White chicken enchilada casserole with cream of chicken soup

Q: Is it better to cook enchiladas covered or uncovered?

If youre baking enchiladas for a short amount of time, its probably best to leave them uncovered. This will help to prevent them from becoming too soggy. However, if youre baking them for a longer period of time, covering them may be necessary to prevent them from drying out.

Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas are made with flour tortillas, shredded chicken, shredded cheese, green chiles and a delicious white cream sauce!

Table of Contents Show

A DELICIOUS CHICKEN ENCHILADA RECIPE
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
HOW TO MAKE WHITE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS:
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Reader Interactions
Is it better to cook enchiladas covered or uncovered?
Should you cover chicken enchiladas when baking?
What is white enchilada sauce made of?
What is the white cheese on enchiladas?

A DELICIOUS CHICKEN ENCHILADA RECIPE

One of my favorite Mexican meals (besides chimichangas) are enchiladas. Funny side note: did you know the word "chimichanga" is Spanish for thing-a-ma-jig? Ha! This recipe for white chicken enchiladas are no joke though!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What is the best way to prepare shredded chicken?

*You can cook chicken for this recipe in a couple of ways. You can roast a couple of chicken breasts in the oven. Just drizzle a bit of olive oil on them and season with salt and pepper and cook for about 35-45 minutes.
*Or you can boil your chicken until cooked.
*Or you could use a store bought rotisserie chicken.
*It just depends on how much time you have to prepare this and what flavor you want from your chicken. The roasted and rotisserie chicken are going to give you the most flavor.
*Once your chicken is cooked, you'll want to shred it using two forks. Or if you have a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, put your chicken in the mixing bowl and mix until shredded.

Do you have a more traditional red sauce enchilada recipe?

If you are looking for a more traditional homemade red enchilada sauce, be sure to check out my recipe for CHICKEN ENCHILADAS ROJAS!

What can I serve with this?

Some store-bought refried beans or one of my personal favorites - my 3-INGREDIENT MEXICAN RICE! Or, if you like, just serve with a delicious, leafy green salad.

Could I use corn tortillas instead?

Absolutely! Corn tortillas need to be individually warmed up before rolling or they will tear as you roll them up keep that in mind.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

flour tortillas
shredded cooked chicken
Monterey Jack Cheese
butter
flour
chicken broth
sour cream
diced green chiles
salt & pepper
Adobo seasoning

HOW TO MAKE WHITE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Add in 1 cup of shredded cheese. Season with salt, pepper and a little Adobo seasoning.

Place chicken mixture in each of the flour tortillas.

Roll them all up and place them in your baking dish. Just squeeze them all in there.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter. Whisk in flour and let cook and thicken for 1 minute (don't let it burn.)

Add chicken broth and whisk until smooth.

Stir in sour cream and chiles. Be sure not to let the mixture boil.

Take sauce off the heat and pour it over the enchiladas. Top with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes. If you'd like, you can turn the broiler on high and broil these for a minute or two until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly. Serve warm with your favorite sides.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

▢ 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
▢ 10 flour tortillas (taco size)
▢ 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or mozzarella)
▢ 3 Tablespoons butter
▢ 3 Tablespoons flour
▢ 2 cups chicken broth
▢ 1 cup sour cream
▢ 4 ounce can diced green chiles
▢ salt & pepper & Adobo seasoning, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9"x 13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together cooked, shredded chicken with one cup of shredded cheese along with salt, pepper and Adobo seasoning.
Place chicken mixture into each of the flour tortillas.
Roll them all up and place them in the prepared baking dish.
In a medium sauce pan, melt butter.
Whisk in flour and let cook and thicken for 1 minute (don't let it burn).
Add chicken broth and whisk until smooth.
Stir in sour cream and green chiles. Be sure not to let the mixture boil.
Take sauce off the heat and pour it over the enchiladas.
Top with remaining shredded cheese.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
If you'd like, you can turn the broiler on high and broil these for a minute or two until cheese is slighly browned and bubbly.

TIPS FOR COOKING AND SHREDDING CHICKEN:

You can cook your chicken a couple of ways. You can roast a couple of chicken breasts in the oven. Just drizzle a bit of olive oil on them and season with salt and pepper and cook for about 35-45 minutes.
Or you can boil your chicken until cooked. Or you could use a store bought rotisserie chicken. It just depends on how much time you have to prepare this and what flavor you want from your chicken. The roasted and rotisserie chicken are going to give you the most flavor.
Once chicken is cooked, you'll want to shred it using two forks. Or if you have a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, put your chicken in the mixing bowl. Turn mixer on and within a minute your chicken will be perfectly shredded.

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Originally published: April 2012
Updated and republished: May 2019

I’m a regular home cook, like most of you, doing my best to get a good meal on the table for my family. I like to say the recipes on here are recipes for the busy cook (you know who you are). You can still get a good meal on the table, with a few shortcuts to help you along the way. I hope you’ll find lots of recipes here that you’ll love and hopefully will become family favorites. Read more...

Reader Interactions

Is it better to cook enchiladas covered or uncovered?

If you're baking enchiladas for a short amount of time, it's probably best to leave them uncovered. This will help to prevent them from becoming too soggy. However, if you're baking them for a longer period of time, covering them may be necessary to prevent them from drying out.

Should you cover chicken enchiladas when baking?

Most enchiladas are baked and covered with foil until heated through. Oven temperatures and baking times vary per recipe, but on average they cook in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the enchiladas after they are heated through.

What is white enchilada sauce made of?

White sauce – White sauce is used in this recipe as a replacement for traditional red enchilada sauce. Made with butter, flour, broth, sour cream, green chilis, and cumin, this sauce will add rich flavors and creaminess to your white chicken enchiladas.

What is the white cheese on enchiladas?

Queso fresco: This spongy white cheese is grainy and mildly acidic. It's usually made with a combination of cow's milk and goat's milk. It is often crumbled over salads, refried beans, tacos, enchiladas and soups.