Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our full disclosure policy.
When I started working on these Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas, I knew one thing: I didn’t want to use cream of chicken soup.
We made a similar dish years ago at my meal assembly business, but that version used canned soup for the sauce. This time, I wanted to make that creamy green chile sauce from scratch.
This has become one of my son’s favorite dinners. And yes, I use flour tortillas! I’ve made these enchiladas with corn tortillas too, but my family prefers the soft flour tortillas with the creamy sauce.
Readers have put this recipe to the test too. One doubled it for an office potluck and said it was the most popular dish on the buffet, while another recently told me her family fought over the leftovers.
Why You’ll Love These Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
- Great for family dinner or a crowd: This is one of my son’s favorite dinners, and readers have had great luck serving it to a crowd too. One reader doubled the recipe for an office potluck and said it was the most popular dish on the buffet.
- No canned soup: The creamy green chile sauce is made from scratch with butter, flour, chicken broth, sour cream, and green chiles. It takes just a few extra minutes and gives you plenty of sauce for covering those flour tortillas.
- Rotisserie chicken works great: Start with any cooked shredded chicken, or grab a rotisserie chicken when you want to save time.
- Easy to make ahead: Assemble the enchiladas up to 24 hours ahead, refrigerate, and bake when you’re ready for dinner.
If your family loves taco night as much as mine does, add my Taco Tater Tot Casserole to your dinner list too. It’s another easy 9×13 dinner with plenty of cheesy taco flavor.
Free 3 Ways To Cook Chicken PDF
Ingredients for Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas
You only need a handful of everyday ingredients to make the chicken filling and homemade green chile sour cream sauce.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Recipe Notes
- Cooked shredded chicken: Leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken both work well here. If you want to cook the chicken specifically for this recipe, my Instant Pot Shredded Chicken is an easy option and can be made ahead of time. A reader has also made these enchiladas successfully with seasoned, baked chicken thighs.
- Flour tortillas: I’m firmly on team flour tortilla for this recipe. They stay soft under all that creamy sauce, and that’s how my family prefers these enchiladas. I’ve made the recipe with corn tortillas too, so use whichever you prefer.
- Cream cheese: Let it soften before you begin. Softened cream cheese is much easier to distribute evenly throughout the shredded chicken.
- Monterey Jack cheese: This melts beautifully and has a mild flavor that doesn’t compete with the green chiles. A Monterey Jack and cheddar blend will also work.
- Green chiles: Canned diced green chiles keep this easy. I typically use mild chiles, but you can choose a hotter variety if you want more heat.
- Sour cream: Wait until the sauce comes off the heat before stirring in the sour cream. This helps keep the sauce smooth and creamy.
If you’re more of a red sauce enchilada person, my Ground Beef Enchilada Casserole are the ones to try next.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Jill’s Top Tips
- Soften the cream cheese first. Cold cream cheese is harder to distribute through the shredded chicken. Let it soften so you can mix the filling without overworking everything.
- Cook the roux for a full minute. Once the butter and flour are combined, let them cook for about 1 minute before adding the chicken broth. This gets rid of the raw flour taste while keeping the sauce light in color.
- Add the chicken broth gradually. Whisk it into the roux a little at a time, especially at the beginning. Once the mixture is smooth, you can add the remaining broth more quickly without lumps.
- Take the sauce off the heat before adding the sour cream. Once the sauce has thickened, remove the pan from the burner, then stir in the green chiles and sour cream. This helps keep the finished sauce smooth and creamy.
How to Make Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Step 1: Add the shredded chicken, softened cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and cumin to a large bowl. Mix until the cream cheese is evenly distributed throughout the chicken. (This is the time to preheat the oven to 375 degrees.)
Step 2: Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the flour tortillas.
Step 3: Roll each tortilla around the filling and arrange seam-side down in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 4: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
Step 5: Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, then add the cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
Step 6: Remove from the heat and stir in the green chiles and sour cream until smooth.
Step 7: Pour the green chile sour cream sauce evenly over the rolled enchiladas.
