Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
This easy chicken enchilada casserole is going to become your new favorite weeknight dinner. So simple, so fast, so delicious!
If we’re talking simple weeknight dinners, it doesn’t get much better than this easy chicken enchilada casserole.
It comes together fast. It’s crazy delicious. And the ingredients are basic and pantry friendly (is that a thing? let’s make it a thing).
I mean, you really can’t go wrong with a saucy, cheesy casserole. This one is a keeper.
Layer it up
I was inspired by this recipe after a blog reader, Kelsie A., sent me the idea. The premise is so simple.
And it’s brilliantly easy because you don’t have to precook or over-prepare any of the ingredients before assembling (let’s pray today’s the day you have a rotisserie chicken lurking around).
The layers are straightforward:
- sauce (I use a combo of green enchilada sauce and salsa verde)
- tortillas (I cut corn tortillas in half and puzzle them in until they make a *somewhat* neat layer)
- cheese (Monterey Jack + cheddar!)
- chicken (tossed with a few spices to amp up the flavor)
Adaptable Beyond Belief
I’m sure there’s more than one of you/us wondering: what adaptations can be made to this easy chicken enchilada casserole?
Well…the answer is…as many as you dare to make! I haven’t strayed too far from the recipe as written because it’s crazy delicious, but I can’t wait to see what you guys do to this recipe (be nice!).
I have a feeling the green sauce can be easily exchanged for red sauce. The corn tortillas can probably be swapped for flour tortillas.
The chicken for ground beef? Add in some pepper jack cheese and white beans? Yes! Go for it.
This casserole isn’t going to win any gourmet food awards. And to be honest, it has a fairly strong messy-plate vibe.
But it also reinforces the old adage that looks aren’t everything. What it lacks in presentation, it makes up for in flavor and tastiness.
And you honestly cannot beat how quickly it comes together. I think it would make a stellar take-in meal and although I haven’t tried freezing it or making it ahead of time, I think it’s going to get high marks in those areas, too.
Man, I love a delicious, easy weeknight dinner. This casserole makes me very, very happy (and the leftovers are SO yummy – even cold straight from the fridge; I hope we can still be friends).
What to Serve With This:
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Three Years Ago: Amazing Instant Pot Indian Butter Chicken and Potato Curry
Four Years Ago: One-Bowl Monster M&M Cookies {Gluten-Free}
Five Years Ago: Baked Garlic and Fontina Spaghetti
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Seven Years Ago: Classic Crème Brulee
Eight Years Ago: Classic Coleslaw
Nine Years Ago: Coconut Tres Leches Hot Chocolate
Ten Years Ago: Heath Bar Cookies
Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 20 ounces green enchilada sauce
- 12 ounces salsa verde
- 4 cups cooked shredded or chopped chicken
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 14 white or yellow corn tortillas, cut in half
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk together the enchilada sauce and salsa verde.
- Toss the chicken with the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Spread 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer eight tortilla halves across the sauce (see pictures in the post for a visual). Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the tortillas followed by 1/2 of the chicken. Drizzle with 1/3 of the sauce.
- Layer another eight tortilla halves, 1/3 of the cheese, last 1/2 of the chicken, another 8-9 tortilla halves, remaining 1/3 cheese and remaining sauce.
- Cover with greased foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes until bubbly and cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Let rest for 10-15 minutes (it will set up and be less runny as it rests) before serving.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: inspired by a recipe a reader, Kelsie A., sent me (thanks, Kelsie!)
134 Comments on “Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole”
Do you have a recipe for bottling salsa verde? Also, do you have any recipes for freeze dried meals or recipes that use freeze dried ingredients? What have you freeze dried? Thank you!
Hi Emily, I don’t have a recipe for canned salsa verde, sorry! And to be honest, we eat most of our freeze dried food straight out of the can so I don’t use it in recipes very often. Sorry I’m not more help!
THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING IT TASTED SO GOOD AND IT BARLEY TOOK ANY TIME!
I have made this the last couple of years for a yummy and easy Christmas Eve dinner. Made at home before traveling to family and it held up well. I am making it again this week for a meal train and will make a second for home because it’s that delicious and easy.
I have a whole section in my recipe box for verde enchiladas. I can get rid of the rest of them. This is by far the best I’ve ever made, and the family is in total agreement.
Made it exactly as written except used red enchilada sauce because I couldn’t find green. SO good! And best of all it’s one of few meals my entire family of 5 will eat. Thank you for another great dinner option!
Sorry my original comment didn’t include the stars! (rookie mistake)
Mel, I fixed these for my Mom’s 80th b-day dinner and they were a huge hit! My family all loved them and said to keep making them. I did add black beans like another reader suggested, just for more fiber and color. Thank you for pouring yourself into these recipes. I’m such a fan of your site.
