Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole stacks corn tortillas with shredded chicken, green chiles and a creamy green enchilada sauce, with melted Monterey Jack on every layer. It has the flavor of green chicken enchiladas without rolling a single tortilla, and one 9×13-inch dish feeds 8.
How to make it: Soften garlic, jalapeño and onion in oil, stir in the chicken, green chiles and most of the enchilada sauce, then take the pan off the heat and add sour cream. Layer tortilla halves, filling and cheese three times, bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, and let it rest 10 minutes before cutting.
Why You’ll Love It
- No rolling: the tortillas go in flat, in halves, the way you would build a lasagna.
- Creamy green sauce: the enchilada sauce warms with the filling and is finished with sour cream.
- Cheese in every layer: a cup of Monterey Jack goes over each third of the filling.
- Feeds a crowd: 8 servings from one dish.
Ingredient Notes
Cooked chicken: Three cups, shredded.
Green enchilada sauce: Three 10-ounce cans. Half a cup is held back for the bottom of the dish; the rest becomes the sauce for the filling.
Green chiles and jalapeño: Two 4-ounce cans of diced green chiles, plus one jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped, cooked with the garlic and onion.
Sour cream: Two-thirds of a cup, stirred in once the heat is off, turns the sauce creamy.
Corn tortillas: Eighteen, cut in half. Each layer takes 12 halves.
Monterey Jack: Three cups, about 12 ounces, grated.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 2 cans (4 ounces each) diced green chiles
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 3 cans (10 ounces each) green enchilada sauce, divided
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 18 corn tortillas, cut in half
- 3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 12 ounces), divided
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
How to Make Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cook the aromatics. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, jalapeño and onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, green chiles, paprika and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
3. Make the filling. Reserve 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, then pour the remaining sauce into the skillet and stir. Cook until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream.
4. Layer. Spread the reserved 1/2 cup of sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Line the dish with 12 tortilla halves, overlapping as needed to cover, then spread with one-third of the chicken mixture and sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat to make 2 more layers of tortillas, chicken mixture and cheese, 3 layers in all.
5. Bake. Bake until bubbling and golden brown and 165°F in the center, 30 to 35 minutes.
6. Rest and serve. Let the casserole rest 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving.
How to Layer It So It Slices Cleanly
A layered casserole is only as neat as its layers, and four small habits keep them in place.
Sauce goes down first. Cover the entire bottom of the dish with the reserved sauce before the first tortillas go in, so the bottom layer is not sitting dry against the pan.
No gaps. Overlap the tortilla halves as you lay them in. If a corner is still showing, tear a piece of tortilla to fill it.
Cover the top. Spread the last third of the filling and cheese right out to the edges. Tortillas left bare on top dry out in the oven.
Wait before you cut. The casserole sets up as it rests, and the slices come out cleaner. Ten minutes is enough.
Tips for Success
- Softer tortillas: for tortillas that are easier to fit, dip each one in warm enchilada sauce for 10 to 15 seconds, or fry it in a little oil for 3 to 4 seconds per side, before layering.
- A browner top: mist the cheese lightly with oil before baking, or run the dish under the broiler for the last minute or two.
- Measure the sauce first: set the 1/2 cup aside before you open the other cans, so none of it ends up in the skillet.
Make It Ahead
Assemble the casserole, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. When you are ready to bake, take off the plastic and add 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time.
Variations
- With cream of chicken soup: mix cream of chicken soup with the sour cream and some of the enchilada sauce for the filling, and add a layer of cheese in the middle.
- Spicier: add more jalapeño or a little cayenne to the filling, and serve with hot sauce or a spicy salsa.
- Rolled: fill each tortilla with chicken, cheese and green chile, roll it, line the dish with the rolls, then pour the sauce over and top with cheese.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Cover the casserole while it reheats and heat it to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with Mexican rice and black beans, or refried beans with chips and guacamole. Put out sour cream, salsa, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced avocado and jalapeños for topping. If you like rolled enchiladas, try cream cheese chicken enchiladas, chicken enchiladas with sour cream white sauce or chicken enchiladas with homemade red sauce. For more chicken casseroles, there is easy chicken burrito casserole and cheesy sour cream chicken casserole, and for a low-carb skillet dinner, one pan keto green chili chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common mistakes to avoid when making chicken enchilada casserole?
Starting the first layer with no sauce under it, leaving the top tortillas uncovered so they dry out, and cutting it straight from the oven. The layering section above covers each one.
Can I use rotisserie or canned chicken?
Yes. Any shredded cooked chicken works, including rotisserie or canned chicken. You need 3 cups.
Can I use a different cheese?
Yes. Cheddar, or a blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack, works in place of the Jack.
How long does it take?
About 40 minutes of prep, 30 to 35 minutes in the oven and a 10-minute rest.
Final Notes
Hold back the sauce for the bottom, cover every layer, and give it the full rest before you cut. If you make it, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 2 cans diced green chiles 4 ounces each
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 3 cans green enchilada sauce 10 ounces each, divided
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 18 corn tortillas cut in half
- 3 cups Monterey Jack cheese grated, about 12 ounces, divided
- fresh cilantro chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, jalapeño and onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken, green chiles, paprika and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
- Reserve 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce, then pour the remaining sauce into the skillet and stir. Cook until warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream.
- Spread the reserved 1/2 cup of sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Line the dish with 12 tortilla halves, overlapping as needed to cover, then spread with one-third of the chicken mixture and sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat to make 2 more layers of tortillas, chicken mixture and cheese, 3 layers in all.
- Bake until bubbling and golden brown and 165°F in the center, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Let the casserole rest 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro before serving.
