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.Â
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!).Â
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 these White Chicken Enchilada recipe you need to have my popular Make Ahead Margaritas in your life! What a fun meal that would make!! (Pictured below)
Table of Contents
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!
Tip
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.
Like I always say, make this your own. I have even added Avocados and an Avacado Cream to my enchiladas in the past. And my Mexican Street Corn & Avocado Salad pictured below pairs perfectly with this White Chicken Enchiladas recipe.
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
Other Mexican Recipes
As I mentioned, I love having Mexican food. And if there is anything I like more than eating out at a restaurant it's creating a dish at home! Below are some of my top favorite Mexican recipes on my site:
- Stuffed Taco Bread - perfect for game day, parties, teen hangouts, lunch, or just because.
- Shrimp Nachos - fun to make and eat. Perfect for evenings out back with a fire, nibbles, and cocktails.
- Classic Margarita's By The Pitcher - Nothing beats a classic, deliciously refreshing Margarita. I like them both on the rocks as well as frozen.
Let me know if you give this White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe a try! Tag me on Instagram with your creation at #SouffleBombay or @SouffleBombay.
Enjoy!!
Approximated nutritional in formation is calculated by a WordPress plug-in
White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- Sauce
- 3 TBS butter
- 3 TBS flour
- 3 ¼ cups chicken stock
- 1 4 oz can green chilies
- ½ 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
- 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
- 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.
- Taste and add pepper and if necessary add some salt.
- Set aside.
- 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).
- Heat until mixture begins to bubble, set aside.
- Add a small amount of sauce to the bottom of your baking dish. (preheat oven to 375 degrees)
- Fill each tortilla with a couple of big spoonfuls of the mixture, sprinkle shredded cheese over top and roll up.Place in baking dish and repeat until all mixture is used up.
- Spoon sauce over top the enchiladas and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese and return to the oven until cheese is melted.
- Sprinkle with parsley, cilantro and/or scallions and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe originally inspired from one I found years ago on The Pioneer Woman
Mary Beth Elderton says
omg---this sounds absolutely wonderful!
Colleen says
Thanks, Mary! They are a fav! Hope you enjoy!
Carole Boyd says
WOW! I cannot wait to try this...........I dislike red chili (Tex mex) very much! this looks yummy!
Colleen says
This is one of my favorite recipes! I hope you love it!
A-A-Ron says
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 😆
Colleen says
Agreed, love both classic Mexican and Tex-Mex. And well, the extra onions were an excuse for more beer or margaritas lol!
CarryAnn says
I made this but used small shrimp instead of chicken. Turned ot great.
Colleen says
Delicious idea!!
CarryAnn says
Wonderful recipe. Easy to alter to personal taste.
Colleen says
Glad you enjoyed it CarryAnn!
Holly Morado says
Can I make the night before?
Colleen says
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!
Amanda says
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!
A-A-Ron says
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.
Colleen says
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 🙂