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: just chicken, beans, sauce, cheese, and tortillas.
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, baking it under a layer of cheese. It’s also incredibly easy.
Hello, did you see that there are only FIVE ingredients here? 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. It’s like free work or something.
How To Make a Yummy Enchilada Casserole
Here’s whatcher gonna do.
Put some sauce down. Now layer away. We’ve got tortillas, beans, chicken, cheese and sauce all up in there. Go for it.
Now let’s top it all off with ze cheese. You pick! I used Mozzarella because I had it on hand – as one does.
But, more normally for an enchilada casserole, you could use Monterrey Jack or Provolone or Colby Jack or Mexican flavored cheese or anything you want. It’s a baked Tex Mex situation, okay? Lots of cheese is necessary.
Let’s Talk Enchilada Sauce Options
- Make your own enchilada sauce! I might recommend this blender enchilada sauce for something homemade, yummy, extremely easy, and ready in approximately five minutes. I also like Cookie and Kate’s enchilada sauce which is also delicious – it’s just a bit more involved.
- If you are BUYING enchilada sauce, that’s cool, too. I really like the Frontera brand for all things pre-made Mexican and Tex-Mex, including enchilada sauce.
Yummy Variations For Your Enchilada Casserole
- Use green enchilada sauce instead of red enchilada sauce.
- Use ground beef instead of chicken.
- Use vegetarian taco meat or veggies like sautéed mushrooms, peppers, or onions instead of meat (veg lovers unite!)
- Use vegan cheese and aforementioned veggie filling to make this a vegan enchilada bake.
- Use corn tortillas instead of flour (they’ll be softer and more melty / mushy – personal preference).
If I’m being honest, I ate this enchilada casserole goodness at 9am on a Sunday morning while Bjork was still asleep.
And that, my friends, is the definition of food blogging.
More Enchilada Goodness:
- Easy Veggie Enchiladas
- Simple Enchiladas Verdes (that homemade verde sauce!!)
- Roasted Tomatillo Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Breakfast Enchiladas with Roasted Poblano Sauce (because obviously enchiladas for breakfast)
- Butternut Squash & Mushroom Enchiladas
Check Out Our Video For How To Make Chicken Enchilada Casserole:
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- 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
- 2–3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 2 ½ cups enchilada sauce (store bought or homemade)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
- 6–8 small flour tortillas (corn works too)
- 1 can refried beans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Place a few spoonfuls of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a glass square baking dish (mine was 9×9) to prevent sticking.
- Place 2 tortillas in the bottom of the dish, overlapping to cover the entire surface.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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 Amy’s Refried Black Beans!
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: enchilada recipe, enchilada casserole, casserole, chicken enchiladas, enchilada sauce
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).
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!
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!
This was great! I was surprised my 9 yr old ate it. I made shredded chicken in my instant pot with chicken broth, spices and chicken breasts. Came out so good!
Thank you for this great recipe! I made it for dinner tonight with panty ingredients and frozen turkey burgers (sautéed apart of course!) Even my three year old loved this, and it brightened up our evening during this difficult time. I’ll definitely make this again!
Love this, Leah! Thanks for sharing!
Very disappointing after all the great reviews. Made it as directed. Very bland. Layers all mushed together and indistinguishable. Taste was nothing to write home about. Store bought salsa on the side was the best part.
I had the same issue. The tortillas in particular were soggy. Please let me know if there’s a way to fix this
Do you like other enchilada casserole recipes- because if you’re not used to the texture, that’s what this is all about. And, depending on personal taste, you do have to amp up the spiciness and flavors especially if kids aren’t eating!
So sorry to hear this. Thanks for sharing this feedback with us!
Made this for the first time and I am amazed how delicious it is! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Can’t wait to make
Thanks for the recipe .I appreciate it
How do I reheat for next day work lunch?
We think just a quick reheat in the microwave should do the trick. Enjoy!
Made this dish tonight and it was a HIT! I used beef instead of chicken (love that there’s additional ingredient options in the blog post) and both me and my husband loved it. Definitely one of those recipes I don’t mind having leftovers from 😉 I love how simple it was and there’s lots of room to get creative!
So glad to hear you enjoyed this, Gabby!
So tasty, and so convenient for busy work/school nights. I made the linked blender enchilada sauce, and went ahead and simmered it for a little bit per the option listed, and it was divine. I highly recommend all of it!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this, Claire!
Hey it really delicious…
You can check it http://healthfoodnutrition1.blogspot.com/2020/02/for-ice-cream-lovers-is-it-healthy-or.html thank you
This was so easy and delicious. I didn’t include the chicken, and instead added thinly sliced zucchini. This is my husband’s (and my) new favorite dish.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Teri!
I’ve just made it for dinner. It’s simply delish. Love it <3
So glad to hear this, Niki!