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288853Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole – 4 ingredients is all it takes to make this popular Mexican dish. It’s cheesy, it’s spicy, it’s sinfully delicious.
Mexican food is my weakness. Totally! I love all Mexican food. I love going to Mexican restaurants and trying everything on the menu. But I also love to make Mexican food. This chicken enchilada casserole only requires 4 ingredients, so it doesn’t get any easier than this.
I love chicken enchiladas and this casserole is even easier to make than making regular chicken enchiladas because you just layer your ingredients. Even a kid could make this.
And if you want to have some fun, have a mojito while you make this, or with it, before or after or during, doesn’t really matter. If you have a sombrero you might even want to wear that and make this chicken enchilada while dancing to the Mexican hat dance song.
Ok, now I have that song stuck in my head. Anywho here’s how you make this awesome dish. Pretty simple, I cooked the chicken in the enchilada sauce, just so it gets that nice flavor from the sauce and it’s nice and moist, but if you want you could also use roast chicken and make this even easier. But you will love this chicken cooked in the enchilada sauce. It’s amazing.
Although that looks like a lot of chicken, it’s only 2 breasts. Once the chicken is cooked, you just have to layer your casserole. I started with a bit of sauce at the bottom of the baking dish just so that it’s all nice and gooey and the corn tortillas don’t stick to the bottom. I got 3 layers here so to layer is simple. After you put some sauce on the bottom of the dish, you layer with 2 tortillas, 1/3 of the chicken, 1/3 of the sauce, 1/3 of the cheese and repeat 2 more times.
I used Monterey Jack cheese just because I think it goes really well in Mexican food, it’s milder and creamier, so it’s perfect in this casserole.
After you bake it, I dare you not to eat a piece right away. I don’t think you can do it. The smell just drove my poor beagle crazy! Not only her, but me as well.
This chicken enchilada casserole, 4 ingredients only, one of the best Mexican dishes you’ll ever have.
Check out the video for these awesome Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole from my book:
- 1 14 oz jar or can Enchilada sauce
- 2 to 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 6 corn tortillas, 6 inch each
- 2 chicken breasts
- Cut each chicken breast in about 3 pieces, so that it cooks faster and put it in a small pot. Pour Enchilada sauce over it and cook covered on low to medium heat until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. No water is needed, the chicken will cook in the Enchilada sauce. Make sure you stir occasionally so that it doesn't stick to the bottom.
- Remove chicken from the pot and shred with two forks.
- Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
- Start layering the casserole. Start with about ¼ cup of the leftover Enchilada sauce over the bottom of a baking dish. I used a longer baking dish, so that I can put 2 corn tortillas across. Place 2 tortillas on the bottom, top with ⅓ of the chicken and ⅓ of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with ⅓ of the cheese and repeat starting with 2 more tortillas, then chicken, sauce, cheese. Repeat with last layer with the remaining ingredients, tortillas, chicken, sauce and cheese.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes uncovered, until bubbly and cheese has melted and started to brown on top.
- Serve warm.
How about this Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup?
Quick and Easy Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Do you love enchilada casseroles? Try this amazing Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole!
Or give this yummy white chicken enchiladas a try!
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How would you recommend doubling this? 2 small pans or could you make a big 9×13? Do you think doubling would feed 9 adults?
I am cooking for 9 adults. Hoping doubling will fill up everyone! My question is when doubling would you recommend doing two separate 8×8 pans (could not find any 8×6!) or can I just pile it all into a 9×13? Wasn’t sure if in a 9×13 if everything would
Cook through the middle….thanks!
Of course you can make it either way. Glad you are trying out the Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole. You may need to make a bit more for nine adults as trust me, they will want seconds…..lol
Have an awesome day and thanks for being a part of Jo Cooks
I love this recipe. It’s my go-to when I don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen! I am usually means a bit apprehensive about super-simplistic recipes, but this has made me change my tune! Thanks so much for posting.
So glad you liked it, sometimes simple is better! 😉
I was wondering if it would be ok to use breasts from a rotisserie chicken. If so would you warm the chicken in a pan with the enchilada sauce? Do I use a fresh can of enchilada sauce for layering or just what’s left from chicken mixture?
Yes absolutely. As a matter of fact, I do that often, saves some time. I would warm the chicken in the enchilada sauce and use the leftover sauce for layering.
Hi Jo,
Where can I find enchilada sauce here in Calgary?
The one used here, I found at Co-op.
Hi Jo,
Thanks so much for posting this, like you my husband and I love Mexican dishes but there’s not too many of them available in the u.k. I made this last night, as there’s only 2 of us we had it again for lunch and the rest has been frozen.
We both really loved it, and he’s terribly fussy so was a massive win.
I made a few swaps, I used reduced fat cheddar to cut a few calories and fat and added some peppers on the top layer as was running out of chicken, it was amazing.
Think I’ll add some sweet corn and kidney beans next time.
Thanks again.
My pleasure, so glad you guys like this. That’s the great thing about this dish, it’s really versatile!
Hi Jo
I’m assuming you used boneless,skinless chicken breast in this recipe.
Yes that’s correct!
I made this yesterday in a 7 X 10 inch glass pan yes I have unusual size pans too and it was so great. I ate the whole pan by myself over yesterday and today. I used the enchilada sauce you used and mixed it with a 10 oz can of medium heat Las Palmas sauce. I can’t tell how easy it was and how much I liked it.
Thank you for the post.
