole – so glad you loved them!
these are excellent! i added chopped jalapeños to the filling for some kick.
Thanks, Jill! Glad you liked them!
I made these last night. They were so good – perhaps even my favorite enchilada! And the best part – they were so easy to make!
Glad to hear it, Summer!
Wow! I was just looking up this recipe to make again, because my family loved it. Here it is on the home page. Great timing and confirmation that my memory served me well about how good they were. Thank you!!
How strong is the cilantro flavor? Could you leave it out? My husband absolutely will not eat anything with cilantro in it!
Yes, you can definitely leave it out.
Do you think I could sub in tofu for the chicken? Maybe if I press it then shred it? Or perhaps bake it off a little to dry it out? Suggestions?
Thank you so much!!
My husband also won’t eat cilantro (he thinks it tastes like soap). I substitute 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander. It gives back some of the flavor complexity since it’s the same plant but he likes the flavor.
This looks exceptional
What size (diameter) tortillas do you usually use? When I look at the tortilla aisle at WalMart or Publix I see all sorts of different sizes — when I make a recipe the first time I try to replicate what you (or any writer) wrote before I add my own tweaks (if any). Thank you
It depends if I’m using flour or corn, but I’d say about 6-8 inches in diameter.
I’ve been making your recipe for chicken enchiladas for years! It is hands down my husband’s favorite dinner – He always requests it for his birthday!
With the make-ahead option these sound like they’d be perfect for a casual dinner party (the only kind I ever have!) with friends or family.
Mel, you never disappoint. There is no one that compares to the consistency of good recipes like you do. Thanks for sharing your goodness.
Oh my goodness, Kara – you are so sweet! Thank you!
I eat the leftovers of these for breakfast, microwaved, days later and they’re just as delicious. Ok, maybe it’s a little later than breakfast and on a paper plate, but I dream of them.
I made this several months ago and froZe it. We just ate it over this past week and it was still delicious!
My daughters made this together while I was gone last night. They made 4 batches and it was fabulous! Mmmmmm. So yummy!
I’ve made this recipe many times, and it’s always a big hit! Great for a take-in meal and just downright delicious! The sauce is amazing! Thanks, Mel!!
Yes! Perfect take-in meal!
This is a family favorite for us; I’ve been making them for years! Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
Thanks, Stephanie!
Just made these last night, so funny to see them today! Totally delicious!
Haha, great timing!
Makes these all the time! I love Love Love love them! Thanks again for a wonderful family and kid friendly recipe.
Thanks, Jenny!
These look amazing and I can’t wait to try them! Just a quick note, in your introduction paragraph, you say “I first posted this recipe waaay back when in 2017,” instead of 2010.
I love all your recipes and am pretty sure this one will be added to my “must print off” list (which is crazy long after 8 years of following your blog!)
Ha…thanks for the catch. Will fix. 🙂
I made these last night (and have made them many times)! They are delicious, and I am not usually an enchilada fan. Once you’ve made them a couple times and know what’s next in the recipe, they come together pretty quickly. So delicious!
That’s so true, Beth – they really do come together pretty quickly – glad you love them (and thanks for leaving a rating!).
Just bought the ingredients to make these again tonight. My son and his friends LOVE these- I never can make enough! I have said it before- your recipes are the best!!!
Thanks, Martha – you are so sweet!
I Love These !! And made them Yesterday!!! Amazing!!
Thanks, Helen (and thanks for leaving a rating!).
LOVE this recipe! Love everything about the taste, texture and the smiles I see from my family when I say this is what I am cooking for dinner. This is also a dish that is a wonderful take-in meal. Thanks, Mel, for all of your incredibly dedicated work you do in keeping this blog going!
Wondering what tortillas you used here?!? I’ve made your tortillas and I love them but I’m looking for some decent pre-made ones when I don’t have time. So many from the store are gross! Have you tried using the tortillas from Costco that need to be cooked first? I love those also, just worried they would become too soggy.
Hi Kattie – yes, I love the cook-your-own tortillas and have used those. There are also a few brands I love from Trader Joe’s that I pick up when I get down there.
Which do you personally prefer for this recipe, corn or flour tortillas?
Which do you personally prefer for this recipe, corn or flour tortillas? Looks like Mel uses flour.
