Chicken Enchilada Casserole (2024)

This easy Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a super quick and super easy casserole recipe that makes the perfect, irresistible dinner. Make it easy by using rotisserie chicken, with gooey cheese, and zesty green chilies create a super flavorful sauce. Plus, this meal will be on the table in 30 minutes and gone in seconds because it is that good!

Everyone needs a couple of go-to recipes for when dinner needs to be on the table but you do not feel like cooking. This easy enchilada casserole is that for me! All you have to do is mix the chicken and other ingredients and then layer with cheese and tortillas and bake. That’s it!

Juicy shredded chicken, yummy cheese (who doesn’t love cheese?), and green chilies that are flavor-packed but not too spicy make this green chili chicken enchilada casserole loved by kids and parents alike! And, even though it is so easy to make and we eat this all the time, we never get tired of it because of how delicious it is. It really is a home run meal!

If you are looking for a beef version, make sure to check out my Beef Enchilada Casserole here. Just as easy and delicious!

Why I LOVE this recipe!

• Fast & Easy – This recipe takes 10 minutes to put together and if you are wondering how long it takes to bake an enchilada casserole – it only takes 20 minutes. So quick, so simple!
• One Pan Wonder – No one likes extra dirty dishes! Everything bakes in one dish making for super easy clean-up.
• Flavor Packed – With ingredients like green chilies and enchilada sauce, this layered enchilada casserole is filled with yummy Mexican-inspired flavors.
• Family Friendly – Not only are these very fast to get on the table and packed with cheesy flavor, making it kid-approved but these enchiladas are made with ingredients that are super easy to find and you might already have in your kitchen, making it parent-approved!
• Pantry Ingredients– With only 5 ingredients you may already keep on hand, it doesn’t get any more convenient!

Recipe Notes

This layered chicken enchilada casserole recipe is as simple as promised! Just one pan and 30 minutes for a family-friendly meal.

In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.

To learn how to make this enchilada casserole recipe be sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.

Ingredients + Substitutions

• Shredded Chicken – I love to use store-bought rotisserie chicken to keep it simple! You could use any leftover chicken that is neutrally flavored (like fried chicken) or Mexican-inspired in flavor. You can also make shredded chicken by boiling chicken breasts or baking them.
  
• Red Enchilada Sauce – I like Las Palmas, but you can use your preferred brand or it is easy to makehomemade enchilada saucetoo!
  
• Chopped Green Chiles – these pack tons of flavor in a small can! They have a mild spice (kid-friendly!) but add a great depth of flavor to these enchiladas. They are usually found in the Mexican aisle of the grocery store.
  
• Cheddar Cheese – I love to use sharp cheddar cheese for this but Mexican blend, Monterey jack or Colby jack would work great too!
  
• Corn Tortillas – Enjoying this enchilada casserole with corn shells is my preferred way to make this recipe as corn tortillas are authentic to a Mexican enchilada. I generally use 8 regular-size corn tortillas, but if you can find the street-size corn taco shells, they fit the best. If you need to, feel free to cut the tortillas to get them to fit perfectly to cover the layers.
  

Recipe Variations

If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!

• Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole – Use green enchilada sauce instead of red sauce.

• Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole – Mix green enchilada sauce with sour cream and use this mixture instead of red enchilada sauce.

• Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole – Mix cream of chicken soup and sour cream with the shredded chicken and green chiles.

Recipe Step by Step

Recipe Step by Step

1. Layer 1:Prepare the casserole dish by coating with a couple of tablespoons of red enchilada sauce then layer on the corn tortillas.
2. Layer 2: Create a second layer by adding a mixture of chicken, enchilada sauce and green chilis
3. Layer 3: Top the layer off with shredded cheese, then repeat, layering until the casserole dish is full. I usually make 2 layers but if your casserole dish is deep, you may be able to make 3.
4. Bake: Bake the casserole until heated through, then garnish with your choice of toppings.

Recipe Tips

1. Build the filling –The shredded chicken mixture holds all the flavor with green chilis and rich enchilada sauce. Mixing it all together before building the enchilada casserole helps the flavors get distributed evenly throughout and makes the assembly much quicker.
   
