These sour cream chicken enchiladas are good to the very last drop of sauce on your plate. Your family will love this amazing and delicious dish!
I love sharing recipes with you in general, but I especially love when I can share a recipe with you that is freezer friendly and a guaranteed home run. This delicious enchilada dish is a fan favorite on Simple Joy. Made with a creamy white sauce and a simple filling, even your pickiest eaters will love this dinner.
The whole family LOVED this dish!!!!!
Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Ingredients
One of the best parts of these creamy chicken enchiladas with white sauce is that the ingredients are really simple. See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
- Tortilla shells: I use flour tortillas. You can use corn, but they are more difficult to work with since we are rolling them. I love using corn tortillas in my Ground Beef Enchiladas and dipping them in sauce.
- Diced green chiles: Buy these by the small can. They are available in mild and spicy. The other heat in this recipe comes from the taco seasoning, so if you like things with a kick, I would go with spicy.
- Unsalted butter: I always cook and bake with unsalted butter because that way I can control the salt in my recipes. If you don’t have that on hand, use salted butter.
- Monterey jack cheese: This is a white cheese that is perfect for melting. Please resist the urge to buy it pre-shredded; it melts so much better when you buy the brick and shred it yourself.
- Sour cream: A key component in the creamy white enchilada sauce. You could also use full-fat Greek yogurt.
- Taco Seasoning: I love making my own seasonings. They come together so quickly and you can control exactly what is in them and the flavor. If you haven’t tried my recipe for making your own taco seasoning yet, you are missing out. It has great flavor, and it’s easy to make and keep on hand.
Taco Seasoning
How to Make Chicken Sour Cream Enchiladas
Here is a brief overview of how these easy chicken enchiladas come together. For the full recipe including all measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Make the filling. In a large bowl combine shredded chicken, diced (drained) tomatoes, chiles, and taco seasoning.
- Make the sour cream sauce. Start by making a roux and then add in chicken broth. Remove it from the heat and stir in sour cream.
- Assemble the enchiladas. Pour a small amount of the sauce in the pan, fill the tortillas with the filling, and add to a baking dish. Top it all with more of the sour cream sauce and cheese.
- Bake the enchiladas. Place in the oven and bake until warm and bubbly, about 20 minutes.
Why These Are the Best Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
There are a lot of white chicken enchiladas out there, but I think these are the best for a few reasons:
- They are seasoned with my Homemade Taco Seasoning. The flavor is so great and it’s easy to make and keep on hand.
- The ingredients are super simple. I try to keep my recipes made with easy to find ingredients, and this one is no exception.
- We don’t fry the tortillas. Some enchilada recipes call for frying the tortillas before stuffing them. While I am certain that makes for a glorious enchilada, skipping this saves on both time and calories while still leaving you with a dish that you love.
- This sour cream chicken enchilada recipe is freezable. I would encourage you to make a double batch, make one for tonight, and freeze the other for a busy weeknight. I share how to freeze enchiladas below.
Shredded Chicken
You have a few options for how to get shredded chicken for this easy chicken enchilada recipe.
- Buy a rotisserie chicken. Grab one on your way home for a super convenient way to have cooked chicken. I love to get a few while they are on sale and freeze them for later.
- Use frozen chicken. Keeping cooked chicken in your freezer is handy for easy meals during the week. It can be measured ahead of time and thaws quickly!
- Boil chicken breasts. Put one pound of raw chicken breasts in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4-10 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Shred using two forks or the paddle attachment of your stand mixer.
- Make chicken in your Instant Pot. This is an easy and delicious way to make shredded chicken for all sorts of different meals and only has five minutes of hands-on time!
Freezing Cooked Chicken
Making a Roux For Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce
To get a smooth creamy sauce for these enchiladas, you will make a roux. This is when a fat (butter in this case) is suspended in flour which prevents it from separating. Start by melting butter and stirring in the flour, whisking it until it is fully combined. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, adding just a few tablespoons at a time until it is incorporated. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. The result is a creamy sour cream sauce perfect for chicken enchiladas.
Shredding Your Own Cheese
As mentioned above, in any recipe where you want melted, gooey cheese, I highly recommend buying a block of cheese and grating it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in preservatives that prevent it from clumping together in the bag. Those same preservatives affect the flavor and prevent it from melting well. Take an extra few minutes to shred it yourself for these creamy chicken enchiladas.
