These Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream White Sauce are filled with a creamy sauce, tender chicken, and lots of cheese. Your family will fall in love with this non-traditional recipe!
Chicken enchiladas are supposed to have red sauce aren’t they?
Not if you went to Sunday dinner at my Grandma Rasmussen’s!
I have fond memories of eating these delicious chicken enchiladas with sour cream white sauce with my cousins during Sunday dinners at my Grandma’s house.
They were basically the only enchiladas I knew growing up (it wasn’t until we went to a Mexican restaurant when I was older that I discovered that enchiladas are traditionally made with corn tortillas and red sauce!).
I always thought they were difficult to make because I would see my Grandma boiling an entire chicken and warming the tortillas in the oven.
However, once I actually made the recipe I discovered how easy it is and how short the ingredient list is!
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place 10 flour tortillas in the oven to warm.
While the tortillas are warming, mix together 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 pint sour cream, and 4 ounces of canned diced green chiles until well blended.
Remove the tortillas from the oven and top with 1/2 cup shredded chicken (you’ll need about 5 cups, total), 2 tablespoons each of your prepared sauce and Monterey jack cheese.
Roll each tortilla and place in a 9×13 baking dish until filled.
Top the tortillas with your remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining jack cheese, plus 1 cup cheddar cheese.
Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
When it comes to the shredded chicken, any kind will do! You can boil an entire chicken in a pot, use your Instant Pot, bake it in the oven, or use rotisserie chicken from the store.
This recipe makes a lot of sauce so I always add a generous amount to each enchilada.
The easiest way to assemble the enchilada is to spread the sauce down the middle and then put the cheese and chicken on one end. Roll the enchilada starting on the end with the chicken and the cheese so everything is sealed tightly.
I can usually only fit 8 enchiladas in the pan, so plan to use a smaller pan for the other 2-3 enchiladas. You can bake both pans at the same time.
If you’re out of certain ingredients or just don’t like them, try these substitutes:
These enchiladas are delicious plain, but you can also garnish them with toppings like:
- Sliced olives
- Guacamole
- Diced tomatoes
- Chopped green onion
- Cilantro
Make sure you check out this post for lots of tips on how to reheat enchiladas so they aren’t soggy.
More Like This
Looking for more Mexican-inspired dishes? Try these!
FAQs
There are about 414 calories in one of these delicious sour cream enchiladas.
Using chicken breast vs thigh meat keeps the calorie count down. You can also substitute non-fat Greek yogurt if you want to cut back even more calories!
Yes!
I always cover this dish to ensure the cheese melts and the insides are warmed through. If you like it a little more crisp, you can uncover the enchiladas at the end of cooking and broil on low for a minute or so.
Just keep a close eye on it!
The easiest way to assemble the enchiladas for rolling is to put the sauce down the middle, put the cheese on one side, and then the chicken on top of the cheese.
You can then roll the tortilla starting with the chicken and cheese side to get a tight enchilada (see picture below).
Short on sour cream?
You can substitute the sour cream in this recipe with Greek Yogurt. Other common substitutes for sour cream are cottage cheese or crème fraiche.
If you do use cottage cheese, just note that this will affect the texture of the dish and be prepared for a lot more calories if using crème fraiche!
You can definitely freeze these enchiladas, just note that sour cream does change texture in the freezer, so they will probably not be the same as if you made them fresh.
Here are some tips for freezing:
-Make sure you wrap the freezer-safe pan as tightly as possible. First with plastic wrap and then with foil.
-Make sure to drain any liquid off the enchiladas before freezing and wait to top the enchiladas with cheese before baking.
-You can choose whether to bake it before or after freezing. Personally, I would freeze it before baking.
If you thaw the enchiladas before baking, you would just bake them according to the directions: 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes covered and then an additional 5 minutes uncovered.
If you bake them frozen, you’ll need to add about 20 minutes of baking time once you’ve removed the foil.
I hope your family loves these delicious chicken enchiladas with sour cream white sauce! If you make it, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!
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Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream White Sauce
Ingredients
- 10 flour tortillas, taco size
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 10.5 ounces canned cream of chicken soup
- 4 ounces canned diced green chiles
- 5 cups cooked and shredded chicken
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- While oven is preheating, place tortillas in a 9×13 baking dish and soften in the warm oven for 5 minutes.
- Mix soup, sour cream, and chiles in a medium mixing bowl until well blended.
- Fill one tortilla with about 1/2 cup chicken and 2 tablespoons each of the sauce and the Monterey jack cheese.
- Roll up the tortilla and place in a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Continue until all of the tortillas are in the baking dish. (You may need an extra, smaller dish to fit all of the enchiladas).
- Top enchiladas with remaining sauce and sprinkle with remaining jack cheese and all of the cheddar cheese.
- Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Video
Notes
- Sliced olives
- Guacamole
- Diced tomatoes
- Chopped green onion
- Cilantro
- Make sure you wrap the freezer-safe pan as tightly as possible. First with plastic wrap and then with foil.
- Make sure to drain any liquid off the enchiladas before freezing and wait to top the enchiladas with cheese before baking.
- You can choose whether to bake it before or after freezing. Personally, I would freeze it before baking.
Debbie Riley
Saturday 28th of January 2023
Can't wait to try these
Heather
Tuesday 30th of August 2022
I need clarification on the sour cream amount. You call for 16 ounces, a standard container size for sour cream, but then you define it as a pint. Sour cream is sold by weight, not volume, so a 16 ounce container is about 1/8 cup less than a pint. Does this recipe call for a full pint, or will a single container do?
Jessica Ashcroft
Tuesday 30th of August 2022
Hi Heather! The original recipe from my grandmother listed 1 pint of sour cream, but since containers have changed over the years, I only ever use a 16 ounce container. It's plenty. I've updated the recipe to avoid any confusion. Hope that helps!
Blondie
Sunday 28th of August 2022
I've been making this recipe since late 70s or early 80s only with corn tortillas that you cook- place in small amount of hot oil flip drain on paper towels I do this with all similar recipes. Sometimes I add a few drops green Tabasco flavor without heat and ripe olives. Always my favorite cheesey enchilada recipe.
Jessica Ashcroft
Sunday 28th of August 2022
I’m so glad to hear that Blondie! And I’ll definitely have to try it with your suggestions too 😉
Lll
Thursday 10th of March 2022
I love this recipe I use to make it several years ago and lost the recipe. My only issue tonight has been my cheese has not melted. Idk why. I didn’t load too much on or too much sauce it just didn’t melt, maybe the brand. That is a quick fix so no problem there. Thanks so much for sharing looking forward to trying more of your recipes!!!❤️
Jessica Ashcroft
Monday 14th of March 2022
I'm so glad I could help you find the recipe again, Lacy! It's a good one ;)
Candy
Monday 26th of July 2021
Can't wait to try these. Do you know if they can be frozen?
Jessica Ashcroft
Monday 26th of July 2021
Hi Candy! I've never frozen them before, but I did a little research and several other home cooks have frozen sour cream enchiladas with success. Sour cream does change consistency in the freezer, so just be aware!