This Creamy Chicken Enchiladas recipe only calls for 7 ingredients and features a creamy cream cheese addition. It’s the perfect “something different” for a busy weeknight meal.
I love a good enchilada recipe. And, I love even more that this easy chicken enchilada recipe is super simple for those busy weeknights where you really need to get dinner on the table, but you don’t have a lot of time to do it.
They really are the perfect solution for those in-a-pinch weeknight meal plans. Deliciously creamy with the fun addition of cream cheese, this is a flavorful dish the whole family will love!
What are chicken enchiladas?
Chicken enchiladas are a suppertime staple around our house. This is a popular Mexican dish featuring tortillas filled with cooked chicken, cheese, and various other ingredients. You roll them up and cover them with a savory sauce and toppings, like chopped onion, cilantro, green chiles, or avocado. You can find this dish at almost any of your local Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants.
Chicken enchiladas can be served with various side dishes, like black beans. I especially love to eat this recipe for creamy chicken enchiladas with my Easiest Mexican Inspired Salsa Rice or Mom’s Mexican Cornbread.
What is the secret to good chicken enchiladas?
The secret to good chicken enchiladas is in the sauce, my friends. It really is. For this recipe, I knew I wanted to use green enchilada sauce. So, we bought all the different brands we could find and threw in a few red enchilada sauces for comparison. After much testing, we determined that the Las Palmas was the most flavorful – by far. And, honestly, all of the green sauces we tasted were better than any of the reds.
Why you should try this chicken enchilada recipe:
- My Creamy Chicken Enchiladas recipe is pretty dang easy and only calls for 7 ingredients! While that’s a few more than the last enchilada recipe I shared with y’all, it’s still not many. You could make homemade enchilada sauce, but I really wanted to keep it simple and the ingredient list to a minimum without sacrificing flavor. I think you will find this recipe achieves just that!
- These easy chicken enchiladas don’t skimp on the filling! They’re generously filled. If you don’t like a lot of filling, you can reduce all the filling ingredients by half.
- That chicken filling is pretty delicious! Made with shredded cooked chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, and salsa, it’s got tons of creamy flavor. The salsa is the perfect shortcut as it adds tomatoes, onions, peppers, and garlic into the filling without ever having to peel, chop, or cook a single vegetable.
What kind of tortilla should you use for enchiladas?
Most authentic Mexican-style enchiladas call for corn tortillas. My family isn’t big on corn tortillas, unless we’re making tacos. So, I use flour tortillas. You should pick whatever your family likes.
Just keep in mind that the corn tortillas will hold up a little better as the flour ones can get a little soggy. That’s a risk we’re willing to take because even if they fall apart, they’ll still taste great.
Options for your chicken filling:
- Pre-shredded – Many grocery stores sell packages of cooked, shredded chicken in the deli section, which makes these even easier. You’ll need about 1 pound of cooked, shredded chicken – if you’re buying it that way.
- Pre-cooked rotisserie – You can also grab a rotisserie chicken and shred the meat from that.
- Cook your own – And, of course, you’re welcome to cook some chicken breasts and shred those, too. Cooking it in the slow cooker is a great option.
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded cooked chicken about 1 pound – I used a rotisserie chicken
- 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup chunky salsa
- 8 (8-inch) tortillas* corn or flour
- 1 (8-ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 cups
- 1 (10-ounce) can green enchilada sauce You will need 1 ¼ cups. I prefer Las Palmas or Hatch brand
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Place the cream cheese in a small bowl and cover it with a paper towel. Microwave it for 15 second intervals until very soft.
- In a large bowl, mix the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and salsa together until smooth. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
- Heat the tortillas according to the package instructions.
- Pour about half of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Place about ½ cup of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Top each with a heaping tablespoon of the cheese. Tightly roll up each tortilla and place them in the dish, seam side down. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
- Tightly wrap the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. To brown the tortillas a little, remove the foil during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Top as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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First time making enchiladas and they were a hit! I mixed half the cheese in with the chicken mixture instead of 1 Tbls per enchilada just to speed things up and it worked fine. I also added a few green chiles in with it. Served with black beans.
Sounds great, Candy! Smart move for sure! So glad y’all enjoyed them!
