A flavorful chicken enchilada casserole with corn tortillas, enchilada sauce, shredded chicken, and lots of melty cheese layered together in one delicious dish.
Why this recipe works
Making chicken enchilada casserole is somewhat similar to making lasagna in the way that you’re layering ingredients into a pan. It’s a fun twist on regular enchiladas and is great for feeding larger groups. Once you’ve layered it all together, pop it in the oven and bake until bubbly, hot, and the cheese is melty. So easy!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
CHICKEN – You can use leftover rotisserie chicken or pre-cooked chicken from the grocery store, or boil and shred chicken breasts. Shred or dice it.
CHEESE – Grate cheese fresh from the block. Prebagged shredded cheese contains preservatives that prevent the cheese from melting well. We like medium cheddar and Monterey jack, but you can use whichever cheeses you like best.
SAUCE – We prefer to use either store-bought or homemade enchilada sauce, however, you can substitute with verde or green chile sauce if desired. Do note that verde sauce is thinner, which may cause the casserole to be a bit more liquidy.
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Casserole
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Spoon about 1⁄2 cup of enchilada sauce into the casserole dish and spread it across the bottom.
- Layer tortilla pieces over the sauce, swishing and flipping them to coat both sides with sauce.
- Layer 1⁄3 of the chicken over the tortillas and then 1 cup of cheeses (combine both cheeses together for easy measuring.
- Place another layer of tortillas and top with 1⁄3 of the remaining sauce.
- Repeat layering the tortillas, sauce, chicken, and cheese for a total of three layers.
- Top the third layer with a final layer of tortillas, these can be torn into smaller pieces if you wish.
- Top with the remaining sauce and cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the casserole is hot throughout. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly.
- Garnish with your choice of toppings, which may include: cilantro, olives, tomatoes, avocado, jalapenos, and/or sour cream.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, you can use whatever type of protein you like best. This casserole would be great with pork or ground beef, and it can also be made vegetarian by simply leaving out the meat and adding extra cheese.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Yes, if prefer to use flour tortillas go right ahead. Flour tortillas tend to soak up more moisture and may be soggier in the finished casserole compared to corn, but both will work just fine.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken enchilada casserole is pretty filling all on its own but would be great with a side of rice and beans or a dinner salad. Serve warm and bubbly from the oven, topped with cilantro, olives, tomatoes, avocado, jalapenos, and/or sour cream.
More Casserole Recipes
- Taco Casserole
- Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Ground Beef Casserole
- Beef Stroganoff Casserole
- Million Dollar Chicken Casserole
- Tuna Casserole
- Dorito Casserole
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Lasagna Roll Ups
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Chicken Enchilada Casserole
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 29.2 oz enchilada sauce 1 jar
- 18 corn tortillas 18-20 tortillas, cut in half
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast shredded or diced
- 8 oz cheddar cheese grated
- 8 oz Monterey jack cheese grated
- cilantro, olives, tomatoes, avocado, sour cream optional for garnish
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- Grate cheese fresh from the block – we like medium cheddar and Monterey jack, but you can use whichever cheeses you like best.
- You can cook chicken (about 3-4 chicken breasts) to use for this recipe or use pre cooked rotisserie chicken from the store.
- Be sure to add enough sauce in between the layers so that your casserole doesn’t come out dry. About 3⁄4-1 cup on each layer and then a little more over the top works great.
- If prefer to use flour tortillas go right ahead. Flour tortillas tend to soak up more moisture and may be soggier in the finished casserole compared to corn, but both will work just fine.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Spoon about 1⁄2 cup of enchilada sauce into the casserole dish and spread it across the bottom.
- Layer tortilla pieces over the sauce, swishing and flipping them to coat both sides with sauce.
- Layer 1⁄3 of the chicken over the tortillas and then 1 cup of cheeses (combine both cheeses together for easy measuring.
- Place another layer of tortillas and top with 1⁄3 of the remaining sauce.
- Repeat layering the tortillas, sauce, chicken, and cheese for a total of three layers.
- Top the third layer with a final layer of tortillas (these can be torn into smaller pieces if you wish.
- Top with the remaining sauce and cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the casserole is hot throughout. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly.
- Garnish with your choice of toppings, which may include: cilantro, olives, tomatoes, avocado, jalapenos, and/or sour cream.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Heidi says
I would add some green chilies and maybe black beans for some more flavors.
Joni says
Love this receipe. I was holding a family dinner with one vegan guest and one vegetarian. I used diced tomatoes, black beans, chopped onions a sprinkle of corn and vegan cheese. On the chicken one, I added the veggies too. The group was VERY happy. The vegan/vegetarian were thrilled with the veggie dish and the meat eaters tried the veggie casserole and said that they would be happy if I had served just the veggies dish for everyone. Thank you!!
Karen Worthen says
Can you make this ahead and freeze it. Then and thaw it out and cook it, then thaw it out and cook it Then thawed out and cook it
Bonnie Dansie says
This is great for a quick yummy meal