Oh my! Just make these creamy chicken enchiladas without the beans and they are awesome! Thank you. Mel, for your great recipes and this site. I don’t cook often but when I do I will be sure to get out more recipes 🙂
Girl. These are the bomb. LOVE them. One of our new ‘go to’ recipes. Seriously, we are in Austin and these are better than most Mexican/Tex Mex restaurants. THANK YOU!
At the grocery store getting ingredients for this, my boyfriend asks, “Is this from your friend Mel?” After my affirmative response, he says, “she’s been good to us.” I must agree. Everything I’ve made from your website has been great! Thanks for making dinners a lot easier for me. My boyfriend is quite impressed.
We are on a “first name” basis with Mel at my house too, Lauren. When I make one of her recipes, it gets Mels’s added to the name. Mel’s potatoes, Mel’s soup and now Mels chicken enchiladas are replacing Robin’s enchiladas (the cream soup version).
Thanks Mel!
That made me smile!
I have friends who don’t like onions. I love this recipe, so I was wondering if there was a way to make the sauce without onions. Yes? No?
Sure. Try onion powder in place of the onions.
I was so excited when you brought up the update of this recipe… I seriously can’t believe I had somehow missed it!! I was once in the camp of the white chicken enchilada that included the cream soup, and it was truly one of my favorite recipes. About 4 years ago I completely stopped buying “cream of ” soups and I nearly forgot about my white chicken enchilada recipe… When I saw this I knew it would be amazing… and that white chicken enchilada’s were going to come back into my life….. Tonight they did… when I made and loved this recipe!! Thanks again Mel.. for always having my back!!
Yay, so glad you loved this one, Helen.
These are very good! It gave me 10 filled enchiladas. 🙂
Unfortunately, I am not a cream cheese fan, especially in savory dishes. Is there anything I can sub for that in the filling that would produce a similar result?
You could just leave out the cream cheese for the filling, Stefani.
Just use a sprinkle of any of the white cheeses.
Use a sprinkle of any white cheese.
This post reminded me again how much I love this dish. So so so good, I agree. Putting it on next week’s menu!!
I am cooking them now, and they should be delicious. I did use home made green sauce and I preferred the sauce before the sour cream but that is just personnel taste.
Thanks so much!
I don’t mean to be rude, but these are not enchilada recipes at all. Call them something else, your appropriating a food from a different culture. Maybe a caserole of some kind?
I am deeply sorry you feel this way. But before you assume I somehow agree with your position, you should know that my apology is not directed to you. It is directed to Mel’s Kitchen Café on your behalf, as well as society as a whole. I typically roll my eyes and then roll past comments like yours, optimistic that the comments are failed attempts at tongue-in-cheek, but you caught me on a bad week. From what we’ve seen transpire in the news over the last few days, it’s clear that we all need to do better at standing up to ignorance – no matter how petty – and declare that Enough. Is. Enough.
To say that this rift on an Americanized enchilada recipe is a “misappropriation of culture” is itself culturally inappropriate and absolutely counter-productive to our country’s dialogue. Your attempt at political correctness is actually incorrect and does not fuel the message of peace and tolerance that I’m sure you wear on your coat sleeve but clearly not in your brain or in your heart.
The liberal arts (and I’ll lump food into this category) have historically been one of the greatest forces for breaking down barriers and building greater tolerance, peace and cultural appreciation. They give us a way to feel, hear and taste the threads that weave the fabric of other cultures in ways we could not otherwise do. They build understanding, and when we understand one another, we tend to stand with one another instead of against each other.
The vast majority of American cuisine is actually an appropriation of other cultures’ foods. This is where I think you’ve been confused, or deceived by the tricky and often misapplied concept of political correctness. Appropriation is the legitimate borrowing and/or interpretation of something else. Misappropriation is the evil cousin, and is the theft of something with malicious intent. While you may find creamy enchiladas or green chilies personally offensive, the use of them in this recipe is nowhere near malicious. This recipe is not the horrible “black-face” of food or nowhere near it. It is a well-intentioned interpretation of a culturally iconic food – of which there are literally thousands upon thousands scattered across the Internet. This business of “intent” is where I’m getting steamed (and I apologize if the word “steamed” is a misappropriation of other cultures – since I’m American, I suppose I should say that it is getting me fried). The intent of this recipe was to share an innocent and appropriate interpretation of an enchilada, but the intent of your post was to incite sentiments and impugn the completely non-malicious intentions of this public and free blog.
