Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas are an easy, ultra creamy Mexican dinner made with tender shredded chicken, cream cheese, green chiles, and melty cheese rolled in tortillas and baked in enchilada sauce. They are a great way to use up leftover chicken and sneak in vegetables. Loaded with flavor and your favorite toppings, they’re ready in about 35 minutes and serve 6.
Taco Tuesday is great until it becomes Taco Tuesday Every Tuesday For Nine Consecutive Months. At some point you look at the tortillas and think, surely there is another way.
There is. Roll them up instead.
These enchiladas are what happens when you take that same rotation of ingredients and give them a completely different personality.
The secret is cream cheese in the filling, which turns is into something extra, in a way regular enchiladas never quite manage. It also means you can hide black beans, corn, and bell peppers in there and nobody investigates. I am not saying I have done this. I am saying it works.
They are also the answer to that container of leftover chicken you have been avoiding eye contact with since Sunday.
More Mexican Comfort Recipes
- Lazy Enchiladas – no rolling easy cheesy enchilada bake
- Mexican Trash Casserole – cheesy layered Tex Mex comfort bake
- Crockpot Taco Casserole – slow cooker cheesy Tex Mex layers
- Cheesy Taco Pasta – Tex Mex skillet pasta with taco seasoning
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken – Cooked, shredded chicken breast is my go to, but thighs or a rotisserie chicken make it even faster. This is a great way to use up leftovers.
Cream Cheese – Soften it fully so it blends smoothly, because cold cream cheese refuses to cooperate and you will end up with lumps and regret. Regular or low fat both work.
Cheese – I use a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack. Pepper Jack if you want the filling to have a little kick.
Green Chiles – Diced green chiles add mild flavor without much heat. Swap in diced jalapeño if mild is not the goal.
Tortillas – Flour tortillas hold up best to rolling and baking. Corn works too, just microwave them first and roll gently so they do not crack.
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How To Make Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13 baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack together.
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, softened cream cheese, 1 cup of the cheese mix, sour cream, green chiles, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well blended.
- Microwave the tortillas for about 30 seconds so they roll easily.
- Spoon about 1/3 cup of filling down the center of each, roll tightly, and place seam side down in the dish.
- Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and melted and heated through.
- Let cool 5 minutes, then garnish with cilantro, pico de gallo, green onion, and avocado. Serve with extra sour cream or salsa.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat: Warm in the microwave or oven until heated through. These are one of those recipes that improves overnight, so leftover enchiladas for lunch is a win!
Freezer: Assemble and bake as usual, cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic and foil. Freeze up to 2 months and thaw overnight before reheating.
Make Ahead: Assemble ahead and refrigerate, then add the sauce and bake when ready. Past you doing the work for future you is peak adulthood!
Variations
Spicy: Swap the green chiles for diced jalapeño, use pepper jack, or add a dash of chili powder. Escalate responsibly!
Add Veggies: Stir black beans, corn, or diced bell peppers into the filling. Stretches the filling and sneaks in vegetables with zero pushback.
Green or Red: Green enchilada sauce for tangy, red for classic. There is no wrong answer, only opinions.
Different Protein: Leftover turkey works, or use some leftover crockpot taco meat.
Different Seasoning: Use my Chicken Taco Seasoning or Enchilada Seasoning instead of the individual spices for a bolder Tex Mex situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Assemble them and refrigerate, then sauce and bake when ready. You can also freeze them fully baked for up to 2 months.
Flour, in my opinion. They hold up better to rolling and baking without tearing. Corn works if you warm them first and handle them like they are fragile, because they are.
Use diced jalapeños instead of green chiles, swap in pepper jack, or add chili powder or cayenne to the filling. All three at once is a choice you are free to make.
Absolutely, and you should. A store bought rotisserie chicken cuts the prep down to almost nothing and nobody will ever know.
Microwave them for about 30 seconds before rolling. Cold tortillas snap. Warm tortillas cooperate. This is the entire trick.
Fiesta salad, refried beans, Mexican rice, or chips and salsa. Honestly a pile of chips counts as a side and I will not be taking questions.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Soften the cream cheese fully. Cold cream cheese does not blend, it just sits there in lumps judging you.
- Warm the tortillas before rolling so they do not crack.
- Shred leftover chicken in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. It takes about 20 seconds and feels like cheating.
- Place the enchiladas seam side down so they stay rolled instead of unraveling in the sauce.
- Add black beans or corn to stretch the filling and quietly add vegetables.
This Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas recipe is creamy, cheesy, and the fastest way to break out of a taco rut. Roll up a batch for your next Mexican night and watch them disappear!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken cooked, shredded
- 10 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 4 ounces green chiles diced or chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 flour tortillas use the 8-inch ones
- 10 ounces enchilada sauce red or green
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish if needed
Toppings
- diced tomato
- sliced green onion
- sliced avocado
- extra sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, mix together the shredded cheeses.
- In a large bowl, mix the shredded chicken, softened cream cheese, 1 cup of the cheese mix, sour cream, diced green chiles, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Microwave the tortillas for about 30 seconds to make them easier to roll.
- Spoon a large spoonful of the chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roughly 1/3 cup.
- Roll up the tortillas tightly and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the rolled tortillas, and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Make sure the enchiladas are hot all the way through.
- Remove from the oven and let the enchiladas cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, sliced green onions, and sliced avocados. Serve with additional sour cream on the side, if desired.
Notes
- Soften the cream cheese fully. Cold cream cheese does not blend, it just sits there in lumps judging you.
- Warm the tortillas before rolling so they do not crack.
- Shred leftover chicken in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. It takes about 20 seconds and feels like cheating.
- Place the enchiladas seam side down so they stay rolled instead of unraveling in the sauce.
- Add black beans or corn to stretch the filling and quietly add vegetables.
Nutrition
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