Great flavors. I kept thinking it needed more cheese but I was wrong, it’s great as is. We don’t know how to make spanish rice but white rice and black beans were perfect. There’s enough sauce in the casserole to flavor the rice. I assembled it in the morning, refrigerated, then cooked it at 5 pm. It worked perfectly.
These enchiladas are the best and my husband and I’s favorite!! They are easy and delicious!!!
I adore the simplicity of this meal. Mel, I love you. You are my go to with EVERY recipe….
However, when I’ve made this one in the past, it has felt like we were all left “wanting more” ….. Yesterday, I made it for dinner — the chicken, I smothered in Paprika, salt, pepper, lemon — browned both sides, then baked with a red pepper and a whole onion in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes. I cut up chicken and peppers and added the combination to this casserole. IT WAS AMAZING.
Made this in two 9×9 pans and froze it and it tasted great! Pulled out and put in the fridge in the morning and then baked covered for an hour at 350 and then about another 1/2 hour uncovered.
Super easy, good, I made it with mild everything, plus pepper Jack cheese and butter beans, and one can of canned chicken. I think I would make it without pepper Jack next time cause my 10 yr old thought it was too spicy. I was able to use up corn tortillas that were cracked, so that was perfect.
Not sure if i put something in wrong, but man these were spicy!! Too spicy for my toddler, and on the verge of too spicy for my husband. I put sour cream on top and that seemed to help cool it down.
Did you use all mild ingredients? If any of the sauces or chiles were medium or hot, it will definitely make this dish on the spicy side of things.
My family and I agree that it was too spicy despite using mild everything. I have a recipe very similar to this where you mix in 1 C of cream or sour cream with the enchilada sauce. That helps a lot!
Excellent! We loved it! Followed recipe for the most part. I added a can of seasoned, drained black beans on top of first layer of chicken and omitted the cilantro. Will certainly add to our favorites! Very pleased! 5 star plus!
Thank you you have great reciped
Today is my honeys’ Birthday. We love casserole! I saw a couple of chicken enchilada casserole recipes and yours( By far) had the recipe! I can’t wait to make this for him..
Thank You..
Love this recipe! It’s easy to make and fun to try different add-ins depending on what you have on hand. Thank you for posting it!
I can confirm that this is still spectacular with all the substitutions. I made this with that i had on hand for dinner last night and it was flour tortillas, beef, whatever cheese was in the fridge, red enchilada sauce and salsa. Kids even ate it and they are sooo picky
These are SO good!!! Absolutely the best chicken enchiladas. I’ve been making your enchilada stack for years, and love them, but these are so good I’m only making these from now on. And they’re so easy, it’s incredible!
This is a easy meal to make and yes it’s a messy presentation on a plate but it makes up in flavor. My family & friends LOVE this dish. The only thing I changed was the garnishing on top. Instead of Jared salsa I combined diced avocado, red onion, green onion, tomato, cilantro & sliced black olives placed on top of each plate. I also make 2 pans one pan I add pinto beans to each layer after the shredded chicken the other pan is made exactly to the recipe. Great dish a family favorite!
Mel, thank you – this is a keeper! My family loves chicken enchiladas and this recipe is so delicious and easy to make. The combination of salsa verde and green enchilada sauce is delicious. The only change I made was to add some Pepperjack cheese. Brilliant.
Easy, tasty and satisfying (a cold late fall night meal that hit the spot)
Leftovers were delicious too. On the roster now.
Late to try this as I love the creamy green chile chicken enchiladas and didn’t think this could posssibly be as good. I was so wrong! My son ate double helpings and I was tempted to do that too. Thanks again for another great recipe.
Delicious recipe! Definitely a keeper! Tonight we’re trying it with added black beans, some fire roasted corn and pepper jack. Leftovers are great, too! Thanks for sharing!
Mel, this was so delicious! Hubby and all 5 kids gobbled it up (even though I accidentally bought a brand of green sauce that was hotter than we were expecting — oops! They just ate lots of chips, topped with more sour cream, and asked for more helpings.) Sadly, there was only a tiny amount of leftovers (which went into hubby’s lunchbox), so I will definitely be making this again and making extra! Thanks for always posting such wonderful recipes here, and even for opening up and sharing your heart with us perfect strangers. *Hugs* to you and your sweet family.
I love enchilada casseroles. So easy! The spices tossed with the chicken is definitely a level up from the plain chicken I’ve been using, so thanks for that!
Made this last week and it turned out so delicious. The seasoned chicken adds so much flavor. Halved the recipe with beautiful results – almost the same cooking time (checked the last five minutes). Will definitely make again!
