Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This flavor-packed Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe comes together quickly. It features layers of store-bought rotisserie chicken, tortillas, onions, garlic, and black beans, all smothered in enchilada sauce and topped with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese.

This dish is like chicken enchiladas in casserole form. It is so much easier than rolling chicken enchiladas. Dress it with mango salsa, fresh cilantro, and chopped avocado, and it will be beautiful and tasty enough for company.

If you like this recipe, try my salsa chicken, tamale pie, green chile chicken enchiladas, or beef birria. Each recipe is kitchen-tested and bursting with flavor.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Tortillas: Both corn and flour tortillas work in this recipe. Corn tortillas are traditional with enchiladas, but my family prefers flour.
• Enchilada sauce: If you love to cook, make the enchilada sauce from scratch. The authentic flavors will take this recipe over the top. Homemade sauce takes less than ten minutes to make and tastes much better than the canned stuff.  
• Chicken: A natural flavor rotisserie chicken works great with this recipe, but any cooked shredded or diced chicken will work. Substitute ground beef for the chicken breast and make it beef enchilada casserole. 
• Cheese: I use Monterey Jack and cheese. You can substitute pepper jack or any Mexican blend cheese. Shred the cheese from the block for more flavor, fewer additives, and more bang for your buck.

How to Make Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

Start lightly browning the tortillas in a large dry skillet over medium heat. It only takes about 30 seconds per side. Now cut the tortillas in half and set aside for a few minutes.

Using the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Once soft, reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce to the skillet. Then, add the black beans and shredded chicken. Mix to combine and heat for a few minutes to meld the flavors.

Now spoon 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Layer with 1/4 of the cut tortillas. Try to cover as much area as possible, but do not worry about small spaces, as shown in the picture above. Then top with 1/3 of the chicken mixture and 1/4 of the shredded cheese combination. Repeat twice with 1/4 of the tortillas, 1/3 of the chicken mixture, and 1/4 of the shredded cheeses—end with a layer of tortillas, the remaining enchilada sauce, and the rest of the cheese.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned. Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes. Then, top with chopped cilantro, salsa, and chopped avocado.

Preparation Tips

• For best results, lightly brown the tortillas in a dry skillet. It only takes a few minutes, and it improves the overall texture of the dish.
• The number of tortillas you will need depends on the size of the tortillas and the exact dimensions of your casserole dish. I always purchase a few extras, just in case.
• This casserole is at its best prepared and baked promptly, while the tortillas have not absorbed much of the sauce.

Serving Suggestions

• Mexican rice
• Marinated cucumbers and red onions
• Mexican coleslaw
• Mexican street corn
• Mexican shrimp cocktail
• Pico de Gallo
• Chicken tortilla soup
• Layered taco salad

Topping Suggestions

There are many choices for topping this casserole and making it appealing and tasty.

• Salsa: pineapple salsa, mango salsa, traditional tomato salsa, Pico de Gallo, or cactus salsa
• Fresh Avocado: toss fresh chopped avocado with lemon juice to keep it from premature browning
• Chopped Cilantro: use fresh cilantro chopped fairly fine
• Sour Cream
• Grilled Corn: or blackened corn
• Black Olives: sliced
• Pickled Jalapenos: or sliced fresh jalapeno rings

More Tex-Mex Recipes

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

An amazingly delicious layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole with rotisserie chicken, flour or corn tortillas, enchilada sauce, black beans, and melty cheese. Customize it by topping it with your favorite salsa, sour cream, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, or chopped avocados.

4.98 from 46 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: main meal chicken

Cuisine: Tex-Mex

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 410kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

• 12-14 small flour or corn tortillas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cups enchilada sauce
• 1 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
• 2 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken breast or chicken thighs
• 1 ¼ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 ¼ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Chopped cilantro
• Mango salsa optional
• Chopped avocado optional

Instructions

• Lightly brown the tortillas in a large dry skillet over medium heat. It only takes about 30 seconds per side. Cut the tortillas in half and set aside for a few minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Using the same skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Once soft reduce the heat to medium low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce to the skillet. Add the black beans and shredded chicken. Mix to combine and heat 2 minutes to meld the flavors.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce into a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Layer with 1/4 of the cut tortillas. Top with 1/3 of the chicken mixture and 1/4 of the shredded cheese mixed. Repeat 2 more times with 1/4 of the tortillas, 1/3 of the chicken mixture, and 1/4 of the shredded cheeses. End with a layer of tortillas, the remaining enchilada sauce, and the rest of the cheese.
• Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned. Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes.  Top with chopped cilantro, salsa, and chopped avocado.  Slice and serve. 

Notes

• For best results, lightly brown the tortillas in a dry skillet. It only takes a few minutes, and it improves the overall texture of the dish.
• The number of tortillas you will need depends on the size of the tortillas and the exact dimensions of your casserole dish. I always purchase a few extras, just in case.
• This casserole is at its best prepared and baked promptly, while the tortillas have not absorbed much of the sauce. 
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
• To freeze, first, fully cool. Then, wrapit with two layers of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed. The tortillas will be much softer and absorb a lot of the moisture in the casserole.

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 1106mg | Potassium: 221mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 722IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 334mg | Iron: 3mg

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