So, before you cast further stones from under the bridge, cave or prison I can only assume you have placed your cultural consciousness, I ask that you seriously reconsider accusatory language that provokes rather than informs. Otherwise, to be intellectually honest, you will need to spend every second of the next decade commenting on every pasta recipe, every pizza recipe, every Americ-asian recipe, and every other Americ-ethnic recipe on every blog and website on the Internet. Because all of those, using your logic, would be misappropriations of culture if you compared the American version to the native equivalent.
America is the great cultural melting pot. But it isn’t the only one. You will find melting pots all across the world. Fortunately, ours happens to have a tremendous number of freedoms including those of speech and opinion of which you have chosen to exercise no matter how misinformed they may be. In each melting pot people incorporate and interpret cuisines of other cultures. This pays homage to the original versions, and like all copying, is a form of flattery.
Do I believe the Confederate Flag should be removed by every state government that uses it? Absolutely, but not because it is a misappropriation of culture. Instead, to many people, it is an offensive reminder of dark parts of American culture. Do I believe Miley Cyrus should stop twerking? Yes, because it disgusts me, but not because it is an improper misappropriation of black culture. Do I believe that Mel should stop posting Americanized versions of enchiladas, tacos, pizzas, lasagnas, curries, etc.? Of course not – that’d be absurd. But if I did, I wouldn’t try and change her mind. I’d find somewhere else to find my recipes.
So, in conclusion, I apologize again for your misappropriation of political/cultural correctness. I apologize that some people feel the need to stir the melting pot too vigorously. I apologize that you felt the need to say something out of place and out of line. And I’m sorry if you do not like me apologizing on your behalf. However, since you feel deputized to police the Internet for cultural violations and speak on behalf of others, my apology on yours should be welcome.
Mel – I really am sorry for turning your cooking blog into a cultural/political battleground, but I cannot keep my silence this morning. Perhaps it is because I was up ridiculously late last night making one of your delicious cupcake recipes and now I’m sleep deprived, insulin resistant and not thinking clearly. I’m sure you never thought when you posted a recipe for chicken fillings wrapped in a comforting tortilla blanket and coated with cream, cheese and chilies that you would provoke a cultural dialogue by placing the product in the category of “enchilada”!
I love this.
Best thing I have read in a long, long time! Thank you, Just Some Guy! You are my hero!!!
And Mel, I love your recipes…no matter what you call them! 🙂
Haha…thanks, Michele.
I’m so glad I stumbled upon this recipe! I made it tonight and it was delicious! The best enchiladas I’ve ever had.
Well said!!!
I’m sure that “Just Some Guy” will not necessarily respond to my reply three years on, but I can actually see Zeidy’s point to extent. I was born and raised in Albuquerque and certainly realize that the enchiladas I’ve always eaten are themselves a regional spin. That said, I’ve eaten enchiladas all over the country and I must admit that I’ve never encountered cream cheese in enchilada filling. I’m not saying it’s wrong—I’ve just never heard of such. That said, this recipe *does* remind me of enchiladas Suizas, which do have a creamy sauce that incorporates milk or cream. I wonder how this recipe would turn out if one omitted the cream cheese from the filling, kept the sauce as is, and used some shredded queso fresco on top. (I also wonder whether corn tortillas would hold up better in this recipe.)
I am definitely planning to make them sometime soon! I love tasty yet simple recipes!
These were so delicious Mel!! Even my 4-year-old and 2-year-old each ate a big plate of them. I made an extra pan to put in the freezer, and I’m so glad I did. I used Great Northern Beans, and I thought they were delish and also somewhat “camouflaged” in the cheese, haha. Thank you!
I made this for 2 different families and both requested the recipe within hours. Thanks for making me look good!
I can’t wait to try these! The make-ahead directions say to refrigerate 8-12 hours before baking. Is it okay to refrigerate for less time before baking (e.g. 2-3 hours)? Thanks!
Sure, that should work just fine!
I made this last night with my favorite green rice recipe. Everyone loved it. http://love2cooksweets.blogspot.com/2010/03/if-i-were-cookbook-designer-id-wear.html
My family LOVES this recipe. It is the most requested by my husband, and all four of my children inhale it. That says a lot!