I cooked these tonight for the first time … They are absolutely delicious! Followed your suggestions to use flour tortillas and Las Palmas green enchilada sauce. I also used rotisserie chicken strips rather than shredded chicken. Thank you for the wonderful recipes.
You are so welcome! So glad you enjoyed them!
These were SOOOOO good! I did add drained black beans and some onions. I used fresh corn tortillas too. So delicious and so much easier than any other enchiladas I have made! The Las Palmas green sauce is now my new favorite! Thank you!
This sounds amazing, Heather! I’m so, so glad you enjoyed these so much! And thanks for sharing those tweaks!
This was a hit with me and my husband! I rarely eat leftovers. But, these were so good that I ate them 3 days in a row! This is the best chicken enchiladas recipe I have tried and I have tried many. It beats the local Mexican restaurant. FIVE stars!!!
Thanks, Tina! Living with folks who aren’t big leftovers fans, I totally get it! And that’s quite the compliment!
Made these enchiladas for my family and they loved them. The only substitution I made was I used cottage cheese instead of cream cheese which required the use of a small mixer but otherwise the same creamy texture and delicious taste! Cottage cheese is less fat and more protein.
So glad y’all loved them! Cottage cheese is a smart swap — still creamy, just lighter and with that extra protein boost. Great idea!
Yum! I mostly followed the recipe, added a half grated onion, small can mild chopped chiles, and a health sprinle of garlic. Then I miss read the recipe (or forgot) and added all the cheese when I added the chicken. Happy accident! Grated up another 4oz of Colby jack and sprinkled on top!
That sounds delicious! I love how you put your twist on it with the onion and chiles. Adding all that cheese must have made it extra creamy and flavorful. Happy accidents often lead to the best meals!
I’ve made this several times using your exact recipe. I’s hot outside. It’s hot inside. Guess what, I’ll be making, or attempting to make, your recipe this weekend using my 9×13 casserole @CrockPot. I have made these Chicken, Cactus and Black Bean Enchiladas several times in my 9×13 crockpot and my electric skillet by varying your recipe.
Beautiful! Let me know how it turns out!
I can’t wait to try this. Seems really easy. I think it will be easily adapted to my new lower calorie life style.🤞🏽🤞🏽 I have half rotisserie chicken, in the fridge, just begging me to make this! Thank you very much.
Let me know how it turns out for you! Hope you enjoy!
Truly one of my favorite recipes! I do have what I suspect is a bizarre substitution to ask about. Every shrimp enchilada recipe I have seen doesn’t appeal to me. Is there any chance at all of substituting shrimp for the chicken? Thanks
Thanks, Susan! I would imagine the flavors would work just fine with shrimp but I do worry about the shrimp getting overcooked. Might still be worth a try! Let me know if you give it a go!
Fantastic!
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Celebrating Cinco De Mayo with your recipe.
Added some Seasoned Vigo Saffron Yellow Rice, refried beans, and salad.
Sounds like a perfect celebration, Kathy!
I always search for this recipe when I’m in one of those dinner idea slumps. This is one of the only things I make that my son gets excited about leftovers (if there are any). I throw a few chicken breasts in the crock pot before work and it’s so easy to put together in the afternoon. I shred my chicken in the kitchenaid then add the sour cream and cream cheese. Thank you for sharing! Can’t wait to try some other of your recipes.
I’m so glad to hear this recipe is a go-to for you! Using the crock pot is such a smart idea for busy days. Shredding the chicken in the KitchenAid is a game-changer too!
Made this for dinner tonight, and oh man, it was amazing. I used rotisserie chicken, to make it easy, and flour tortillas. Also added a bit of sour cream to the green sauce. Quick, easy, and so delicious. The family loved it. Thanks so much for a fabulous recipe.
I’m so glad to hear you and your family enjoyed it! Using rotisserie chicken is such a smart hack, and I love that you added sour cream to the green sauce—sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your twist on the recipe!
This is a wonderful variation of chicken enchildadas! I made it slightly less creamy by using only 4 oz. of cream cheese and a bit more salsa, and I added seasoning to the meat: salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder and onion powder. Otherwise I made it as written and it was delicious. I served these with shredded lettuce, chopped green onions, sour cream and additional salsa with Mexican rice on the side.My guests loved everything!
