Delish Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas

This is the creamy, cozy, white-sauce enchilada situation that makes people hover by the oven like seagulls. Tender shredded chicken tucked into soft tortillas, drowned (lovingly) in a tangy, green-chile sour cream sauce, and baked until everything melts into this oozy, can’t-stop situation. It’s a weeknight miracle with date-night energy—one pan, wildly forgiving, and tastes like a nice restaurant if the nice restaurant let you eat in sweatpants.

The first time I made this, my husband went poker-faced after the first bite, then quietly got up, walked back to the kitchen, and stacked two more on his plate like he was in a heist movie. Now it’s our “people are coming” dinner that also happens on Tuesdays when the fridge is giving tumbleweed. The kids call it “white lasagna burritos,” which is… not wrong. I love how it uses rotisserie chicken and just a few pantry staples, but feels special in that buttery, green-chile, creamy way that fixes a day.

How to Make It

Okay, here’s the flow: you whisk up a quick butter-flour roux, stream in chicken broth, let it thicken, then kill the heat and stir in sour cream and a can of diced green chiles. That’s your white gold. Toss shredded chicken with a scoop of that sauce and a handful of cheese so the filling isn’t dry (learned that the hard way), roll it in warm tortillas, slide into a 9×13, blanket the whole thing with the rest of the sauce and more cheese. Bake till bubbly and a little freckled. If you’re feeling spicy, broil for one to two minutes at the end—watch it like a hawk because it goes from kiss-of-brown to “whoops” fast.

I like a squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro on top because creamy + bright = balance. Also, let it rest five minutes so it sets up and doesn’t avalanche when you cut into it. Tortillas cracking? Warm them in the microwave under a damp paper towel. Sauce too thick? Splash of broth. Too thin? Let it bubble another minute. We’re not precious here.

✔Ingredient Notes

– Shredded chicken: Rotisserie is the weeknight hero. Leftover grilled chicken works. If it’s dry, toss it with a little sauce before rolling.
– Flour tortillas (8-inch): Soft and easy to roll. Warm them so they don’t split. Corn works if you want GF—just fry/steam them first so they behave.
– Sour cream: The tang that makes the sauce sing. Stir it off heat so it doesn’t curdle and make you cry.
– Diced green chiles: Mild, flavorful, not fire-breathing. Want heat? Add a chopped jalapeño or use hot Hatch chiles.
– Butter + flour: Your roux. Cook the flour a minute so it doesn’t taste like, well, flour. Don’t brown it—we’re going for pale and silky.
– Chicken broth: Use low-sodium so you can control salt. If the sauce looks thin, simmer another minute; it thickens more in the oven.
– Monterey Jack/pepper jack: Jack melts like a dream. Pepper jack for a kick. A mix is perfection.
– Garlic + onion (optional): Tiny sauté = big flavor. Skip if you’re rushing; the chiles still carry it.
– Lime + cilantro: Not mandatory, but they wake the whole pan up. I’m a fresh-hit-at-the-end person.

✔Recipe Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Melt 4 tbsp butter in a saucepan; sauté 1/2 small diced onion and 2 minced garlic cloves 2–3 minutes.
3. Whisk in 3 tbsp flour; cook 1 minute, then slowly whisk in 2 cups chicken broth and simmer until thickened, 3–5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat; whisk in 1 cup sour cream, one 4-oz can diced green chiles, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, and black pepper.
5. Warm 8 flour tortillas; mix 3 cups shredded chicken with 1/2 cup sauce and 1 cup shredded Jack, then fill tortillas, roll, and place seam-side down in the dish.
6. Pour remaining sauce over, top with 1–1 1/2 cups shredded Jack, bake 20–25 minutes until bubbly, broil 1–2 minutes to brown, rest 5 minutes, garnish with lime/cilantro.

What to Serve It With

– Cilantro-lime rice or simple buttered rice if you’re tired.
– Charred corn salad with a squeeze of lime.
– Black beans with a pinch of cumin and a splash of broth (tamari if you want a savory hit).
– Quick-pickled red onions (sugar or honey both work).
– Simple greens with a lemony dressing. Or chips and guac. Honestly, both.