2. Street Tortillas– The street size corn tortillas work great for this recipe because they can be laid on the bottom of the pan with out having to be cut to size. If using full size tortillas, simply cut them in half or strips and layer.
   
3. No Grease, please!– Do this by not going too heavy on the cheese. A little really goes a long way and this is why I recommend using sharp cheddar cheese so you can get more cheesy flavor without overloading it on cheese. Of course, cheese is always something you can measure with your heart, but the end result may be a little greasier the heavier you go.
   
4. Layer it– This is a layered enchilada so for an even bake, layer the ingredients by first lining the dish with tortillas. You can cut these to fit, if necessary. Then, add half of the chicken mixture evenly, half of the cheese, and REPEAT!. Tortillas, meat, then cheese. We generally fit in two generous layers, but you can do more if you want!
   
5. Broil it– if you like an extra crispy cheese top, switch to broil for the last 2 minutes or so. That seems like a small number, but broiling works FAST so keep a close eye on it.

Recipe Short Cuts

If you need to make this chicken enchilada casserole recipe but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!

• Prep Shredded Chicken – You could do this three ways – make a large batch at once, use store-bought shredded chicken, or use leftover chicken from another recipe that uses Mexican flavored or neutral chicken. I like to make a big batch of chicken breasts at the beginning of the week to use in nachos, enchiladas, and salads! And, if you don’t have time, it’s a total time saver to pick up a rotisserie chicken on the way home to use in this enchilada!
  
• Make in Advance – You can definitely build this casserole a day before you want to enjoy it. Simply store it in the fridge until ready to bake. You could store it in the fridge ready to go up to a day before or in the freezer up to 3 months before.
  
• Freeze It! – As I mentioned above, this can be prepped and frozen for 3 months before you want to cook it. You can also cook these enchiladas and then freeze them. When you are ready to eat them, bake them straight from the freezer for 35 minutes.

Freezer Meal Instructions

Can you freeze enchilada casserole? You bet you can! Making this enchilada casserole recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 3 months.

1. Prepare the chicken enchiladas following the instructions up to baking.
   1. Combine the shredded chicken, enchilada sauce (reserve 1 tablespoon,) and green chiles in a large bowl and mix to combine.
   2. Pour the reserved enchilada sauce into an 8×8″ casserole dish and spread to cover the bottom. Lay half of the tortillas at the bottom of the dish. You can cut the tortillas to fit if needed.
   3. Add half the chicken mixture, then top with half the cheese. Repeat with tortillas, meat, and cheese.
2. Wrap your baking dish in plastic wrap tightly and then with foil. For the best flavor and texture, enjoy this freezer casserole within 3 months.
   • TIP: Use a disposible aluminum pan. This will make freezing and baking easy without having to sacrifice a baking dish. Plus, clean-up will be that much easier with a throw-away pan.
3. For how long to bake the enchilada casserole from frozen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and recover it with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes to brown the cheese until bubbly.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole Leftovers

If you have leftovers after making this yummy enchilada casserole, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make another delicious meal.

To save leftovers, separate into meal-sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:

• in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
• in the freezer up to a month

More Casserole Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more EASY casserole recipes for another busy night!

You can check out all of my casserole recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.

• Green Chile Chicken Casserole
• Beef Enchilada Casserole
• Ultra Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
• 7 Layer Taco Casserole

Leave a Reply

1. sarah

   April 8, 2024

   can I maoe this ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for a day? will it get soggy?

   Reply

   1. Kimber Matherne

      April 8, 2024

      I think this would work okay! The tortillas do soak up the moisture regardless as it bakes, so I don’t think it would be too much different. You will have to let me know if you try it.

      Reply

2. Carol Cannon

   June 29, 2023

   
   My husband is still raving about these enchiladas and ready for me to do again…and soon!

   Reply

3. Kathryn Hellman

   October 11, 2022

   Yes. I made this recipe for my daughter’s family. It was a hit with all. One of her twins liked it so much that she requested it for her birthday dinner. Thanks.

   Reply

4. Pennilyn

   July 13, 2022

   This was delicious! Will definitely be making again

   Reply

5. Patty K

   July 5, 2022

   
   This was delicious!! My family and I loved it and I’ll be making it again – it’s a keeper!

   Reply