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This easy chicken enchilada casserole is a cheesy, flavorful, comforting meal the whole family will love that’s easy enough to make on a weeknight!
Chicken enchilada casserole is one of those dishes that really brings me back to childhood. It was one of my mom’s go-to dishes, which was absolutely fine with us because we loved it so much! The beauty of enchilada casserole is that you get all of the flavor of enchiladas without the work. If you’ve never made enchiladas before – it can be a long process that involves dipping tortillas in hot oil, rolling them around cheese and chicken and hoping they don’t tear, then topping with sauce and cheese and baking.
Instead of going through all of that work (and mess) this chicken enchilada casserole is made lasagna-style! You’ll layer the sauce, add tortillas, chicken, cheese, more sauce, and repeat. For a fun little spin on the traditional casserole, we also topped it with diced avocado, a sour cream lime sauce, and cilantro. That’s the stuff of Tex-Mex dreams!
Chicken Enchilada Casserole Ingredients
- 2 (8-ounce) cans of tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups of chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 2 tablespoons of chili powder
- 2 teaspoons of cumin
- 2 teaspoons of oregano
- ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 4 cups of shredded chicken (or about 2 pounds of chicken breast, cooked and shredded!)
- 6 corn tortillas (torn in half)
- 3 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese
- ½ cup of sour cream
- ¼ cup of lime juice (2 limes worth)
- 1 large diced avocado
- ¼ cup of fresh chopped cilantro
Video
The Enchilada Sauce Recipe
This enchilada sauce is SO EASY and can be used for so many different things. Here’s how you’ll whip it up in ONE simple step: whisk Together the Enchilada Sauce – combine the tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and spices to a bowl and whisk to combine.
How To Make Chicken Enchilada Casserole
The beauty of enchilada casserole is that it is so easy to make…here’s how you’ll do it!
- Prepare the Chicken – the first thing you’ll want to do is shred your chicken. We actually used shredded chicken from our local grocery store, but if you don’t have this option, a store-bought rotisserie chicken is a great option, too, or you can make your own!
- Make the Enchilada Sauce – while you can use a pre-made enchilada sauce, this one comes together super fast with pantry staples and adds tons of flavor. You’ll simply add some tomato paste, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and spices to a bowl and whisk to combine.
- Assemble – now you’re ready to make the casserole! You’ll spoon a bit of sauce on the bottom of the dish, then break the corn tortillas in half and spread 6 of them across the bottom of the dish to cover it. Next, layer on the chicken, then the cheese, then pour more sauce over and add another layer of tortillas, shredded chicken, and cheese to finish!
- Bake – once assembled, bake your enchilada casserole at 350°F for 30 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbling.
Enchilada Casserole Variations
This chicken enchilada casserole is easily adaptable. Here are some of our favorite variations!
- Change the sauce – salsa verde or a classic Tex-Mex chili gravy are both great options.
- Use a different protein – if you don’t have chicken on hand, or just prefer a different protein, ground beef or turkey both work beautifully here.
- Make it Paleo – if you’re on a Paleo diet, or simply don’t do well with grains, you can easily substitute Siete Foods tortillas here.
- Add beans – mixing a can of black beans in with the chicken would be a wonderful addition.
- Add veggies – if you want to get your daily serving of veggies in with this casserole, you can easily add in some spinach, diced bell peppers, onions, or even shredded zucchini!
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Chicken Enchilada Casserole Frequently Asked Questions
You totally can! You may lose a little bit of that signature “enchilada” flavor without the enchilada sauce, but it’ll still be really flavorful and delicious!
A standard chicken enchilada filling includes enchilada sauce, shredded chicken, and cheese. This casserole has all of those ingredients in layer form!
Absolutely! This enchilada casserole can be made with either corn or flour tortillas – you pick whichever you like best! Do note that flour tortillas tend to get a little bit soggier than corn tortillas, but the end product is still REALLY delicious.
We opted for corn tortillas here because they fall in line with a more traditional take on enchiladas, but truly, any tortilla will work! So, go to the store, grab your favorite tortillas, and get to cooking!