Janet
LOL, I’m glad you liked it, I can eat the whole thing by myself too, so don’t feel bad. 🙂
Just to make sure i am reading this correctly. The top layer is tortilla, chicken, cheese and then sauce? So the ingredients will be on top of the tortilla? Or is a layer of tortilla and then sauce and cheese supposed to go on top to hold all of the ingredients inside?
Exactly, so you start with a bit of sauce on the bottom, then tortilla(s), then chicken, sauce and cheese, then repeat.
Can you use beef
Yes you can!
Hi there…could you cook the chicken in a crock pot on low all day with the enchilada sauce while your are at work? Then shred it with a fork when it is done?
You could make this in the crockpot, though I don’t think it would take all day, it would probably take 3 to 4 hours on low, so if you have a timer on your crockpot you can set it.
The whole recipe or just the chicken can be cooked in the crockpot? Thank you!
You could probably do the whole thing, the only thing I’m not sure without doing further recipe testing is if the tortilla is going to come out too mushy, but it could probably work.
How much sauce did you put on the chicken to cook it – the first step?
All of it, after the chicken cooks you will be left with enchilada sauce, use that for layering.
This was fabulous!!!!!
I added drained navy beans to each layer, and used shredded quesadilla cheese…
Thank you!!!!
Found this on Pinterest and made it for dinner. Used a Mexican cheese blend as my grocery didn’t have standalone pepper jack. Also threw in some white shoe peg corn and green chiles, and put minced cilantro on top just prior to serving. This was some serious good eating. I too am amazed that just a few ingredients had such a great taste. Bravo!
Glad you liked it Bonnie!
What size of baking dish?
My baking dish here is a weird size, 8×6, but an 8×8 works just fine.
I made this tonight and followed the recipe completely! It was absolutely delicious:) Definitely going to be making this again.
Absolutely loved this recipe. So easy. Boyfriend also loved it. Thank you!
What size baking dish did you use ?
My baking dish here is a weird size, 8×6.
Yes, 8×6 is a weird size. I guess I can use a 7×11
You can, even an 8×8 would work. My 8×6 comes from a set.
hELLO . yOUR Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole reciept Looks GREAT. I want to try it. But, WHAT is the Oven Temp set at.? ?
375 F degrees….step 3 of instructions.
Hi Jo, I’ll give this a try today. Looks great! Who doesn’t like Mexican food riight? Looks simple!
All I can say is…delicious!!! And very easy to make and assemble 👍 I did heat up to tortillas is a frying pan while I was putting it together and added some diced green chilies to the sauce while cooking the chicken. Served with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and shredded lettuce. Big hit all around 😋 I had a few extra fresh chicken breasts and another can of sauce, so made up a batch to freeze, as I’m planning to take this to a Cinco de Mayo potluck.
Can we use flour tortillas intead of corn?
Of course you can.
Made this last night. Changed around the layers – added some chopped spinach, corn kernels, grated carrot, onion, celery, capsicum just to give it some vegie content. Used 2 jars of enchilada sauce and 3 large chicken breasts, and it made a huge lasagne dish full! However, accidentally used flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas so next time I will make sure I have the right ones lol…. My whole family enjoyed this. Will definitely make this again. Might add some refried beans or black beans next time and maybe some salsa in there too! Thanks for a great recipe.
Just tried to make this and it came out soooo good 🙂 thank you!
Hello Jo!
I am a Mr. Mom and the cook at our household and I just became a subscriber to your website. I used this recipe shortly before i joined and I was VERY sceptical that a recipe could be ANY good w/only 4 ingredients, but i was pleasantly surprised how delicious and simple this recipe was!! We can’t wait to try some of your other recipes in the future.
P.S. I also belong to “The callus tongue and roof of the mouth club” for diving into moulton HOT food, will we ever learn!?!?
LOL Thanks for signing up!
This was delicious! I added some Spanish rice in my layers. Yum! I will never painstakingly roll another enchilada!!
Can I make this in advance?
You mean prepare it in advance and bake it later? If so you can definitely prepare everything up to the baking step and just cover it and refrigerate it until ready to bake.
Hi There,
Can I make this the night before? Im planning to make this for our potluck tomorrow and Im a little worried that the tortilla will get saggy.
Yeah it should be fine.
Is the nutritional information listed per serving or for the whole recipe?
It’s per serving.
This was so good! I modified the recipe by making the sauce from the white creamy enchilada recipe and adding it to the layers. So good!
I tried this, it came out really good and it was very easy
Thank you!
Im going to use chicken thighs, season them and boil them. Afterwards I will cook them in the enchilada sauce for a few minutes and then shred. I am using a 9×13 dish and only have 10 tortillas. I hope that will be enough.
I’m going to try it with chicken thighs seasoned while boil and then cook them a few more minutes in the enchilada sauce. I have a 9×13 dish and only 10 tortilla I hope that is enough.
Should be fine!
This recipe sounds and looks delicious! I like that I can make basically an entire meal in one pot!
This was a lovely recipe (: I just made it for lunch (with lots for leftovers!), and to make it heartier, I added bell peppers and mushrooms. I used leftover rotisserie chicken as well, and pepper jack & shredded monterey jack cheese. Super yummy! I love that it’s layered! Makes it super easy (:
How much enchilada sauce do you use to cook the chicken in?
The whole jar, once the chicken is cooked there will be leftover sauce in the pot.
whoot – easy and gluten free. i should buy lottery tickets!!