This looks so good..I am wondering if it is spicy…I have to be careful because of this darned acid reflux.. grr . a little heat is ok just wondering..
Thanks..
No, these are not overly spicy, especially if using mild green chiles.
My son has a gluten intolerance but I adapt many of your recipes to fit our needs. I would have to make these with corn tortillas. The flour in this recipe appears to be for thickening the sauce. Could I substitute a corn,potato, or tapioca starch instead?
Yes, I definitely think you could, Sarah – I haven’t tried it but I just posted a homemade cream of chicken soup (similar to this recipe) and several people chimed in on the comments on how to make it gluten-free.
I use cornstarch in any recipe that calls for flour to thicken, and it always works just great!
I wanted to let you know that my sisters and I have been following your blog for a few years now and we have loved everything we have tried! I was having some guests over a few weeks ago and immediately ran to your blog and found these enchiladas. They raved over them, of course, so I mentioned your blog. Well, Elder Ethan Muller from Wisconsin says hello! He’s here serving in our ward in Roy, UT. Thank you for posting such wonderful recipes that helps me impress my guests!
This enchilada sauce is delicious! I used your recipe to make a vegetarian version, but into a casserole. My mixture was green chilis, black beans, corn and zucchini mixed with a little sour cream, onion powder, garlic powder and S&P. I layered that with the sauce, cheese and corn tortillas. So yummy! But the sauce is what brings it all together. I love your blog and because my husband is vegetarian I frequently use your recipes but tweak them so he can have them. Thanks for all the recipe inspiration!
Have these in the oven right now! I almost forgot to put the salt and pepper in though… I had them on the counter but as I was reading step 3 I didn’t see where to add the salt and pepper. I just added it at the end of step 3. Looking forward to trying them!
These were delicious and a huge hit! I think I might make them again tonight!! Lol. Thanks for the awesome recipe.
BTW commenters- I used shredded rotisserie chicken for these. A++
We had dinner at a popular Mexican restaurant here on Saturday night, and were incredibly disappointed with our enchiladas, despite rave reviews from family. I made these yesterday, Sunday, in hopes to erase the bad enchilada memory.
It didn’t erase the memory, only made me realize even more that we won’t be returning, as these were the best I’ve had in a long time.
Creamy. Enchilada-y. I can’t find the right word.
Nom Nom Nom. The sounds we were making as we were stuffing our faces…. there is no combination of letters to express the pleasure.
Do you think you could make this casserole-ish using corn tortillas and layering the ingredients?
Melissa – Totally worth a try, other people have commented that they used corn tortillas with good results.
@Melissa, there is no way to keep flour tortillas from getting soggy/doughy in an enchilada recipe. Traditionally enchiladas are made using corn tortillas which hold up much better to sauces and moisture…not to mention I think they taste WAY better. Try it…you’ll like it. Tip: wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and toss them in the microwave for a minute or (2) to soften them up before rolling…that way they won’t break or crack when you’re rolling them up.
Hi Melissa – my flour tortillas don’t get overly soggy but they definitely do soften up a bit. Many people (like Peggy’s comment) prefer corn tortillas but our family is definitely more fond of flour tortillas. If your flour tortillas are getting too soggy, you can try pouring less sauce over the top of the enchiladas. We like ours saucy but you could probably get away with a bit less sauce to help the tortillas out a bit. Good luck!
Any tricks/advice on how to make sure the flour tortillas don’t end up being soggy? Mine always end up soggy and nasty. Not sure if it is the brand or what. Thanks!
Mel,
We love enchiladas of all types here in south Texas! Want to try this one but have sworn off flour tortillas. Do you think corn would work well with your recipe?
Teena – I’m sure corn tortillas would work fine; it all kind of depends on what you prefer. I haven’t made this recipe with corn tortillas, though, so I’m not sure if they will dry out a bit more or need more sauce so you might want to keep an eye on that.
Fantastic! Made these last night and the whole family devoured them. Very rich with all of the cream cheese but sooo worth the extra calories. I hesitated to put the white beans in just out of habitually not eating beans in enchiladas but I am so glad I did. Leftovers are on the menu tonight and then I am making the slow cooker white chicken chili recipe next. Thank you so much for your site!