While traditional enchiladas require rolling tortillas around an enchilada filling, this enchilada casserole recipe doesn’t actually require rolling the tortillas at all – the tortillas lay in a flat layer here, meaning that you shouldn’t run into any issues with the tortillas falling apart.
Though sogginess is definitely a pitfall when it comes to using flour tortillas, there’s no real way to avoid it when it comes to enchilada casserole. Oftentimes, traditional enchilada recipes will call for frying the tortillas ahead of time, but we aimed to make this recipe as no-fuss as possible, so we won’t be asking you to do that!
This may surprise you (because restaurant enchiladas are often not the healthiest choice), but if you can tolerate dairy, this recipe is actually a pretty balanced, well-rounded meal! With corn tortillas, shredded chicken, and cheese, you’ll get a healthy dose of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats.
Ingredients
- 2, 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups shredded chicken or about 2 pounds chicken breast, cooked and shredded
- 6 corn tortillas torn in half
- 4 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 large avocado diced, for garnish
- ¼ cup fresh chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Whisk together the tomato sauce, tomato paste, chicken broth, salt, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and pepper, until smooth.
- Spread ½ cup enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 3-quart, 9×13 inch pan, then layer 6 tortilla halves over the sauce, until it is fully covered. Layer 2 cups shredded chicken over the tortillas, then pour over 1 cup of enchilada sauce, and 2 cups shredded cheese.
- Repeat Step 3 to build the next layer, using up the rest of the tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese, then bake the casserole at 350 F for 30 minutes, until the top is browned and bubbling. Remove the casserole from the oven and let cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and sour cream, then drizzle it over the casserole. Garnish with the avocado and cilantro, then serve!
Nutrition Information
Recipe Notes
- If you’d like to use store-bought enchilada sauce, you’ll need 2 (15 ounce) cans.
- INSTANT POT SHREDDED CHICKEN: if you don’t have pre-cooked and shredded chicken available, you can cook about 2 pounds of chicken in the Instant Pot with 1 cup water, on high pressure, for 12 minutes. Then shred with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, a hand mixer, or two forks.
Abbey says
Easy and delicious! First time making my own enchilada sauce and I had no idea it was that simple (and tasty!)
This will be on regular rotation. Thanks for sharing!
Allison says
This looks amazing, thank you for sharing! I’m wondering if you’ve ever made this and frozen it, and, if so, what your recommendations are for reheating? I’m trying to prepare for a new baby (congrats on baby #2 for you!) and would love to be able to have this as a healthy meal we can just pop in the oven to reheat when I don’t feel like cooking right after baby is born 🙂
Amber Goulden says
Hi Allison, we’d recommend reheating in a 350 F oven, covered for about 50 minutes, then removing the cover and baking for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is browned.
Jackie Goulden says
Dan’s idea of heavenly yumminess!
Jessica says
Our whole family really enjoyed this! We’re big fans of Mexican flavors and even our change averse 3 year old enjoyed this and the sour cream and lime drizzle!
Quick question though, our kiddo found the recipe for the enchilada sauce too spicy, which was quite shocking given how much he likes other spicy food and big flavors! Would you recommend simply halving the chili powder next time? Or would it be necessary to tweak the amount of chicken stock/other herbs and spices too?
Thanks again for such a great, easy recipe!
Amber Goulden says
So glad y’all liked it! My first thought is what kind of chili powder you used? A generic chili powder like this one shouldn’t be spicy, but chipotle and ancho chili powders are on the spicier side. If you’re using a generic and it is still too spicy, I’d cut the amount in half.
Annie Tasaka says
What size tortilla shells did you use?
Michele says
Hi! Has anyone tried assembling this ahead of time and putting in the fridge until ready to bake?
Amber Goulden says
You can absolutely do that! I’d recommend baking an extra 5-10 minutes to make sure it is warmed through.
Alison says
Where have you been all of my life!!!!!!
