While classic red enchiladas are a triumph just as they are, these White Chicken Enchiladas make for a much different eating experience (though they’re just as triumphant). Wonderfully creamy, cheesy, and just the slightest bit spicy, they’re a more indulgent enchilada dinner even though they aren’t any extra work.
Instead of being all about a zesty red sauce, these white enchiladas are all about creaminess. The filling is made up of shredded chicken seasoned with a bit of cumin and Monterey Jack cheese.
Not a lot to cook or prepare there, you just line it up in each tortilla…
… roll ’em up, and line them up in a pan.
And then get to work on the white sauce, which is a savory mixture of chicken broth (thickened by a roux) and sour cream and green chilies.
That gets poured all over the enchiladas before it’s topped with even more cheese and it all heads into the oven to become bubbly and delicious.
The sauce isn’t quite as heavy as a bechamel; thanks to the chicken broth it’s a little lighter and more savory, but the sour cream makes it feel silky and indulgent. The green chilies add some zip so it’s not just all creaminess and cheesiness all the time.
The flour tortillas lend a little bit of chewiness, though the edges crisp up beautifully and everything – the chicken, the tortilla, the cheese – is surrounded by that savory sour cream sauce. You might even say that these are ‘the whole enchilada’.
White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 8-10 large flour tortillas
- 3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies
- Fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped, for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper and cumin. Add 1 cup of the cheese and mix together.
- Line each tortilla with some of the mixture, roll up and place seam side down in prepared baking dish.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour and cook 2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in broth until smooth. Increase heat to medium and continue cooking until bubbly and thick, 10-15 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat, and stir in sour cream and green chilies.
- Pour sauce over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
- Bake until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly, about 25 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Joyful Momma's Kitchen.