Here's the truth about white chicken enchiladas attempts - I probably ruined eight pans of them before figuring out how to not end up with either a watery mess or dried-out tortillas. Made the sauce too thin, too thick, overcooked the chicken, underbaked the whole thing, basically every mistake possible with what should be the easiest Mexican-inspired comfort food dinner. Took me nearly three years of testing and one disastrous potluck to realize that white chicken enchiladas success comes down to the right sauce consistency and not overbaking. Now my white chicken enchiladas are foolproof.
Why You'll Love This White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
This creamy chicken enchiladas method fixed my biggest dinner party anxiety - trying to make something that looks impressive but doesn't leave me stressed in the kitchen.
What Actually Works: This easy white chicken enchiladas recipe produces tender, creamy enchiladas every single time because the sauce is properly thickened and the chicken stays moist. The sour cream base creates that rich, tangy flavor everyone expects from restaurant-quality enchiladas. My sister-in-law, who's from New Mexico and has strong opinions about Mexican food, actually asked for this white chicken enchilada recipe after I served it at Easter dinner. The technique works whether you're feeding four people or a crowd.
Why Other Methods Fail: Most chicken enchiladas with white sauce recipes tell you to use canned soup or make a complicated béchamel. The canned soup tastes artificial and the béchamel breaks if you're not careful. This white sauce chicken enchiladas approach uses sour cream and cream cheese for a sauce that's naturally creamy and impossible to mess up. You can prep everything hours ahead, and the actual assembly takes maybe twenty minutes.
The thing that changed everything: realizing that white chicken enchiladas success has nothing to do with complicated techniques and everything to do with sauce consistency and proper layering. Once I started making the sauce thick enough to coat a spoon and stopped rolling the tortillas too tight, my success rate went from maybe 40% to basically perfect every time.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
- What You'll Need for White Chicken Enchiladas
- How to Make White Chicken Enchiladas
- Top Tip
- Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
- Storage and Reuse Instructions
- What to Serve With White Chicken Enchiladas
- What I Learned the Hard Way
- FAQ
- More Recipes You'll Love
- White Chicken Enchiladas
- Related
- Pairing
What You'll Need for White Chicken Enchiladas
This best white chicken enchiladas recipe uses ingredients you can grab at any grocery store. I'm not asking you to hunt down specialty chiles or spend your budget on authentic Mexican cheese.
Good rotisserie chicken saves time, and using flour tortillas instead of corn makes rolling easier. The sauce builds incredible flavor while staying creamy from start to finish.
Main Ingredients
- Shredded rotisserie chicken
- Flour tortillas
- Sour cream
- Cream cheese
- Green chiles
- Chicken broth
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Butter and flour
Flavor Builders
- Garlic powder
- Cumin
- Onion powder
- Green enchilada sauce
- Jalapeños
- Cilantro
Finishing Touches
Fresh cilantro and extra cheese on top create that golden, bubbly finish. Some people add a squeeze of lime juice at the end for brightness. You'll find exact amounts in the recipe card.
How to Make White Chicken Enchiladas
This creamy white sauce technique is about building layers of flavor instead of just dumping everything together and hoping for the best. Each step matters because it sets up the next one.
Make your creamy white sauce
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until foaming
- Whisk in flour and cook for one minute to remove raw taste
- Gradually add chicken broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps
- Stir in sour cream, cream cheese, and green chiles until smooth
- Season with cumin, garlic powder, and salt to taste
- Simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon
- This sauce is what makes white chicken enchiladas actually creamy
Prep your chicken filling
- Shred rotisserie chicken into bite-sized pieces using two forks
- Mix chicken with half the prepared white sauce in a bowl
- Add half the shredded Monterey Jack cheese to the mixture
- Season with additional cumin and garlic powder if needed
- Taste and adjust - the filling should be flavorful on its own
- Well-seasoned filling prevents bland chicken enchiladas with cream sauce
Assemble the enchiladas properly
- Spread a thin layer of white sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish
- Warm tortillas slightly so they roll without cracking
- Spoon chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla generously
- Roll firmly but not too tight or filling squeezes out
- Place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish
- Pour remaining white sauce over the top, covering all tortillas completely
- Sprinkle with remaining cheese for that golden bubbly top
Bake to creamy perfection
- Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes
- Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly
- Don't overbake or the edges dry out and sauce breaks
- Let rest 5 minutes before serving so sauce thickens slightly
- The baked chicken enchiladas should be creamy, not dried out
Should have tender tortillas wrapped around creamy chicken filling, all smothered in rich white sauce when your white chicken enchiladas recipe is done right.