Keeping Your Enchiladas Soft
One small key to this recipe is pouring the sauce into the pan before you then roll the enchiladas and add them. If you skip this step, the bottom of your enchiladas will become tough and difficult to cut through with a fork as you are eating them.
A small amount of that delicious sour cream enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan – no need to even measure it – will totally solve this problem.
Making ahead!
To prepare this recipe ahead of time, put it all together in the dish you plan to bake it in and cover tightly with foil. Place it in the refrigerator for up a day in advance. When you are ready to bake it, remove the foil and bake in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
These enchiladas can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in the microwave or in the oven until heated through. Always use your best discretion when reheating and eating leftovers.
Freezing Chicken Enchiladas
This is a great recipe to make a double batch of and freeze one for later. I recommend using a disposable baking dish so it doesn’t break when you put it in the hot oven from the freezer. Just prepare the enchiladas up to step six on the recipe card, wrap it very well with foil or plastic wrap, and freeze for up to three months.
When you are ready to eat your frozen enchiladas, bake covered with foil at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the enchiladas are cooked through.
What to Serve with Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
If you’re wondering what to serve with these delicious enchiladas, here are a few side dish options:
- Cilantro Lime Rice or for a slightly healthier bend, Cilantro Lime Quinoa.
- These Crock Pot Pinto Beans are so delicious and are super easy.
- My guacamole is easy to make and would be perfect on top of these or on the side with some chips.
If you make this sour cream chicken enchiladas recipe or any of my other recipes, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below!
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken cooked and shredded (453.592 grams) (see note)
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes drained (411 grams)
- 4 ounces canned diced green chiles (113 grams)
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (56.5 grams)
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour (30 grams)
- 14.5 ounces chicken broth (411 grams)
- 1 cup sour cream (227 grams)
- 10 10 inch flour tortillas
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese shredded (113 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken, drained diced tomatoes, chiles, taco seasoning, and 3/4 cup of the cheese.1 pound chicken, 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes, 4 ounces canned diced green chiles, 1 tablespoon taco seasoning, 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat; stir in flour to make a roux, stirring and cooking the mixture until bubbly. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 14.5 ounces chicken broth, 1 cup sour cream
- Pour a small amount – just enough to coat the bottom – into the 9 by 13 inch pan.
- Add 1/2 a cup of the chicken mixture to each tortilla and roll tightly. Place seam side down in the prepared baking dish.10 10 inch flour tortillas
- When all 10 tortillas have been added to the baking dish, top with the remaining sauce and then the remaining cheese.8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
- Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted, the sauce has begun to boil near the edges, and the visible tortilla shells are just beginning to brown.
Notes
Mary G says
Can u use corn tortillas instead would the recipe still stay the same
Yes! they will work great in this!
susie says
Hi Lisa! My partner made this last night…the whole family LOVED this dish!!!!! He will be making it again&again&again for us!!!!!!! tkx for sharing love your site
I’m so glad it was a hit, Susie!
Phyllis says
Yummy enchiladas!! Very easy and quick using rotisserie chicken. I also like the idea of freezing. Thank you for all your great recipes.
You’re welcome!
Mich says
We have Market Basket ’round these parts (R.I.) – they sell 8- or 10 inch “flour corn tortillas” – they are fantastic to use for enchiladas, because you get that corn flavor, but they’re much easier to work with than rigid corn tortillas! I still heat them for just a few seconds to make them more pliable, but working with them is definitely better than using the small corn tortillas. They’re also not gummy and flour-y like flour tortillas, they have a bit more substance.
Marilyn Maxwell says
Made it as written but we found it totally bland.
Second time round I seasoned the chicken up with black pepper, garlic and onion powder. To the butter I added minced onion and fresh garlic then the remainder. Oh, I also charred the tortilla which crisped it up nicely.
Betsy says
I would like to make the sour cream chicken enchilada recipe completely and freeze; then thaw in fridge overnight before baking. Do you think this will be ok. Or is there a step I should leave off and add just before baking. It sounds delicious.
Yup, that will work. There are instructions within the post for this.