Easy 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 at home. This chicken enchilada casserole only requires 4 ingredients, so it doesn’t get any easier than this.
CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
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.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
Cooked the chicken in the enchilada sauce, just so it gets that nice flavor from the sauce and it’s nice and moist. 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, 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. Next add the tortillas then the chicken. You should be able to get three layers.
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.
HOW TO BAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADA CASSEROLE
Bake this for 20 to 30 minutes at 375 F degrees until it gets all nice and bubbly.
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 inspired dishes you’ll ever have.
Check out the video for these awesome Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole from my book:
LOOKING FOR MORE ENCHILADA CASSEROLES? TRY THESE:
- Quick and Easy Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
- White Chicken Enchiladas
Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts boneless and skinless (about 2 large chicken breasts)
- 14 oz Enchilada sauce
- 6 medium corn tortillas
- 3 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded
Instructions
- 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 1/4 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 1/3 of the chicken and 1/3 of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 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.
Notes
- Make your own enchilada sauce using my recipe.
- I've made this casserole with both flour tortillas and corn tortillas. For a true Mexican inspired casserole I recommend using corn tortillas, however flour tortillas work as well. Some people have mentioned that flour tortillas turn out a bit soggier than corn tortillas, but I thought it was just fine.
- I used a 5x7 casserole dish here, but please feel free to use a 9x13 or 8x8 casserole dish.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition
I made this tonight, had to increase the chicken cooking for 6, added mild green chiles to sauce and onions while cooking chicken, then layered and added chopped black olives and nothing left out of a 13″X9″ pans worth, everyone loved it!!!!!
Hi!
For the days I don’t have time to make the enchilada sauce is there a store bought brand of canned enchilada sauce you recommend?
Thanks!
Any enchilada sauce will work! We usually go for organic brands if possible 🙂
Fantastic good
Recipe is great, but THANK GOD I bought a 28 oz can of enchilada sauce because if I used 14 oz I would not have any left to layer into the dish and that baby would have been dry!!!
I’ve never made a casserole before so I was wondering if you have to cook the corn tortillas in oil before???
No, just use them straight out of the package!
Made this last week and it’s a keeper! I actually added jalapeños when layering and it added a nice kick to it. I think we might even add some black beans to the layers too. I also added some fresh avocado slices and sour cream to my plate when I served it.
GREAT FLAVOURS!!! Homemade enchilada sauce is amazing. I found this a little too spicy for the kids so next time I will go half on chili powder.
Am excited to do the enchiladas Recipe for my family tomorrow for dinner & will definitely leave a review after having this dinner should be a favorite with my family. Thank you again
Plan to make it but not sure of size of the pan you used. . Also, can I double everything and use a 9 x 13 dish?
Sounds delicious!
You can use a 8×8 inch dish to make this, or yes you could double it and use a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
It really looks good! I have been craving enchiladas but every recipe I found calls for canned soup. The idea makes my throat close! Going to make this for Super Bowl dinner!
Sounds yummy and gluten-free, Thank you!
If you almost double the size of the pan to a 9×13, wouldn’t you have to double the ingredients? I saw the cooking time and temperature but no pan size until I searched. I can’t wait to try this.
Since this is a casserole, you don’t have to worry too much about pan size. They’re meant to be a bit messy, so whether yours turns out taller in a small pan or thinner in a large pan, it’ll still be delicious.
Im going to try this tomorrow.
Looks delicious
Hope you like it!
This is 1 of our favorite dinners ever. I make it at least once a month, where as everyone wants it a couple times a week!
Like the recipe says, you can use either corn or flour tortillas. We prefer the corn, but both do work. Ive also made this with hamburger meat, just as good.
This is absolutly, a MUST TRY. Thank you
Easy to make, and delicious!!!!
Chicken enchilada casserole looks wonderful.
Wow easy and wonderful ………….even for this old man to make……… thank you…
Delish dish, we are a family of casserole lovers. Kind of like a lasagne. I wasn’t sure about the corn tortillas being enough to hold it together but it was perfect and they added great flavor. Used a rotisserie chicken, cooked with the sauce on the stovetop and added corn. Could add black beans and whatever else to top on nachos as leftovers. Really good, will make it again!
Do you recommenda specific enchilada sauce?
I usually make my own, but if I do buy it I prefer La Frontera.
This dish was easy and so delicious! I had chicken thighs, used those instead and cooked them separately to remove some of the fat from them. I also used Jo’s Enchilada sauce. This is going to be a regular in our dinner rotation. Thank you for an amazing recipe, I’m a new fan of your blog!