I have made this recipe twice now and it was family favorite which is saying something with a picky 7 year old. The second time I added black beans and cream cheese—both delicious additions!
Love this recipe! I’ve made it twice now. First time as written with corn tortillas, and second time with 365 flour & corn blend tortillas plus some cannellini beans. Both were yummy. Corn tortillas added a bit more “tooth”. We topped them with a little plain Greek yogurt, some red salsa and avocados. Definitely a keeper! Can’t wait to make this for friends when life gets back to normal.
Thanks for sharing, Mel!
I made this a few weeks ago and it was delicious! Any idea if it could be made ahead, frozen, and cooked later?
I haven’t tried that, but I think it would make a great freezer meal.
I am just getting to your website after not wanting to make any recipes for a while. Yours are the ones I miss the most!
I’m so sorry to hear of your friend, Holli. Your writing about her and grief is truly beautiful and I am so happy that you can share with us. Life is so difficult sometimes and it proves that we need each other.
I have not made this particular recipe of yours but after I made the Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas once, I made it like a Mexican lasagna from then on. Much easier and no one even noticed! The dish is pretty much gone every time!
Miss you Mel! I hope you and your family can feel all the prayers and good thoughts being sent your way. I’m sad to hear of the passing of your sweet friend! I share my love for others through food and your recipes have helped so much. If I was closer I would bring you food. Probably a meal or treat from your recipes
Like so many others, I am thinking about you and saying my prayers for you. As you can see, you are very very much missed, BUT you deserve all the time you need for self-care and love. You have poured so much love into this online community for 10+ years now. Thank you for all you have done to help me feed my friends and family countless delicious meals/desserts and for being tastefully honest and transparent about your beliefs, short-comings and trials. Your authentic self has brought a lot of joy into my life and the lives of so many others. Sending you big virtual hugs.
Hi Mel,
Just want to echo what so many others have already said so well. Sorry for the lost of your dear friend Holli. You and your family are in my prayers along with others that are morning also. Just know you are deeply loved and cared about.
On that note, thanks for helping me be a Rockstar in the kitchen. Your recipes have never, ever failed me. Never! My kids know Mel. If something tastes wonderful they ask, “Let me guess, MelsKitchenCafe?” 😉
As for this recipe, it’s SO good. Made it with red enchilada sauce (because its what I had) and added some leftover black beans and corn with the chicken. Otherwise, followed recipe and it was delish. The next time I made it I wanted to try a vegetarian option. So made your IP refried beans with black beans (because once again it’s just what I had on hand). Used those refried black beans in place of the chicken. It was SO GOOD also!! I believe you just can’t go wrong with any adaptation.
This is the first thing I’ve made (maybe ever??) that my whole entire family, from grown men down to young kids, loved and came back for seconds of. We polished the whole thing off and it’s for sure on the menu for next week. Easy and delicious! There were about 2 servings saved for someone that was gone when we ate and those set up much nicer than what we ate right out of the oven. I bet it would be fantastic leftover.
Hi Mel,
My daughter is allergic to dairy. We tried a variation of this recipe replacing the cheese with a homemade cream of chicken recipe. Turned out great and was even better with a side of Spanish rice, black beans and lettuce.
Hi Mel,
I am so sorry for your loss. I had a feeling that you were mourning the loss of your dear friend Holli. Sometimes there are no words of comfort with such a devastating loss. Despite our beliefs, the sorrow is real and present, and the sadness can be overwhelming.
There is no time line for grief, but I hope you know you have many fans. on your blog site that are thinking and praying for you and your family. I hope this knowledge gives you some comfort and consolation.
Miss you, Mel. Been thinking about you a lot. I know we have never met, but I have been following your blog for years and you feel like a close friend. I hope all is well and that you are finding peace in your absence from this space. Just wanted to let you know I care.
Hi Mel, I made this tonight and it was so delicious and easy! Two huge thumbs up from my twin teenage boys. I miss you and I pray everything is okay. ❤️
I have been missing you, too, Mel. You are beautiful inside and out and your blog has blessed me and my family for years. I hope this finds you well and that you know how much you are loved. Praying for you and your family.
I love your recipes, you’re a household name around here! My mom has also started to turn to you. She said to me how cute and funny you are! We’re pretty sure we’d all be friends if we ever crossed your path in real life. I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your friend and also the hurtful comments people have said to you. Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Hi Mel just dropping in to let you know you and yours have been on my heart. It’s been rough I know. Looking forward to your blog return. Loyal follower here! Wishing you nothing but blessings and peace.
Hey Mel,
I too have been worried about you. Reading through the comments I learned of your dear friends passing. I am so grateful her suffering has ended but so saddened for her family and those who loved her. Life is too dang hard sometimes. It really is. I am sorry for your grief and pray you and all who are grieving can find peace.