✔Tips & Mistakes

– Turn off the heat before adding sour cream. If it boils, it can split. If it does, whisk in a splash of cream or more sour cream off-heat to rescue.
– Too-thin sauce? Simmer a minute longer or add a spoon of cream cheese. Too thick? Whisk in broth.
– Warm your tortillas. Cracks are 99% a cold-tortilla problem.
– Don’t drown the bottom of the pan. A light swipe of sauce on the base keeps things from sogging out.
– Rest 5–10 minutes after baking for clean slices (and fewer burned tongues).
– Pepper jack on half if you’ve got heat-sensitive eaters.

✔Storage Tips

Fridge: Cover and stash for 3–4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F for 15–20 minutes, or microwave in 45-second blasts so the sauce doesn’t scorch.
Freezer: Assemble but don’t bake; wrap tight and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight, bake as written (add 5–10 minutes if still chilly).
Cold straight from the fridge? Honestly great. Breakfast enchilada with a fried egg on top? I support this lifestyle.

✔Variations and Substitutions

– Salsa verde twist: Swap the sour cream sauce for 1 cup sour cream mixed with 1 1/2 cups salsa verde. It’s zippy and fast.
– Corn tortillas (GF): Lightly pan-fry or steam so they roll without tearing.
– Greek yogurt: Works in place of sour cream if you stir it off-heat. Use full-fat for best texture.
– Veggie: Fill with roasted peppers, onions, mushrooms, and black beans. Add a handful of spinach to the sauce if you’re that person (I am).
– Turkey or rotisserie leftovers: Zero notes—perfect.
– Spicy: Add minced jalapeño to the sauce or use pepper jack. A pinch of chipotle powder is smoky magic.
– Dairy-light: Use less cheese inside; keep the sauce creamy with a little cream cheese or cashew cream if you swing that way.
– Side-swap shoutouts: Making quick-pickled onions? Honey ↔ sugar both fine. Seasoning beans? Tamari ↔ soy sauce, go for what you’ve got.

Frequently Asked Questions

Delish Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas

These creamy white chicken enchiladas are loaded with tender shredded chicken and Monterey Jack, then baked in a silky sour cream–green chile sauce. Comforting, cheesy, and ready for a weeknight.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 120kcal

Ingredients

 

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Main Ingredients

• ▢ 3 cup cooked shredded chicken rotisserie or poached
• ▢ 8 tortilla flour tortillas soft, 8-inch
• ▢ 2 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded, divided
• ▢ 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ▢ 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1.5 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream full-fat for best texture
• ▢ 4 ounce diced green chiles canned, mild
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 2 clove garlic minced
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided, to taste
• ▢ 0.5 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
• ▢ 0.25 cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus more for garnish
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lime juice fresh, optional
• ▢ 1 piece jalapeño seeded and minced, optional

Instructions

Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 0.5 minute. Remove from heat.
• In a bowl, combine shredded chicken, 1.0 cup Monterey Jack, cumin, onion powder, 0.5 teaspoon salt, black pepper, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño if using, and the sautéed garlic. Toss to coat.
• Make the sauce: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in chicken broth until smooth. Simmer, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and whisk in sour cream, green chiles, and the remaining 0.5 teaspoon salt. Do not boil after adding sour cream.
• Spread 0.5 cup of the sauce in the prepared baking dish. Warm tortillas briefly in the microwave or a dry skillet until pliable.
• Divide the chicken mixture among tortillas, roll tightly, and place seam-side down in the baking dish.
• Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and top with the remaining 1.0 cup Monterey Jack.
• Bake until bubbly and lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. For extra color, broil 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.
• Rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra cilantro and serve warm.

Notes

Use freshly shredded cheese for the smoothest melt. Swap Monterey Jack with Pepper Jack for a mild kick. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 3 days; reheat covered at 325°F until warmed through.