So glad that I found your site! Tried this over the weekend and it was a hit! I used 3 chicken breasts, 2 cans of mild Ol El Paso Enchilada sauce and probably 16 corn tortillas to make it a little bigger and extra saucy! We all went back for seconds! Served it with sour cream and for those of us that like it a little more spicy, we added some Cholula. Yum! Warning: Don’t be like me and get so exited try to it you take a bite right out of the oven and burn your entire mouth!
LOL Taylor, I have done that so many times, glad to see I’m not alone!
Great easy recipe! To amp up the flavour I added 1 can medium sliced olives and when I served it, I added a dollop of reduced fat sour cream. Went well with a shredded cabbage and radish salad, dressed with lime juice and olive oil.
Glad you liked it Carole!
Can you use flour tortillas? My husband doesn’t like corn, but concerned the flour ones might get too soggy.
Absolutely!
I just found your website a week ago and I love it! Your recipes are simple and delicious. I’m a mother of two. Im on maternity leave right now and I have been cooking dinner every night for my family thanks to you and your recipes!! Thank you so much!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes. Thank you so much for your kind words!
I made this tonight and my husband absolutely loved it! It was a really simple recipe to follow and turned out delicious. Our family loves onions so next time I will add some to it. Thank you for the recipe!
My pleasure Brittany, glad you guys liked it!
I have ground chicken on hand, could the chicken breast be substituted for ground chicken?
You could, I would cook the ground chicken separately though, then mix it with the enchilada sauce.
Could you please tell me what brand of enchilada sauce you recommend? Ones I’ve tried on the past, we’re not very good, thanks!
I used Old El Paso. You could also make your own, shouldn’t be very difficult.
What size dish for the enchiladas
My dish here is a weird size 9×6, it came with a set. But you can use a 9×13 dish, it should work just fine.
Why are there 19 G of fiber in 1 serving? I have to be on a very low fiber diet. How can I make these with less fiber? Flour tortillas?
Pretty sure it should be 1.9g fiber, all from the one corn tortilla per serving.
Just ran the recipe through caloriecount again and it still says 19 g for fiber. Maybe they’re wrong, who knows.
Maybe 19g for the whole recipe? The chicken, cheese, and enchilada sauce have zero fiber, and corn tortillas are about 2g fiber each. I’ll let this go now, don’t worry. 🙂
Btw I’m totally making this this weekend. Looks delicious.
It was based on a serving, I entered 6 servings for the recipe, so yeah who knows. 🙂 If you have better apps to calculate nutritional information, I’d suggest you use that. 🙂
It seems like the fiber is coming from the enchilada sauce according to caloriecount, which is weird. I changed the nutritional info.
Thanks for looking into it! And thanks again for the recipe.
No problem. 🙂
Would you please let me know the cost of subscribing and how is this handled
before I decide?
Do you make many vegetarian dishes?
Thank you
To subscribe is completely free and all the recipes are free. Yeah there are some vegetarian dishes, you can find them here.
Thank you…so excited to get your recipes :0)
I had a craving for enchiladas but didn’t have much time. I made the easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole and it was easy and delicious! Happy to have this recipe so we can have one of our favorite meals almost anytime. Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
I think I am going to try this with left over Turkey from thanksgiving. Fingers crossed!
Hi – I have made this multiple times and love it. I need to bring something to an office potluck and was wondering your thoughts on making this in a crockpot?
Thanks!
Good question, though I can’t really tell you with complete certainty since I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. 🙂
Hi Jo,
Just found this recipe and will definitely make it for dinner tonight. Just wondering if I should crisp up the corn tortillas any before I start the layering process? I figured by doing so will help the tortillas from splitting in the preparation process? What are your thoughts?
Thank you for sharing!
I didn’t but it can’t hurt, it’s actually a great idea. Hope you like the dish. 🙂
I always crisp my tortillas, no matter what recipe I’m making. Not that they really get crisp (only a few seconds per side), but they will lose that raw flavor, and you can still roll them up if necessary. No need to use oil.
Hi Jo,
Found you through Yummly. Made this last night and it was really good. I made a couple of tweaks. Got 2 10 oz cans of sauce, Medium heat. Used shredded Mex cheese blend as there was no shredded Jack at my market. Used 2 full BLSL chicken breasts. My wife and son said they would prefer if I used a milder sauce, but they woofed it up anyway. Served with broccoli spears. I will cook this again and use a 24 oz sauce can, save some extra sauce for the leftovers, and allocate more prep time for shredding the chicken.
Thanks so much for a simple and very tasty meal.
Peter
Glad you liked the recipe. Love the changes you made.
Have you ever used shredded cooked chicken with using the entire enchilada sauce jar while assembling? Can’t wait to try this!
No, but that should be fine as well.
Wondering if I could use chicken thighs for this – have boneless, skinless on hand!
Absolutely!
Could this be frozen for later use? Looks wonderful.
I haven’t tried to freeze this but it should be fine, you can prepare everything up until the baking part then you can freeze it, just cover it up first.
Hi Jo,
I plan to make this tonight. I forgot a couple ingredients from the store. I’m wondering do you prefer a certain enchilada sauce?
Can’t wait to make this. Looks delicious
Thank you in advance,
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
Not really, whatever I can find at the grocery store usually. 🙂
For the two chicken breasts, do you mean two whole chicken breasts (four halves), or two chicken breast halves.
2 chicken breast halves, about 4 to 5 oz each.
what temp for oven and bake for how long.
It’s in the instructions step 3.
