Oh-so-cheesy and creamy, these white chicken enchiladas are the ultimate Mexican feast. Coated in the *best* homemade white enchilada sauce, made with tangy salsa verde and sour cream, these creamy chicken enchiladas will become an instant favorite!
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Why I Love This White Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Because I grew up in south Texas, I always crave a plate of rich and creamy chicken enchiladas and a frozen mango margarita after a long week. This white chicken enchilada recipe is a tried and true favorite that we make year after year. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe too:
- The Sauce: Let’s start with what makes these enchiladas better than other chicken enchiladas… The homemade white enchilada sauce! It’s so incredibly creamy and flavorful, made with tangy salsa verde, spicy serrano peppers, zesty garlic and creamy sour cream for balance.
- Easy: Roll your enchiladas, whisk together the sauce, top with lots of shredded cheese and into the oven they go to bake into melty, bubbly perfection!
- Great For Using Up Leftovers: Reduce food waste and use leftover chicken, veggies, and cheeses stuffed inside these white chicken enchiladas.
- Prep-Friendly: Easily prepped ahead, and refrigerated or frozen, we always make a double batch for an even easier dinner another night.
If you are an enchilada lover like me, try my other varieties! These classic cheese enchiladas are my dad’s favorite and I love these smoky chipotle adobo chicken enchiladas. If you have guests coming in town, I highly recommend a batch of these make-ahead breakfast enchiladas!
Key Ingredients
While the white enchilada sauce looks like it uses a lot of ingredients, I promise you likely already have most of them on hand already! Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for white chicken enchiladas. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Shredded Chicken: Try my homemade version or use a rotisserie chicken to keep things extra easy.
- Salsa Verde: Homemade salsa verde will add the most flavor, but store bought works too! Make sure it is not an avocado-based salsa to avoid browning.
- Serrano Pepper: For milder heat, a jalapeño is a good swap! To really punch up the heat, leave the seeds in the pepper when you dice it!
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best, but garlic powder is okay in a pinch.
- Flour: Cornstarch works too, but use half the amount and do not cook it with the butter to create a roux. Instead, whisk the cornstarch into a little water and stir it into the sauce and simmer to thicken.
- Monterey Jack Cheese: Any melty shredded cheese will work just fine!
- Avocados: Make sure they’re ripe. If you aren’t a fan of warm avocado, skip adding it to the enchiladas and use it only as a garnish.
- Tortillas: You can use store-bought or homemade flour tortillas or corn tortillas. It’s a personal preference!
How to Make White Chicken Enchiladas
If you can convince someone to help you, you can roll your enchiladas in half the time. I always ask my kids come help me! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.
- Make The Sauce: Sauté the serrano pepper and garlic in melted butter, then whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring sauce to a low boil and then whisk in the sour cream, salsa verde and cilantro. Pour 3/4 cup sauce into the bottom of a baking dish.
- Fill and Roll the Enchiladas: Add chicken, cheese, onion, and avocado to the center of each tortilla. Roll it up and repeat for all the tortillas and filling. Place the enchiladas seam-side down in the baking dish.
- Bake: Pour the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle cheese over the enchiladas and pop them in the oven until melty, about 15 minutes.
- Serve: Remove the enchiladas from the oven. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve with all your desired toppings and enjoy!
Chef’s Tips and Variations
- Different Fillings: While using a rotisserie chicken is the ultimate ingredient hack for keeping these easy, they are also delicious with a saucier chicken. This filling for crockpot chicken tacos, chicken fajitas or spicy chicken Tinga are great alternatives!
- Spicy: If you want your enchiladas spicy, you have a couple of options. 1. Use a spicy salsa verde. 2. Leave the seeds in the pepper, or double up and use two serrano peppers!
- Add Veggies: Mixing 1 cup canned corn, sautéed spinach, or mushrooms into the filling will make the enchiladas extra hearty like in my vegetable enchiladas.
- Shred Different Kinds of Cheese: Grate all the leftover bits of melty cheese you have in the fridge for a unique cheese-blend you can use for the enchiladas.
What to Serve with White Chicken Enchiladas
These white chicken enchiladas are a hearty dinner on their own, but you can always pair them with Mexican sides like my Mexican rice or cilantro rice. For bean ideas, try my frijoles charros, frijoles de la olla (Mexican pinto beans) or homemade refried beans.
If you are hosting a dinner party, starting with some authentic guacamole and queso fundido with tortilla chips is a great idea. A classic and creamy queso flan, sweet fried churros or this easy tres leches cake make perfect desserts!
Test Kitchen Review
Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
White Enchilada Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 Serrano pepper, minced (seeds removed for less heat)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup salsa verde, homemade or store bought
- ½ cup sour cream
Chicken Enchiladas
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded & divided
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 avocados, peeled and chopped
- 8-10 flour tortillas, or corn tortillas
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray/grease a 9×13 baking dish, set aside.
