A 5-ingredient stacked enchilada casserole layered with tortillas, beans, and chicken and covered with cheese and enchilada sauce.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
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This recipe is fantastic! I’ve made it twice – the first time for a potluck – and everybody wanted the recipe!
Why I Love This Enchilada Casserole
This is a Chicken Enchilada Casserole, and it’s sososososo delicious.
It’s like taking all the goodness of an enchilada, but making it easier by stacking it up, and making it all even more cozy, if that is possible, by baking it under a layer of cheese. It’s also incredibly easy.
We’re working with a short 5-ingredient list here, which is honestly one of my favorite ways to work with food. As I was writing the recipe out I kinda couldn’t believe it. This enchilada casserole presents like something that took a really long time to make, but it’s not. It’s like free work or something.
Life is real, and that’s why 5-ingredient meals are a thing. This cheesy layered chicken enchilada casserole is a real-life dinnertime wonder.
Watch How To Make This Enchilada Casserole
The Ingredients
Tortillas (Flour Or Corn?)
- Flour Tortillas: This is what I use in this recipe! I love the texture and flavor of using flour here, and they hold their shape really well.
- Corn: This is what you’d more typically use for enchiladas! They are still delicious here, especially if you prefer a corn tortilla flavor when it comes to enchiladas.
Sauce (Storebought or Homemade?)
- Storebought: To make this super quick and easy, I prefer to use store-bought enchilada sauce! My favorite currently is the Siete brand red enchilada sauce. (affiliate link)
- Homemade: You could also make your own enchilada sauce! This blender red enchilada sauce is super easy, and it can be frozen for future batches of enchiladas.
Chicken (Buy It Or Make Your Own!)
- Buy It: Again, to make this easy, I typically by pre-cooked shredded chicken for this recipe, or get a rotisserie chicken and shred it myself.
- Make Your Own: You could poach, slow cook, or pressure cook a pound of chicken breasts and then shred it. Or use one of these methods!
Cheese (Take Your Pick!)
- Colby Jack or Mexican Blend: This is my standard cheese I use, always pre-shredded! Again, easy peasy.
- Pepperjack: If you want a little kick, this is a good one. I can’t usually find it shredded, so you’ll need to shred it from a block. Even better!
How To Make This Enchilada Casserole
1
Cut your tortillas.
Cut your tortillas in half so that your tortilla layers can reach edge-to-edge in the pan. Magic!
2
Spread some enchilada sauce.
Start your casserole layers by spreading a little bit of sauce in the bottom of the pan to help keep it all from sticking. Make your own enchilada sauce!
3
Add a layer of tortillas.
Place your tortillas on top of the enchilada sauce with the cut sides against the edges of the pan.
4
Layer beans and chicken.
Spread a little bit of refried beans on the tortillas and add a layer of cooked shredded chicken.
5
Sprinkle some cheese.
The cheese really holds this all together, so add a nice hefty layer of shredded cheese to close out that first layer.
6
Layer and layer (and layer again)
Pour some enchilada sauce over everything to start the next layer, and keep repeating layers until you reach the top. You’ll end up with 3-4 layers.
7
Add one last layer of cheese.
We want to make a delicious little cheese blanket on top of everything to keep things nice and cozy, so give it all one last generous sprinkle.
8
Bake in the oven.
Bake covered in foil for 30 minutes, and then remove the foil and bake a little more to get that deliciously browned cheesy top.
9
Slice and serve.
Let everything hang out for just a bit to let it all set, and then slice, serve, and top with whatever suits you – sour cream, cilantro, guacamole, anything you like!
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 1x
Description
A 5-ingredient stacked enchilada casserole layered with tortillas, beans, and chicken and covered with cheese and enchilada sauce.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2–3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce (storebought or homemade)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- 6–8 small flour tortillas (corn works too)
- 1 can refried beans
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Spread Sauce In Bottom: Place a few spoonfuls of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a glass square baking dish (mine was 9×9) to prevent sticking.
