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!
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.
If you are looking for delicious and filling Mexican casseroles you should also check out my tamale pie and Dorito casserole recipes. They are perfect if you want a hearty, beefy casserole!
Table of Contents
Chicken Enchilada Casserole Ingredients
To make this chicken enchilada casserole you will need corn tortillas or flour tortillas, cooked chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, pinto beans, enchilada sauce and any garnishes you want.
How Do You Make 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.
Tips For Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- 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.
Quick TIp
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 or chicken thighs in the slow cooker.
Recipe FAQS
This enchilada casserole is great with corn or flour tortillas. However, I slightly prefer corn tortillas because they tend to hold together well in enchilada sauce.
This recipe has Monterey Jack cheese because it melts well and has a mild flavor that pairs nicely with enchilada sauce. Cheddar, mozzarella and pepper jack cheese also work well. Feel free to mix your cheeses in any combination you like.
You should cover this enchilada casserole while it is baking for 30 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until all the cheese is melted and browned.
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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. You can also serve the cooked casserole with tortilla chips.
- 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 chili powder, garlic powder, salt or veggies like corn, green chiles, diced bell pepper or sauteed onions.
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, pico de gallo, salsa verde 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 one of my favorite casseroles along with my chicken broccoli and rice casserole. Chicken enchilada casserole is a crowd pleaser for both kids and adults alike.
More Great Mexican Recipes
Shrimp Fajitas
25 mins
Salsa Chicken
40 mins
Barbacoa Beef (Slow Cooker)
4 hrs 10 mins
Taco Salad Recipe
30 mins
Chicken Enchilada Soup
30 mins
Chicken Enchilada Casserole Video
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
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.
Notes
- You can use any type of cooked chicken for this dish. I typically use leftover diced chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken.
- This casserole can be assembled up to 4 hours before you plan to serve it.
- I recommend grating your own cheese for this recipe.
Thank you for this recipe! It saves time and is easy to make with pantry staples, plus it’s delicious 😋
I tweaked the way I made the casserole this time because I seem to often end up with soggy flour tortillas. I let the halved flour tortillas sit out for about an hour before assembling. Using a dryer tortilla helped prevent a soggy bottomed dish. I also cooked the chic breasts vs rotisserie chic(cutting back on sodium) using an instant pot 1/2 c salsa 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth for 9 min on pressure cook mode, removed from liquid, shredded chic using a stand mixer (game changer) and added /mixed 2tbsp of cream cheese and one handful of the shredded cheese to the hot chicken mixture. Deliciousness. This will be added to the regular rotation. Thank you
OMG! We have a favorite Southern Living Chicken Enchiladas recipe that we adore and have used for years, but it’s so involved with cooking chicken with tomatillos, blending the verde sauce – it takes forever and is a messy 2 hour experience. THIS WAS SO EASY! And delicious! I added cilantro, chopped onion, and seasoned black beans. Green verde sauce on the bottom because I had to use two cans of red enchilada sauce in the middle and on top. I made lime crema to drizzle on top when you serve (sour cream, a little Duke’s Mayo, Hidden Valley Ranch mix and fresh lime juice) – my family said “Five stars! This is a keeper!!”. Just added it to my Cabin Cookbook 3 ring binder with a five star rating at the top. Make this and enjoy how easy it is with delicious yummy flavor!
I made this recipe for a Ladies’ gathering at church. It was a HUGE hit! I added some of my own preferences to the chicken filling but just as is this recipe is FABULOUS! I am curious if anyone has made it with black beans. I am currently out of Pinto beans 🙄
YES! I used a can of seasoned black beans – I drained some of the juice out, but did not rinse the beans to save the flavor. I also added cilantro and onion and half a small can of green chiles. I made lime crema to drizzle over the top of each serving. See my previous comments in the ratings. Had to add cheddar cheese to the top because I ran out of mexican blend shredded cheese when I got to the last layer. SO good!
Making this for the first time, I was in a huge hurry and needed to throw it together quick! So I used canned chicken (the good stuff from Costco) and just put plenty on each layer – the casserole came out great, was a hit at the potluck I took it to and I will definitely be making this again for my family! The chicken, cheese and sauce all blended and melted together so well! I served with sour cream – Very yummy!!
We made this last and froze the leftovers. My wife is raving about how good this dish is, still after being frozen.
Hi-What is the best method for freezing? Freeze prior to cooking or after? If freezing prior, how would you bake it?
I’d freeze it before baking, then bake covered for 45 minutes and uncovered for 15-20 minutes!
My first time making enchiladas and this was a hit with the entire family!
talk about a cozy meal ! This chicken casserole just hits all the right spots. I just want to snuggle up in it
Such a great family recipe! Flavours were amazing and so comforting dish.
This casserole is so easy to make and full of great enchilada flavors. It’s perfect for Taco Tuesday, a potluck or a family get together.
Oh yum! Such a delicious and easy casserole. I love all those flavors and especially the melted cheese on top.
This flavours in this were amazing and my whole family loved it. Really easy to make too.
Tried this recipe for the first time and it was a huge hit! Since I never made an enchilada recipe of any kind in my lifetime, I researched quite a few and this was it. Used a store-bought ‘open nature’ roasted chicken from our local supermarket, organic pinto beans, can of organic corn, Ortega mild green chilies (only on bottom layer of corn tortillas) and organic enchilada red sauce. Decided to go for shredded rustic cut Mexican cheese blend. The cold tomato, onion, olive, avocado topping compote made it. It made 2 casserole dinners, and one was enjoyed by my daughter who is expecting in 8 days. Next time will sprinkle with coyotillo cheese. Thank you, Sara, for this easy and delish recipe.
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Can this be made and refrigerated overnight before baking?
I wouldn’t recommend it as the tortillas will get very soft and absorb the sauce!
I’ve been using crunchy taco shells to layer this recipe. Thanks to shrinkflation, 12 shells were no longer enough to complete the top layer. Thankfully, I had a fresh bag of Fritos Scoops for the top layer 😂
Awesome recipe. But I mix the chicken, cheese and enchilada sauce, add some taco seasoning and leave out the beans and layer it that way.
Has anyone tried this with green enchilada sauce?
I made this today and it was delicious! I added green chiles, used rotisserie chicken and made my own enchilada sauce. Great recipe!
Yes. It’s great with diced green chilies too.
Not yet, but I was planning to make this tonight with some extra chicken from last night; and personally, I prefer green sauce. Hoping it’s a hit with the hubby 🤞
What sides would be good with this?
You could serve it with Mexican rice or a black bean and corn salad, I have both those recipes on this site!
This was ABSOLUTELY delicious! I added green chilies to the layers and it turned out perfectly. I served it with home made guacamole with black olives added. It added a nice brightness to complement the casserole.
This is almost the exact chicken enchilada recipe I’ve been making for years. Only I don’t include beans and one of my layers is diced green chilis.
I made it for my dad, aunt and cousin when they were staying with me from out of state. My dad only likes cheese enchiladas so I made a (boring) pan without chicken for him and one pan with my usual chicken and cheese. We ate dinner and then throughout the evening people would sneak into the kitchen for another helping. Both pans were completely gone by the end of the night! And I thought I was going to have lots of leftovers making two pans for 4 people! It was a major hit. So much so that they wanted it again on their last night.
I make this at least twice a month if not more for myself because it’s one of my personal favorite dishes too. Plus it’s just too quick and easy when you use diced rotisserie chicken from the deli section. Fast AND delicious. Win win.