White Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce {Recipe}

ByAlexis

These easy White Chicken Enchiladas are made with flour tortillas, shredded chicken, melty cheese, green chiles, and a delicious sour cream sauce.

White Chicken Enchiladas are ALL the rage, and for good reason. The flavor is incredible.  Bold flavor but not spicy.  Creamy comfort food, yet not too rich.  These are a winner in all categories and will satisfy even the pickiest eater. (Yes even with green chilies and sour cream!)

White Chicken enchiladas text overlay with ribbons and a plate with white chicken enchiladas and a fork

This recipe gets all the accolades and compliments.  Everyone loves these creamy and cheesy chicken enchiladas. Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas has been the #1 recipe on my site every year since 2012.  It's just a classic favorite.

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Not your everyday Enchiladas...

These are not your typical enchiladas.  Traditionally, enchiladas are made with corn tortillas and a red or green sauce.  These are a "whole other thing"….and so so good.

 
Two foil pans ready to cook white chicken enchiladas sitting on a wood table

I have a big family and we love to have big Fiesta Night dinners.  Tacos, taquitos, nachos, and of course these enchiladas are a must.  There are never any leftovers (I blame the Sour Cream and green chillies!).

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Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

This is a great recipe for a busy schedule.  If you have a busy day, cook the chicken in the slow cooker and then shred it and assemble the enchiladas, and make the sauce at dinner time.

If you have a busy late afternoon, make the the full recipe up to 12 hours in advance and keep in the fridge and just bake them at dinner time.  

White Chicken enchiladas in glass pan from oven

I like to put these on the Menu for Monday because I can cook the chicken in the slow cooker on Sunday and assemble everything and stick the pan in the fridge.  Then when we get home Monday from school, activities, appointments, and general chaos that comes with the beginning of the week, I can pop these in the oven and know that we will all be looking forward to a delicious dinner.

Ingredients for White Chicken Enchiladas

There are so many ways to make this your own.  This recipe will give you the confidence to experiment.  Onions, bell peppers, jalapenos, black beans, taco seasoning, chili powder, and all kinds of things to add as you cook the chicken and assemble the filling.  Start with the basic recipe and then experiment as you like.  

If you like to punch up the flavor and enjoy spicy, add chili powder to the chicken, add diced jalapenos to the sauce and use pepper jack cheese.
  • Flour tortillas- I used a taco size tortillas, but you can also use the smaller ones and get more individual enchiladas.  The flour tortillas do not become soggy or gummy.
  • Cooked, shredded chicken- I have shared several ways above to make delicious and moist chicken and easy ways to shred it quickly.
  • Monterey Jack Cheese- you can use any kind of melting cheese.  Cheddar jack, pepper jack, and Mexican blend all work well here.  If you are using mozzarella, mix it with cheddar for texture and melting.
  • Butter and flour- this will be used to make roux as a base to thicken the sour cream sauce.  
  • Chicken Broth- use prepared chicken broth or bouillon base and water
  • Sour cream- use full-fat sour cream.  Full-fat Greek yogurt can also be used.
  • Green chiles- these are diced and mild. They are not spicy, and they add great flavor. 

See the recipe for quantities.

Hand rolling chicken and cheese together into a burrito
*You can add all the broth at once and stir while it cooks, coming to a simmer for 15 or 20 minutes and is nice and thick. Stir continually.
*Or you can add in only small amounts (½ to 1 cup of broth) at a time and let each addition thicken before adding more, it will only take about 10 minutes to simmer and thicken.  Stir continually.
Stainless steel pan pouring sour cream sauce over the chicken filled burritos in a glass pan
a round plate holding the white chicken enchiladas with a fork in front of a glass bowl of salad

Serve with your favorite taco toppings and a side salad or fresh veggies.

