Chicken Enchilada Casserole is saucy and delicious! Layers of enchilada-sauced tortillas, a flavorful chicken-bean filling, and cheese are baked to bubbly perfection.
Pair this with some Roasted Vegetables or this Mandarin Orange Salad.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Chicken enchiladas are one of my favorite meals, but honestly, I like this casserole even more. It has the perfect balance of tortilla, filling, and cheese, with tons of flavor in every bite.
I could probably eat it every night and never get tired of it—well, unless Chicken Gyros are on the table too.
This casserole is perfect for taking to a family in need or a friend who just had a baby. It’s comforting, filling, and freezes well (I’ll share more on that later).
Ingredients In Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Olive Oil: Softens onion and pepper, keeps them from sticking.
- Onion, Bell Pepper, Garlic: Sauté for a flavorful base.
- Chili Powder, Cumin: Cooking these bring out tons of flavor.
- Green Chiles: No need to drain; use the liquid for extra flavor.
- Black & Chili Beans: Rinse black beans and dump entire can of chili beans.
- Frozen Corn: No need to thaw—add directly to the pan.
- Rotisserie Chicken: Chop finely for even layering.
- Enchilada Sauce: Grab your favorite brand of enchilada sauce.
- Corn Tortillas: Halving makes them fit the pan neatly.
- Cheddar & Monterey Jack Cheese: Use freshly shredded cheese.
- Toppings (Optional): Prep toppings while the casserole bakes for a quick finish.
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Prep: Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- Cook: In oil, sauté veggies. Add seasoning, chiles, beans, corn, chicken, and some enchilada sauce.
- Layer: In the pan, layer tortillas, the chicken mixture, and cheese. Repeat.
- Bake: Cover with foil, bake 20 mins. Uncover, bake 10 more mins.
- Serve: Let cool, then serve with toppings like avocado.
Quick Tip
Not a fan of corn tortillas? Feel free to swap them for wheat ones.
Variations
Variations
- Vegetarian casserole: Swap out the chicken for an extra can of black beans.
- Spice: For more heat, add a diced jalapeño or hot enchilada sauce into filling.
- 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.
Storage
Freezing Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Make the casserole as directed and either bake right away or freeze it before baking.
To freeze: Use an oven-safe container. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Baking from frozen: Remove plastic and foil, then bake at 350°F for 1 1/2 hours, or until the cheese is melted and the center is hot.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Pesto Chicken Salad the best lunch
- Quinoa Enchilada Bake with sweet potatoes
- Rotisserie Chicken Tacos ready in about 20 mins
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup Olive Garden copycat
- Chicken Enchilada Pasta cheesy and delish
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
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!
Equipment
- Baking pan 9 x 13-inch
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 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.
Hi Chelsea, I just made this recipe. It is great !!!! Thank you so much !!!!
Ken
So glad to hear that!! Thank you Ken 🙂
I am registered to your site you have all of my information. Why can I not get to my recipe box
Hey Vicki, what problem are you having? (Is the password not working or can’t find the recipe box?) Happy to help however I can!
My family loved it!!! Thank you, yet again, for another awesome recipe!
Yay! Love hearing that 🙂 Thanks Corrina 🙂
Hey Chels- in the last step “ Finish by adding one more layer of tortilla halves and the final remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese.” are we supposed to put the remaining 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce on the final layers of the tortillas?
Omg thank you Regina for pointing that out — yes you’re right! I’ve updated the recipe, thank you 🙂
I made this today and I had to come back to thank you for the recipe! I don’t make enchiladas often but this casserole is so easy and delicious I know I will be making it A LOT. I used a large can of La Victoria enchilada sauce and could not find any chili beans, so I used about 8oz of freshly made pinto beans. This was the 3rd recipe I have made of yours and im excited to make many more of your delicious dishes! ❤
Awe thank you so much for leaving a comment and review 🙂 I appreciate you trying my recipes and hope you love whatever you try next! 🙂