White Enchilada Sauce:
- In a medium sauce pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Sauté serrano pepper and garlic, for 1 minute. Stir in flour, constantly stirring, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the chicken broth, cumin, salt and pepper and bring to a low boil. Once boiling, whisk in the sour cream, salsa verde and cilantro. Remove from heat. Spread 3/4 cup sauce evenly on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Chicken Enchiladas:
- Add chicken, Monterey jack cheese, onion and avocado to the center of each tortilla and roll, placing seam-side down in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Top with leftover cheese and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until bubbling. Let rest for 5 minutes, then serve!
Video
Notes
Prep Ahead Or Freeze
Prep Ahead: Assemble the enchiladas the day before, cover tight and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Let rest on the counter for 30 minutes, then bake as directed. Freeze: Assemble the enchiladas as usual but don’t bake them. Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then rest on counter for 30 minutes before baking as directed.How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
Store: Place cooled enchiladas in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also cover the whole baking dish tightly with foil. Reheat: Microwave a serving in 30-second intervals until warm. You can also heat them in the oven at 300°F for 15 to 20 minutes.Nutrition
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One of our favorites and like many others we have been making it for several years and it is a top tier go to dish!! I don’t always need all of the chicken, but can find a use for it so, it’s fine. Going to try to make two and freeze one for later!
I saved this recipe in 2012 and have made it several times since! It is well loved in our house. Every so often, we have a crowd with a spicer pallet and we just add 1 fresh jalapeño and it works perfectly.
My husband doesn’t like cilantro and it’s still amazing leaving it out (though I prefer it included). Don’t let little dislikes discourage you from trying this one!
[…] of the meal, enjoy them with some simple Carne Asada Tacos. For saucier dishes, try them with my Spicy Avocado Chicken Enchiladas, Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, Adobo Chicken Enchiladas, and Buffalo Chicken […]
Loved! Absolutely loved this dish. Such a nice change to the traditional red or green sauce enchiladas. We are a family of five so I doubled the recipe for school lunches tomorrow. Thank you!
This is one of my favorite recipes. I’ve literally been making it since 2012 it’s in the oven now & I had to leave a comment to say thank you! The sauce reminds of the white queso at our favorite Mexican restaurant.
So happy to hear you enjoy it as much as we do Emily!! Wish we were neighbors and I could come steal a couple of enchiladas! 😉
So I just thought I’d come on here and tell you I’ve been making this recipe since 2012! My husband loves it so much he has asked me to make it for the guys he works with, for parties, and every time I ask him what he wants to eat. Thanks for creating such a well loved recipe! We can’t get enough around here!
Is there a way to convert this to a slow cooker recipe? Maybe for everything except the avocado and tortillas? I’ve made this a couple of times and love it! I would make it so much more often if I could just throw everything into the slow cooker.
Thanks!
This recipe looks amazing, Jessica! Thanks for posting it, enchiladas are always a guaranteed hit in our house. 🙂
I’m SO THANKFUL for Pinterest because without it I wouldn’t have found this. I’ve added it to my weekly meal plan. 🙂 Can’t wait!
made this for dinner tonight, and it was amazing !!!!! A must try !! I will definitely make again soon !!
Can anyone tell me how many calories there are per enchilada?
My husband and I just made these about an hour ago. They were absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing! Now to see if we have the willpower to save some for tomorrow…
My husband and I LOVE these – make them all the time!!! Just wondering though… do you think they could be frozen prior to baking, and saved for a later date? Or would the avocado not fair so well….
Thanks!
I think it would be great in the freezer. I haven’t tried it myself, but I can’t imagine it not working. The color on the avocado might change, but it will be wrapped in tortillas so you wouldn’t see it anyways!
Authentic enchiladas are made with corn tortillas rather than flour tortillas. Personally, I’d never use flour ones to make this dish!! The recipe does look very good!
I took these over to a friend’s and they were a hit. Seriously, the sauce is out of this world! I thought I needed to double the recipe and didnt realize how much it would make until the sauce was complete. But then I ended up using all the sauce. Is that weird? It was the perfect amount so…hmmm. Also, I marinated chicken with one of those packets, pan grilled them to perfection, cooled them slightly then shredded with my hands. The crispy fried edges from the chicken added a deeper flavor overall. I was worried that the onions wouldnt cook but I sliced them super thin and they were perfect. I’m making this my go-yto enchilada recipe. Thank you!!!
Unless I went blind is there no avocado in the sauce?
//I lived in Texas -which is like 50% Mexican & 25% cows//
*dies*
TRUTH
If anyone else runs into this problem, it turned out with regular salsa as well, although not quite the same.
I made these for my bf’s family and they were delicious, rave reviews! Now I am at home and there was no salsa verde at the store.. Any idea how they would turn out with regular salsa?
Glad to hear you were still able to make them, but yes it is a totally different flavor. If you can find Tomatillos, you can also make your own!
Just FYI, I have been able to find Salsa Verde at Target and Walmart and I am pretty sure they carry the same stuff all over the US. 🙂
Made this recipe this weekend after having it on my pinterest for ages, wished I hadn’t waited so long it was amazing! I almost veered from the recipe and sauteed the onions but am so glad I didn’t. The recipe was absolutely perfect as is! BTW, I tried to repin it today and for some reason pinterest has blocked it because of spam?