If I am making this to serve a large family or big group, I figure 1.5 enchiladas per person and then go heavy on the side options. I like to warm up pinto beans (or refried beans) and corn and serve chips with salsa. There is always more sour cream and fresh avocado. Fresh lime wedges and diced tomatoes are wonderful. We also like sliced black olives and jalapenos. 

Variations and Substitutions:

  • Use corn tortillas.  Tradiitional enchiladas use soft corn tortillas.  Warm up the tortillas first so that when you roll them up, they won't split.
  • Add chili. powder and taco seasoning to the chicken
  • Add green chilies and onions to the chicken when cooking it.

What's The Best Way To Make Shredded Chicken?

*Slow cooker- use 4-5 boneless chicken breasts and cook on low with ½ cup water and seasonings for 6 hours.  Shred and enjoy.

*Oven roasted- Drizzle olive oil over 4-5 boneless chicken breasts and season with cumin, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  Shred and enjoy.

*In a large pot filled with chicken broth, boil chicken breasts for 20 minutes or so until cooked through.  Shred and season.  

*You can also buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it for a quick solution.  Even faster, I love buying the packaged shredded rotisserie chicken from Costco. 

Top Tip

*For an easy way to shred chicken, you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and shred it on low while the chicken is hot.  you can also use an electric hand mixer with beaters just be careful not to mash or pulverize the chicken.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftover enchiladas in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze White Chicken Enchiladas?

This recipe, as a whole, does not freeze well.  The chicken rolled up in the flour tortillas will make the tortillas gummy when thawed. The sour cream sauce doesn't freeze well and separates when thawed.  To use your freezer in meal prep for this recipe, cook your chicken with prices and any mixins.  Cool and then freeze in a zip top freezer bag for 2-3 months.  You can then thaw and roll it up in the tortillas, make the sauce, and bake it as directed.

More Enchilada Recipes

Do you love all enchiladas?  I have recipes for more!

414 Comments

  1. just made these today... i thought they were super creamy i did change the sour cream to mexican cream it was waaay better and also spicier chiles and i also used the chicken that is cooked from the store and they were so moist... i also doubled the cream though so it could be creamier

  2. these are amazeballs. Yes, I actually used that word. I added a little cayenne to add some heat and my husband threw a few jalepenos on top. These will be a staple at our house.

  3. Great basic recipe. Here is my version of this recipe that makes the chicken filling more flavorful and moist. Enjoy!

    Lynaya’s White Chicken Enchiladas
    (AKA Enchiladas Suizas)

    Chicken (can be made the day before and refrigerated)
    1 jar Goya Salsa verde (or a large jar of any salsa verde)
    2 pounds chicken breast or chicken tenderloin
    1 finely diced red onion
    2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic
    1 packet taco seasoning
    2 tablespoons lime juice

    • Thaw chicken if it is frozen. Cook all ingredients together on low in a crock pot for 2.5 hours, or until shred-able. When done cooking, DRAIN chicken and shred by hand. Another option is to place all filling ingredients along with the chicken in a stand mixer. The mixer does a great job of shredding the chicken in seconds if the chicken is cooked correctly.

    Filling
    Cooked chicken (see above)
    1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies (these are not spicy at all, just tangy)
    ½ can diced jalapenos (if you’d like to add a bit of spice)
    1 cup shredded mild cheddar, or shredded Mexican Mix cheese
    1/3 cup of prepared sauce (see below)
    1/2 bunch green onion, finely sliced

    • Mix all ingredients together by hand or place in a stand mixer to shred chicken and incorporate other ingredients.

    Sauce
    4 Tbsp. butter
    4 Tbsp. flour
    2 cups chicken broth
    2 teaspoons Goya Adobo or basic chicken seasoning
    1 can diced green chilies (these are not spicy at all, just tangy)
    ½ can diced jalapenos (if you’d like to add a bit of spice)
    1 heaping cup sour cream (or greek yogurt)
    1/2 bunch green onion, finely sliced
    (set aside 2/3 cups of prepared sauce)

    • In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly. REMOVE FROM HEAT and stir in remaining ingredients.

