Chicken Enchilada Casserole - Handle the Heat

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

By Tessa Arias
  |  
February 19th, 2014
5 from 1 vote
5 from 1 vote

Chicken Enchilada Casserole is ultra simple and satisfying, perfect for either a weeknight meal or to bring to a party!

Yield: 6 -8 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook: 35 minutes

Tessa's Recipe Rundown...

Taste: Bursting with your favorite slightly spicy, totally savory Mexican-inspired flavors. Texture: Cheesy, creamy, meaty, and all around satisfying. Ease: Super easy, takes only 15 minutes to get this into the oven. Way faster than lasagna! I used leftovers from my shredded chicken" target="_blank">Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken that I had stashed in the freezer for this recipe. You could also you a rotisserie chicken to make life easier. Appearance: All that golden brown cheese!! Pros: Simple and satisfying. The leftovers are equally delicious. Cons: None. Would I make this again? Of course!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole is ultra simple and satisfying, perfect for either a weeknight meal or to bring to a party!
Chicken Enchilada Casserole - like a super simple Mexican version of lasagna!

Casseroles aren’t all that glamorous or innovative. You won’t find them on the menu of many trendy restaurants, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be mouthwatering comfort food. It’s no surprise casseroles have been so popular in American kitchens, they’re often simple to make and easy to transport, making them perfect for both weekly family meals and for potlucks or other gatherings. This chicken enchilada casserole is no exception. It comes together quickly and is absolutely scrumptious. Plus the leftovers are super tasty too.

I don’t know about you but when I see assembly instructions in a recipe my eyes immediately glaze over. There’s nothing difficult about the assembly of this chicken enchilada casserole, in fact you really can’t screw it up too badly, but I seriously hate reading instructions like that. I’d MUCH prefer to see illustrations, photos, or watch a video. Are you a visual learner too? That’s why I’ve been loving posting my weekly food videos. I can’t tell you how many times I turned to YouTube to learn a new technique or skill when I first became interested in cooking and baking. It was a lifesaver!! I hope you guys have been enjoying my videos. Please don’t hesitate to request any type of video from me, I’d love to hear what you want!

YouTube video

Chicken Enchilada Casserole - like a super simple Mexican version of lasagna!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole - like a super simple Mexican version of lasagna!

5 from 1 vote

How to make
Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Yield: 6 -8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Inactive Time 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Chicken Enchilada Casserole is ultra simple and satisfying, perfect for either a weeknight meal or to bring to a party!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded chicken (from about 3 breasts)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
  • 2 green onions, chopped, plus more for garnish if desired
  • 2 (10 ounce) cans enchilada sauce
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • Corn tortillas
  • 2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 13x9-inch or similarly sized baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl combine the chicken, cumin, cayenne, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, corn, and green onions. Stir well to combine.
  3. In a small bowl stir together the enchilada sauce and sour cream until well combined. Arrange tortillas in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Top with half the chicken, a third of the cheese, and half of the enchilada sauce. Repeat. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
  4. Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and broil until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Garnish with green onions before serving.
Course : Main Course
Cuisine : Mexican

Tessa Arias
Author: Tessa Arias

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

Tessa Arias

About Tessa...

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)

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Recipe Rating




  1. #
    Scott — February 16, 2021 at 8:54 pm

    I made this tonight. Wow! It is really good! I love enchiladas but always hated making them, because getting the tortillas pliable is a pain. This was so easy, and I love the enchilada sauce mixed with the sour cream. My whole family loved it. Thanks for this recipe!

    • #
      Tessa — February 17, 2021 at 1:39 pm

      So glad you enjoyed this recipe!

  2. #
    Mita — December 29, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    Can I assemble the dish the day before and bake it the next day when I have company?

  3. #
    Di — September 22, 2016 at 12:12 pm

    Made this and it was fabulous! TY for the recipe! The make ahead chicken made it so simple to throw together 😉

  4. #
    Irving — June 9, 2015 at 9:03 pm

    I’m asking my dad to make it for the last day of school. It’s in Homer of a kid the moved away. She brought this dish once.

  5. #
    Leah — March 18, 2014 at 4:20 pm

    Yum… just made this. Love that the chicken is cooked in chicken stock instead of oil! I’ve never thought to do that, but will be doing it that way from now on. I think next time I’ll add black beans to the chicken mixture, it could use maybe that one other ingredient. This is a great and easy recipe!

  6. #
    Donna — March 3, 2014 at 10:23 am

    Making this today – good to have on a snowy Monday. I made something like this years and years ago but called it Enchilada Stake and made it in a round casserole dish and put one tortilla, then the rest of the stuff and then kept stacking it in layers. This is nicer because it makes more!!!

    • #
      Tessa — March 5, 2014 at 8:52 am

      Hope you enjoyed!

  7. #
    [email protected] — February 26, 2014 at 7:25 am

    This is going to be perfect for our Friday Office Lunches! Can’t wait to try it.

  8. #
    Pixie — February 24, 2014 at 9:02 am

    This calls for a heartburn but was super delish!

  9. #
    Gaby — February 19, 2014 at 11:26 am

    My kind of comfort food!!

  10. #
    Erin | The Law Student’s Wife — February 19, 2014 at 7:51 am

    Casseroles just do not get enough love. This looks like one tasty fiesta, and I”m all over the leftovers too!

  11. #
    Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness — February 19, 2014 at 4:29 am

    I am always looking for recipes that are delicious at the time of eat-age and make great leftovers to send to work with my hubby. Love this casserole, it looks deeeelish!

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