Step 8: Sprinkle the remaining Monterey Jack cheese over the top and bake uncovered at 375°F for 25–30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted.
Step 9: Remove from the oven and let the enchiladas sit for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with additional sour cream, chopped cilantro, or sliced green onions if desired.
What to Serve with Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
These enchiladas are rich and creamy, so I like to keep the sides simple. Serve them with Mexican rice, black beans, or a simple green salad.
For toppings, set out sour cream, chopped cilantro, green onions, and my Avocado Cream Sauce. This 5-Minute Salsa is another easy option that adds a fresh flavor alongside the creamy green chile sauce.
A reader recently told me she made a fresh pico with tomatoes, garlic, onion, and cilantro while the enchiladas baked, which sounds like a great fresh contrast to the creamy sauce.
Store: Keep leftover enchiladas covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
Reheat: Cover the enchiladas with foil and reheat in a 350°F oven until heated through. For individual portions, the microwave works well too.
Make-ahead: Assemble the enchiladas up to 24 hours in advance, then cover and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, take the dish out of the refrigerator while the oven preheats. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the baking time.
Did you make the recipe? Let us know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook! Thanks so much!
Recipe
Creamy Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Equipment
Ingredients
Enchilada Filling
- 1 ½ pounds Cooked Shredded Chicken
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 8 8" Flour Tortillas
For the Sauce
- 3 Tablespoon Butter
- 3 Tablespoon Flour
- 2 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 7 ounces Green Chiles
- ½ cup Sour Cream
Assemble
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, softened cream cheese, and cumin. Mix until evenly combined.1 ½ pounds Cooked Shredded Chicken, 4 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese, 4 ounces Cream Cheese, 1 teaspoon Cumin
- Divide the chicken mixture evenly among the 8 flour tortillas. Roll each tortilla tightly around the filling and arrange seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.8 8" Flour Tortillas
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.3 Tablespoon Butter, 3 Tablespoon Flour
- Gradually whisk in the chicken broth until smooth. Add the cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, for about 4–5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.2 cup Chicken Broth, 1 teaspoon Cumin, ⅛ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper, ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ teaspoon Onion Powder, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the green chiles and sour cream until the sauce is smooth and creamy.7 ounces Green Chiles, ½ cup Sour Cream
- Sprinkle the remaining 4 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese over the top.4 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is completely melted.
- Let the enchiladas rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro, green onions, sour cream, or your favorite toppings, if desired.
We had this on our family vacation and it was so YUMMY! Can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you Ashley!
We loved the recipe? Have you ever made it with corn tortillas?
Yes, I have use both flour and corn tortillas. Both delicious.
I love enchiladas!! My husband and I made these for dinner last night and served them with avocado, sour cream, and cilantro 😋 we did cheat and use store-bought salsa, but the filling was delicious!! I can’t wait for leftovers tonight!
That sounds absolutely delicious! Avocado, sour cream, and cilantro are perfect toppings—great choices! And no shame in using store-bought salsa; sometimes convenience is key! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed them, and I hope the leftovers are just as tasty tonight. Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback!
This is a definite 5 star!! I don’t even care that much for green chilis, but it just gives the sauce a little sweet zing! The family LOVED, so then I doubled the recipe and took it for an office potluck. It was the most popular dish on a crowded buffet table….NOTE…I did not cook any chicken…I shredded a rotisserie chicken! For the double recipe, 2 chickens and it was heavy on the meat; could use a little less than a whole chicken per batch. Rotisserie chicken from the warehouse store made it a Very economical dish!
These were SOOOO delish!! We devoured them and fought over the leftovers!! I used boneless/skinless chicken thighs, seasoned, baked and shredded ahead of time. The sauce was quick to make and very delicious. While they cooked, I made a pico of fresh tomato/garlic/onion and cilantro to serve with the enchiladas and some additional sour cream. A definite keeper in our kitchen!
Thank you so much! I love that you used chicken thighs and prepped the chicken ahead of time. And that fresh pico sounds SO good with the enchiladas! I’m thrilled these were such a hit, especially if everyone was fighting over the leftovers. 😊 Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review!