- Layer Tortillas: Place 2 tortillas in the bottom of the dish, overlapping to cover the entire surface.
- Layer Everything Else: Layer the beans, chicken, cheese, sauce, and tortillas; repeat once to make a total of 2 layers. (For me this was about 1/3 cup refried beans, 1 cup of the chicken, ½ cup cheese, and about 3/4 cup enchilada sauce in each layer.)
- Bake: Cover the top with the remaining enchilada sauce and 1 cup cheese. Cover the baking dish with well-oiled aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is starting to brown and sauce is bubbling.
- Rest and Serve: Allow to rest for at least 15 minutes so it can firm up a bit before cutting and serving. Top with cilantro, lime, sour cream, or avocado.
Notes
To get each layer completely covered with tortillas, I cut 2 additional tortillas into fourths and used them to cover the corners. This is not necessary but it helps when you layer your ingredients.
My favorite refried beans are Siete Refried Black Beans! (affiliate link)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: enchilada recipe, enchilada casserole, casserole, chicken enchiladas, enchilada sauce
Frequently Asked Questions For This Enchilada Casserole
How can I make this recipe gluten-free?
Just use corn tortillas to make this recipe gluten-free.
Can I add in veggies to the casserole?
Absolutely! Bell peppers, zucchini, or spinach are a few ideas to start!
How do I make my own enchilada sauce?
Our 5 Minute Blender Enchilada Sauce is as easy as it gets for a quick and delicious homemade enchilada sauce.
What storebought enchilada sauce do you recommend?
Lately I’ve been using and loving the Siete Foods Red Enchilada Sauce! (affiliate link)
Can I use something other than chicken?
Ground beef would be a great sub! You could even brown it up with some taco seasoning for extra flavor.
How can I make this vegetarian?
Use vegetarian taco meat or veggies like sautéed mushrooms, peppers, or onions instead of meat. Or! Just omit the chicken so it’s just bean and cheese enchiladas.
How can I make this vegan?
Use vegan cheese and aforementioned veggie filling to make this a vegan enchilada bake.
Can I use green enchilada sauce?
Yes! This works great with green enchilada sauce as well. You can usually find a storebought sauce, or make your own.
Is this spicy? Can I make it spicy?
Depending on what type of enchilada sauce you use, this is not spicy at all. However if you want to make it spicy, you could use a spicy cheese like pepperjack, add some cayenne to the enchilada sauce, or serve it alongside your favorite hot sauce to add while serving.
Three More Enchilada Favorites
Filed Under: All Recipes Casserole Fall Kid-Friendly Legume Meat and Chicken Recipes Sugar Free January Sugar-Free Winter
May 14, 2021
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
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Definitely enjoyed this recipe. I substituted my homemade black beans which added even more flavor. I also used corn tortillas but wished they had been softer. Not sure how to remedy that….soak them first??? I didn’t really want to cook it longer as the beans and chicken were already cooked.
You could prep the casserole the night before. The tortillas will soften the more they soak in the enchilada sauce!
This was good. I poached some chicken tenders in chicken broth w/organic taco seasonings. Also sautéed some red bell pepper and onion strips and added those on top of each chicken layer. Was yummy!
Yes! I love enchiladas but hate how much time they take to prep with wrapping em up and such. This is the perfect recipe & solution for that – making this tonight and it will now be in my rotation!
This recipe was SO GOOD. Like can’t-stop-eating-bites-out-of-the-dish-when-I’m- supposed-to-be-putting-it-away good. I added spinach to the layers and served it with corn. Delicious!!!
Made this recipe as is, except I had a deep pan so I did 4 layers. Even used the homemade enchilad sauce. It was fantastic! Looking forward to eating this all week for my work lunches. I am curious how it would turn out with corn tortillas too- so I may try that next time.
Made this for dinner tonight and it couldn’t be simpler but oh so much flavor! My husband, who was none too happy with me for reasons that shall not be named, even mumbled (reluctantly but honestly!), “hey, this is really good.” So if it can make an unhappy husband reluctantly admit how good it is, what else can I tell you? It’s good!
