These are the best sour cream chicken enchiladas with the perfect blend of tangy, creamy and cheesy! Tortillas are rolled around tender, juicy shredded chicken and then coated with an easy homemade white enchilada sauce made with sour cream and tangy salsa verde.
Growing up in Texas, a hot plate of creamy white chicken enchiladas were one of my all time favorite meals. When I moved to Florida, we couldn’t find anywhere that made GOOD enchiladas anymore! So off I went on a quest, using friends and family recipes, to perfect this sour cream chicken enchilada recipe. 16+ years later, it is still the one we all use whenever the craving strikes! They have the best white sauce and they’re so quick to assemble.
“The homemade green chili white enchilada sauce is what MAKES these sour cream chicken enchiladas so incredibly good. We always order these at our local Mexican restaurant here in Texas, but I swear to you that these were even BETTER. My husband went back for 3rds before I was able to hide the last two enchiladas to save for my lunch tomorrow!” — Brittany, home cook, homesteader, and recipe tester.
Key Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Shredded Chicken: I like to make instant pot shredded chicken – it’s so easy! You can also use up leftover chicken in the fridge if you have any. Or, make life even easier and grab a rotisserie chicken.
- Serrano Peppers & Jalapeño Peppers: If you’re sensitive to spice, you may want to double up on the jalapeños and omit the serranos. For the spicy lovers, leave the seeds in the chiles to double the heat!
- Sour Cream: I highly recommend using regular (not low fat) sour cream for the best creamy consistency.
- Salsa Verde: I personally love using a homemade salsa verde for the best flavor! For store bought, I like the Ortega Medium Salsa Verde as it is not hot, just flavorful.
- Tortillas: Use soft flour tortillas or corn tortillas, it’s up to your personal preference!
- Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese are the best! I like to shred them myself right off the block for the very best flavor.
- Yellow Onion: A white onion also works great.
How to Make Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce
Visit the recipe card below for the full directions.
Sauté the peppers well. Let the serrano and jalapeño soften fully in the butter before adding garlic. This helps mellow their sharpness and deepen the flavor of the sauce.
Cook the flour properly. After adding the flour, let it cook for about 2 minutes. This removes the raw flour taste and helps thicken the white enchilada sauce smoothly.
Whisk the broth slowly. Add chicken broth gradually while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. A smooth base makes all the difference in the final sauce.
Don’t boil after adding sour cream. High heat can cause it to separate.
Want to save this recipe?
Email this recipe to yourself for easy access later!
Warm the tortillas first. Briefly warm tortillas in the microwave so they roll easily without cracking.
Don’t overfill. About 2–3 tablespoons of filling per tortilla keeps them easy to roll and prevents tearing.
Cover loosely if browning too fast. If the cheese starts browning before the sauce is bubbling, tent the pan lightly with foil for the remaining bake time.
Let them rest. After baking, allow the enchiladas to sit for 5 minutes. This helps the sauce thicken slightly and makes serving easier.
Storing, Make Ahead, and Freezing
Store leftover sour cream enchiladas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave in 30 second intervals until warmed through. For best texture, reheat larger portions in a 325°F oven covered with foil until heated evenly.
These enchiladas can be frozen either baked or unbaked. For best results, assemble the dish without baking, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as directed. If baking from frozen, add about 15–20 extra minutes to the cooking time.
To make ahead for a party, assemble the enchiladas earlier in the day, cover, and refrigerate. Bake just before serving for a fresh, bubbly finish.
Serving Suggestions
This sour cream chicken enchilada recipe always pairs well with Mexican rice, cilantro lime rice, black beans or refried beans. I also can never say no to a soupy bowl of these instant pot charro beans!
Want to finish with something sweet? Homemade fried churros, my favorite easy tres leches cake made with a box of cake mix, or this creamy Mexican rice pudding are all classic choices!
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
White Enchilada Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 serrano peppers, diced (seeds-in if you like the heat; reduce to 1 if you’re not a fan of spicy food)
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, minced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups sour cream
- 16 oz salsa verde, for store-bought I recommend the brand Ortega Medium Salsa Verde
- 1.5 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Chicken Enchiladas:
- 6 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 12 flour tortillas, or corn tortillas, small fajita size
- 1.5 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1.5 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
Want to save this recipe?