This recipe turned out well for me. It was delicious! I served it at halftime last night during the Auburn -LSU game, and everyone enjoyed it despite our score at the half. I made a couple of modifications I wanted to mention to make it gluten free, I used corn tortillas which I bought fresh at a Hispanic market, I also used a green enchilada sauce called Frontera, that I found at Target. It is Gluten free. I subbed cornstarch for the flour in the sauce, but instead of sprinkling it on, I mixed it into the broth. Thanks for the recipe! This is a keeper.
Thank you for the gluten free adaptation – we made these tonight and it worked beautifully. The cornstarch thickened the mix very quickly so once I added the broth/cornstarch mixture I almost immediately took it off the heat, but the taste was great. Thank you!
Thank you!! I love your site! I just recently found it and I am so impressed with the recipes and organization. I have planned out my family menu for 2 weeks and each night we are trying a new Mel recipe 🙂 Tonight was the first night and I made the enchiladas. They were WONDERFUL!! Thank you again and I am so looking forward to the next 2 weeks.
It’s in the oven now and smells heavenly. Only one disappointment. I was happy not to use any canned soup but dumbfounded at all the junky ingredients in the can of green enchiladas sauce. 🙁 The store I went to had limited choices so I’m hoping that a different store will have a healthier selection of enchilada sauces. Thanks for the great recipe. I look forward to making others from your site.
Made these for the family tonight after finding them on Pinterest. The directions were super easy to follow and it was a hit! Husband loved them and my son actually ate the whole thing, which is good because he is a picky eater. I forgot to get the green enchilada sauce so I just used another can of green chilies and some cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. I’m looking forward to making these again (the correct way). Thank you for the recipe!!!
These were fantastic! The sauce put them over the top awesome. I didn’t put any beans in them. I will be serving them for my bunko ladies next weekend. Im excited to try your other recipes!
The best EVER! I am going to make this weekly. Even my finicky son asked for next day leftovers. AWESOME.
I made this recipe last weekend. I seasoned chicken with cumin and Mexican oregano. poblano peppers poblano peppers and Anaheim peppers . They were delicious. and he said these were the best enchiladas he’s ever had. Going to mexico this weekend and I’m going to make these for all of our friends down there. Thank you for the great recipe.
Holy OMG goodness!!! Made tehse for hubby’s birthday dinner last night. They were FANTASTIC!!!!!! I definite keeper in our house. Thanks so much!!!!!
I was so excited to find this website, however after making the green chile chicken enchiladas… I was not impressed but look forward to making other recipes in hopes I will add them to my favorites.
I love these! Recently I made them for a friend who came over for dinner and she loved them so much I sent her home with the recipe.
I noticed a few comments earlier someone mentioning the WW points plus. When I make these I get 12 enchiladas which is 5 pts per enchilada. That isnt bad at all! Thanks again for the tasty recipe!
I went to Publix last night to gather my ingredients and could not find premade Green Enchilada sauce BUT they had a brand new product in a BAG…some kind of Red Chili Enchilada sauce so I figured what the heck, either forget the entire thing or try and adapt …..so…..I used it in place of the green and it was AWESOME! Even my daughter who doesn’t eat beans or most cheese loved them! I am now dying to find some green sauce and try it that way too!!! LOVE your site and now have it bookmarked for recipe ideas! 😉
Just have to tell you that I made these last night – and they were the BOMB!! Will eat the leftovers tonight and my family is already asking when I’ll make them again. Next time, I’ll double the recipe and freeze a batch for work night cooking 🙂
My sister turned me on to your site and I love it! Quick question on the cooked chicken this recipe calls for….how do YOU cook your chicken? Do you poach, fry, etc.?
AMAZING! I had a bunch of anaheim peppers, so I roasted them and used them in a homemade green enchilada sauce, and also used them in place of the can of green chiles. I am a huge fan of enchiladas (of all varieties!) so I will be working/cooking/eating my way through your different variations.:) Thanks so much for another delicious recipe.
I don’t usually leave comments but I have to tell you- We made these, we ate these, life will never be the same. Seriously these are SO delicious. My husband is an enchilada snob and he devours these every time I make them, they are a must make. Cant thank you enough! 🙂
I’m just here to say I woke up at 5:15 this morning craving these. That’s normal.