This was very good, made w black beans but that’s the only change. I used corn tortillas
I love this recipe because it doesn’t require pre-cooking of any type, as my regular enchiladas do. I used pre-cooked rotisserie chicken (Costco for the win). Instead of a square pan, I used those glass round containers that Lindsey says to use for freezer meals – they fit a round corn tortilla perfectly – I used 3 tortillas for three layers. I added a bit of chipotle seasoning to the chicken, and added frozen roasted corn from Trader Joe’s to the chicken.
I was able to get three round containers, freezing two because I’m only cooking for me and otherwise I’d have too many leftovers. Yum.
Thanku. I didn’t know they actually had an enchilada casserole I thought I was coming up with something and asking the web for help but turns out it was already done and that’s great I have an idea for you to try I’ve always wanted to create cream of jalapeno soup but it didn’t know quite how I’ve always loved cream of broccoli I love jalapenos too anyways if you ever do make it I’ll be looking for the recipe thank you
How did this turn out after freezing? Did you bake it first then freeze, or just assemble the layers and freeze? Did you thaw before baking it?
Interesting recipe s
A family staple. We really enjoy how quick and simple it is to put together. Delicious!
This was the worst recipe! The flour tortillas were completely mushy. I threw out the whole thing. What a total waste of money!
Sorry to hear that, Karen! We appreciate the feedback.
This is one of my family’s favorite recipes – I expand it to 8×13 size pan so we can have plenty of leftovers. Thank you so much.
Made this last night for my family and we LOVED it. So tasty and super duper easy. I’ll definitely be making this one again!
Enchilada casserole is soooo easy!! Took me just a few minutes and I had everything in the pantry! I added crunched up nacho chips to the top for a little added yum!!
Wow. So good and so easy! I did make your homemade enchilada sauce as well, since I find prepared sauces wayyy too salty. I added a bit of frozen corn with jalapeño to the chicken layer , it gave a nice texture and sweetness with hint of additional spice. And I used a combo of cheddar and jack cheese with jalapeño too. Thank you for this recipe of creamy, layered deliciousness! We will enjoy the leftovers.
So glad you enjoyed it, Robyn!
Curious – how does a 9″x9″ pan make 12 servings as noted in the recipe? I’m going to make the recipe as stated but figure it might be four servings (six servings for someone on a reduced calorie eating plan).
I love the recipe, but have to agree that the serving size is 6, or 4 if you are really hungry. Even the video agrees. 🙂
Would corn tortillas work in this recipe?
Absolutely!
This was great! I seasoned my chicken as I normally would for tacos but kept everything else close to the recipe…corn tortillas and canned enchilada sauce. It was easy and will definitely be in the meal rotation!
I was excited to try this based on the comments and ratings and the fact that I have gotten yummy recipes from here. But sadly, even tho I made the enchilada sauce as recommended, it was very bland. I served to it a group of 6 adults and no one wanted the recipe.
Glad you enjoyed this casserole, Heather!
This recipe is a staple in our household. Total comfort food! Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed the casserole, Gaby!
Super delicious! I used leftover shredded chicken and frozen Mexican style street corn instead of the beans and it was delish! Thanks!
Sounds delicious, Lindsey!
OMG. Made this with the homemade enchilada sauce and we devoured it! So, so, so tasty!
Glad to hear you enjoyed this, Megan!
Made this last night, simple, easy and tasted great
💃
Do you think I can make this with black beans? Our store was out of refríed.
Sure!
Our state was ordered to shut down because of the coronavirus today, I plan on making this to kind of cheer everyone up since we have to stay at home. I hope they love it!
Enjoy, Robert!
Lindsay – I took your variation suggestions & added a few of my own too of a little frozen sweet corn, rinsed black beans, & subbed refried black beans for traditional refried on top of cut up corn tortillas. Thx for such a versatile dish – we loved it.
So glad to hear you enjoyed this!