This recipe was fantastic, so easy to make and plenty for my large family. The only difficulty for me was attempting to convert to metric (I’m in Australia). But really…. who measures chilli powder and lime juice?? The more the merrier I say!!! The kids did run for glasses of water a few times but they didn’t stop eating. We can’t wait to try more recipes. There are so many to choose from which cater for my Coeliac daughter.
Thanks heaps!!
Fox says
I would like to freeze this! Do you cook it first And then put into the freezer or leave it uncooked and freeze it?
Lindsay McLean says
Is it okay to replace corn tortillas w grain free tortillas like siete chick pea or almond flour? Thanks!
Amber Goulden says
Absolutely!
Maria C says
My kids loved this and ate it all up! Tastes just like enchiladas! So good and fast too!!
Jaynie says
Loved this recipe! We did use flour tortillas rather than corn, and it turned out great. We served it with sour cream. I think next time we may add veggies. The enchilada sauce was amazing. We had a little leftover and used the rest on chipotle bowls the next day!
Kate says
These are on regular repeat in my home! Quick, easy, and DELICIOUS! If you haven’t made these yet, what are you waiting for??
Brandi Schilhab says
YAY…SO yummy!!
Amber TUCKER says
This tasted restaurant style, it was sooo good! Definitely will be a repeat recipe in my home!
Brandi Schilhab says
So glad to hear that, Amber! Thanks for sharing!
Laura says
We just finished devouring this dish! It was better than I thought! Didn’t have sour cream, so I used the top solid part of a can of coconut milk, it was perfection and it really brought out the flavors. This recipe is a keeper!
Brandi Schilhab says
Great sub for sour cream!! We’re so glad you loved it, Laura!
Lindsay says
Hi amber! First of all, I love your recipes. Everything I’ve ever tried has been amazing. Do you think it would be ok to use canned chicken as long as I shred it in the food processor? I just have a ton of it that I got free from Costco when I joined and want to use it for something.
Brandi Schilhab says
Aren’t they all so delicious?! Yes, canned chicken will work!!
Corrina B says
Made this tonight and it was so easy and delicious. I had everything in the pantry to make this and used Siete almond flour tortillas. My hubby loved this! Definitely keeping in the rotation. Thank you!
Brandi Schilhab says
Awesome!! That makes us so happy! Thanks for sharing, Corrina!
Jessie Lou says
Made this recipe last night and it was really good and super easy! I didnt have chicken so I used ground venison (it’s what we have) and I had canned green enchilada sauce and I added black olives and onions! Will definitely make again!
Brandi Schilhab says
Great sub, Jessie!! Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth says
If I want to make this in bulk and freeze should I freeze before or after baking it?
Brandi Schilhab says
Bake it first, Elizabeth! Enjoy!
Hillary Gras says
I loved this! I added a grated zucchini, a handful of kale and a diced onion. Loved the veggie edition 🙂 i also cheated and used canned enchilada sauce because it was what i had on hand. I had extra enchilada sauce so i just added it in the last layer and it was still great ! Love how customizable this is! I also made the tortillas into quarters so i could get the corners of my casserole pan. Can’t wait to make this again! Maybe with pulled pork?!
Brandi Schilhab says
Oooh, great veggie additions! Shredded pork would be SO YUMMY!
Mrs. M. says
Very simple, tasty recipe. I misread the recipe and used “chili pepper” instead of “chili powder,” so it was too spicy. I’ll try it again with the Chili Powder which is a blend of spices instead of just red pepper.
I noticed other reviews that also said it was too spicy… maybe they made the same mistake?
Thanks for the recipe!
Brandi Schilhab says
Oh no! So sorry…I bet that was spicy!!
Annie says
We made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. This recipe felt cleaner and lighter than other Mexican casseroles in our rotation – and I LOVE how easy it was to make homemade enchilada sauce! Thank you, Amber!!
Brandi Schilhab says
So glad you loved it, Annie! Thank you for sharing this with us!
Michele says
I was confused with the tortillas. It’s 10 in total, making it 20 halves, so each layer will have 10 halves (5 tortillas)? I only used 5 total, so I’m not sure it’s going to turn out well!
Chelsea G says
I m also super confused about the tortilla sizes and the halving of the tortilla on each layer.
