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Home » Comfort Food » Chicken Enchilada Casserole

March 19, 2019 By Sara 67 Comments

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

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Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe | Mexican Casserole | Chicken Enchiladas #enchiladas #casserole #chicken #cheese #mexicanfood #dinner #dinneratthezoo

This easy recipe for chicken enchilada casserole is layers of tortillas, shredded chicken, enchilada sauce and cheese, all baked together to golden brown perfection. A quick and simple meal that the whole family will love!

I make Mexican food for dinner at least once a week, I often whip up shrimp tacos, pork carnitas or this fabulous enchilada casserole. Add your favorite toppings and watch the rave reviews come in!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe | Mexican Casserole | Chicken Enchiladas #enchiladas #casserole #chicken #cheese #mexicanfood #dinner #dinneratthezoo

A spatula serving up a portion of cheesy chicken enchilada casserole.

Sometimes there’s just nothing better than a piping hot casserole, loaded with cheese of course! This easy chicken enchilada casserole is so simple to put together, but really delivers in the flavor department. I love Mexican food, especially enchiladas but sometimes I just don’t have the time to individually roll a million enchiladas. This casserole has all of the same flavors in half the prep time.

Chicken enchilada casserole topped with avocado, tomatoes and olives.

How do you make chicken enchilada casserole?

There’s just 5 ingredients in this chicken enchilada casserole – chicken, tortillas, beans, cheese and enchilada sauce. Everything gets stacked together in layers in a casserole before it’s baked to golden brown perfection.

Corn tortillas and enchilada sauce in a casserole dish.

Tips for chicken enchilada casserole

  • You can use any type of cooked chicken for this dish. I typically use leftover diced chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken. You can also roast chicken for this recipe, or put some chicken breasts in the slow cooker.
  • This casserole can be assembled up to 4 hours before you plan to serve it.
  • I recommend grating your own cheese for this recipe – it’s a little more work, but freshly grated cheese melts a lot smoother than the pre-shredded kind in a bag.
  • This recipe can easily be doubled to feed a large crowd.

Chicken, beans and shredded cheeses in a casserole dish.

Enchilada casserole variations

There are so many different ways to customize this casserole to your preferences!

  • Protein: Try using ground turkey, beef or shrimp instead of the chicken.
  • Beans: Refried beans and black beans work well if you don’t have pinto beans on hand.
  • Tortillas: This recipe works well with both corn and flour tortillas, so choose whichever one your family prefers.
  • Cheese: I typically make this dish with Monterey Jack cheese, but other great options are cheddar, mozzarella and pepper jack.
  • Additions: You can add other ingredients to your casserole such as corn, green chiles, diced bell pepper or sauteed onions.

A chicken enchilada casserole with a serving spoon in it.

I love to add toppings to my casserole after it comes out of the oven – it’s an optional step but it really makes this dish special! Some great topping ideas include avocado, olives, red onion, cilantro, tomatoes, sour cream or green chiles.

This is a great recipe to have for those busy nights when you don’t have a ton of time to get dinner on the table. It’s a crowd pleaser for both kids and adults alike.

More great Mexican recipes

  • Shrimp Fajitas
  • Salsa Chicken
  • Barbacoa Beef
  • Taco Salad
  • Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Casserole Video

This easy recipe for chicken enchilada casserole is just 5 ingredients, all layered together and baked to perfection. A quick and simple meal that the whole family will love!
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5 from 25 votes

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This easy recipe for chicken enchilada casserole is layers of tortillas, shredded chicken, enchilada sauce and cheese, all baked together to golden brown perfection. A quick and simple meal that the whole family will love!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword chicken enchilada, chicken enchilada casserole, enchilada casserole
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 349kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 8 small tortillas cut into halves, corn or flour
  • 2 cups of cooked shredded chicken breast
  • 2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 15-ounce can of pinto beans rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups red enchilada sauce
  • cooking spray
  • optional garnishes: olives, sour cream, red onions, cilantro, green onions, avocado, tomato

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan or 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Spread 1/4 cup of sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Layer 4 halves of tortilla over the sauce so that the bottom of the pan is covered.
  • Layer 1/3 of the chicken, 1/3 of the beans, 1/2 cup of the cheese and 1/3 cup of enchilada sauce over the tortillas.
  • Place a second layer of tortillas on top and layer 1/3 of the chicken, 1/3 of the beans, 1/2 cup of the cheese and 1/3 cup enchilada sauce over the tortillas.
  • Repeat this process one more time for the third layer. Place the remaining tortilla halves over the top and spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas.
  • Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top.
  • Cover with foil that's been sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.
  • Let sit for 5 minutes to firm up, then top with garnishes and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 826mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g

This post was originally published on September 19, 2016 and was updated on March 19, 2019 with new content.

Filed Under: Comfort Food, Dinner, Everyday Meals, Gluten Free, Quick & Easy Dinners Tagged With: Beans, Casserole, Chicken, Mexican Food

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Comments

  1. Elaine says

    June 5, 2020 at 10:05 am

    If using flour tortillas, do they have to be warmed first before putting on the pan. This was told to me so I just want to make sure

    Reply
    • Sara says

      June 6, 2020 at 11:15 am

      I don’t warm them for this because the tortillas lay flat, in a rolled enchiladas you’d want to warm them so that they’re more pliable and easy to roll.