Hi Jo,
I made this once before, and everyone loved it! I was wondering if you’ve ever made it ahead of time and refrigerated it overnight? Or would the sauce absorb too much?
Hi Mary,
No I haven’t actually, if you’re afraid of that happening though, perhaps you could make the chicken ahead of time and just layer it before baking.
I had left overs the next day, and they actually tasted even better. Had them for breakfast with a side of eggs.
I found your recipe while hunting for something good to make for dinner yesterday, I made it and it turned out guys loved them. I think I would add a bit of chili powder to the sauce since I used mild. I also like adding a can of beef gravy and layering with chopped onions.
So glad I found the recipe, you have many that we would like, thanks!!
Pinned Twice!! And following you on Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram
Thank you so much Karren, so glad you guys loved the recipe. 🙂
Jo,
I’m soooooooo sorry. I just left you an e-mail asking some pretty stupid questions. If I had just read the WHOLE blog instead of just looking at the yummy pictures my questions would have already been answered. Sorry, I just got caught up on the excitement of trying a new meal out.
Thanks anyway,
Patti
No problem Patti, haven’t received your email yet. But feel free to leave me anymore questions here. 🙂
Do you shred up the chicken BEFORE cooking it in the sauce? Or do you cook the chicken whole first and then shred it? At any rate, it sounds delicious and I can’ t wait to try it.
No you won’t be able to, you shred it after. 🙂
I’m confused, you put the raw chicken with the sauce to cook?
Yes that’s right, you cook the chicken in the enchilada sauce.
How much sauce do you use to cook the chicken?
The whole jar.
I guess I’m confused. If you use the whole jar to cook the chicken in the pot, how will there be any left over to layer in the dish?
There will be leftover sauce after you cook the chicken, it’s not going to evaporate. 🙂
Do you layer tortillas on the top or is it just chicken and cheese on the top layer?
Just chicken and cheese for the top layer. 🙂
Would this work just as well with flour tortillas? I would like to try this tonight. Thanks for posting!
Absolutely!!!
Hey jo! I was wondering if you ever put beans on it and if you think it’ll come out good with them:)
Oh yeah this would be great with some black beans in it!
What size casserole dish would you recommend?
A 9×13 inch casserole dish should be fine.
I going to try some of these recipes I seen on your website they really look good. I think my family would in joy them too
Hi jo!
I’d love to include your chicken casserole in a casserole round up I’m doing for Parade Magazine.
If you’re fine with that, could I use one of your gorgeous photos with a link back to your original post (http://www.jocooks.com/main-courses/poultry-main-courses/easy-chicken-enchilada-casserole/)?
Thanks so much!
felicia
Sure, thanks!
What is the best brand of enchilada sauce you guys have found? Some I have tried taste too sweet.
Made this last night and it was delicious and so easy! I made the chicken in the crock pot with taco seasoning & chicken broth and shredded it that way before layering the casserole. Definitely will be making again. Thank you for such a quick and tasty dish!
Glad you liked it Kate!
Made this and we all loved it! I will say though, I found the recipe confusing when it came to the enchilada sauce. I didn’t see anywhere to save some for layering, so mine was a bit dry. Do you use half the can for cooking the chicken, and save half for the casserole?
Hi Emily,
It’s in step 4 where it says to use remaining enchilada sauce. 🙂 Glad you liked it though.
Love me some good enchiladas. Due to arthritis I shredded my chicken in my kitchen aid, all I can say is, “Fabulous “.
This is a keeper. TY
I made this for dinner tonight. I had a can of chunk chicken breast that I needed to use. It was absolutely delicious. I will be making this again soon.
I was trying to give this 5 stars but for some reason it won’t work from my phone.
Made this today for dinner. Added Mexican corn to the sauce to increase the vegetables. Easy and fantastic recipe.
I am fixing this tonight. It will be my first time ever making enchiladas. Infact the last time I had enchiladas was over ten years ago when I lived in cali. I am very excited. I will post how it turned out, bad or good I will.
I made your recipe exactly as you have it and it turned out absolutely delicious! My only question is… Is there a better brand of corn tortillas that don’t get so soggy? Or has anybody tried cooking them a little bit first? Thanks for any input!
I actually used the Psst Brand from Kroger. I also made sure that all the tortillas were covered with the enchilada sauce and cheese. Oh was it good.
Mine got soggy as well. They were practically dissolved 🙁 I am going to try it with flour tortillas tonight and hope for better results.
Thinking of making this as a freezer meal. Have you ever tried freezing it?
I haven’t but it should work perfectly, you can prepare everything up until the baking part then you can freeze it, just cover it up first.
Have you tried using a green enchilada sauce instead of red? Do you think it would still taste good?
Yes i think it be taste very good
I love green enchiladas. My preference is to make them with just cheese and skip the chicken but my daughter likes making them with chicken, so there you go. If you can get your hands on Hatch Green Enchilada sauce, it’s super wonderful. But I do use any medium enchilada sauce I can find. Try them, you’ll like them.
Green Sauce would probably be just as good, good idea.
Would mozzarella cheese work?
You can but it would change the taste a bit, but it should still be good. 🙂
This looks easy and delicious. I will be making it tomorrow. But I’m confused at your casserole dish size it looks bigger than a 8×8 but smaller than a 9×13, which is all I have. What do you suggest I do?
Hi Jon,
Yes my dish here is a weird size 9×6, it came with a set. But you can use a 9×13 dish, it should work just fine. 🙂
Thank you very much.
