These cheesy chicken enchiladas with white sauce are the kind of dinner that gets requested on repeat. Tender shredded chicken wrapped in soft flour tortillas, smothered in a creamy, jalapeño-spiked white sauce, and blanketed in bubbling cheddar.
Unlike the classic red sauce version, this chicken enchilada recipe uses a quick homemade white sauce (a roux-based gravy built with chicken broth and finished with sour cream) that’s rich and silky without being heavy. It clings to every tortilla and gets beautifully bubbly in the oven.
This is the kind of easy weeknight dinner that the whole family demolishes, and the leftovers (if there are any) are just as good the next day.
What You’ll Need
Full quantities are listed in the recipe card below. Here’s what to grab and a few notes on each ingredient:
For the White Enchilada Sauce
- Olive oil. For cooking down the aromatics.
- Onion and jalapeño. These build the flavor base of the sauce. Cook until soft but not browned (you want sweetness, not colour).
- Garlic cloves. Minced and added just before the flour so it doesn’t burn.
- All-purpose flour. Just 2 tablespoons is enough to thicken the sauce into a silky gravy.
- Chicken broth. The liquid base. Use low-sodium if you’re salt-sensitive, since the salt level will vary depending on the brand.
- Sour cream. Whisked in off the heat so it doesn’t break. This is what makes the sauce so luscious and creamy.
- Kosher salt. Season to taste, because how much you need depends entirely on your chicken broth.
For the Enchiladas
- Chicken breasts. Grilled and chopped into bite-sized pieces. See my tip below about using rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Cheddar cheese. Grated from a block (it melts much better than pre-shredded). I use 2 cups total: some goes into the chicken mixture and the rest gets sprinkled over the top.
- Flour tortillas. Six large ones. They roll easily and hold up well in the sauce.
- Green onions or fresh cilantro. For serving. The fresh hit of green is a perfect contrast to all that richness.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. This is my biggest time-saving tip for this chicken enchilada recipe. Pick up a store-bought rotisserie chicken, shred the meat, and skip the grilling step entirely. You’ll need about 3 cups of shredded chicken.
- Swap the cheese. Monterey Jack cheese is a classic choice for white chicken enchiladas. Shredded Monterey Jack melts beautifully and has a mild, creamy flavor that works perfectly with the white sauce. A mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack is also great.
- Add green chiles. Stir a can of diced green chiles into the chicken mixture for extra smoky, mild heat. It’s a popular addition that adds a lot of flavor with almost no effort.
- Use corn tortillas. For a more traditional enchilada, swap flour tortillas for corn tortillas. Warm them with a damp paper towel in the microwave first so they’re pliable enough to roll without cracking.
- Add vegetables. Chopped cooked vegetables (like zucchini, pictured) make a great addition. Just fold it into the chicken mixture before filling the tortillas.
Try my chicken enchilada casserole and crockpot enchiladas with pumpkin sauce, too!
How To Make Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce
Make the White Sauce
Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned (about 5 minutes). Add the minced garlic cloves and cook for a minute more.
Stir in the flour and cook for a minute (this gets rid of the raw flour taste). Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce simmers and thickens. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the sour cream. Season to taste with kosher salt. Don’t let it boil after the sour cream is added.
Cook the Chicken
Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium heat. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 8–12 minutes, flipping once, until cooked through (160ºF internal temperature, since it’ll rise another 5º as it rests). Let it rest for a few minutes, then chop into bite-sized pieces.
Shortcut: Use 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken instead and skip this step entirely.
Assemble the Enchiladas
Spread 1 cup of the sauce across the bottom of a prepared 9×13-inch baking dish (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray). Lay the tortillas out on a flat work surface.
Divide the chicken mixture equally among the tortillas, arranging it in a line along the centre of each one. Set aside 1 cup of the cheese for topping, then divide the rest among the tortillas. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the sauce over the filling in each tortilla, then fold in the edges and roll them up.
Nestle each enchilada seam-side down into the prepared baking dish as you go. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle with the reserved cup of cheese.
Bake
Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is golden. If you’d prefer a lighter top, cover with foil for the first 20 minutes then uncover for the last 10.
Serve topped with fresh cilantro, green onions, avocado slices, or any of your favorite toppings. Homemade taco salsa and easy guacamole are both fantastic alongside.
What To Serve With Chicken Enchiladas
These enchiladas are a full meal on their own, but different toppings and a simple side makes it feel extra complete. Here are a few favorites that pair really well:
- Fluffy basmati rice is a classic pairing that soaks up any extra sauce beautifully. My mother-in-law’s no-measuring method is completely foolproof.
