Get my Cookbooks! Chicken Enchilada Casserole
This Chicken Enchilada Casserole has flavorful layers of shredded chicken, black beans, seasonings, enchilada sauce, melted cheese and corn or flour tortillas! It’s so easy to assemble without filling and rolling each enchilada, and the flavors are AMAZING!
Chicken Enchilada Casserole
I love turning classic dinners into delicious casseroles, and this Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a definite winner! There’s no need to fill and roll individual enchiladas, you can enjoy the same exact flavors stacked up and sliced! This gets it on the table faster, and it’s fun to experiment with different add-ons in the layers you create.
The chicken and black bean layer is like a flavor explosion, the seasonings are spot on, and ingredients like garlic, green chilies, honey, and lime juice round out the flavor profile. (And the hot, melty layers of cheese is perfection!)
I love making my homemade enchilada sauce for this recipe, but canned sauce is totally fine if you’re short on time. Don’t miss my PRO TIPS below!
How to Make It
Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Combine softened onions, garlic, shredded chicken, seasonings, black beans, green chiles, lime juice, hot sauce, honey, and cilantro in a skillet. Heat through and set aside. Spread a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish and arrange halved flour or corn tortillas on the bottom. Top with 1/2 the chicken mixture and 1 cup of enchilada sauce.
Top with 1.5 cups of cheese. Repeat with another layer of tortillas, followed by the rest of the chicken and sauce.
Top with the remaining cheese. Cover and bake at 350° F for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes. Top with cilantro, diced tomatoes, red onions, avocados, and serve with sour cream and tortilla chips!
Make Ahead Method
- Prepare filling as outlined. Let cool and store in an airtight container overnight. Shred the cheese and refrigerate in an airtight container. Dice up toppings/garnishes (like red onions, tomatoes, jalapenos), and refrigerate. Don’t dice up avocados until serving.
- When ready to serve, heat the filling in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Assemble and bake as outlined. Garnish and serve!
Pro Tips
- Enchilada Sauce: I always make my easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce for this recipe.
- Cheese: I like to shred my own cheese from a block for this dish, it melts much creamier and smoother than packaged shredded cheese. I use Pepper Jack and Cheddar. Monterey Jack is a great addition too!
- Toppings/Add-ons include Corn, Avocado, Guacamole, Salsa, Refried Beans, Green Onions, Jalapenos, Diced Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Rice, Limes, and more! (Sour cream is a must!)
- Feel free to add up to 1/4 cup of heavy cream or half and half to your enchilada sauce. It adds a little something extra!
- More Enchilada Recipes: Be sure to try my classic Chicken Enchiladas, Beef Enchiladas, White Chicken Enchiladas, and Chicken Enchilada Soup recipes next!
- Want more dinner ideas?! Try my Chicken Taquitos and find my whole Mexican-inspired collection here!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links*)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 9 x 13-inch casserole dish– This is the one that I love using for this recipe. (It’s what’s pictured in this post.)
- Spice Rack– This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
- Box cheese grater – I always shred cheese from a block in my recipes. It melts and tastes better than packaged shredded cheese.
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Try These Next
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- Chicken Fajitas
-
- Baked Tacos
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- Chicken Taquitos
-
- White Chicken Enchiladas
-
- Chicken Quesadillas
-
- Chicken Taco Soup
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Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
Seasonings
- ½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, dried oregano, chili powder
Casserole
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil, can sub olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 20 oz. red enchilada sauce, I highly recommend my homemade version
- 3 cups shredded chicken, see notes
- Salt/pepper, to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles, undrained
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, plus more to garnish
- 8 (6-inch) flour or corn tortillas
- 3 ½ cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided. See notes.
For Serving
- Sour cream
- Tortilla Chips
- Garnishes: Cilantro, diced tomatoes, avocados, jalapenos, red onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Combine the seasonings and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning. Note: Season the chicken with salt/pepper to taste if not already seasoned. Rotisserie chicken likely won’t require additional seasoning.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and soften for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the cooked chicken and combined seasonings (from step 2) and toss to coat. Stir in the black beans, green chiles, lime juice, hot sauce, honey, and cilantro and heat through for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Spread 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish, the layer will be thin.
- Cut each tortilla in half. Arrange 6 slices so that the flat edges line up along the sides of the casserole dish, touching the dish walls. Place 2 in the middle. (See process shots in blog post for a visual.)
- Top with half of the chicken filling and drizzle 1 cup of enchilada sauce on top. Top with 1 ½ cups of cheese.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas, remaining chicken mixture, 1 cup of sauce, and remaining cheese.
- Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro and desired toppings (see notes for suggestions) and serve with sour cream and tortilla chips to scoop up excess filling!
Notes
- To make shredded chicken: Bring 2 chicken breasts to a very gentle bubble. (A full boil will make it tough.) Bubble gently for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes, then use 2 forks to shred.
- Enchilada Sauce: I always make my easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce for this recipe.
- Cheese: I like to shred my own cheese from a block for this dish, it melts much creamier and smoother than packaged shredded cheese. I use Pepper Jack and Cheddar. Monterey Jack is a great addition too!
- Toppings/Add-ons include Corn, Avocado, Guacamole, Salsa, Refried Beans, Green Onions, Jalapenos, Diced Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Rice, Limes, and more! (Sour cream is a must!)
- Feel free to add up to 1/4 cup of heavy cream or half and half to your enchilada sauce. It adds a little something extra!
- More Enchilada Recipes: Be sure to try my classic Chicken Enchiladas, Beef Enchiladas, White Chicken Enchiladas, and Chicken Enchilada Soup recipes next!
- Want more dinner ideas?! Try my Chicken Taquitos and find my whole Mexican-inspired collection here!
Make Ahead Method:
- Prepare filling as outlined. Let cool and store in an airtight container overnight. Shred the cheese and refrigerate in an airtight container. Dice up toppings/garnishes (like red onions, tomatoes, jalapenos), and refrigerate. Don't dice up avocados until serving.
- When ready to serve, heat the filling in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Assemble and bake as outlined. Garnish and serve!
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 8 servings in this recipe.