      Reply
  2. Janice Meiburger says

    June 5, 2020 at 3:40 am

    Does anybody have a tried and proven recipe for red enchilada sauce?

    Reply
  3. Kristen says

    May 15, 2020 at 5:57 pm

    5 stars
    New favorite Mexican casserole!

    Reply
  4. KarenB says

    May 15, 2020 at 10:06 am

    5 stars
    I’m not sure why it calls for 8 tortillas when you use 4 on a layer and have three layers. I’m no math genius, but that’s 12. I love this dish, but in my experience, you have enough chicken, sauce and cheese to make a 9”x13” dish, not 8”x8”.

    Reply
    • Christina says

      May 31, 2020 at 9:08 pm

      You use two tortillas cut in half, you add a layer of tortillas for the top also.. 4 x 2 = 8

      🙂

      Reply
  5. Kathy keeling says

    May 11, 2020 at 8:27 pm

    Looks so yummy can’t wait to try this

    Reply
  6. Karen says

    April 11, 2020 at 6:22 pm

    This looked so good and I had a couple of cups of shredded chicken to use so decided I’d give it a try. First problem, I found I didn’t have any chili powder. So, I googled chili powder substitute and found that it’s basically paprika with other ingredients added. I had everything so I made my own chili powder. I used fat free refried beans because I didn’t have any other beans. Somehow I managed to round up everything else and it turned out delicious with the shredded lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and olives. Too lazy to chop the onions at the last minute when I realized I had forgotten them. Didn’t miss them at all.

    Reply
  7. Valerie says

    March 29, 2020 at 11:28 pm

    5 stars
    My son is a picky eater and he love this dish! I add black beans and canned Mexican corn, the family really likes the original recipe but thinks the addition of black beans and corn made it better. My daughter-in-law is a vegetarian so I make a small portion for her but without the chicken, she loves it!

    Reply
  8. Jeff Pickard says

    February 24, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    I had a friend bring this dish to me the eve I got out of the hospital. What a nice gift!
    I bought the Costco pulled rotisserie chicken to use and I’m glad to see it used here! Most of the ingredients are sometimes on sale at the grocery store so I plan to keep the items on hand to make it in my rotation,.

    Reply
  9. Lorna says

    February 24, 2020 at 11:50 am

    Has anyone ever tried Wheat tortillas?

    Reply
  10. Julie says

    January 8, 2020 at 3:44 pm

    Any ideas In place of red enchilada ?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      January 8, 2020 at 7:04 pm

      You could use green enchilada sauce instead!

      Reply
  11. Marsha Borling says

    January 7, 2020 at 7:31 am

    I’ve been anxious to try this recipe. After I assembled the whole thing, I read your note that it can be made up to 4 hours ahead of serving. Problem is it’s only 9 am and I won’t be serving it until 6 pm. Will it still be ok if I refrigerate it until an hour ahead?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      January 7, 2020 at 1:17 pm

      The tortillas will soak up some of the sauce as the dish sits, so they’ll be softer but the flavor should still be great!

      Reply
  12. Deb says

    December 9, 2019 at 8:30 pm

    5 stars
    This is my favorite recipe to use up Costco rotisserie chicken! Sometimes I freeze it in foil pans.

    Reply
    • Victoria says

      December 19, 2019 at 12:55 pm

      Do you freeze it before you bake it or after ?

      Reply
      • Sara says

        December 19, 2019 at 4:05 pm

        After you bake it!

        Reply
  13. Kris says

    November 18, 2019 at 2:49 pm

    Im am stuck on which type of tortilla is best to use? I love both flour and corn tortillas. Has anyone tried using both in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Brenda says

      February 14, 2020 at 12:19 pm

      Trader Joe’s sells a combo tortilla that is wonderful.

      Reply
  14. MrsCourt says

    September 15, 2019 at 10:34 pm

    5 stars
    Hubby loves this dinner and it’s super easy peasy to make. This one is a keeper for sure.

    Reply
  15. Angie Hedges says

    August 23, 2019 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    Came out great. Fam loved it. I loved it because
    It didn’t have cream cheese mix in it like most enchilada casseroles . Will be making again.

    Reply
  16. Bea says

    April 29, 2019 at 2:56 pm

    5 stars
    I make this at least once a month using a Costco rotisserie chicken and it makes a huge amount! For variety sometimes I use black beans and sometimes I add frozen corn. Always yummy!

    Reply
  17. remo says

    March 22, 2019 at 2:39 am

    5 stars
    I’m a big foodie. This seems like a must try recipe. Will surely try it.

    Reply
  18. Sharon Wu says

    March 21, 2019 at 7:55 pm

    omg my mouth is watering just looking at this! must try this recipe. it looks delish!

    Reply
  19. Beth Pierce says

    March 21, 2019 at 3:25 pm

    5 stars
    What a tasty dish; a real crowd pleaser, indeed! I am adding this to my dinner lineup for the week!

    Reply
  20. Lisa Favre says

    March 21, 2019 at 4:10 am

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness! The moment I saw the title of this post I told myself: “I’m going to love this recipe!” Then, I saw the photos and I immediately started drooling. How deeeelish! Can’t wait to try this out.

    Reply
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With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
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