Top Tip
Stop rolling your tortillas too tight. Seriously. I spent years stuffing them so full they burst open in the oven or leaked filling everywhere. The tortillas need room to absorb sauce and stay tender. Fill the center, leave space on the sides, and roll just firm enough to hold together.
Also, don't skip warming the tortillas before rolling. Cold flour tortillas crack and tear, leaving you frustrated and making a mess. Ten seconds in the microwave between damp paper towels makes them pliable and easy to work with for perfect creamy chicken enchiladas every time.
Ingredient Substitutions & Variations
Real life means working with what's actually in your fridge instead of making special trips for every ingredient. No rotisserie chicken for your white chicken enchiladas? Leftover grilled chicken, poached chicken breasts, or even turkey works fine. Out of cream cheese? Extra sour cream or Greek yogurt creates similar creaminess.
For different flavor directions in your white enchilada casserole experiments, add black beans and corn for Tex-Mex style, or use pepper jack cheese for extra heat, or stir in spinach for added nutrition. The core technique stays identical - proper sauce consistency and not overbaking is what makes any chicken enchiladas with white sauce actually work.
You can make white chicken enchiladas with Alfredo sauce instead of making sauce from scratch, though homemade tastes better. Some people use green enchilada sauce mixed with sour cream for tangier flavor.
Storage and Reuse Instructions
These easy white chicken enchiladas keep in the fridge for four days if stored in an airtight container. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or the whole dish covered in a 325°F oven until warmed through. Add a splash of chicken broth or milk if the sauce seems dry.
Freezes beautifully for three months either before or after baking. If freezing unbaked, assemble completely, wrap tightly, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking as directed, adding 10 extra minutes to baking time. If freezing already-baked enchiladas, cool completely first, then wrap well. Reheat covered at 350°F until hot throughout.
What to Serve With White Chicken Enchiladas
This Mexican-inspired dinner is loaded with cream and cheese, so balance it out with bright, zesty sides. Fluffy Mexican rice catches all that extra sauce, or go with cilantro lime rice if you want something fresher. Seasoned black beans work better than refried if you're already serving something heavy and creamy.
Stack fresh tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños on the table with lime wedges so people can build their own toppings situation. Crispy romaine with citrus dressing helps cut through all that richness. Charred corn off the cob with chili powder tastes better than the fancy street corn everyone makes now. Roasted poblano strips add smokiness without overwhelming the dish.
Start with warm tortilla chips and chunky salsa, maybe some queso if you're feeling ambitious. Cold beer or a pitcher of margaritas turns dinner into an actual event instead of just Tuesday night food.
What I Learned the Hard Way
Three years ago, I couldn't make white chicken enchiladas without turning them into either soup or cardboard. Every attempt ended badly - watery sauce pooling everywhere, tortillas cracking apart, burnt edges with raw middles.
The absolute worst happened at a church potluck where I'd volunteered to feed forty people. Second time making this dish, thought I had it down. Wrong. The sauce never thickened because I'd added all the liquid at once instead of gradually. Rolled those tortillas like I was making cigars, so tight they exploded in the oven. Left everything in way too long trying to "make sure it cooked through" and ended up with leather.
Watched person after person take polite bites then set their plates aside. Nobody asked for seconds. Found three full plates in the trash during cleanup. Wanted to disappear.
Spent that whole weekend reading everything I could find about how restaurants make their creamy chicken enchiladas actually work. Discovered that building a proper roux matters more than I'd realized - you need that flour-butter base cooked out before adding liquid or it stays gloppy and weird. Room temperature dairy incorporates smoothly while cold stuff breaks and separates. The dish needs to stay covered most of the baking time or it dries out fast since everything's already cooked.
Started making test batches every Saturday with this white sauce chicken enchiladas recipe until I figured out what actually worked. Measured my sauce thickness by whether it stuck to the whisk properly. Stopped strangling the tortillas when I rolled them. Set a timer instead of guessing when things looked done.
Now these white chicken enchiladas come out right every single time. That same church group has asked me to bring them to three more events. Turns out the difference between embarrassment and pride is just learning the actual technique instead of winging it and hoping.
