White Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce {Recipe}
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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!)
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.
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.
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!).
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.
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 card for quantities.
How to make White Chicken Enchiladas
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken and any seasoning or add-ins you like. *See note. I cook my chicken with seasonings, so I don't add any here. Add in 1 ½ cups shredded cheese and 4 oz of green chiles and mix well.
3. Roll up about ½ cup of chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Place seam-side down in the prepared pan.
4. In a medium saucepan, we will make the sour cream sauce. Start by melting the butter completely over medium heat and letting it start to get foamy bubbles. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk. Let this cook for 60-90 seconds while whisking. Slowly pour in chicken broth 1 cup at a time. Small amounts at a time and letting it thicken before adding more each time reduces the time. Continually whisk while the sauce thickens.
*There are two ways to thicken the sauce here.
*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.
5. When the sauce is thick and bubbly, remove it from the heat and stir in the diced green chiles and sour cream. Stir until well combined.
6. Pour sour cream sauce over the prepared pan of enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese.
7. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is bubbling.
8. Broil on high for 2 minutes to get the cheese slightly golden.
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!
White Chicken Enchiladas
ByEquipment
- Disposable Pan If making a freezer meal
Ingredients
- 12 flour tortillas
- 3-4 cups cooked shredded chicken *seasoned to your liking
- 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 3 tablespoon salted butter
- 3 tablespoon flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 can 4oz diced green chilies
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken and any seasoning or add-ins you like. *See note. I cook my chicken with seasonings, so I don't add any here. Add in 1 ½ cups shredded cheese and 4 oz of green chiles and mix well.
- Roll up about ½ cup of chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Place seam-side down in the prepared pan.
- In a medium saucepan, we will make the sour cream sauce. Start by melting the butter completely over medium heat and letting it start to get foamy bubbles. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk. Let this cook for 60-90 seconds while whisking. Slowly pour in chicken broth 1 cup at a time. Small amounts at a time and letting it thicken before adding more each time reduces the time. Continually whisk while the sauce thickens.
- *There are two ways to thicken the sauce here. 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. If you 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.
- When the sauce is thick and bubbly, remove it from the heat and stir in the diced green chiles and sour cream. Stir until well combined.
- Pour sour cream sauce over the prepared pan of enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce is bubbling.
- Broil on high for 2 minutes to get the cheese slightly golden.
I made these using your tips on cooking chicken in the crock pot with seasoning and adding extra can of green chills - we really enjoyed this recipe. Thanks!
I made this for dinner tonight but I made a few small changes. I've been told I'm picky but I don't see myself as picky, I like a lot of different foods and will try just about anything, I just like my food to appeal to MY taste buds. So I used boneless skinless thighs for more flavor, sprinkled it with cumin, paprika, salt & pepper, poured a cup or 2 of chicken broth in my heated cast iron skillet and added chicken thighs, simmered those in broth for about 20-30 minutes until fork tender. Then I made the sauce according to the directions only adding a little more cumin, paprika and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper and at the end I melted in some cheese. SOOOOOO GOOOOD!! Super easy and yummy, this will be one of my new go to recipes for an easy meal.
How many does this feed?
Love...love...love this recipe...make it, at least once a month....so easy. ..and I make it low carb with low carb tortillas.....thank you!!
Hi! My husband LOVES these enchiladas, in fact I'm making them for his birthday tomorrow. I'm wondering can I make them ahead of time tonight, sauce and all? Will they keep until tomorrow evening? Thank you so much!
These were just delicious!
I always like to try new recipes as is the first time. These were amazing!! I've made them several times now and have yet to make an alteration (although the lime juice sounds pretty great!). I have recommended them to all of my friends. Thank you for sharing!
What is a soft taco shell?
I have never seen soft taco shells in a grocery store and I have lived in Los Angeles my whole life. Generally a soft taco in a restaurant means that they will place the filled taco in hot oil and cook just soften the tortilla unless you tell them you do not to fry it. Even then, chances are, it will come softened in oil.
Perhaps you mean fresh tortillas? Assuming corn verses flour? What size tortilla are you using? Assuming you are using corn tortillas, are you softening the tortillas in oil first? If not, how do the enchiladas hold together after baking?
Thanks, Sandy
Going to make a pan for my family & another for a friend recovering from surgery! Thanks for sharing this simple easy recipe.
I made these for dinner tonight and my husband, who is a very picky eater, ate 4 of these. I think dinner was a huge success. 😉 I think they were delicious also. Thank you for the keeper recipe.
I am definitely planning to make them sometime soon! I love tasty yet simple recipes!
after pinning your recipe over 2 years ago via Pinterest, I finally made this dish for a Cinco de Mayo cooking club lunch this week & the entire tray was devoured. While it was mild compared to typical enchiladas...it was really good. Would defiantly make again. Thank you for creating this alternative!
Here is a a link to my version (i tweaked the types of cheeses added & also used corn tortillas): http://michelmobababy.blogspot.com/2015/05/white-chicken-enchiladas.html
Do you use flour or corn tortillas? Making my grocery list now!
Great recipe! My family loved it.. thank you
FINALLY - a white enchilada recipe that doesn't have "cream of" crap in it. Definitely making this. Thank you!
I made the chicken on high for 3hrs, w/3 Tbsp of minced garlic, generous amt of garlic salt, salt&pepper, also some lime juice. Sorry I didn't measure. I did what was suggested, added 8 oz of chilis and lime juice. For the topping I added shredded chicken with the cheese on top.
Tried it with a few modifications. Instead of chicken broth, I used a can of green enchilada sauce and enough water to add up to the equivalent 2 cups. I also used a mixed variety of cheese I had on hand and added freshly minced onions and Cilantro to the chicken mixture. The adults loved it! The double whammy of chilies turned the kids off, but they begrudgingly ate it. I will probably make this again, but just make a separate pan for the kids without any of the cream sauce.
I love this recipe! I normally do not have green chiles on hand, so I made a variation on the filling. I sauteed garlic, onion, and bell pepper in a little butter. I added the shredded cooked chicken to the pan. Then, I added several shakes of Tapatio hot sauce and a few TB of chicken broth and mixed it well while warming through the chicken on med-low heat. The tapatio added heat without really changing the color of the chicken. I drained any excess liquid and put the chicken mixture in a bowl. The result was amazing and I think anyone who complains that the original recipe is bland could make adjustments like I did and be very happy. The key component is the sour cream sauce.... so incredibly yummy and did not require milk! Thanks for this great recipe, I make it every couple of months.
Thanks for sharing! I am going to have to try it the way you make it 🙂 I like spicy but my kids not so much. I will be sure to recommend your tips to others looking for extra flavor. And I agree, the sour cream sauce is what makes it.
Lexi
Great recipe. 2 things different, add an extra 4oz can of green chiles and add 1/2 squeezed lime to the sour cream / green chile sauce. Fantastic recipe though, very good and sure to please the dinner party!
Oh yum! I like the idea of adding a squeaze of lime to the recipe. Delish! Thanks for sharing
I made these tonight for dinner exactly as you instructed except, I made half with chicken and the other half of the pan with leftover pork roast I had from the night before. OMG! They were both good, but the pork was out of this world. If you haven't tried it with shredded pork roast yet, I highly recommend that you give it a try. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the tip! I do have some shredded pork in the freezer. Such a great idea to use it in these. I am looking forward to trying it.
Lexi