Chicken Enchilada Casserole gives you all the flavor of chicken enchiladas with none of the rolling: corn tortillas layered with a filling of shredded chicken, black beans, corn, bell pepper and green chiles simmered in red enchilada sauce, and blankets of cheddar and Monterey Jack. It feeds 10 from one 9×13-inch dish and bakes in 30 minutes.
How to make it: Soften the onion and bell pepper, stir in the garlic, beans, corn, chicken and green chiles, then most of the enchilada sauce. Spread the saved sauce in the dish and build three layers of tortillas, filling and cheese. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until bubbling.
Why You’ll Love It
- No rolling: layers go down flat, so it’s ready for the oven in minutes.
- Feeds a crowd: 10 servings from one pan.
- Full of filling: chicken, black beans, corn, peppers and green chiles in every layer.
- Great leftovers: it reheats well for lunches.
Ingredient Notes
Cooked chicken: Three cups, shredded. Rotisserie or leftover chicken both work.
Red enchilada sauce: Two 10-ounce cans. The sauce is the main seasoning in this dish, so use one you like; half a cup is saved for the bottom of the pan.
Black beans and corn: A 15.5-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained, and a 15.25-ounce can of corn, drained.
Vegetables: One onion and one bell pepper, chopped, two cloves of garlic, and a 4.5-ounce can of diced green chiles.
Corn tortillas: Eighteen, six for each of the three layers.
Cheese: Two cups each of shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15.25-ounce) can corn, drained
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 (4.5-ounce) can diced green chiles
- 2 (10-ounce) cans red enchilada sauce, divided
- 18 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Sour cream, cilantro and avocado, for serving
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Casserole
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cook the vegetables. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
3. Make the filling. Add the beans, corn, chicken and green chiles and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Set aside 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce and pour the rest into the skillet, stirring to combine.
4. Layer. Spread the reserved 1/2 cup of sauce in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Layer 6 tortillas over it, overlapping to cover the whole pan. Spread 1/3 of the filling over the tortillas and top with about 1/3 of each cheese. Repeat twice more, finishing with cheese.
5. Bake. Bake 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted, the sauce is bubbling and the center reaches 165°F.
6. Serve. Garnish with sour cream, cilantro and avocado.
Enchilada Casserole Mistakes to Avoid
An enchilada casserole is simple, but a few small things decide whether it comes out saucy and sliceable or dry and patchy.
Skipping the sauce on the bottom. Spread that saved half cup of enchilada sauce over the bottom of the dish before the first tortillas go in. It keeps the bottom layer tender and stops it from sticking.
Leaving gaps. Overlap the tortillas so each layer covers the whole pan. Cutting corn tortillas in half makes them easier to lay flat and fit into the corners.
A bland sauce. The enchilada sauce is the main seasoning, so it makes all the difference. Taste it before it goes in, and use a sauce you’d happily eat on its own.
Not enough cheese on top. Finish with the last third of both cheeses so the top melts into a golden, bubbly layer.
Drying it out. If you bake it longer or at a hotter oven, cover it with foil first and uncover it for the last 10 minutes so the cheese melts without the edges drying out.
| Layer | What goes in |
|---|---|
| Bottom | 1/2 cup enchilada sauce |
| Layers 1, 2 and 3 | 6 tortillas, 1/3 of the filling, 1/3 of each cheese |
| Top | The last of the cheese, bubbling and golden |
Tips for Success
Can I use green enchilada sauce?
Yes, red or green both work. For a creamy green version with sour cream and Monterey Jack, see our green chili chicken enchilada casserole.
Covered or uncovered?
At 350°F for 30 minutes it bakes fine uncovered. At 375°F, bake it covered for 20 minutes and uncovered for 10.
Variations
- White chicken enchilada casserole: make a sauce of 3 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons flour whisked with 2 cups chicken broth, 1 cup sour cream, 2 ounces cream cheese and a 4-ounce can of green chiles. Mix 3 cups chicken with 1 cup Monterey Jack and seasonings, layer it three times with halved flour tortillas and the sauce, top with another cup of Jack, and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Extra beans: use 4 cups of chicken with 4 cups of cooked beans, 3 cups of red enchilada sauce and 4 1/2 cups of cheese; bake covered for 40 minutes at 350°F, then uncovered for 5 to 10 more.
- More vegetables: add chopped mushrooms or extra sweet pepper to the filling.
- Flour tortillas: small flour tortillas work in place of corn.
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. Thaw in the refrigerator, and reheat covered until the center reaches 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with rice, a green salad or tortilla chips with white queso dip. If you’d rather roll them, try chicken enchiladas, cream cheese chicken enchiladas or chicken enchiladas with sour cream white sauce. For more Mexican-style bakes, there’s Mexican tortilla casserole and easy chicken burrito casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are common mistakes when making enchilada casserole?
Skipping the sauce on the bottom of the dish, leaving gaps between tortillas, using a bland sauce, and baking it too long uncovered so it dries out.
Do I need to cook the chicken first?
Yes. The recipe uses 3 cups of already-cooked, shredded chicken, such as rotisserie chicken.
Can I use flour tortillas?
Yes. Small flour tortillas work in place of corn tortillas.
How do I know it’s done?
The cheese is melted, the sauce bubbles at the edges, and the center reaches 165°F.
Can I freeze chicken enchilada casserole?
Yes, for 3 to 4 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator and reheat it covered to 165°F.
Final Notes
Save that half cup of sauce for the bottom of the dish before you pour the rest into the filling. If you make it, tell me in the comments which toppings you added.
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 15.5 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
- 15.25 ounce can corn drained
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 4.5 ounce can diced green chiles
- 2 10-ounce cans red enchilada sauce divided
- 18 corn tortillas
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- sour cream, cilantro and avocado for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
- Add the beans, corn, chicken and green chiles and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Set aside 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce and pour the rest into the skillet, stirring to combine.
- Spread the reserved 1/2 cup of sauce in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer 6 tortillas over it, overlapping to cover the whole pan. Spread 1/3 of the filling over the tortillas and top with about 1/3 of each cheese. Repeat twice more, finishing with cheese.
- Bake 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted, the sauce is bubbling and the center reaches 165°F.
- Garnish with sour cream, cilantro and avocado.