Could I switch the cheese to a Mexican blend shredded? Thanks!
Absolutely!
Is that 2 whole chicken breasts or 2 halves,hence,2 or 4 pieces? This sounds so good,I just love Mexican food. Thanks
That would be 2 halves. 🙂
Could you use flour tortillas, or just corn?
Flour tortillas would be fine as well. 🙂
Yummy! Would this work in a 8×10 dish?
I do not own a 6×10 dish btw
Yes it would be fine.
What size casserole dish is needed for this? I’m thinking of doubling the recipe to feed our 4 adults and 4 wolves.
I almost fell out of my chair!!! LOL You can use a 9×13 casserole dish if you plan on doubling it, the one I used is a weird size 6×10.
Thanks, Jo. Those boy wolves range in age from 6 to 14 and have recently turned from picky eaters to ravenous beasts, hence their new group name. Your recipe is so easy and looks so much like laborious rolled enchiladas, I have to make it NOW! Well, next week. Thank you for sharing!
LOL Yeah my friend has boy teenagers so I hear from her all the time how much they can eat, it’s shocking.
This looks so darn good and simple too. Can’t wait to try it!
Looks delicious! Making this tonight for dinner. Do you simmer the chicken in sauce on the stove top, or do you bake it in the sauce?
Thanks!
Hi Janet,
I simmer the chicken in the enchilada sauce on the stove top. Hope you like it!
Have you ever frozen this? If so, could you provide instructions on thawing/cooking? Thanks!
This was delicious! I will be adding this to my Favourite recipes! Thankyou! I love finding successful dishes! So many people say their. recipes are winners… But fall short. This was soooo yummo 🙂
So glad you liked it Susie 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight and yum!! 🙂 So easy and delicious. The only thing I did different was to add some sweet corn in the second layer cuz it sounded yummy. Loved the simplicity of this dish, yet there was great flavor. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you liked it Samantha 🙂
That sounds like a great idea!!!! This sounds awesome on its own adding corn is just like making a different version of a great thing!
Made this for dinner tonight and my family LOVED it! My husband is pretty picky and will tell me when I try new recipes if it’s a yay or nay and he was very impressed 🙂 I just added a few extra things; taco seasoning the the enchilada sauce and pinto beans. I also used extra enchilada sauce.
The best!!! My kids and husband loved it!
This looks so yummy. Unfortunately, every time I cook, it’s always dry. This won’t dry out? And what kinda sauce because there’s several kinds and flavors. Thank you.
I love this recipe but I am curious about the cook time. Is it 45 mins like it says at the top of the recipe or is in 20-30 mins like it says in step 5?? I think i used 30 mins last time but I am just curious about the correct time.
45 minutes includes cooking the chicken. 🙂
Hi! I want to use this recipe for a friend who recently had a baby. I have to make it the night before, so do you think I should bake it and then she can reheat it for less time than the original baking takes? Or, do you think it best to just put it together and have her bake it before they want to eat it? Not sure if the tortillas will get too mushy … but I guess they probably get mushy anyway? (I’ve never made an enchilada casserole … planning to make this for my family too!) Thanks!!
Hi Kim,
I’d just make the casserole the night before and let her bake it herself then she has it all hot and gooey. The tortillas will be mushy anyway, so don’t worry about that. 🙂
Need pan sizes
It’s a weird size, 6×10 inch, but use whatever you want, you could use a 9×13 and just use bigger tortillas.
I tried this but I used 1/2 package of taco seasoning with the sauce. It had a lot of flavor. I garnished with sour cream and chopped green onions.
I decided to make this today, it is in the oven right now, and I combined this dish with the recipe with the rice for a kick, smells and tasted amazing while putting it together, thank you so much for this!
Glad you’re liking it Viviana 🙂
I would like to make this tonight. Do you think it would turn out ok if I used whole wheat tortillas??
Yeah it should be just fine.
Can you substitute flour tortillas?
Sure you can!
Made this last night. I used a 9 by 13 pan so i only did 2 layers with the amount of chicken I ended up with. I also added black beans like one user suggested. I really thought this was delicious and easy. I liked being able to just boil the chicken in the enchilada sauce! This recipe is definitely a keeper and seems pretty healthy! Thanks so much!
Glad you liked it Chelsea!
I’m hoping to make this soon. Quick question-you said “two chicken breasts.” Chicken breasts can vary wildly in weight/size. Are we talking about a pound of chicken or half a pound…or something else?
Thanks!
About a lb of chicken should be fine. Hope you like it!
So easy to make and tasted great with my homemade enchilada sauce!!
this looks great! Planning to make it tonight!
This is so easy and super yummy! I added black beans to the shredded chicken before layering and served with chopped olives, onions, and sour cream and my family loved it. I’m making it tonight with refried beans smothered on the tortilla layers too 🙂
Glad you liked it! 🙂
what size dish do you bake In
t’s a weird size, 6×10 inch, but use whatever you want, you could use a 9×13 and just use bigger tortillas.
Do you cook the tortillas before you layer?
I didn’t cook them. I used white and yellow corn tortillas and just layered them as directed, straight from the package 🙂
Didn’t think this recipe could be that good with such few ingredients, but after reading the reviews, I decided to try it and was totally surprised! I had to make a quick dinner for unexpected company so bought a precooked rotisserie chicken that I quickly shredded; sauteed and added 1/4 cup chopped onions and 2 cloves minced garlic to the Enchilada sauce and layered the recipe as written. So quick, easy and delicious. Everyone loved it! This might be my favorite quick dinner to make from now on. Thanks Jo!