- Instant Pot Mexican rice keeps everything in the Tex-Mex spirit and comes together fast while the enchiladas bake.
- Mexican street corn salad adds a creamy, smoky, fresh contrast that’s hard to beat alongside cheesy enchiladas.
- Toppings, like sliced avocado, pickled red onion, pickled or fresh jalapenos, etc.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
Make Ahead
This chicken enchilada recipe is a great make-ahead meal. Assemble the enchiladas completely (sauce, cheese, and all), cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Pull it out while the oven preheats, then bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes since everything is starting cold.
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. The sauce soaks into the tortillas overnight and honestly makes them even more flavourful.
Reheating
Reheat individual portions in the microwave in 60-second bursts until heated through. To reheat the whole dish, cover with foil and warm in a 350ºF oven for 20–25 minutes.
Tips for the Best White Chicken Enchiladas
- Don’t skip the roux step. Cooking the flour with the oil for a full minute before adding the broth prevents a starchy, raw flavor in the finished sauce.
- Add sour cream off the heat. If the sauce is boiling when you add it, it can curdle. Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for 30 seconds before whisking in the sour cream.
- Don’t overfill the tortillas. It’s tempting, but overstuffed enchiladas are hard to roll and fall apart in the dish. A modest amount of filling per tortilla works best.
- Grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting as smoothly. Grating from a block takes two extra minutes and makes a noticeable difference.
- For corn tortillas: Warm them first with a damp paper towel in the microwave for 30–60 seconds to make them pliable before rolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. It’s actually my go-to shortcut for this chicken enchilada recipe. You’ll need about 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken to replace the 3 grilled chicken breasts. Just pull the meat, skip the grilling step, and fold it directly into the filling with the cheese and sauce.
Yes! Corn tortillas give you a more traditional enchilada and a slightly different flavor and texture. Warm them with a damp paper towel in the microwave first so they’re flexible enough to roll without cracking.
Cheddar is what this recipe calls for, but Monterey Jack cheese is a classic white chicken enchiladas choice. Shredded Monterey Jack melts beautifully and has a mild, creamy flavor that pairs perfectly with the white sauce. A 50/50 blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack is also a great option.
Yes. Assemble the enchiladas fully (including sauce and cheese), cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake straight from the refrigerator, adding a few extra minutes to account for the cold start.
The key is adding the sour cream off the heat. Once the broth-based sauce has thickened, remove the pan from the burner and let it cool for about 30 seconds before whisking in the sour cream. This prevents it from curdling.
Mild to medium. The jalapeño cooks down in the sauce and provides warmth rather than intense heat. For a milder version, remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño, or substitute a diced green chile instead. For more heat, leave the seeds in or add a pinch of cayenne.
Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce
Ingredients
For Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups sour cream
- 2 tsp kosher salt or to taste (depending on how salty your chicken broth is)
For Enchiladas
- 3 chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups grated cheddar
- 6 flour tortillas
- finely chopped green onion or cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
Prepare Sauce
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeño and cook until softened, but not browned. Add garlic and cook a minute longer. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes more, then gradually whisk in chicken broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce simmers and thickens. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the sour cream (do not boil after sour cream is added). Season to with salt (I use 2 tsp but start with less, in case your broth is saltier).
Cook Chicken
- Heat a large pan on medium heat. Season chicken with 1 tsp kosher salt and the pepper. Add 2 tbsp oil to pan, and once it's shimmering hot, cook chicken until no longer pink inside (or registers 160º F – it’ll rise another 5º as it rests + cooks in the enchiladas), 8-12 minutes, flipping once. Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Assemble
- Spread 1 cup of the white enchilada sauce in bottom of a 9×13” baking pan.
- Lay the tortillas on a flat work surface and divide the chicken equally among them, positioning the filling in a line along the centre. Set aside 1 cup of cheese for topping, then divide the remaining cheese among tortillas. Drizzle 12 tbsp of the sauce on top of the filling (2 tbsp per tortilla), then fold in the edges and roll them up. Nestle them into the baking pan, seam side down, as you roll them. Pour the rest of the sauce over top of the enchiladas, sprinkle with reserved cheese, cover with foil, and then bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbling and golden.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made it last night, no leftovers. Always a good sign.
Super delish. My kids loved it! Came together quickly and easily. A refreshing change from the classic green and red sauce enchilada recipes out there. Will definitely make this recipe again.