Brandi Schilhab says
Hi Chelsea + Michele! We updated the recipe to fix the amount of tortillas used. You’ll need 6 corn tortillas (regular corn tortilla size) torn in half, making 12 halves total. You’ll use 6 of the halves for the first tortilla layer and the other 6 halves for the second tortilla layer. I hope this helps!
Janice says
We make this almost every week. Such a huge hit! And so easy❤️
Brandi Schilhab says
So great! We’re glad you love it, Janice!
Brandi Schilhab says
There isn’t any milk in this recipe, Maddy, but you can totally leave out the cheese + sour cream to make it dairy-free.
Barbara says
Quick, easy & delicious! Perfect weeknight meal.
Brandi Schilhab says
Yay! So glad to hear that, Barbara!
Andrea says
A huge hit for a small crowd and makes excellent leftovers. We loved it!
Brandi Schilhab says
So glad everyone enjoyed it, Andrea!! Thank you for sharing this with us!
Nicole says
My husband who is EXTREMELY picky and limits dairy ate this two nights in a row. My 8 year old liked it as well. I think making my own enchilada sauce and Instant Pot chicken that remains supper moist are the keys. We are trying verde sauce next.
Brandi Schilhab says
Yay, that is so amazing, Nicole! Thanks so much for letting us know!
Sarah H. says
Wow! I totally picked this last second as family was coming over unexpectedly for dinner and this was a HUGE hit for all of us! I love that you get to make your own enchilada sauce for this and it was better than store bought through and through. I ended up only using one 8 oz bag of shredded cheese and it was perfect and only put in 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. of the chili powder since we had eaters of all ages. This is now printed out and in my go-to recipe binder.
Brandi Schilhab says
Amazing! So glad you all enjoyed it so much, Sarah. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Ally says
How do you recommend freezing this? Bake then Reheat?
Brandi Schilhab says
Yes, that’s what I’d do!
Megan says
This is so good! We topped it with lots of lettuce as some easy extra veggies in for the kiddos. They asked for seconds!
Brandi Schilhab says
Amazing! We’re so glad to hear it, Megan! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Heather says
This was good! I halved the recipe and added pinto beans and shredded zucchini to the chicken layers. I squeezed the shredded zucchini in a paper towel to remove some water but the bottom of the pan had a ton of liquid after I scooped out a portion. Is that typical with the sauce normally? Or have you added shredded zucchini before and have other tips to avoid that next time?
Brandi Schilhab says
That isn’t typical with this recipe, Heather. I think it was probably excess moisture from the zucchini. We haven’t actually added zucchini here before, though, so I can’t say for certain!
Jamie says
This is a family favorite and never disappoints!
Brandi Schilhab says
One of my very favorites too! Thanks for sharing!!
Michelle says
I have made this recipe, froze this recipe and given it away as meals to friends in need. It’s a hit every time and couldn’t be easier. It’s on my regular monthly rotation. I use half the salt listed in the sauce because my chicken broth has salt in it already.
Brandi Schilhab says
So glad you love this one, Michelle. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Kendra says
Can you make this dairy free?
Brandi Schilhab says
Sure! Omit the cheese (or use your favorite dairy-free cheese) + either leave off the sour cream sauce or sub the sour cream with full-fat coconut milk. Enjoy!
Tammy says
Can you freeze leftovers?
Brandi Schilhab says
Definitely!
Alison says
So delicious plus it’s easy and quick to throw together! Hubby liked it too!
Brandi Schilhab says
Score!! So glad you both enjoyed it, Alison!
Catie says
Sooooo good and easy! I had all of the ingredients on hand or in the freezer so perfect to whip up for a yummy weekday meal. Definitely going to make this again!
Brandi Schilhab says
So glad you enjoyed it, Catie! Thank you for commenting to let us know!
Maria says
This was a delicious and quick recipe!
Brandi Schilhab says
So glad to hear that, Maria! Thank you for sharing!
Colleen says
This was delicious!!! My family loves when I make enchiladas, which is super time consuming, so this was a much easier version with the same great flavors!