Made these last night and they were DIVINE! I have been searching for a good green chili chicken enchilada recipe and am so glad I finally found one. THANK YOU!!! Made them for a crowd actually and everyone had seconds and asked for the recipe. De-lish.
This sounds so delicious, can’t wait to try it!!
Hi Mel…this recipe is AWESOME…however, I have one suggestion. I am Mexican and I happen to live in the Tex Mex Capital of the world, San Antonio TX…everyone around these parts grows up eating them, that being said I would consider myself a connoisseur of the enchilada and a self proclaimed expert! I urge you to try this recipe using corn tortillas instead of flour. Although I have tried enchiladas using flour tortillas, it’s pretty much a cardinal sin around these parts…get a rope! 😉 Corn tortillas do not get soggy and are the perfect vehicle for your filling and sauce! Try it and I guarantee you’ll like it. BTW…make sure to warm up the corn tortillas in the microwave wrapped in damp paper towels. This will make them soft and pliable and keep them from breaking when you roll them. If you don’t mind the extra calories and fat, the traditional way to prep the corn tortilla before filling and rolling is to dip/fry them lightly in vegetable oil. Delicious, but SOOOO much added fat!
Mel, this might seem weird but… I love you! Sigh
I made your enchiladas for dinner last night and they were amazing. Love that they were a white sauce and the touch of fresh cilantro really sets them off.
Has anyone made this for the freezer? If so was it still good and how do you cook frozen?
I’ve made these twice. Delicious!
Commented once before but these deserve a comment for sure! Made them last night, and have leftovers for lunch at work today. My whole family loved these (though my husband and I added chopped jalapenos to our to “spice it up!”) The kids loved the creamy, mild flavor- and I loved that they were lighter than our usual recipe.
I love that your homemade recipes are things that I can share with my whole family. I am diabetic, and for a while was making two dinners every night. I’ve now found that by using your recipes, which have VERY limited processed ingredients, I am better able to control my blood sugar. I ahve so MANY recipes tagged for future use, I’ve made my own little binder of “Mel’s Recipe to Try.”
Thanks so much for your hard work, I’m definitely a follower!!
Love, love, love these! I love your site and cook something from at least once a week if not more. Keep those yummy recipes coming!
Just made these for dinner and they were delicious!!!!!! Yum Yum. Stoked that I have leftovers for tomorrow too! Love your blog.
Hahaha, I just did the WW P+ on these, and they are as many points as an average woman should eat in the entire day.
Made these last night. Everyone loved them & one person took home a copy of the recipe. 🙂
I made this tonight and it was AMAZING! I used a lot more cheese (as usual) and my boyfriend was in heaven! We LOVED every bite! I am so happy I can trust you to have AMAZING recipes! Thank you again! Can’t wait till the next time!
I made these the other night, and they were absolutely delicious! My husband normally doesn’t like chicken or enchiladas, but he loved these and told me to definitely make them again. Thank you for sharing!
I just moved to Nebraska and meet someone who knew you and referred me to your website! Glad they did. I tried these and I even healthified them here http://healthconsciousmommas.blogspot.com/2011/10/healthy-chicken-enchiladas.html
Thanks for sharing!
I just made these this past weekend and might I say they came out outstanding! Just he perfect creamy. I used pinto beans instead of black and they were a hit in my house. Thanks again, for a great recipe!
These were awesome! I featured this recipe with a few healthy alterations on my blog. http://blogfoodbetter.blogspot.com/2011/08/creamy-green-chile-chicken-enchiladas.html
Hi Mel,
We are thoroughly enjoying your recipes!! i am a single mom of six, and your snowman cupcakes or so cute! Making these enchilada’s tonight! Do you have a way to tweet? I would love to tweet some of these to friends!
Thanks for this! excellent help for our house!
I made these last night but instead of using just green chiles, I also added diced chipolte peppers, and upped the amount of cream cheese to counter-act a bit of the heat. Wow! They were amazing and you can really adjust how spicy you want them. Since my kids are 4, 2, and 2 I need to be mindful of spice, but my twins loved them. I served this with Mexican rice, throwing in some fresh corn-on-the cob we BBQ’d Saturday night and black beans. I also added some cotija cheese to the plate, along with shredded lettuce, sour cream and diced tomato. Yummy!
