White Chicken Enchiladas

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Delicious spiced chicken enchiladas are mixed with cheese and rolled in a tortilla then are topped off with a spicy white chili enchilada sauce.  This post originally published in April 2012.
 
A plate with two white chicken enchiladas topped with cheese and a side of rice.
 
I really like cooking Mexican food.  I find that it’s fairly easy to make and it usually turns out pretty good.  
 
For years I’ve been making enchiladas using a can of enchilada sauce that I’ve found at the market.  Truth be told, it’s pretty good and it makes making enchiladas a snap.
 
Sometimes I make chicken enchiladas and other times I make beef.   Usually I make them with a red enchilada sauce because that’s what I can buy at the market but I’ve been wanting to try my hand at white enchilada sauce.
 

Ingredients:

  • chicken breast
  • cumin
  • paprika
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • chili powder
  • garlic cloves
  • soft tortillas
  • cheddar cheese
  • butter
  • flour
  • chicken broth
  • sour cream
  • green chiles

To Make the Chicken:  In a small bowl combine the cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, chili powder, and garlic.   Rub the mixture over the chicken breasts.  Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add in the chicken.  Cook for 4-5 minutes per side.  Remove from pan and cool for 10 minutes then shred.

To Make the Enchiladas: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Mix together the chicken and half of the cheese.  Place several tablespoons of the mixture in the center of a tortilla and roll it up.  Place in the dish. 

To Make the Enchilada Sauce:  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the flour and heat for 1 minute.  Add in the chicken broth and whisk until smooth.Slowly whisk in the sour cream, pepper, and green chilies. Immediately remove from heat so that the sour cream doesn’t curdle. Pour over top of the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.

Pin Image:  A plate with two white chicken enchiladas topped with cheese and a side of rice, text title, a cutting board with a tortilla filled with chicken and cheese and cut up chicken laying in a pile next to the tortilla.

I found a recipe where the sauce seemed easy but I was afraid it wouldn’t turn out well.   Since I had the ingredients on hand I decided to give it a try. 

The sauce ended up being amazing!  The sour cream adds a nice richness and the green chilies add a hint of spiciness.  It’s a great change from the original red enchilada sauce.  

Do I have to add the green chiles?

While you don’t have to add the green chiles they give the sauce most of the flavor and keep the color of the sauce.   If you want something milder you could substitute minced tomatillos in the recipe.  It would give the sauce a bit of texture, some of the same acidity, but none of the spiciness.

Can I use leftover chicken in this recipe?

Yes!  In fact, this is a great recipe to use leftover chicken in.  Simply shred the already cooked chicken and season it with the season mix.  Then combine it with the cheese and finish the directions as written.

Can I use corn tortillas?

You sure can.  Just keep in mind that each tortilla will need to be warmed separately so that they don’t tear while rolling them.

Can I freeze these?

Yes and no.  You can make the chicken, mix it with the cheese, and put the mixture into the tortillas then roll them up.  At this point you can wrap them in plastic wrap then foil and freeze for up to three months.  Do not make the sauce and freeze as cream sauces will break and the texture will change when frozen.

Can I make these ahead of time?

You can make these up to three days ahead of time.  Simply roll the chicken and cheese in the tortillas and then place in the baking dish.  Cover and refrigerate for up to three days.

A saucepan with white enchiladas sauce and a spoon drizzling the sauce back intot he pan.

You can also make the sauce several days in advance but do not pour it over top of the enchiladas until ready to bake.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  When ready to use heat the sauce up in a saucepan over medium low heat.  If it’s too thick add milk, a tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

The filling of the enchiladas is a simple chicken and cheese combination, though you can definitely add salsa, peppers, or jalapenos if you’d like. 

We really enjoyed the enchiladas and I’m happy to say that they were fairly easy to make as well.   I’ll be adding these white enchiladas to my Mexican meals rotation.

More Mexican Recipes:

A baking dish stuffed with white chicken enchiladas.

A plate with two white chicken enchiladas topped with cheese and a side of rice.

White Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: 8 Enchiladas
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Spiced chicken enchiladas are mixed with cheese and rolled in a tortilla then are topped off with a spicy white chili enchilada sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. chicken breasts
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8 soft flour tortillas
  • 2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 c. chicken broth
  • 1 c. low fat sour cream
  • 1 (4 oz) can green chilies

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl combine the cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix well.
  2. Rub the mixture over the chicken breasts.
  3. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high
    heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 5-8 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through. 
  4. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and then shred.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray.
  6. Mix the chicken and 1 cup of cheese in a medium bowl. Place several tablespoons of the mixture in the middle of a tortilla.
  7. Fold the sides of the tortilla in and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish.  
  8. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute. 
  9. Add in the broth and whisk until smooth.  Continue
    cooking until the mixture begins to bubble.
  10. Slowly whisk in the sour cream, pepper, and green chilies. 
    Immediately remove from heat so that the sour cream doesn't curdle. 
  11. Pour over top of the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
  12. Bake for 20 minutes. Then heat the broiler and broil under the heat for 1-2 minutes.
  13. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Joyful Mama's Kitchen

A plate of two white chicken enchiladas with rice on the side.

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12 Comments

  1. I don’t know if you were ever in the old ChiChi chain but they had a seafood enchilada that looked a lot like this. I loved it and I’m totally trying your recipe, though I haven’t decided if I’ll do chicken or fish!

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