Brandi Schilhab says
Wahoo! So glad to hear that, Colleen!
Teresa says
Do you know if this can be frozen? Before or after cooking?
Thanks!
Brandi Schilhab says
Definitely! I’d freeze after fully assembling but before baking it. Everything should be cooked at that point, anyway!
Latoya Bratton says
Do you make any dished that are low sodium? I need meals with 400 MG or less.
Melissa Guevara says
Hi Latoya! We do not have any specific low-sodium recipes, but my general recommendation would be to try to sub fresh ingredients for sauces or pastes (as those can carry a higher sodium content) and up the spices in any recipe to help cut down on the sodium content. For this recipe, I would use fresh tomatoes/salsa for the tomato sauce and tomato paste and a low-sodium chicken broth and up the chili powder, cumin, and and oregano. You can also decrease the amount of cheese. I hope this helps!
I’m sorry I don’t have more concrete recommendations overall, but would love to continue to help with specific recipes as you have recipes if you email [email protected]. ~Melissa
Kristin D'Emanuele says
Made this for dinner tonight, and oh my is that enchilada sauce good! My husband licked his plate clean, which is always a good sign!
Kristin D'Emanuele says
Forgot to rate the recipe!
Melissa Guevara says
Thank you so much! We appreciate you taking the time to do so. 🙂 -Melissa
Amber says
Hi. Excited to try. Can this be frozen and cooked for a meal when you need it? We’re loving pulling from pre-made freezer meals to either pop in the oven or our insta-pot. Curious? Does corn v. Flour tortillas hold up better in the freezer? Cheers.
Melissa Guevara says
Hi Amber! This can absolutely be frozen (it’s a favorite for many as a make-ahead freezer meal). I have found that corn tortillas hold up better in the freezer as they tend to not get as soggy as flour tortillas. I recommend reheating in the oven at 350 covered for 50 minutes, then uncovered an additional 10-15 minutes. Enjoy! -Melissa
Kristin D'Emanuele says
Made this for dinner tonight, and oh my is that enchilada sauce good! My husband licked his plate clean, which is always a good sign!
Amber says
Hi. Excited to try. Can this be frozen and cooked for a meal when you need it? We’re loving pulling from pre-made freezer meals to either pop in the oven or our insta-pot. Curious? Does corn v. Flour tortillas hold up better in the freezer? Cheers.
Cambria says
Is this a good meal to make ahead of time to freeze?
Melissa Guevara says
You can absolutely make ahead and freeze. To do so, prepare the casserole up to step 3 (you can skip preheating the oven since you won’t bake it until you’re ready to eat it), then cover, label, and freeze. Enjoy!
Catie says
Sooooo good and easy! I added black beans and used almond flour tortillas which turned out great. I love how easy and clean the enchilada sauce is in this recipe. Makes a casserole taste so fresh. Adding this to the meal rotation for sure!
Melissa Guevara says
We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed, Catie! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback and thoughtful substitutions with us! -Team FF
Stephanie says
I made this last night and it was easy and delicious! My boys (5 and 7) and be be picky eaters — and they loved this! And as long as the chicken is already cooked, this is super fast to assemble and get in the oven. I’ll definitely be adding this to our regular rotation. Also, I only put in half of the chili powder it called for because my boys don’t love spice. I couldn’t notice any spice (just great flavor) so I will try the full amount next time.
Melissa Guevara says
We are so glad to hear that this recipe was a win, Stephanie! As long as you use a chili powder (vs chipotle chili powder or ancho chili powder), it should add spice, just flavor! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us. We really appreciate it! -Team FF
Desiree Bruno says
The flavor of the homemade enchilada sauce was delicious! Mine, however, came out soupy. Any suggestions?
Brandi Schilhab says
Oh no, Desiree! I’m so sorry. I wish I had an answer for you, but it’s hard to know what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you!
Charlie says
My wife and I were surprised by how delicious this was. We will be making this again. We added some cayenne for heat. Used 1 rotisserie chicken… and maybe not all the cheese. Loved it!
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re so glad y’all loved this recipe, Charlie! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us!