I used the fajita sized tortillas which are on the smaller side and I had enough to make dinner with leftovers for lunch the next day AND an extra pan that I put in the freezer (unbaked). I’m hoping they’ll freeze well because they are delicious. Even my husband liked them and he isn’t a fan of cream cheese/sour cream concoctions.
Again . . . another delicious recipe from your site. I normally just pour the green enchilada sauce over the top, but making this creamy version is so much more tasty. It wasn’t too spicy (my kids’ normal complaint with enchiladas). And I used white beans and I believe the beans made a HUGE difference. These were so good and I can’t wait to taste them tomorrow, since they are always better the next day.
LOVE this one!!! Great website and great recipes!! Thanks 🙂
Thanks for the great recipe! Loved it!! Every recipe I have tried from you always turns out great! Thank you SO much!
Once again, a delicious recipe. This one is definitely a keeper. I loved the sauce!
I made these last night with the leftover breast meat from Thanksgiving and they were good. The turkey was surprisingly strong, sort of gamey tasting. These will be waaaay better with chicken! I will definitely be making these again and soon. They were a bit dry for me, but I put some salsa on top and it was fantastic. It made 12 enchiladas.
One note, I used low-fat sour cream and Neufchatel cheese (that’s the stuff that looks like the brick of cream cheese and says its 1/3 fat of the cr cheese). I couldn’t find reduced fat Monterey Jack. Again, very good, but definitely waaaay better with the real deal. However, I most often use reduced fat dairy, so the next time I make these (with chicken) I will still use the low-fat varieties.
Rebecca – I think these would be great with leftover turkey so fantastic idea on that one. Thanks for including your notes and variations!
Am I crazy to try these with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving?
Rebecca – no! In fact, it is a brilliant idea! Let me know how it goes…
I made these tonight – loved them! Thanks! It’s great to have them so creamy w/o using a can of cream of something soup!
Thanks, Kristyn!
Hi,
If I make these ahead of time and refrigerate, how long and at what temp should I bake?
Thanks.
Cassandra
Cassandra – if these enchiladas have been refrigerated, I would still bake them at the same temperature but I would add on about 15 minutes to the baking time.
Just had these tonight and they were de.li.cious. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Thanks, Jess!
Yum, yum, yum! I had tons of shredded chicken left over from something, and this was fantastic. After we finished eating, my husband said that was the most satisfying meal he’s had in a long time…Maybe because I haven’t really cooked in awhile, but it was so good! We had it with a Bajio knock-off recipe for the sweet cilantro rice and it was delicious!
Ashlee – great compliment from your husband! I bet it was delicious with the sweet cilantro rice.
I made 4 pans of these for my father’s 80th birthday party and everyone LOVED them! They got rave reviews! Thanks for the great recipe. It’s a keeper. I made them a day ahead of time and baked them right before the party. I did use rotisserie chickens to save time since I had to make such a large amount. My very picky niece and nephew loved them, along with all my dad’s older friends. Can’t thank you enough. I’m e-mailing the recipe to all my kids and friends!
KL – 4 pans?? Oh my, you are amazing. I’m so happy everyone loved them. Thanks for the review!
This recipe kicks my old’s trash! I actually haven’t made chicken enchiladas in far too long because of it. This is filling and delicious!
Thanks a bajillion
Heidi – glad you liked these enchiladas. Thanks for letting me know!
This was my first recipe that I made from your blog, and I know now, that it wont be my last. My whole family loved the “Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas.” I defiantly will be making this again, and again.
You are the best! Thank you so much.
Michelle
Michelle – I’m thrilled that your first try at a recipe from here worked out so well. Thanks for letting me know!
I have been looking for a great green chicken enchilada recipe for a while now and couldn’t wait to try these out. I loved the homemade sauce (no canned soup!) so much I added the whole can of green enchilada sauce. They turned out wonderfully and my family approved with empty plates! Thanks a bunch!
April – thanks for letting me know these enchiladas were a hit with your family!
My sister requested this for her birthday dinner….No lie, she was licking her plate. Yes, and she’s not 8…more like 28. Everyone loved them. These are easily 10 out of 10, even more. We did them with the white beans and my sis almost cried when we realized we forgot to put the cilantro on. I guess the leftovers will be loaded with cilantro. Thanks for the AWESOME recipe and my sis says it’s her favorite enchilada. YUM. Can’t wait to make them again.