Thanks so much for sharing your tweaks! I love that you made it your own with the seasoning and adjustments. Sounds like a delicious spread with all those toppings and rice on the side. I’m glad your guests enjoyed it!
Don’t know what I would do without your great recipes. First thing I read in morning before reading the NYT..keep on keeping on Stacey
Excellent Recipe. Easy to make Enchiladas and a wonderful, meaty, cheesy flavor. My family has me making Enchiladas AGAIN!
Awesome! Love hearing that!
We loved it. I followed the recipe exactly. I was a little concerned about not having enough filling so the last enchilada was almost double in size 😊. Thanks for sharing.
Those are beautiful, Anita! Glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Hey ! I would love to try these, but I’m badly allergic to capsaicin (the stuff that makes peppers hot) so I’ve been cautious about buying enchilada sauce. I can make my salsa, but I don’t know what to substitute for the enchilada sauce. I would appreciate any suggestions you may have. Thank you !
What about a homemade green enchilada sauce – skipping the often included peppers?
Nice recipe. I use Mexicorn also in my chicken enchiladas and diced green chilies. Good job. No cream cheese for me or salsa inside. Salsa after baked for me. Plenty of cheese to finish. 🙂
Thanks, Charlotte!
In the oven now and smelling so good, can’t wait to dive in!!
Hope they tasted as good as they smelled!
Best I’ve ever had, make them at least 3 times a month!! Thanks Stacey!
Love it!!
Your recipes are so appetizing.. This one is TOPS,, I live in the Southwest, have spent much time in Mexico , and have also worked in the Food World for any years.. Bravo!!
Thanks, Estelle!
I just made this to celebrate my grandson is home with his Grammy thank you so much for the recipe
Oh wonderful! Enjoy your time with your grandson and I am so glad that everyone enjoyed it!
This a easy and really good recipe
Thanks so much Teresa!
Heavenly recipe! I had never used green enchilada sauce before, so I tried Las Palmas brand tonight. What a delightful flavor!!! As always, I’m a huge fan of ALL of your recipes, Stacey. Thanks, again and again, for sharing recipes that I can trust will be delicious and easy to follow.
I’m so glad you loved it! Green enchilada sauce may be my favorite!
Have you tried substituting Tomatillo Salsa Verde instead of the green chile sauce? It’s wonderful!!!
I will have to try that, thanks!
Made these for dinner last night and we enjoyed them. So creamy and tasty.
So glad to hear you enjoyed them!
Really delicious recipe. I love it yummy!!! It’s really awesome. Will surely try this.
So glad you like it!
My go to ( when I don’t have time to make my own) is the Las Palmas Brand of Enchilada Sauce period! Red & Green are the most flavorful, authentic canned sauces I’ve ever tried.. I hope you try the Red one and love it as much as me & my fam do..
My go to ( when I don’t have time to make my own) is the Las Palmas Brand of Enchilada Sauce period! Red & Green are the most flavorful, authentic canned sauces I’ve ever tried.. I hope you try the Red one and love it as much as me & my fam do.. BTW, Trying out your recipe for creamy Green one tomorrow night.
Can not wait to try the red sauce! Let me know how you like the recipe!
I leave out the sour cream because I don’t like it, use unflavored Greek yogurt instead. I also add a half of a red onion and half of a red bell pepper, chopped fine and sautéed till soft in 1 Tbsp olive oil and a drained can 4 oz of diced green chilies, absolutely delicious! We top the enchiladas with guacamole, sour cream and preferred salsa, per personal choice. This has become my favorite recipe to make and everyone loves it! We also prefer flour tortillas.
That sounds great too!
Hi, Great recipe. I made it tonight and was wondering if I could freeze the leftovers (there’s just two of us)?? Thanks for the recipe.
I freeze a pan every time I make them, unless we are having company. They freeze well but do get a little soggy. I have tried freezing the pan of cooked enchiladas and it turned out pretty good but you could freeze the enchiladas raw with out the sauce on top and then add the sauce later before you bake them. They don’t get as soggy that way.
Of course, but the flour tortillas may get a little soggy.
Making this right now. Actually, it’s in the oven right now
Hope you enjoy it!
Love your recipes.. Going to make this is
Let us know how you like it!