    Assembly
    8 mid-sized tortillas (I like whole wheat)
    1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar, or shredded Mexican Mix cheese
    Prepared filling
    Prepared sauce

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan. Spread 1/3 cup prepared sauce over the bottom of pan. Divide filling into 8 equal parts. Place filling inside tortilla, roll, and place horizontally in pan. Pour remaining prepared sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

  5. I made these exactly according to the recipe and they were a hit! Yummy! I've had this bookmarked in my pinterest account for some time now. I should have tried this recipe sooner! Thanks for sharing!

  6. I love these enchiladas! Mods: I use corn tortillas, & rice flour to make it gluten free. I add diced tomatoes, thin sliced onion, sliced bell peppers to the filling and use greek yogurt instead of sour cream 🙂

  7. Somebody posted this on facebook and i had to try these.....I am also adding some sauce to the meat and cheese mixture. My husband likes spicy and not so much me so I am putting jalapenos in half of the enchiladas. boiling the chicken breasts now.....keep posting great recipes and I'll keep trying them

  8. I have made this many times. I do like a bit more kick to mine so I add some hot peppers and red pepper. Love it!

  9. This was the best recipe ever!!!! I made it tonight for my family and my picky 11 year old devoured it! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
    Sara

  10. Hi, I'm commenting on your first statement regarding this recipe (which looks awesome!) )" This recipe calls for diced green chilies. Don't let that fool you, these are NOT spicy in the least.") I'd like to say, sorry...that's not necessarily true. I was born and raised in New Mexico, home of green chilis and if you purchase canned "mild" green chili's no, they aren't hot at all (so if you go that route, your statement is true but you didn't specify to buy mild chilis.) However, if you happen to be using fresh green chili's they can be quite hot so be careful with them. I use fresh roasted green chili's in my enchiladas and it'll make you sweat. So, to ensure your enchiladas aren't hot purchase canned diced green chili's with "mild" on the label because even the canned ones range from mild to hot 😉

  13. Found this on Pinterest and made this weekend (and blogged about it)! These were definitely sooo yummy (as everyone else has already said), and relatively easy. I used a Publix original rotisserie chicken for the meat, and shredded the entire bird (without paying attention to the amount). I also added about an extra cup of cheese to the top. I was told by my mother multiple times, "You can make these whenever you want!"

  14. Just made these tonight. They were so simple and so yummy!!! Definitely will be making these again 🙂

  16. gonna try this tonite i have some picky eaters but they really like mexican ... great recipe site and thank u

  17. I cooked this recipe today for Cinco de Mayo! It is always a hit and I even blogged about it today and gave you the original shout out! Check out my page if you ever have some free time. Thanks again for the recipe! http://neneandmay.wordpress.com/

  18. Omg these are so good. I have had them twice already. Making them again in a couple of days. Thanx for the recipe.

  19. I just made this and it was super yummy! I cooked the chicken in the crockpot all day with a can of rotel. Really yummy. I used corn tortillas (I think flour ones make them too mushy), and I added a bit of garlic powder, cumin and paprika to the sauce. Also added diced red bell pepper just because. A note of warning if you're going to use corn tortillas: you MUST dip them first in either simmering chicken broth or enchilada sauce or they will break! I was lazy and skipped this step and they were a mess (but still delicious). Traditionally you would actually fry them lightly in oil, but dipping them in chicken broth is a bit healthier. 🙂 Thanks for a tasty creamy recipe without cream of chicken soup!

  20. I have had this recipe saved for months now and finally got to making it. I know you have heard this already but this recipe is not only easy to make but amazing. The sour cream and chilies really add to the sauce. I definitely agree that one must have the heat on low before adding it so it does not curdle (not from personal experience). I used canned chicken and corn tortillas and I do think the flour tortillas would not have broken apart as easily but it was tasty none the less. Would make again and recommend.

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