There’s no need to hit up the restaurants. You can serve your family authentic Tex Mex any night of the week with this wonderfully easy sour cream chicken enchiladas recipe.
This homemade chicken enchilada recipe with its dreamy sour cream sauce has what it takes to make any night a fiesta! It’s rich and creamy white sauce is a nice change from the traditional red sauce that enchiladas are mostly commonly topped with and is oh-so-simple to make from scratch.
Related Recipes: Layered Beef Enchilada Casserole, Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
But don’t let the idea of making your own sauce and rolling your own enchiladas scare you away from this recipe. Both are really a breeze with just a few tips! And once you’ve tasted homemade enchiladas, you’ll ask yourself why you ever bothered to eat them anywhere else!
Ingredients for Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
- boneless skinless chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken from your grocer
- flour tortillas
- sour cream
- chicken broth
- yellow onion
- green chiles
- grated Monterrey Jack & cheddar cheeses
- butter
- flour
- minced garlic, salt & pepper
How Do You Make the Best Homemade Enchiladas (tips & tricks)
- When rolling your enchiladas, it’s easier if you place your filling just a little to the side and not down the center of the tortilla. Fold the edge over the filling and then roll tightly and place seam down in baking dish.
- Just go slow and easy when rolling your enchiladas. Don’t worry about being perfect. Your enchiladas are going to be smothered in delicious sauce and melted cheese. No one will really see those perfect rolls anyway, so give yourself a break!
- Use an actual whisk to make your sauce. A whisk makes is so much easier to make a smooth and creamy sauce. Also, don’t be afraid if it takes a minute to make the ingredients smooth before moving on to the next step. Just keep whisking.
- Use a rotisserie chicken to cut down on prep time. You can also roll your enchiladas the day before and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them!
Add-ins & Variations
Enchiladas are pretty versatile. They can be easily changed to include your favorites!
- Instead of chicken, try using shredded beef (carne asada) or pork (carnitas) in this recipe.
- Adding chopped cilantro or diced red bell pepper to your meat mixture adds another layer of delicious flavor.
- This recipe uses flour tortillas, but corn tortillas are the traditional choice for enchiladas. I use flour because they are easier to roll. Try your hand at using white corn tortillas for your enchiladas!
This sour cream chicken enchilada recipe makes 12 enchiladas and is perfect for feeding a family. But feel free to cut the recipe in half to make less. Or make them all and freeze half of them for later! However you decide to make them, you’re going to love having delicious, authentic Tex Mex food whenever you get the craving!
What to serve with Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
- Easy Green Chile Rice
- Easy Charro Beans
- Fresh Salsa with Cilantro & Lime
- Tex Mex Guacamole
- Pineapple Cilantro Lime Spritzers
- Mexican Street Corn Foil Packets
Other Mexican / Tex Mex Recipes You’ll Love
- Layered Beef Enchilada Casserole
- Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Ultimate Mexican Pot Roast
- Ultimate Short Cut Mexican Cornbread
- Overnight Green Chile Breakfast Strata
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO LET ME KNOW!
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Simply Authentic Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
Enchiladas
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled & shredded OR 3 C shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 C grated Monterrey Jack cheese
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 oz canned diced green chiles, not drained
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic, generous
- 12 flour tortillas (size 6-7")
Sour Cream Sauce
- 3 tablespoon butter
- ¼ C flour
- 2 C chicken broth
- 16 oz sour cream
Topping
- 1 C grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
Enchiladas
- Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Spray (1) 9×13 and (1) 8×8 pan with non stick cooking spray.
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoon butter. Add onion and garlic. Saute until translucent. Mix in green chiles. Remove from heat. Add in shredded chicken and cheese. Mix well.
- Spoon about ¼ C of chicken onto each tortilla. Tightly roll tortilla and place seam side down in baking dish. (Tortillas roll best when chicken is placed more to the side than down the center of the tortilla.) Set enchiladas aside. If there is any leftover filling, save it to add to the sauce.
Sour Cream Sauce
- In a skillet over low heat, melt 3 tablespoon butter. Add flour and use a whisk to blend all of the flour and butter together until thick and smooth. Pour in broth and whisk again until smooth. Whisk in sour cream until smooth and creamy. Add any leftover filling to sauce. Remove from heat and pour over enchiladas.
- Top enchiladas with cheddar cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce bubbling around the edges.
Notes
These were so good! Even my sometimes picky daughter went back for seconds. I boiled and shredded the chicken breast the evening before while I was making dinner so I could throw it all together easily when I get home from work the following day. The recipe was delicious and flavorful. Looking forward to having it for leftovers the next couple days. This will definitely go into our regular rotation.
Liz, this is awesome! I am so glad your family, especially your daughter, loved these enchiladas! Love your tip on making and shredding the chicken ahead of time. That is perfect!
I add picante to the chicken mix omg so good I boil a whole chicken also and add the butterf and sour cream to the chicken broth from the chicken but I also boil the chicken with the canned chicken broth..such a difference
Could you use corn tortillas in this recipe? If so, would there be anything different in preparation?
Hi, Carol! You can use corn tortillas if you prefer. To use corn, you will need to heat them in a hot, hot skillet with oil for about 10 seconds (flash fry). Then promptly roll them up. You can also steam them in the mircrowave with a damp paper towel. I have had less success with that method (the tortillas crack when rolled), and it doesn’t do much to enhance the taste. Using corn tortillas creates more of a Mexican-style enchilada, while using the flour is more Tex Mex or New Mexican-style. Enjoy!
Am I the only person who folds Spanish rice into the filling? I read a bunch of recipes and I don’t see it. Oh well…try it!
Hi, Kevin! We usually serve rice on the side. I have had it inside an enchilada before, but then it starts moving towards a burrito…? Regardless, I do agree. It’s can be good!
Single guy here and fellow Southerner. Instead of cutting a recipe in half or eating the ENTIRE thing, I like to freeze part of it for later. Have you had good success when freezing with the sauce, or do you freeze the sauce separately? I know there’s a chance the sauce could separate, but I also know it won’t mess with the flavor. I’m looking forward to trying this out. Thanks!
Hi, Saxon! I have never frozen these for the exact same reason you raise- separation. However, if you don’t mind that, I would say give it a try. The benefits of freezing the sauce separately would be that you could run it through a blender or use an emulsifier to bring the sauce back together if it did separate. If you try it, I would love to hear about it!
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but will be soon. I like the simplicity of th sauce. I’m thinking of using red bell pepper with a smaller amount of green chiles. I will comment after I make this dish. 😊
Hi, Melissa! I hope to hear all about it! These are our favorite enchiladas.