Hi Barbara,
So glad you and your guests enjoyed this. 🙂
I loved it. But to make it a little easier on me I bought a rotisserie chicken. Was great!! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome, I love using rotisserie chicken to make dinners easy.
What size dish do you make this in? 13×9 or smaller?? thanks
13×9 is just fine. 🙂
Thanks for the inspiration for this dish! I used the same basic components, but changed it up. Jar of chipotle salsa, package of chicken (maybe 1.5lbs), whole wheat tortillas, frozen corn, chopped spinach, green onions, grated cheddar cheese. Everyone LOVED it. The smokiness of the chipotle was really nice, I highly recommend it. I baked it all in a deep-dish pie pan, which was the perfect size. I may add onions and more spinach next time, perhaps try adding some beans (black or refried).
Sounds wonderful, glad you liked it!
Thanks for a GREAT recipe! I made this tonight and my husband and I keep sneaking back to the kitchen to have another bite. It’s delicious and perfect for a cold winter night! I used a 9″x13″ pan so I used 3 chicken breasts, 4 cups of cheese, 3 tortillas for each layer and two 10 ounce cans of Las Palmas enchilada sauce (medium hot). Super easy and really good!
Glad you liked it Trish!
I love your recipes! Quick question is the sauce suppose to get watery when boiling it?
Thank you!
Hi SusyQ,
You got me with this question. 🙂 The sauce is watery to begin with, maybe you’re wondering if it should thin out a bit as you boil it, and while it might a little, I don’t think it should matter. What kind of sauce are you using?
Yes that’s what I meant he hehe…
It’s Sprouts Farmers Market brand
I have 10 more minutes to go. I’m really anxious… I would say this is my first Big meal I’ve cooked (smh)… Hehe
Good luck, I hope it turns out. 🙂
Not familiar with that brand, but like I said I wouldn’t worry about it too much, I’m sure it’s fine.
Made this over the weekend and froze several servings. Fantastic. The flavor is identical to the chicken in the enchiladas at my favorite restaurant. Will use for crispy tacos soon. A few tips for those who like their enchiladas wet: I used two 28 oz cans of enchilada sauce rather than 1 14oz can. I cooked the two chicken breasts (bone in) from raw directly in one can of the sauce. I cooked the chicken low and slow (just above simmer) for 30 minutes and then shredded. I used a 9×13 casserole dish and followed the layering instructions. I used the smaller corn tortillas and placed 6 on each of the 3 layers (overlapping due to dish size). I then poured the second can of sauce over everything and I used the basic bagged mexican cheese blend heavily throughout and on top. If using a canned sauce like I did, I recommend simmering the sauce to the point that it is hot and then give it a taste before dropping the chicken in. I had to doctor my sauce with extra chilli powder and cumin to increase the flavor of the mild sauce I purchased. I froze 5 servings and look forward to having these over the next few weeks. Love it!
Recipe looks great! Do you think I can sub flour tortillas?
Sure you can, it’ll be just as great.
awesome Chicken Enchilada Casserole!
think I’ll be making this one tonight for dinner. Thanks
Hi,
I was curious if you thought this would work as a freezer meal. Like do the whole set up but put it in a aluminum foil pan and then thaw and bake in oven? I thought everything would work but wasnt sure about the corn tortillas.
Thanks!
Hi Alia, Yes that would work just fine.
Is that 454 calories a serving or in the entire dish?
That’s 454 calories per serving, there are 6 servings in the entire dish.
Great Dish! I used Emeril’s enchilada recipe which is super easy. I added chopped chili peppers for an extra punch. As suggested from other cook, i put refried beans on the torts after i fried them up. VERY good and easy! Will make again!
Hi!
Just a quick question, is the nutrition information per serving?
Thanks 🙂
Kara
Hi Kara, yes it is!
Thank you!
How do I make this…. Recipe pleeease!
Recipe is on this page.
How much of the enchilada sauce did you use to cook the chicken in?
Hi Donna, I used all of it, but after the chicken is cooked there will be leftover enchilada sauce which you will use for layering the casserole.
This looks so good and easy! Could you please clarify for me the amount of chicken you use? Is it two whole breasts or two halves? I once volunteered on a school cookbook project and the group could never agree whether a chicken had one whole breast (which was the same as two halves) or if a chicken had two whole breasts.
That would be two halves. 🙂
Super yums! I made the mistake of using flour tortillas, so they got a bit mushy, but not enough to dislike the dish. I can see myself using Doritos, Fritos, cilantro & lime rice or refried beans in place of the corn tortillas for a bit of variation. Yup, going to do this one again.
I know this is a stupid question, but how do you cook the chicken?
It’s in step 1 of instructions.
Hi there…
I so want to cook this recipe… I have one question though,
The corn tortillas… do you just use them cold out of the package? or do you warm (cook) them on a flat surface first?
Sylvia
Hi, no need to warm them up, just cold out of the package. 🙂
What size pan did you use? Mine was evidently way too big because the ingredients were lost in there!
Mine was an oval shape, but similar to a 9×13 inch pan.
Just reviewed this recipe on my new blog! http://theyounghousewifeblog.wordpress.com/
Let me just say…thank you…thank you so much for this recipe!
