Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Casserole is saucy and delicious! Enchilada-sauced corn tortillas are layered with a flavorful chicken-and-bean filling and topped with plenty of cheese. The casserole is baked to bubbly cheesy perfection and finished off with your favorite enchilada toppings.

Pair Chicken Enchilada Casserole with some Roasted Vegetables or this Mandarin Orange Salad.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken enchiladas are one of my favorite meals and honestly, I like this casserole even better. There is the perfect ratio of tortilla to filling to cheese and there is so much flavor in every single bite.

It’s a meal I could probably eat every night and never be sick of it (I mean, if Chicken Gyros didn’t also exist). 

This casserole is a great meal to bring to a family in need or a friend that’s recently had a baby. It’s pure comfort food and very filling. It also freezes and thaws well (more on that later).

Ingredients In Chicken Enchilada Casserole

• Olive Oil: Used for cooking onions and pepper, makes them soft and flavorful.
• Onion and Red Bell Pepper: Add sweetness and crunch to the dish.
• Garlic: Gives a strong, tasty flavor.
• Chili Powder and Cumin: These spices make the dish flavorful and a bit spicy.
• Green Chiles: Add a smoky taste and mild heat.
• Black Beans and Chili Beans: Provide protein and make the dish hearty. The sauce in chili beans adds extra flavor.
• Corn: Brings sweetness and a different texture.
• Chicken: Makes the dish filling and adds protein.
• Enchilada Sauce: It’s the main sauce, adding moisture and a tangy taste.
• Corn Tortillas: They form the layers in the casserole and soak up flavors.
• Cheddar and Monterrey Jack Cheese: Make the dish creamy and gooey when melted.

How to Make Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1. Prep: Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
2. Cook: In oil, sauté onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Add chili powder, cumin, green chiles, beans, corn, chicken, and some enchilada sauce.
3. Layer: In the pan, layer tortillas, the chicken mixture, and cheese. Repeat.
4. Bake: Cover with foil, bake 20 mins. Uncover, bake 10 more mins.
5. Serve: Let cool, then serve with toppings like avocado.

Variations

• Vegetarian enchilada casserole: Swap out the chicken for an extra can of black beans.
• Hot and spicy: For more heat, add a diced jalapeño into the filling. You could also add a few teaspoons of chipotle sauce (from a can of chipotles) into the filling for a smokier heat.
• Your own sauce: Make homemade enchilada sauce instead of store-bought.
• Swap the cheeses: For a spicier Chicken Enchilada Casserole, use pepper-jack cheese instead of Monterrey jack.

More Easy Chicken Recipes

• Pesto Chicken Salad layered on croissants
• Quinoa Enchilada Bake with sweet potatoes
• Rotisserie Chicken Tacos ready in about 20 minutes!
• Chicken Gnocchi Soup Olive Garden copycat
• Chicken Enchilada Pasta all the flavors of chicken enchiladas in a cheesy pasta dish

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5 from 8 votes

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

By Chelsea Lords

With layers of corn tortillas smothered in enchilada sauce, filled with tasty chicken and beans, and topped with a generous amount of cheese, this Chicken Enchilada Casserole is saucy and delicious!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

• Baking pan 9 x 13-inch
• Aluminum foil

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup diced yellow onion
• ▢ 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 (4-ounce) can green chiles undrained
• ▢ 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
• ▢ 1 (15-ounce) can chili beans see note 1
• ▢ 1 cup frozen corn
• ▢ 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
• ▢ 3 cups mild red enchilada sauce divided
• ▢ 16 corn tortillas halved
• ▢ 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• ▢ 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ Toppings as desired see note 2

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan. Once oil is shimmering, add in the diced yellow onion and diced red pepper. Stir for 5–⁠6 minutes or until softened. Add in the garlic and stir for 30 seconds; reduce the heat if it starts to burn. Add chili powder and ground cumin. Stir for another 30 seconds or until fragrant. Reduce the heat to low. Add in the diced green chilies, black beans, chili beans, frozen corn, chopped rotisserie chicken, and 2 cups mild enchilada sauce. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Stir gently until combined and warmed through and then remove from the heat.
• Pour 1/2 cup of the remaining enchilada sauce in the prepared 9 x 13-inch pan. Add 8 tortilla halves to cover the bottom of the pan. Spoon 1/3 of the chicken sauce on top. Add 1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese. Add another 8 tortilla halves on top. Another 1/3 of the chicken mixture, 1/2 cup more Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup more Monterrey Jack cheese. Add another layer of 8 tortilla halves, the remaining 1/3 of chicken mixture, another 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, and another 1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese. Finish by adding one more layer of tortilla halves, the final remaining 1/2 cup enchilada sauce, and the final 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Monterrey Jack cheese.
• Lightly spray a piece of aluminum foil with cooking spray and secure over dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes or until cheese is melty and gooey on top.
• Remove casserole from the oven and let stand for 5–⁠10 minutes before cutting into it. Serve casserole with toppings of choice; I like a splash of fresh lime juice, a sprinkle of cilantro, fresh sliced avocado, a few cherry tomatoes, and some sour cream. Enjoy hot.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: I love using chili beans in this recipe because they're slow simmered in a sauce and add even more flavor to the filling, but feel free to substitute with regular drained and rinsed pinto beans instead. Ranch-style beans are also very similar to chili beans.

Note 2: I love to top this casserole with cilantro, diced red onion, thinly sliced green onion, and diced avocado.

Storage: Prepare according to the directions and either bake immediately or freeze unbaked in a freezer-to-oven container, covering tightly with plastic wrap and foil. To bake from frozen, remove the plastic and foil, then bake at 350°F for 1-1/2 hours or until the cheese is melted and the center is warm.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 625kcal | Carbohydrates: 55.8g | Protein: 36.5g | Fat: 33.2g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 710.4mg | Fiber: 15.4g | Sugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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