Email this recipe to yourself for easy access later!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray, set aside.
White Enchilada Sauce
- Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the serrano and jalapeño peppers and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cooking for 30 seconds more.
- Stir in the flour and let cook for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until smooth and bring mixture back to a low boil.
- Stir in the sour cream, salsa, cumin, salt, garlic powder, white pepper, cayenne and cilantro until the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat. I recommend tasting the sauce now to make sure it has the right amount of salt and heat for you. If you want to easily add more heat, add more cayenne pepper, to taste.
Assemble and Bake
- Add 1 cup of sauce to the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add chicken, cheese, and chopped onion to the center of each tortilla and roll, placing seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat until pan is filled.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Sprinkle the top with leftover cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Let enchiladas rest for 5 minutes to set up, then serve immediately!
⭐️ Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating! It only takes a minute and helps support our family-run blog. ❤️
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Categories:
More Enchilada Recipes You’ll Love
- Adobo Chicken Enchiladas – The smoky adobo sauce is the best part!
- Breakfast Enchiladas – Big enough to feed a small army, making it the perfect weekend guest breakfast.
- Vegetarian Enchiladas – Still packed with protein from plenty of black beans.
- White Chicken Enchiladas – Made fresh with creamy, vibrant avocado!
- Cheese Enchiladas – Classic Tex-Mex restaurant style recipe.
Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Family of seven love this recipe. I just substitute canned diced jalapeños as they are spicier.
My husband loved this recipe thank you!
Excellent recipe! Everybody enjoyed all the flavors, the sauce, and the spices. Will definitely make it again!
Made this over the weekend. Was excellent. So full of flavor. I ended up making homemade salsa verde since I couldn’t find the recommended brand in the store. Super easy to make. Highly recommend this recipe!
This is the best recipe! The sauce is absolutely incredible. I will never be able to order chicken enchiladas again when at a restaurant as I know I would only be disappointed after having these!
I looked at a lot of different recipes similar to this one. I am so happy I decided to go with this one. It was absolutely delicious. Fixing to have it for dinner for the second time.
It was yummy!
This recipe sounds amazing. Can I sub in Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Sure!
Just made this for dinner tonight, it was really good, didn’t change anything, will be making it again.
I am gluten free so I will sub in corn starch in the sauce and use all corn tortillas. This sounds wonderful and I am going to make it tomorrow. Thank you.
I’m from Texas. There was a restaurant chain, there, El Chico, that sold these but theirs were with corn tortillas. Thank you for the recipe, can’t wait to try them.
This recipe is fabulous. I cook a lot and love cooking from scratch. I discovered this recipe last year and it is in regular rotation. I recently made it for company and they raved about it. Also made it this week for a friend who lost her mom. At the funeral she told me that the enchiladas were “magical “ The sauce is magical!!!
These were fantastic, my husband couldn’t stop eating to the point that I had to put up the leftovers while they were still warm! The only thing wrong with this recipe is that it takes way longer than 15 minutes to prep and I had all the ingredients out and ready to go from the store!
Fabulous flavor. The sour cream sauce is the best! I have no idea what small fajita size tortillas are. No tortilla here are named as such, but I used what seemed to be a common size at my store… they were labeled as “large” but they weren’t so large, about 7”. I did 1/2 recipe with 3 cups of chicken, so about a half cup per tortilla for 6. They had just too much filling. Overwhelming, really. What size are small fajita size, I wonder? I think next time I will do with 9 tortillas and use 1/3 cup of filling.
These were very easy to make and were awesome! Will definitely make again!
We love the enchilada, but I make it in a different way. Your recipe sounds really good, I want to try it. Thanks 🙂
Made them for dinner tonight. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing! Already told my daughter I found another “keeper”
SOOO Yummy! I used green onions instead and it was delicious! My husband especially loved them. Thank you:)
This is the third time I’m making these and we never have any leftovers! They taste just like at the restaurant. Love the homemade sauce, it adds ALL the flavor to these!!!
I made these today, they were amazeballs!