Simple Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas – a very easy recipe made with a creamy homemade green & white sauce. A family-friendly weeknight winner!
Try my easy Ground Beef Enchiladas, or my Chicken Enchilada Pasta too!
Step-by-step photos and instructions are below, but you can jump right to the recipe card if you wish!
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My family loves these white chicken enchiladas so much that I have them in the meal plan at least every other week. They are super easy to make and if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, they taste even better the next day.
You should probably just make a double batch, and either freeze leftovers or eat enchiladas all week for lunch! I use disposable pans to freeze my enchiladas.
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas without Soup.
A lot of recipes for enchiladas use a cream of chicken soup as the sauce base, but the way I make it from scratch is far superior in flavor (and you can pronounce all the ingredients).
Not that there is anything wrong with taking shortcuts, but this won’t take a lot longer than opening a can, and you’ll love the result!
The biggest thing I love about this easy chicken enchilada recipe is the prep and cook time. Very little, especially for the amount of flavor we get! It’s a 4 stage process, but it’s not complicated I promise!
- Cook the filling
- Make the sauce
- Roll up the enchiladas
- Bake
Try my Baked Chicken Chimichangas Recipe, too!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- This is a great recipe to make ahead! Just prepare and refrigerate, then bake for an extra few minutes when you are ready to eat.
- Adaptable. If you like things spicy, check out my notes section for ways to flavor it up.
- Easy to find ingredients. This recipe uses common ingredients usually found in most grocery stores.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you freeze sour cream enchiladas??
The answer is… YES! Prepare them to Step 13 (below in the recipe), wrap tightly and freeze. This will be good for about 3 months in the freezer. Just thaw and heat in the oven at 350F until fully heated through.
How to soften tortillas for enchiladas
I make this recipe with flour tortillas. I wrap them in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave them for 30 seconds until they are soft and pliable. I use a tortilla warmer to keep them soft while I’m making enchiladas. You’d do the same thing with corn tortillas.
What to serve with Chicken Enchiladas
Serve with this Mexican Rice from Yellow Bliss Road.
Make some homemade guacamole and pico de gallo, open a bag of tortilla chips and call it Mexican night!
I have included step-by-step photos and instructions, as well as tips and tricks in the post. If you’d rather skip all that, scoot right on down to the full recipe card located at the bottom of the post.
Key Recipe Ingredients
Remember: this is just an overview and the why of the ingredients I choose here. The full list of ingredients and amounts is found in the printable recipe card below.
- Onion. Chop this up relatively small.
- Garlic. Don’t skimp on the garlic!
- Ground Cumin & Ground Coriander. Rich and earthy, and perfect for deepening the flavor.
- Chicken. I use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Thighs can also be used if you prefer.
- Flour Tortillas. Zap them in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften them. Corn tortillas can be substituted if you prefer.
- Shredded Cheese. I like to grate my own for this, it melts so much better than using store-bought. Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese are perfect.
- Butter. I use salted butter.
- Flour. All-purpose white flour. Nothing fancy over here.
- Chicken Broth. Make your own or use a store-bought one. If you opt for a lower sodium variety, be sure to taste test your dinner and adjust seasoning to make sure it works!
- Sour Cream. Full fat or reduced fat, either works great!
- Chopped Green Chiles. I buy these in a can from the Mexican food aisle at the grocery store.
Recommended Equipment/Tools
(affiliate links may be used here, which helps me earn some pennies – with no increased pricing to you)
- Large Skillet
- 9×13 Baking Dish
How to make Simple Sour Cream Enchiladas:
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This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. The full list of ingredients, quantities and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
Get prepped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook the filling
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and cook onion until softened.
Add in the garlic, cumin and coriander and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the chicken and cook until done.
Set aside.
Make the sauce
Melt butter in a medium saucepan
Whisk in the flour to make a roux, stir and cook until bubbly then whisk in chicken stock.
Bring to a boil, whisking frequently.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and green chilies. Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble Enchiladas
Add a little sauce to the bottom of the baking dish.
Add a little cheese to each tortilla and divide cooked chicken mixture evenly between tortillas.
Roll each on up and place seam-side down in the baking dish.
Pour sauce evenly over enchiladas.
Top with remaining cheese.
Bake
Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and the sauce near edges of baking dish is bubbly.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
If using, sprinkle cilantro over the top.
Devour.
Kylee’s Notes
When you have rolled each enchilada, be sure to place them in the baking dish seam side down. This helps the tortillas to stay closed while baking.
Substitutions/Additions
Use pre-cooked shredded chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken in place of raw, you won’t need to cook it as long as if you were using raw.
If you like things spicy, add some crushed red pepper flakes to the chicken when you add the cumin/coriander. Maybe a pinch of cayenne or chili powder in the sauce.
Add a can of black beans – boost the protein content!
Add a little cheese to the sauce with the chilies. Because cheese is awesome.
Add more garlic. Always room for that!
Double or triple this. These are AWESOME after a little stay in the fridge. The flavors develop nicely.
What to do with leftovers
Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat until it is piping hot!
Chicken Temperature: Chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F when tested with a digital meat thermometer (affiliate link) in the thickest part.
Freezing instructions
This recipe can be frozen before or baking. Cover tightly with foil and wrap with plastic wrap. Freeze.
More recipes to love:
- Mexican Stuffed Shells. Mexican Italian fusion at its best! These delicious Mexican stuffed shells are packed with flavor and please the whole family.
- Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Pasta. All the flavors of a classic enchilada, in a family friendly, easy to make pasta dinner! Make Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Pasta YOUR weeknight winner!
- King Ranch Chicken Casserole Recipe. A classic recipe using chicken layered with a creamy sauce studded with peppers and onions, then baked in a casserole dish with cheese and corn tortillas.
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Simple Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 lb diced chicken breast
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces diced green chiles
- salt and pepper
- 6 softened flour tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (grated divided)
Optional
- chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook the filling
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over medium in a large skillet and cook 1 cup chopped onion until softened.
- Add in the 2 tablespoons minced garlic , 1 tablespoon ground cumin and 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add 1 lb diced chicken breast and cook until done. Set aside.
Make the sauce
- Melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium saucepan.
- Whisk in the 1/4 cup all-purpose flour to make a roux, stir and cook until bubbly then whisk in 2 cups chicken stock
- Bring to a boil, whisking frequently.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup sour cream and 4 ounces diced green chiles. Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble
- Add a little sauce to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Add 1 Tbs cheese to each tortilla and divide cooked chicken evenly between tortillas.
- Roll each on up and place seam-side down in the baking dish.
- Pour sauce evenly over enchiladas.
- Top with remaining cheese.
Bake
- Bake at 400℉ for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and the sauce near edges of baking dish is bubbly.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- If using, sprinkle chopped fresh cilantro over the top.
- Devour.
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Notes
Nutrition Facts
Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Update: This recipe was originally published in May of 2017. It was republished with updated photos in June of 2022.
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