Megan – so funny. I’m glad I’m not the only one who licks her plate now and again. 🙂 Thanks for checking in on this recipe. I’m so glad it was a hit!
Meg made this last night and it turned out soooooo delicious.
Bruce (and Meg, of course) – thanks for checking in on this recipe. You know I’ll still love the lot of you even if you think a recipe is terrible, right?? By the way, I just made the infamous chocolate angel food cake. Despite Ty sticking his finger into the center of the cooled cake, making a divet the size of Texas, I have a feeling it’s going to be ggoooooodd.
Wow, these sound fabulous! You go, girl!
I made these tonight for dinner and they were so good! my husband said they were a 10 out of 10 🙂 thank you for putting yummy recipes that don’t use the condensed soups!
Melissa – 10 out of 10 is pretty high praise! I’m so glad you liked the recipe…thanks for letting me know!
Ohhhhhh!!!!!! These look sooooo yummy!!! Can’t wait to try them!!! I LOVE chicken enchilada’s!!!!
I have about a billion and 1 enchilada recipes, but the Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas are our favorite! I can’t wait to try this one, enchiladas are one thing my ENTIRE family will eat!
Those look so good! I’m a sucker for a white sauce. thanks for sharing!
Go Liz P! Love that girl.
I have some bad news Mel, very very bad news. I think my baby can’t have dairy. I’m dying reading these recipes I want to try on here– but I can’t! Oh, and all of the well thought out & prepared freezer meals I did a few months ago? Most of them have cheese, of course. Dagnabit. What am I going to do? Until I stop nursing or he grows out of it, I’ll have to keep a list of everything I want to try later!
This recipe certainly sounds like it Rocks! I can’t wait to try it.
I have tried hard NOT to look at this recipe all day…but…the CHEESE, oh my goodness. I think the healthy eating plan is just going to have to be “on hold” tomorrow as I am sure I won’t stop thinking of this recipe until I make and eat it. 🙂
Oh my, those look amazing. I just posted a similar recipe that is awesome: http://babblingsfrombrooke.blogspot.com/2010/05/best-enchiladasever.html.
Thanks for your recipe! I have to admit, after living in New Mexico for some time, I have become accustomed to enchiladas. Just a suggestion…instead of using the canned stuff (which is full of preservatives) you can use fresh anaheims (unless you live in NM and can get the real stuff) or use frozen chiles – they taste better!
Great idea, Anna!
This is pretty close to my chicken enchilada recipe. I cook my chicken in the crockpot with an onion, green chilli’s, a packet of italian seasoning and some chilli powder. Then shred it and add the cream cheese. Goodness, it’s tasty! Can’t wait to try this one out.
you have to throw health to the wind every once in awhile, and this is the type of meal that makes it easy to do so. enchiladas are a favorite for this gal, and your perfected sauce is amazing. health shmealth. 🙂
Thank you! Thank you! I was just about to begin searching for this exact recipe. I’ve been making creamy chicken enchiladas with cream of whatever soups and really want to make it without using those. Your timing is perfect in posting this recipe and it looks just wonderful. Thanks!!
This looks fantastic, Mel! I have never made white enchiladas, but I will now! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I just had to leave you a comment and tell you how much I love your blog and thank you for the great recipes. I have had my eye on many recipes of yours to try and last week I did it. I made one of your delicious recipes every night for dinner! Now I have many favorites to go to! Thanks again!
Thanks, Amber – I’m so happy you’ve liked the recipes you’ve tried and I hope you find many more that are hits as well!
I’ve never made white enchiladas before, but this sounds great! I just froze about 3 cups of leftover chicken the other night….sounds perfect to me!
We love a similar recipe. Ours doesn’t have beens but that sounds good! We really like a little cilantro rice tucked in ours. Yum Yum!
This is one of our go-to dinners. Instead of making the sauce from scratch, I stir together equal parts tomatillo salsa and sour cream. It’s delicious too!
Great idea to make white enchiladas, Mel. I would much prefer it. Copying the recipe now….
Enchiladas are a favorite in our house. We have to make them every week!