FAQ
How do you make creamy white chicken enchiladas from scratch?
Start with creamy white chicken enchiladas from scratch by building your sauce properly - melt butter until it bubbles, add flour and stir for a full minute so it loses that raw taste, then slowly pour in chicken broth while whisking hard to avoid lumps. Once it thickens, blend in room temperature sour cream and softened cream cheese with diced green chiles. The sauce should coat your whisk heavily but still pour smoothly. Combine half with shredded rotisserie chicken and shredded cheese, roll the mixture in warmed flour tortillas, then blanket everything with the remaining sauce before baking. Making it from scratch tastes completely different from any shortcut version. Check this white chicken enchilada recipe for detailed steps.
What is the white sauce made of in chicken enchiladas?
White sauce for chicken enchiladas combines butter, flour, chicken broth, sour cream, and cream cheese into something like a Mexican-style cream sauce with serious flavor. Canned green chiles bring mild heat and tanginess, while cumin and garlic powder add depth. Some cooks swap cream cheese for heavy cream if they want lighter sauce, others mix in green enchilada sauce for more punch. That sour cream foundation keeps everything stable during baking - it doesn't split or get grainy like regular milk sauces do when they get too hot. This creamy chicken enchiladas method gives you consistent results every time.
Can you use corn tortillas instead of flour for white enchiladas?
Corn tortillas work for white chicken enchiladas but they're way more temperamental than flour ones. You have to warm them in hot oil or steam them properly or they'll shatter when you try rolling them. They also soak up tons of sauce, so make extra or your dish ends up dry. Flour tortillas bend easily and stay tender after baking, which is why most white enchilada casserole recipes stick with them. If you're going corn for taste or dietary reasons, heat them thoroughly and handle them like they're fragile because they are. Check this baked chicken enchiladas approach for handling different tortilla types.
Can you make white chicken enchiladas ahead of time or freeze them?
White chicken enchiladas actually work great for making ahead or freezing, perfect for meal planning or feeding crowds. Roll and assemble everything completely, seal it tight with plastic wrap and foil, then refrigerate up to a full day before baking - tack on 5-10 extra minutes in the oven since it's starting cold. For freezing, build the whole dish unbaked, wrap it really well in multiple layers, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in your fridge before baking normally. Already-baked enchiladas freeze fine too - let them cool all the way down, wrap thoroughly, freeze for 3 months max, then reheat covered at 350°F until hot through the middle. That thick sauce layer protects everything from getting freezer burnt.
More Recipes You'll Love
This white chicken enchiladas recipe hits the spot for Mexican food cravings and comfort dinner nights! When I want more stick-to-your-ribs comfort like these creamy enchiladas, my Amish Hamburger Steak Bake comes through with juicy beef swimming in savory gravy that warms you from the inside out. For fast weeknight wins with that same melted cheese happiness as these white chicken enchiladas, my Easy Grilled Cheese Burritos deliver crispy-outside-gooey-inside perfection loaded with bold flavors in barely 20 minutes. And when your Mexican dinner needs a sweet finish, my Butter Pecan Cake Recipe brings rich, toasted-nut decadence that's the perfect contrast to all that savory, creamy goodness.
White Chicken Enchiladas
Equipment
- 1 9x13 inch baking dish To assemble and bake the enchiladas
- 1 Medium saucepan To make the creamy white sauce
- 1 Whisk To blend sauce until smooth and lump-free
- 1 Large mixing bowl To combine chicken filling
- 1 Aluminum foil To cover dish during baking
- 1 Microwave-safe plate To warm tortillas before rolling
- 1 Oven To bake the enchiladas at 350°F
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 can 4 oz diced green chiles
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken rotisserie works great
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese divided
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 10-12 flour tortillas 8-inch
- Fresh cilantro chopped (for garnish)
- Extra shredded cheese for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to remove the raw flour taste.
- Gradually pour in chicken broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens, about 3-4 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in sour cream, softened cream cheese, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk until completely smooth and creamy. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, and half of the white sauce. Add cumin and garlic powder. Mix well until chicken is evenly coated.
- Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 20-30 seconds until warm and pliable.
- Spread a thin layer of white sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spoon ⅓ cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll gently but firmly and place seam-side down in the dish.
- Pour the remaining white sauce evenly over all the enchiladas, making sure they're completely covered. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden on top.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
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Pairing
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