These creamy chicken enchiladas are easy to make with a flavorful cream cheese and shredded chicken filling then smothered in red enchilada sauce and topped with cheese.

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Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce
You can’t beat these creamy chicken enchiladas with red sauce. In my house, enchiladas are top favorite Mexican recipe and I used to gravitate towards only making white chicken enchiladas, cream cheese chicken enchiladas or green chile enchiladas with a green sauce.
Then I made my own red enchilada sauce and it was so flavorful, that we added this recipe for cheese enchiladas, beef enchiladas and pulled pork enchiladas into our rotation!
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Enchilada sauce: I used my homemade red chile sauce, but a canned works, too.
- Butter: You’ll need butter or oil to saute the onions and diced green chiles.
- Onion and chiles: This recipe calls for 1/2 cup chopped onion and a 4 ounce can diced green chiles.
- Cream cheese: I use cream cheese, but sour cream will work too.
- Salsa: I love my restaurant style salsa, but store bought will work too.
- Shredded cheese: I use Mexican cheese, but you can use cheddar or monterey jack too.
- Chicken breast: I love to use rotisserie chicken or crockpot Mexican chicken.
- Tortillas: Flour tortillas are my preference, as I’ve found they fold easier. I used the size of tortillas around 8″ or 10″.
- Toppings: Extras like cilantro, diced tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, avocado and sliced olives.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
- Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Set aside. Pour about 1/4 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of the pan.
- Cook ingredients in fry pan. Melt butter in a fry pan and saute onions and green chiles. Over medium-heat, stir in cream cheese, 1/2 cup cheese and salsa. Once cheese is melted, mix in shredded chicken.
- Assemble enchiladas. Place about 3 Tablespoons of chicken filling in the center of each tortilla. Then roll them up and place in your dish seams down.
- Bake. Pour red sauce over enchiladas, then cover with remaining cheese and place foil over pan. Bake for 20 minutes covered, then 10 more minutes uncovered. Remove from oven when nice and bubbly.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Add in extras like beans or this Mexican rice recipe.
- If you love some heat, use diced jalapenos instead of green chiles.
- For the best cheese-smothered red sauce enchiladas grate your own cheese! It melts better.
- Corn tortillas can be used for a gluten-free version. Warm them up slightly in the microwave to make them more pliable for filling and folding.
- For a creamy red enchilada sauce, beat together 1 can of sauce with 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. This makes the red chicken enchiladas so creamy!
Storing and Freezing
- To store: This creamy chicken enchilada recipe will keep in the refrigerator for about 3-5 days. Just store any leftovers in an airtight container or bag. To reheat, simply cook in microwave or oven until warm.
- Freezer meal: This dish makes a great freezer meal! Just assemble the enchiladas in your baking dish, cover tightly with foil or a lid (do not bake). Place the dish in the freezer and freeze for up to 2 months. Remove from freezer and pop in the oven when you’re ready to enjoy!
More Mexican recipes we love include this chicken flautas recipe, chicken fajitas, chicken taquitos and one pot burrito bowls.
More Mexican Recipes
Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
- 1 cup enchilada sauce , more if needed
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 4 ounce can diced green chiles
- 4 ounces cream cheese , or sour cream
- ¼ cup salsa , fresh is best
- 1-2 cups Mexican style shredded cheese
- 2 ½ cups shredded chicken breast , I used rotisserie
- 8 flour or corn tortillas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray and set aside. Pour about 1/4 cup of the red sauce onto the bottom of the pan.
- Make creamy chicken filling. In a frying pan, melt 2 Tablespoons butter and saute 1/2 cup onions and the 4 ounce can of green chiles. Over medium-heat, mix in 4 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup Mexican style shredded cheese and 1/4 cup salsa. Once the cream cheese is melted, mix in 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken.
- Roll enchiladas. Place about 3 Tablespoons of the chicken filling in the center of each tortilla. Then roll them up and place in your pan seams down.
- Bake. Pour remaining red sauce over the enchiladas. Cover with remaining shredded cheese and place foil over pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Then bake 10 more minutes uncovered. Take it out when it’s nice and bubbly!
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Patricia Sipple
not yet but starting tonight
Julia
This is my absolute favorite enchilada recipe! I lived in NM and ate a LOT of wonderful Enchiladas, both northern NM, (SPANISH influenced and MEXICAN influenced) and I prefer this creamy marriage of flavors. Wonderful!
I Heart Naptime
This makes me SO happy to hear, Julia! Thanks so much for your nice comment. Glad to hear you love the recipe!
Lisa P
when I need a thicker enchilada sauce, I mix in refried beans until the desired consistency is reached.
I Heart Naptime
Great tip! I bet that’s delicious :)
Tyler
What are the baking instructions if you are baking from frozen?
Jamielyn Nye
Hi Tyler! I would thaw in the fridge over night and then bake as directed. :)
Ferryal Lackey
What size tortillas did you use please? Thank you.
sanjay
I’ve never had a dish like this before. It looks really good!
Jamielyn Nye
It’s one of our favorites! Hope you enjoy! :)
Jocelyn
These enchiladas got two thumbs up from everyone at our dinner table! So good!
Ashley F
This is our favorite chicken enchilada recipe! So creamy and flavourful !
Kristyn
These look pretty tasty!! We love chicken enchiladas at our house, so I will have to add them to the menu! They will be gone in minutes!
Sara Welch
What good looking enchiladas! These will be great for Cinco de Mayo!
Jessica
Enchiladas are our favorite! Thanks so much for sharing!
Marie
Even my picky kids loved this! Wonderful recipe!!
Tiffany
Hi. I would like to try this but I’ve never heard of pato sauce. What is that? Thanks
Jamielyn
Hi Tiffany! It is a brand of mexican style tomato sauce! :)
tish
i love this recipe! i made this 3 times already. My family loves it. I cooked for a family of 6 so I doubled this recipe. I will be cooking this again not only for my family but inviting a friend over to try it. yum yum
Jamielyn
I’m glad your family loves it, mine does too! It is such a simple but delicious meal! :)
Tish
my family and i are still loving this. I am making it tonight but I just want to ask if you could add flour tortilla’s to the ingredient list. Every time i view this & shop for what I need, I forget the tortilla’s. Thanks again for sharing.
Jamielyn
Yes I will definitely do that! I’m sorry it was missing, thank you for letting me know! :) I’m glad your family loves the recipe.
Rigi
These were so good. Made them tonight and it was a wonderful meal. Thanks for the recipe.
Grace
This looks delicious, and I would love to try it. One of the ingredients listed is Mexican cream cheese. I have never seen this in my grocery store. Is there a brand name I should look for?
Jamielyn
Hi Grace! Sorry, that should have read ‘Mexican style shredded cheese.’ It’s updated now. :)
Grace
Thank you for your quick response.
KellyJae
What’s “el pato”?
Jamielyn
Hi Kelly! It’s a hot sauce (not too hot though) found near the enchilada sauce. You could also substitue any red enchilada sauce. :)
Rochelle
Made these for dinner last night and they were delicious! My 3 children (5, 3.5, 2) devoured them and for them that’s a miracle! My husband wants me to make them all the time. I think we will! Who cares if they aren’t the healthiest, they are delicious and my children are eating them! They’ll finally get some meat in them!