Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Easy and delicious, enchilada casserole is the ultimate crowd-pleaser! It’s stuffed to the max with chicken, cheese, and cilantro and smothered in a rich homemade enchilada sauce. This is a recipe you’ll come back to again and again!
Whether you’re making a weeknight family dinner or feeding a crowd, casseroles are hard to beat when it comes to easy meals! A good casserole is the perfect all-in-one dish that keeps everyone coming back for more.
My chicken & cilantro enchiladas have always been a crowd-pleaser, so I was inspired to create a casserole based off this classic recipe.
I love that it makes a big batch so it’s perfect if you’re cooking for a group or just love leftovers like me!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Delicious flavor – Made with rich and flavorful ingredients, this casserole is packed with incredible flavor you’ll love.
From-scratch recipe – If you like classic homemade food, this is the enchilada casserole for you!
Easy dinner idea – This casserole comes together easily for a delicious meal ready in under an hour!
Crowd-pleasing dish – Casseroles are the ultimate easy crowd-pleasers, and this enchilada casserole is always a hit.
How to Store Leftovers
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. When you’re ready to eat them, reheat in the oven for best results.
Prep in Advance
When you’re preparing this casserole in advance, make sure the chicken gets fully cooked in the pan. Then assemble the enchilada casserole as usual, and, right before baking, cover the pan to make it airtight. Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
When you’re ready to bake the casserole, place it in the oven while it’s preheating. Then bake as usual.
If you’d like to prepare the casserole more than 2 days in advance, you can put it in the freezer instead of the fridge for up to three months.
24-48 hours before baking, place it in the fridge to thaw. When you’re ready to bake it, place it in the oven while it’s preheating, and then bake as usual.
How to Freeze
Enchilada casserole is perfect for frozen meal prep! Simply freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve it, thaw in the fridge and reheat in the oven.
Tips for Success
Feel free to adjust the spice amounts – If you don’t like spicy foods or are serving this to kids, you may want to slightly reduce the spices, especially the cayenne pepper. However, if you love spicy foods, feel free to add a little more.
Don’t skimp on the cheese – I know, it takes a ton of cheese, but that’s one reason this casserole is so delicious!
Use fresh cilantro – Dried cilantro just won’t give this enchilada casserole the amazing flavor it deserves.
Lightly fry the tortillas – Frying the tortillas before using them in the casserole helps them to maintain a better texture and not get too soggy.
FAQs
This is completely up to you! Corn tortillas are more traditional, however, I personally prefer flour tortillas. Almond flour tortillas are a great option too if you’re gluten free.
Yes, enchilada casserole is a healthy meal. If you want to make it extra healthy, try using a healthy version of tortillas (I use Ezekiel sprouted tortillas) or making homemade tortillas.
Enchilada casserole is best served with any toppings you like on regular enchiladas. Chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro, jalapeños, guacamole, and sour cream are my favorites.
Violet’s Tips for Serving
My favorite way to serve enchilada casserole as a complete meal is to provide lots of fun toppings! Make sure to choose a variety so everyone has a few they like.
Tools You May Need
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Ingredients
Optional Topping Ideas
How to Make Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Step 1: First, finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, roughly chop the cilantro, and slice the chicken breasts into approximately 1/2″ slices.
Step 2: In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, sauté the chopped onion until it’s translucent.
Add the garlic, spices, and salt to the skillet and stir until the onion is coated and the spices are fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Step 3: Now, add the chicken and stir until it’s well coated with the onion and spice mixture.
Step 4: Stir in the tomato sauce and water, and let the chicken simmer uncovered in the sauce for 10 minutes. Afterwards, remove the skillet from the heat.
If you’re putting this casserole together in advance and baking it later, make sure the chicken is cooked through. If you’re going to bake it right away, it doesn’t matter.
Step 5: Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the chicken from the sauce and place in a large bowl with the refried beans and cilantro. Stir until the mixture is combined.
Next preheat your oven to 400 degrees and pour 1 cup of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish.
Step 6: Place 2 tortillas in the dish. Don’t worry about them overlapping.
Step 7: Next evenly spread 1/3 of the chicken mixture across the tortillas.
Step 8: Now pour 1/3 of the remaining tomato sauce over the chicken and sprinkle 1/3 of the shredded cheese over top.
Step 9: Repeat steps 6-8 two more times for a total of 3 enchilada casserole layers.
For each layer, you can tear the tortillas and position them a little differently so the overlap is in different parts of the casserole.
Step 10: Place the enchilada casserole in the oven for 30 minutes or until it’s hot and bubbling.
Enjoy with all of your favorite toppings!
If you try this recipe, let me know in the comments! Tag me on Instagram @violet_rightathome
More Easy Dinner Recipes
Best Ever Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Squash
Gluten-Free Meatballs (No Eggs & No Dairy)
Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Easy & delicious, enchilada casserole is the ultimate crowd-pleaser! It's stuffed with chicken, cheese, and cilantro and smothered in a rich sauce.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken breasts
- 6 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 1/2 cups refried beans
- 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 6 8-inch tortillas
- 2/3 cup water
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, roughly chop the cilantro, and slice the chicken breasts into approximately 1/2" slices.
- In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil on medium heat. Once the pan is hot, sauté the chopped onion until it’s translucent.
- Add the garlic, spices, and salt to the skillet and stir until the onion is coated and the spices are fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Add the chicken and stir until it’s well coated with the onion and spice mixture.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and water, and let the chicken simmer uncovered in the sauce for 10 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the chicken from the sauce and place in a large bowl with the refried beans and cilantro. Stir until the mixture is combined.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Pour 1 cup of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish.
- Place 2 tortillas in the pan (don't worry about them overlapping).
- Evenly spread 1/3 of the chicken mixture across the tortillas.
- Pour 1/3 of the remaining tomato sauce over the chicken.
- Sprinkle 1/3 of the shredded cheese over top.
- Repeat steps 9-12 two more times for a total of 3 enchilada casserole layers.
- Place the enchilada casserole in the oven for 30 minutes or until it's hot and bubbling.
Notes
- If you're putting this casserole together in advance and baking it later, make sure the chicken is cooked through in the skillet (this may take longer than 10 minutes). If you're going to bake it right away, it doesn't matter.
- It's best served with toppings such as: sour cream, fresh cilantro, chopped tomatoes, salsa, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced avocados, fresh or pickled jalapenos, and guacamole
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 389Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 1177mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 36g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you love cheesy chicken enchilada casserole, please make sure to come back and leave a comment and a 5 star rating. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you!
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I got to try this and it was amazing! So flavorful, healthy, and easy!
Thanks Lydia! I’m glad you liked it!