Name: Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons avocado oil; 1 small onion, diced; 1 tablespoon garlic. minced; 3 cups red enchilada sauce, divided; 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained; 1 cup frozen corn; 3 cups cooked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken, shredded or diced into 1/2-inch cubes; 12 (6-inch) tortillas, corn or tortilla; 2 1/2 cups mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded; fresh cilantro, finely chopped; avocado, sliced; tomatoes; sour cream; lime wedges

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Chicken Enchiladas jus got better. This Chicken Enchilada Casserole is cheesy, saucy, and packed with layers of enchilada classics like chicken and beans, tortillas, and cheese. This comforting dinner is perfect for when you’re craving Mexican food but burnt out on tacos.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole is cheesy, saucy, and packed with layers of enchilada classics like chicken and beans, tortillas, and cheese. A family favorite! | aheadofthyme.com

This Mexican casserole comes together quickly with just 20 minutes of prep and is mouth-wateringly good. Serve it warm with your favorite toppings like avocados, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo. This enchilada casserole will quickly become a family favorite!

Why You'll Love this Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Cheesy, classic enchilada flavor. This chicken enchilada casserole has all the best parts of an enchilada but turned into an easy-to-make, cheesy casserole that’s bursting with flavor in every bite and topped with classic enchilada toppings.
Ready in under an hour. From start to finish, this Mexican chicken casserole takes less than an hour to prepare and bake. In fact, it only takes 20 minutes of active preparation to assemble the casserole before it goes into the oven.
Easy family dinner. This chicken casserole is cheesy, comforting, and delicious. A favorite amongst kids and adult alike, making it the perfect family dinner! Plus, it is easy to prep ahead of time and then just pop into the oven for 30 minutes for a fresh and bubbly family dinner on busy weeknights.
Freezer-friendly. Chicken enchilada casserole is a favorite among hardcore meal preppers because it’s so easy to freeze (both uncooked and cooked) and reheat! Made ahead of time or saved for later, this casserole might come in handy when you’re low on energy.

Ingredient Notes

To make this delicious and comforting Chicken Enchilada Casserole, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

avocado oil - you can also use olive oil or vegetable oil if you don’t have avocado oil on hand.
onion - yellow or white onions work best, but you can use whatever type you have available.
garlic - try to use fresh garlic if you can. Pre-minced jarred garlic will also work if you need to save a little time and effort.
red enchilada sauce - homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought will work just fine. You can also try canned tomato sauce if you don’t have enchilada sauce, but you may need to spice it up a bit with seasoning.
black beans - you can also use pinto beans, kidney beans, or red beans.
corn - we used frozen corn but you can also use fresh or canned corn. Make sure to rinse and drain the corn if using canned.
cooked chicken breast - using pre-cooked chicken gives you a head start and makes prepping this chicken enchilada casserole a breeze. Rotisserie chicken is another good option — really, any kind of pre-cooked chicken breast will work here. See our three ways to make shredded chicken.
tortillas - if you’re not a fan of corn tortillas, use flour tortillas of a similar size.
cheese - use mozzarella cheese or swap with Monterey jack, queso fresco, or provolone cheese for a medly of cheesy goodness.

Toppings

Use your favorite toppings or leave them out completely. We like topping this casserole with some freshness such as:

cilantro - you can substitute parsley or another soft herb for the cilantro or just omit it entirely.
avocado - you can also use guacamole to top your chicken if you have some lying around.
sour cream - you can swap this with Greek yogurt if you don’t have sour cream stocked.
lime wedges - if you don’t have lime, try lemon wedges or lime juice concentrate to add a little acidic zing to the chicken enchilada casserole.

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a skillet, and a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

How to Make the Best Chicken Enchilada Casserole

First, make the chicken enchilada filling.

Sauté aromatics. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients. Add 2 cups of enchilada sauce, beans, corn, and chicken. Mix well until evenly combined. Set aside.

Assemble the chicken enchilada casserole.

Assemble the casserole into the following layers:

Enchilada sauce. Spread ½ cup enchilada sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole pan.
Tortillas. Top with 6 tortillas. Slightly overlap the tortillas to cover the entire pan.
Chicken mixture. Spread half of the chicken mixture over the tortilla layer.
Cheese. Top with 1 cup of cheese.
Tortillas. Repeat with another layer of 6 tortillas.
Chicken mixture. Top with the remaining half of the chicken mixture.
Enchilada sauce. Top with the remaining ½ cup enchilada sauce.
Cheese. Top with remaining 1 ½ cups cheese.

Finally, bake and serve.

Bake in a 350F preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the melted cheese turns golden brown. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Slice into 12 squares and serve warm with your favorite toppings such as cilantro, avocado, tomatoes, sour cream and lime wedges.

Recipe Variations

Change the protein. While chicken is classic, try variations like shredded beef, ground beef, pork carnitas (pulled pork), cooked shrimp, or a simple veggie and black beans combo.
Switch up the veggies. Mix up your vegetable filling with other options such as mushrooms, bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, or tomatoes.
Make it spicy. Adjust the spiciness in this Mexican casserole adding in diced green chilies or jalapeño peppers into the chicken mixture. You can also adjust the heat by choosing mild, medium, or hot enchilada sauce.
Make it creamy. Mix in a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt into the chicken filling mixture to make it creamier.
A green enchilada variation. Instead of red enchilada sauce, use green enchilada sauce for a tangier flavor.

How to Serve

This Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a delicious dinner serving on it's own with classic Mexican inspired toppings including sour cream, Guacamole, or Pico de Gallo Salsa.

You can also serve this casserole as part of a Mexican feast along with some of our favorite Mexican side dishes including:

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Use an oven thermometer. If you haven't checked your oven temperature recently, it's a good idea to double check ti using an oven thermometer to ensure even cooking.
Use leftover chicken. Save yourself some major time–plan to make this chicken enchilada casserole the day after grilling or roasting a chicken to use the leftover meat. Rotisserie chicken also comes in handy in a pinch, too!
Grate your own cheese. Using pre-shredded cheese can save some time, but grating your own block cheese (if you have the time) means it will melt exactly right! Shredded cheese usually has additives to prevent it from clumping or melting. It will still work just fine, but block cheese is the way to go for the best result.
Keep it gluten-free. To keep the recipe gluten-free, use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas.
Cover with foil. If you find that the cheese layer on top is browning too quickly, I recommend covering the casserole with aluminum foil during baking, and removing it closer to the end to allow it to brown.
Add it to your freezer stash. This chicken enchilada casserole is incredibly freezer-friendly, so whether you’re saving leftovers for a rainy day or preparing ahead for a busy season, it’s an excellent choice for an easy freezer meal.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

Once the chicken enchilada casserole has cooled to room temperature, transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

How to Reheat

Reheat leftovers in the microwave or in the oven at 350℉ for 15 minutes or until heated through.

How to Freeze

You can freeze this chicken enchilada casserole uncooked (in a freezer-safe pan and wrapped in a layer of aluminum foil) and bake it straight from frozen in an oven preheated to 350℉ for about 60-75 minutes, or until temperature reaches 165F as read on a cooking thermometer.

If you want to store cooked leftovers for later, wait until the casserole is room temperature and then transfer it to an airtight container or cover it tightly with plastic cling wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

More Mexican Chicken Recipes

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Why You'll Love this Chicken Enchilada Casserole