Chicken Enchiladas With White Sauce

For Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce, mix shredded chicken with cream cheese, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, and sugar. Roll in tortillas, place in a dish and cover with a sauce made from butter, flour, chicken broth, sour cream, and green chiles. Top with cheese, and bake until golden.

Have you ever gotten a craving for Mexican food but didn’t feel like getting out? Make these easy chicken enchiladas with white sauce at home instead.

I live in a rural area and the nearest Mexican restaurant is 30 minutes away. The hassle of getting ready to go out. 

And then the 30-minute drive. It is easier to just stay at home.

A few years ago a former co-worker told me about her recipe for beef enchiladas with a white sauce.  She browned ground beef with onion, mixed in some cream cheese, and rolled this mixture up into a flour tortilla covered them with a white sauce of cream of mushroom soup and sour cream, and added shredded cheese on top.

I love chicken chimichangas so I wanted to try this recipe with chicken instead of ground beef. I made them the first time and thought, okay these are not bad, but I wanted a more authentic Mexican taste. 

So I tweaked the recipe adding some spices and green chilis to the chicken and changing up the white sauce and I came up with a winner.

You can also learn about the benefits of marinating chicken, too.

The Chicken for the Enchiladas with White Sauce

Most of the time I use rotisserie chicken but one day my local grocery store was out of rotisserie chicken so I bought a whole chicken and roasted it at home. You can use either one.

If using a whole chicken, sprinkle with chicken seasoning (you can also use rotisserie chicken seasoning) and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and then shred.

(My whole chicken was about 3 1/2 pounds). But I have to tell you I prefer easy and the rotisserie chicken is the way to go.

There is no shame in doing easy! 

Ingredients for Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce

Filling

• Rotisserie chicken or a roasted whole chicken, 3 1/2 pounds, shredded (3 cups of chicken)
• 8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 to 1 1/2  teaspoon cumin
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 to 1 1/2  teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• 8 flour tortillas (medium size, for burritos)
• 8 oz shredded Colby or jack cheese (for topping)

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
• 8 oz sour cream
• 2-3 teaspoons mild green chiles

Instructions for Making Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce

Add the cream cheese, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, and sugar (optional) to the chicken and mix well. Place 1/4 cup of the filling onto the flour tortillas and roll up. 

Place the rolled tortillas into a 10×14 baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside and make the white sauce.

Making the White Sauce

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour, stirring constantly, and cook for 1 minute. 

Add the chicken broth and continue to stir until the mixture thickens. Let cool slightly and then add the sour cream and green chiles.

Pour the sauce over the tortillas, cover them completely, and make sure there is liquid in between the tortillas as well. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.

You can serve with Mexican rice for an authentic meal.

 Alternative White Sauce

If you don’t want to go through all the steps for making the sauce above, here is an alternative you can make that is simple and easy. Use 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup and 8 ounces of sour cream. 

Mix until smooth and pour over the tortillas. That’s it. 

Two ingredients.  Easy peasy. 

My Final Thoughts

• Chicken enchiladas with white sauce are a creamy and savory dish, typically made by rolling shredded chicken in tortillas, which are then covered with a rich white sauce and baked.
• The white sauce, often made from a roux of butter and flour combined with chicken broth and sour cream, provides a smooth and tangy contrast to the meat.
• This dish is customizable, allowing for variations in the filling, such as adding cheese, onions, or green chiles, similar to how one might customize a pizza with different toppings.
• It’s a popular meal in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, known for its comforting and hearty qualities, akin to the role of lasagna in Italian cuisine.
• Chicken enchiladas with white sauce are commonly served in gatherings or family dinners, offering a fulfilling and convenient option that’s comparable to serving a casserole at a potluck.

When you get hungry for Mexican food and don’t feel like getting dressed up to go out, make these easy chicken enchiladas with white sauce. If you don’t want to bake your chicken then by all means use a rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store deli.

I do! My husband does not care for Mexican food but he will eat it. 

Especially when I get my cravings and make this dish. Poor guy doesn’t have a choice

You can also roast chicken breasts if you prefer just white meat. Please leave a comment below.

Have a wonderful day!

FAQ About Chicken Enchiladas

1. What are the main ingredients for Chicken Enchiladas with White Sauce?

• The main ingredients include shredded chicken, cream cheese, spices like cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, flour tortillas, and a homemade white sauce made from butter, flour, chicken broth, sour cream, and green chiles.

2. How do you prepare the white sauce for the enchiladas?

• To prepare the white sauce, melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour to make a roux, then gradually add chicken broth until the mixture thickens. Cool slightly before mixing in sour cream and green chiles.