-Stephanie
Hi Stephanie,
I just read your post and I’m so glad you and your husband liked this recipe. 🙂
This is a GREAT intro to Mexican cooking dish one that my busy Yuppie daughter could pull off and pass off as ‘mom’s enchiladas’ with ease :). I plan to send her to your site! She will LOVE IT!! I suggest Rosarita brand red sauce in the larger size can or the Old El Paso GREEN sauce! Add a can of chopped Chilies (NOT jalapenos LOL, but the mild ones labeled ‘chilis’.. they are generally Anaheims) , some sliced black olives are good too as is the Mexican blend cheese. Additions like these are best added to the cheese layer I think so they don’t get lost in the meat. We’ve made versions of this for years and i love your idea of cooking the chicken from raw in the sauce! I mostly just used left over chicken, turkey, beef roast or pork roast cooked and re heated or cooked till it fell apart in the sauce adding water as necessary. The white corn tortillas are good too as they seem to be a bit dryer than the yellow. With recipes like this.. who needs take out?
This looks delicious! What size casserole dish does it make?
It’s a weird size, 6×10 inch, but use whatever you want, you could use a 9×13 and just use bigger tortillas.
I can’t wait to try this! Like you, I am absolutely crazy about Mexican food of any kind, and this sounds wonderful!
Thank you so much for posting it!
Hi,please tell me how do you layer to tortillas im a bit confused with that part?
Made this tonight….kind of added a left over dip made with avocado, onion, cream cheese, and salsa. I ended up rolling the enchilada’s. It was fantastic! Served with Spanish rice and refried beans. Totally awesome meal. Thanks for sharing. Super easy and delicious.
I made this last night with one addition – I spread refried beans on the tortillas before layering them in the pan. It turned out awesome – great recipe.
It’s so easy to make your own sauce. I can never go back to canned sauce. I also do this with ground beef, onions, garlic and pepper. Just brown and add to homemade sauce. I tend to roll my enchiladas with cheese and add my meat/sauce to the top and bottom. I get requests from my co-workers weekly and my family loves them.
How long did you cook the chicken?
It’s in the instructions, about 20 minutes.
Hi Jo. I like the idea of this being an EZ dish, but I’m wondering if you know of a good enchilada sauce recipe? I’m not fond of using jarred sauces, but otherwise, it sounds really good! 🙂
I can’t say I’ve ever made one before, but I’m sure you can find lots of recipes if you do a quick search. If I wanted to make one I’d go with Emeril’s recipe, looks really easy http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/easy-enchilada-sauce-recipe.html
I found a wonderful red enchilada sauce at AllRecipes http://allrecipes.com/recipe/red-enchilada-sauce/detail.aspx. I have prepared this sauce and it is wonderful. Give it a try.
Las Palma’s is the closest to homemade enchilada sauce. Great flavor and consistency.
Sooooooooo yummy. And so ridiculously easy. You’re my casserole hero.
I have decided that I’m coming over and you are going to show me how to photograph cheesy casseroles. And that’s what’s just going to have to happen. M-kay?
Deal….remember it’s still snowing here, so bring your winter jacket…do you have one?
How could I forget?! The sacrifices that have to be made in the name of food photography!
And yes, sassy, I do have a winter jacket! After all I did live in Cleveland. 😉
LOL! Cleveland! I bet they have some fun winters there. 🙂
Nothing is fun in Cleveland, least of all the winter! 🙂
You mentioned that you used whole jar to cook the chicken. Do you need then another jar of enchilada sauce to make a casserole? I am a bit confused on the amount of enchilada sauce I have to use…
You only need one jar. There will be sauce left over after you cook the chicken. 🙂
Thank you so much! My chicken enchilada casserole is in tha making right now! 🙂
I guess this is a stupid question, but I really don’t know…
When you say corn tortillas, are they the soft or crunchy kind?
They’re soft.
I like flour tortillas much better than corn. Would they work in this recipe?
Sure you could use flour tortillas.
Jo: You mentioned that you use a longer dish. What size dish do you use? Also, I make a dish similar to this and I never thought to cook the chicken in the sauce! Anyway, how much sauce do you add to the pot when cooking the chicken?
It’s a weird size, 6×10 inch, but use whatever you want, you could use a 9×13 and just use bigger tortillas. I cooked the chicken in the sauce from the whole jar.
Jo, the only variance was that I added one sm. onion (sliced thin) in with the chicken when it was simmering in the sauce. I let it set up after coming out of the oven and it was really wonderful and such a great recipe to put together. Highly recommend and it’s going in my favorites folder. I did add a small dollop of lower fat sour cream to each serving. Wow!
That sounds great, so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Have you ever used green enchilada sauce?
Yes I have, that would work here as well. 🙂
Can you make this, freeze it and cook it later?
Yes you can Linda, great idea.
This was SO good! I made this when I only had 3 here for dinner, but I usually cook for 5-8 on a regular basis… can this be doubled and still turn out as good??
Oh yeah absolutely, use a 9×13 in baking dish if you double it.
Made this last night and its a keeper. Easy, inexpensive and tasted great. Adds for me: I sprinkled a little cumin on the chicken before adding to the sauce, added some diced onions to the enchilada sauce as I added the chicken and added a sprinkling of sliced black olives and canned mild green chiles in the layers right after the chicken.
Sounds wonderful Kathy, so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Jo, What brand name enchilada sauce do you like best to use in this casserole?
