White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
I have been making this White Chicken Enchiladas recipe forever! It was originally inspired by the Pioneer Woman's Chicken Enchiladas. Over the years, I adapted it into my own recipe.
Every time I make White Chicken Enchiladas, I am either on my way to a party (with them), eating later at night or just too busy to stop and take photos of the dish for a post.
Also, enchiladas are hard to get a decent photo of (the struggle is real, lol). However, since so many people have asked me for the enchiladas with white sauce recipe after seeing it in the background on social media. Here it is (finally!).
I enjoy going to Mexican restaurants. The food and atmosphere are fun, the drinks are good, and I love munching away on chips and spicy salsa!
White Chicken Enchiladas or Chicken Chimichangas are what I typically order, and I have to say that these White Chicken Enchiladas are honestly better than most of those I have had out. They are moist and full of flavor. And still good leftover!
If you make this Chicken and Green Chili Enchiladas recipe you need to have my popular Make Ahead Margaritas in your life! What a fun meal that would make!!
Table of Contents
White Enchiladas Variations
- It's easy to customize this White Chicken Enchilada recipe to your taste.
- Enjoy spicy heat? Throw in more jalapenos (and their seeds), a spicy salsa verde and maybe some Cayenne.
- Want more cheese? Go for it! Add a bunch of extra cheese both inside the enchiladas and overtop.
- Like things plain? Make that happen. You can easily half the recipe as well.
- Don't like Cilantro? No problem (my husband hates it) use parsley or scallions instead overtop after you pull your enchiladas from the oven.
- If you enjoy Beef Enchiladas, I REALLY have a good recipe for those!
- I also have a recipe for Ground meat Enchiladas which are a cross between enchiladas and burritos. My teen son is crazy for those!
I also have a really good recipe for Beef Enchiladas. This one takes more time BUT its so worth it. The flavor is amazing! For quick and easy try my Ground Meat Enchiladas, they taste like a burrito and an enchilada had a baby!
Tips
- If you want to cook the tortillas before filling them (which I do not because I like an easy chicken enchiladas casserole), you can heat a pan with a small amount of oil and allow each tortilla to "kiss the pan" for a few seconds per side, being careful to not allow them to crisp up.
- Using a rotisserie chicken makes things easy, however feel free to roast your own, or cook up some chicken breasts to shred for these chicken and green chili enchiladas.
Ingredients
- butter
- flour
- chicken stock
- can green chilies
- salsa verde (if you enjoy like spicy)
- sour cream
- paprika
- shredded Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
- Salt & pepper
- onion
- jalapenos
- can green chilies
- shredded chicken
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- Tortillas
Mexican recipes to try
Let me know if you give this White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe a try!
Enjoy!! XO - Colleen
Originally posted back in 2013. Updated, 2022. Approximated nutritional in formation is calculated by a WordPress plug-in
White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
For White Enchilada Sauce
- 3 TBS butter
- 3 TBS flour
- 3 ¼ cups chicken stock
- 1 4 oz can green chilies
- 1 cup salsa verde I like spicy for this
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
- Salt & pepper
Enchilada Filling
- 1 large Vidalia onion chopped small
- 1-2 Jalapenos chopped small (see notes)
- 4 oz can green chilies
- ½ cup salsa verde
- 4 cups shredded chicken
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon Paprika
- Salt & pepper
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Assembly
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Pepperjack cheese
- Tortillas I use 7-8 large flour tortillas
Instructions
For White Enchilada Sauce
- In a medium pot, melt butter, add flour and whisk until combined. Slowly pour in chicken stock, whisking while you do.
- Add a can (4oz) of chilies, salsa verde, sour cream, paprika and cheese and whisk until smooth (do not bring to a boil).
- Add in black pepper, taste sauce and if necessary, add salt.
- Set aside.
For Chicken Enchilada Filling
- Heat 2 TBS grapeseed or olive oil in a medium pot, add onions and jalapeno and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken, a small 4 oz can of green chilies, salsa verde, stock, and paprika. Stir to combine.
- Add cream, salt, and pepper (and cayenne if you choose for a kick of heat).
- Heat until mixture begins to bubble, set aside.
Enchilada Assembly
- Add a small amount of the sauce you set aside to the bottom of your baking dish. (preheat oven to 375 degrees)
- Fill each tortilla with a couple of big spoonful's of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top and then roll up. Place enchilada in baking dish and repeat until all chicken mixture is used up.
- Spoon sauce over top the enchiladas and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle the top of the enchiladas with additional cheese and return to the oven until cheese is melted. About another 6-8 minutes.
- Sprinkle with parsley, cilantro, pico de gallo and/or scallions and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe originally inspired from one I found years ago on The Pioneer Woman
omg---this sounds absolutely wonderful!
Thanks, Mary! They are a fav! Hope you enjoy!
WOW! I cannot wait to try this...........I dislike red chili (Tex mex) very much! this looks yummy!
This is one of my favorite recipes! I hope you love it!
Recipes with queso or sour cream sauce like these are Tex-Mex. You're talking about Chili con Carne and done right it's pretty good. The first Tex Mex recipe was this and they piled enough onion on it (I like onion) to choke down a mule 😆
Agreed, love both classic Mexican and Tex-Mex. And well, the extra onions were an excuse for more beer or margaritas lol!
I made this but used small shrimp instead of chicken. Turned ot great.
Delicious idea!!
That's a delicious idea!! TY
Wonderful recipe. Easy to alter to personal taste.
Glad you enjoyed it CarryAnn!
Can I make the night before?
You can, for the firmest enchiladas, don't put the sauce overtop until shortly before popping in the oven (just rewarm gently as to not "break" the cheese). Enjoy!
So good! I had a ton of sauce left over though....is that normal? So happy to find a dish without the red sauce. Thank you!
Never use flour tortillas for enchiladas only white corn tortillas. They taste five times better in it anyway. They don't hold up and are a nasty, soggy mess in no time. definitely no good reheated. About the rest of your recipe and sauce... Got it about right for the most part.
If you want some Sour Cream Sauce chicken enchiladas that'll blow these away and any restaurant then get a good Ancho Chili powder, Cumin, garlic and onion powder, smoked paprika with oregano and Knorr chicken bullion powder seasoning together and dry rub a spatchcocked chicken and grill it, will blow Walmart or whatever rotisserie out of the water. For your filling add Jack cheese to cream cheese (like a cheese ball mix) and press it out in wax paper and cut into strips for each tortilla. It's time consuming but you follow this with most her recipe I guarantee you'll be eating enchiladas the next two or three days for every meal and the leftovers won't be a soggy mess. You still have to oil and heat up corn tortillas but they hold up and don't turn into a slimey slop mess.
All rookie mistakes from people who don't know usually when they think using flour tortillas is the way to go. Save the flour for the tacos, butter and salsa or fajitas.
Thanks so much for your feedback and tips, will try! For whatever reason I personally don't like corn tortillas. Wish I did. I will give them another try. I actually have 3 cast iron comals from Mexico which are perfect for them 🙂
Overall the homemade sauce was outstanding! As an experienced cook, the recipe is difficult to follow. The salsa verde & stock quantities are not specified as they are mentioned twice in the directions but listed once in the ingredients. Family loved and I will make this again with several adjustments.
Thanks for the feedback, I added headers for the different steps for clarification. Hope that helps. Glad your family enjoyed these, we love them too!