You'll love these delicious white chicken enchiladas - they're cheesy and perfectly seasoned. Using rotisserie chicken and less than 10 ingredients - you'll have this delicious Mexican-inspired chicken enchilada recipe on your table in no time!
Why You'll Love These Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas
White chicken enchiladas are a delicious alternative to the traditional enchilada varieties that use red enchilada sauce, or green chile sauce!
The perfect chicken enchilada recipe? This is destined to be your new favorite! The flavor is mild with a nice blend of seasoning and heat (but not too much), and the texture is creamy and cheesy with just the right amount of chicken filling. Oh, and homemade enchilada sauce is fabulous!
Easy to make! You'll love these easy chicken enchiladas. Using pre-shredded rotisserie chicken and a quick homemade enchilada sauce, this dish comes together in a matter of minutes - with only 10 ingredients.
Healthy. These delicious enchiladas are easily adaptable to a variety of diets. Make it low carb and keto by using a low carb or keto-friendly tortilla and xanthan gum as a sauce thickener. Make it low-fat by using fat-free sour cream and reducing the amount of cheese called for.
White Sauce Chicken Enchiladas Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make chicken enchiladas with white sauce:
- Flour Tortillas - we used 8" low carb flour tortillas (soft taco size), but you could use standard flour tortillas or even white corn tortillas (be sure to soften in the microwave before trying to stuff.)
- Shredded Rotisserie Chicken - I used a store-bought rotisserie chicken where the meat had already been pulled off the bone and packaged (to save time) - but you can buy a whole chicken and pull the meat off. Note: that the pre-shredded rotisserie chicken is often seasoned, so you may need to be cautious with the chili seasoning.
- Unsalted Butter
- Onion- a fresh white or yellow onion is best.
- Fresh Garlic
- Flour - used as the thickener for the creamy white sauce.
- White Chicken Chili Seasoning - the seasoning that sets this recipe apart from all the others - and you'll love it. You can make my easy homemade recipe or buy a packet from the store.
- Chicken Broth - broth or chicken stock may be used. Vegetable broth can be substituted as well.
- Sour Cream - sour cream lends creaminess and a slight acidity to the white chicken enchiladas! Mexican crema also works excellently. A full-fat sour cream or low-fat version may be used.
- Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese - we used Monterey jack cheese because of its white color, mild taste, and it melts really well. You could use a blend of pepper jack cheese or a Mexican blend of cheese.
- Optional Canned Green Chiles - you can add these or omit them. They will add spice to the dish.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
How To Make Chicken Enchiladas With White Sauce
Melt butter and saute onions until tender.
Add garlic and flour and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Sprinkle in seasoning and add broth, then simmer until thickened.
Stir in sour cream, green chiles, and rotisserie chicken.
Fill each tortillas with ⅓ cup chicken and white sauce, then roll up and place in baking dish.
Top the enchiladas with the remaining chicken sauce mixture then the cheese. Bake until bubbly.
Substitutions and Variations
- You can make this dish spicy by increasing the cayenne pepper used in the seasoning mix or by adding dried green chile powder, green chilies, salsa verde, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes.
- For extra creaminess, 4 ounces of softened cream cheese can be mixed in with the sour cream. You can also use another half cup of sour cream if desired.
- To sneak in more vegetables, add 2 cups of spinach after the onions are soft and stir until wilted. You can also add up to 2 cups of diced zucchini and sliced mushrooms when you saute the onions.
- Drained and rinsed white beans (such as great Northern) and even corn can be added.
- You can use ground chicken, turkey, or ground beef instead of rotisserie chicken. Shredded cooked chicken breasts also work perfectly.
- Chopped green onions may be added to the sauce or used as a garnish.
- If you are in a hurry, substitute about 1½ cups of green enchilada sauce and mix with sour cream. If green sauce is used, there is no need to thicken the sauce.
What Temperature Do you Cook White Chicken Enchiladas?
White chicken enchiladas should bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until warmed through and bubbly.
Top Tips For Making Chicken Enchiladas
- Make ahead tip - if you know you have a busy week ahead, pre-prep all the ingredients, including the sauce, in advance. When it comes time to serve it, they can be easily assembled and then baked. If the ingredients are cold add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
- Adjust the seasoning to your taste preference. You can use salt, pepper, additional white chicken chili seasoning, or even onion powder and garlic powder.
How To Serve
Here are a few ways to serve chicken enchiladas with white sauce:
Serve the chicken enchiladas garnished with chopped cilantro, sour cream and green onions.
Top the enchiladas with diced tomatoes or avocado for a little freshness.
What To Serve With White Chicken Enchiladas
Serve white chicken enchiladas with tortillas chips and fresh guacamole. For the perfect side dish make these authentic (yet easy) refried beans or a fresh green salad tossed with avocado dressing.
How To Reheat Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce
Reheat leftover chicken enchiladas in an oven or microwave.
Oven: If you have quite a bit of leftovers, heating in the oven works the best. Place enchiladas in a casserole dish and reheat covered with foil at 350 degrees F until warmed through.
Microwave: For smaller portions, microwave on 50% power for 1 to 1 min 30 seconds, or until warmed through.
FAQs
To store leftovers, let the enchiladas cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Monterey jack is a very common white cheese with good melt-ability.
White enchilada sauce is typically made of onion, broth, flour, enchilada sauce, sour cream or Mexican crema, diced green chiles, and seasoning - but the ingredients can vary with each recipe.
The secret to good chicken enchiladas is a good balance of flavors, perfectly cooked chicken breasts (or rotisserie chicken), a nice thickened enchilada sauce, and a good shredded white cheese like Monterey jack cheese. Fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime are good complements to enchiladas as well.
✔️ More Enchilada Recipes
If you are looking for more delicious enchilada, be sure to check these out:
If you tried this recipe, let me know! I'd love for you to come back and give the recipe a 5 star rating and leave a review in the comments! 🙂 Let's stay connected, so please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! Subscribe to my newsletter to get healthy fresh recipe ideas every week!
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
- 1 pound shredded cooked chicken (approximately 3 cups)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 recipe white chicken chili seasoning
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded monterey jack
- optional: 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until tender.
- Add garlic and flour then cook, stirring frequently for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add white chicken chili seasoning and then broth. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking until reduced and thickened.
- Add sour cream and green chiles (if using) to the sauce. Stir in the chicken.
- Lay tortillas out and spread approximately ⅓ cup of the chicken and white sauce mixture. Roll up and place seem side down in a baking dish.
- Cover the enchiladas with the remaining chicken and sauce, then top with shredded jack cheese. Bake for 45 minute or until warmed through and bubbly.
Video
Kori's Tips
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: garnish with tortilla strips, sour cream, green onion, or avocado.
- VARIATIONS: add drained and rinsed white beans (like great northern) and corn if desired. Adjust the seasoning and spice level to your taste. Very soft cream cheese may also be added.
- MAKE IT LOW CARB and KETO: Use a keto-friendly tortilla or a low carb tortilla. Use xanthan gum dissolved in 2 teaspoons of olive oil to thicken if needed.
Nutrition
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