Hi Kristen, I used Old El Pasa in this recipe. 🙂
I was pleasantly surprised by this dish!! I felt the Enchilada sauce I used was watery and not very flavorful but when mixed with the chicken (which I lightly seasoned with cumin, garlic powder and salt) and the corn tortillas it was a big WOW! I will definitely look for a sauce with a thicker consistency next time but otherwise, this is in rotation!! Thanks Jo!
You’re welcome Gina, so glad you liked it!
Gina: I like this enchilada sauce because it’s thick. It also comes in a hot version as well as a medium green chile: http://www.lapreferida.com/products/enchilada-sauce-mild-10-oz/
Saw this and thought it sounded good.
Wow – It IS good! Quick and easy. Hubby said it was a definite “keeper”. Thanks for a great recipe. Love your site!
Thanks Estelle, so glad you liked it. 🙂
I was skeptical about how this would turn out, but no longer! Totally yummy and I had to force myself not to eat more than 1 piece…so that we would have some for lunch tomorrow! Will make again for sure.
Glad you liked it Lynn!
I think I’ll try this but I’ll cook the chicken in the sauce in my slowcooker!!
Sounds great, it should work beautifully. 🙂
This looks amazing and cheesy. Can’t wait to make it for my hungry family! Just need to get some corn tortillas.
Can you use flour tortillas instead of corn?
You could, it’s going to taste a bit different, and if you use flour tortillas the nutrition information will change.
I personally like enchiladas better with flour tortillas, they taste better when reheated
This is delicious! Has anyone tried this recipe with shredded beef or pork?
I attempted this tonight and my wife told me that we’re going to have to add it to our permanent rotation. Very delicious!
Glad you guys liked it!
Do you think this could be frozen?
I think so, I don’t see why not!
also got from Ziplist and am trying as I had corn tortillas to use up…so I am thinking I want to layer refried beans in it…would you suggest over the corn tortillas or over the chicken?
TIA
Made and Loved! On a scale of 1-10…my 9 year old said 8 1/2…I loved how it tastes just like enchiladas but with out the putziness! I added the refried beans over the chicken.
Always great when you can please the kids, they’re our greatest critics. 🙂
I would add it over the corn tortillas, then the chicken. 🙂
This sounds great. However, it would be great if you had some nutrition information.
I’ve added nutritional information to the recipe.
What size casserole dish? 9×13?
No, my casserole dish is fairly small, I believe it’s 8×6 or 9×6, it’s a weird size.
Use pepper jack cheese if you want to make it a bit spicier.
I am hosting a Mexican service auction for 100.
I’d like to make this, can I double or just make
It as is in another 1/2 size aluminum sheet pan?
Thanks, looks delish!
You can easily double the recipe, but if you want it for an whole aluminum sheet pan, I’d think you need to tripe the recipe at least. My dish here was fairly small, I think it’s like 8×6 or 9×6.
In your instructions, you suggest to cook the chicken in the enchilada sauce. Then you stated to layer the casserole by placing 1/3 enchilada sauce, etc but only calls for one can of sauce. Do I use the same sauce that I cooked the chicken in or use another can of enchilada sauce? Sounds so good!
Hi Melissa,
Yes you do, there will be lots of sauce leftover so you only need the one can.
By the way, I thought you’d like to know I found this recipe, and your site, because of the ZipList app. This recipe was the recipe of the day today.
Oh that’s wonderful, thanks for letting me know!
Where do you find red enchilada sauce??
I found it at Safeway here in Calgary with all the canned goods. You can also find it on amazon here.
At the very start of the instructions it says…
“Cut each chicken breast in about 3 pieces, so that it cooks faster and put it in a small pot. Pour Enchilada sauce over it and cook covered on low to medium heat until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.”
Do you boil the chicken in water and add the enchilada sauce with that? How much of the enchilada sauce do you pour over the chicken while it cooks? Thanks!
No you don’t boil the chicken in water, you cook it together with the enchilada sauce. Make sure you cover the pot and stir occasionally. 🙂
Forgive my ignorance, just learning how to cook things beyond spaghetti and hamburger helper, lol! So take the chicken breasts, cut each up into even strips so they cook quicker, take a very small pot and cover them in the enchilada sauce and bring to boil and cook as you would if boiling chicken in water.
Then, take chicken out of the enchilada sauce, cut it up, and the enchilada sauce you mention to then use in the layers is the same that I would have previously cooked the chicken in before. Correct?
You’re correct. 🙂
oh…my…LORD!! i made this last night…OUTSTANDING!! i was trying to keep it on the healthful side so i only used 4 corn tortillas (but that was plenty, 2 on the bottom, 2 in the middle) and i made this with 4 chicken breasts then also added black beans and cilantro on top of the chicken then covered the layers of chicken with Enchilada Sauce and Cheese. SCARY GOOD!! scary like both my husband and i could eat it everyday. But the beauty was, when i calculated it out (based on the entire dish having 6 servings) it came to about 340 calories per serving!! with only 22 carbs and 28 grams of protein…at 7 weight watchers points. now THAT is a good dinner…THANK YOU!!
You’re so welcome!!! I love this recipe too, whenever I make it, it’s all I think about eating until it’s gone!
Looks absolutely delicious. I love enchiladas and really simple. I will use cheddar cheese instead of Monterrey jack.
Made this last night, so simple and delicious! Love! Love! Thanks for such an easy recipe!
Tortillas? WTF are those – I’m blushing.
Montetey jack cheese – huh!
:'(
Tortillas are a Mexican thin flat bread. LOL I forget you don’t get the same ingredients as we do here.
Noooooo enchilada sauce whyyyyyy.