Creamy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

A Recipe Worth Holding Onto

There are some recipes that find their way into your regular rotation and just stay there for years. And then life gets busy, and somehow you stop making them — not because they weren’t good, but because you moved on to something new. This sour cream chicken enchilada recipe is one of those for me. It came from my dear friend Paula Walker years ago, and I made it so many times back then that I could practically do it in my sleep. Lately though, it had been sitting quietly on the back burner of my memory, waiting for the right moment to come back.

When I finally made it again recently, it was one of those wonderful cooking moments that feels like coming home. The smell of the sour cream sauce bubbling in the oven, the way the cheese gets just perfectly golden on top — I remembered immediately why I loved this recipe so much. My family sat down at the table that night and there was barely a word spoken. That’s always the best sign.

I’ve made just a couple of small tweaks over the years to make the recipe a little more practical for a busy household. The biggest one? Starting with a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking chicken from scratch. It saves time, it’s incredibly flavorful, and honestly, I think it makes the finished dish just as good — maybe even better. I also like to use my stand mixer to shred the chicken, which is a little trick I’ll show you in the recipe below. Once you try it that way, you’ll never go back to shredding by hand.
This one is a keeper, friends. I think your family is going to love it.

Creamy Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas Recipe

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 25–33 minutes Temperature: 350°F Serves: 8–10 (makes 2 full 9×13 pans — great for sharing or freezing!)

Ingredients

For the Filling:

• 1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 chicken breasts worth, shredded — approximately 3 cups)
• 1 bag (12 oz) frozen chopped spinach
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 1–2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the Sour Cream Sauce:

• 3 cups sour cream
• 3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (plus a little extra reserved for topping)
• 1 can (equivalent) cream of chicken soup — homemade or 1 standard can of condensed
• 1 can (7 oz) diced green chilies, mild, medium, or hot — your choice!
• ¾ cup milk (if using a condensed can of soup; adjust to your preference)
• 1 teaspoon salt

For Assembly:

• Large flour tortillas (8–10, depending on how full you fill them)
• Cooking spray for your baking dish

Instructions

1. Shred the rotisserie chicken. Pull the chicken breasts off the rotisserie chicken while it’s still warm — that makes shredding so much easier. Place the chicken in the bowl of your stand mixer and turn it on low speed for about 20–30 seconds, then bump it up just slightly until it shreds to the texture you like. If you want bigger chunks, stop sooner. If you want it finely shredded (which I recommend for enchiladas so it rolls up nicely), let it go a little longer. No stand mixer? Just shred by hand with two forks — totally fine!

Quick tip: Do this while the chicken is still warm for the best results. If your chicken has cooled completely, it will be harder to shred and won’t pull apart as nicely.

2. Sauté the spinach and onions. In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt 1–2 tablespoons of butter. Add your diced onion and let it cook for a couple of minutes. Then add the bag of chopped spinach right into the skillet and stir it together with the onions. Cook for about 3–5 minutes until the spinach is fully wilted down and the onions have softened. It will cook down a lot — that’s perfectly normal.

3. Combine the filling. Add the sautéed spinach and onion mixture directly into the bowl with your shredded chicken. Sprinkle with the ¼ teaspoon of salt and stir everything together. Set aside.

4. Make the sour cream sauce. In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, 3 cups of Monterey Jack cheese, cream of chicken soup, diced green chilies, and milk. Stir it all together until smooth and well combined. Give it a taste — you’re looking for a creamy, savory sauce with just a little bit of heat from those green chilies. If you want more heat, this is the moment to bump it up.

Note: If you’re using a condensed can of cream of chicken soup straight from the store, it won’t have any liquid in it yet. Add the ¾ cup of milk to loosen it up. If you’re using a homemade version or one that already has some liquid in it, add the milk gradually and judge by the consistency. You want it saucy but not soupy.

5. Combine the sauce with the filling. Add about half of the sour cream sauce to your chicken, spinach, and onion mixture. Stir well until everything is evenly coated and the filling smells absolutely amazing — because it will. Set the remaining half of the sauce aside to go on top.

6. Assemble the enchiladas. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray your 9×13 baking dish well with cooking spray. Spoon a good amount of the chicken filling down the center of each flour tortilla, then fold the sides in and place each one seam-side down in your baking dish. Pack them in snugly. Keep going until your pan is full, then start a second dish with the remaining filling. This recipe comfortably fills two 9×13 pans.

7. Add the sauce and cheese topping. Spoon the remaining sour cream sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas in each dish, spreading it all the way to the edges. Then sprinkle a little of your reserved Monterey Jack cheese over the top. You don’t need a lot — there’s already cheese worked into the filling and the sauce. Just enough to get a little golden, toasty layer on top.

8. Bake. Place your dish (or dishes) in the oven at 350°F and bake for 25–33 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese on top is just starting to turn golden brown. Everything inside is already cooked, so you’re really just heating it through and letting that top get beautiful. Keep an eye on it — every oven is a little different.

9. Serve and enjoy! Let it rest for just 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven, then serve it up. These are wonderful all on their own, but they’re also great alongside a simple green salad, some rice, or chips and salsa on the side.

Mary Katherine’s Tips

• Rotisserie chicken is the secret weapon here. It saves time, it’s full of flavor, and it shreds beautifully. Most grocery stores have them ready to go right at the deli counter.
• Make it your own heat level. The green chilies come in mild, medium, and hot. I usually go with medium for a little flavor without too much kick, but if your family loves spicy food, grab the hot!
• This recipe is built for sharing. It makes two full pans — keep one for dinner and drop the other off with a neighbor, a new mom, or someone who could use a good meal. It’s one of my favorite recipes to give away.
• Freeze it for later. Before baking, cover the second pan tightly with foil and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed, adding about 10 extra minutes since it’ll be cold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use canned cream of chicken soup instead of homemade? Absolutely. One standard can of condensed cream of chicken soup from the grocery store works perfectly in this recipe. Just remember to add the ¾ cup of milk to the sauce, since condensed soup is thick and undiluted. If you want to try the homemade version, I have a full recipe video on the channel for that too!

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts? Yes! Dark meat works great in this recipe. It’s a bit more flavorful and stays even more tender after baking. Whether you pull the thighs off a rotisserie chicken or cook your own, either option will turn out delicious.

What if I don’t want to use spinach? You can absolutely leave it out. The recipe will still be wonderful — you’ll just have more of a classic creamy chicken enchilada. The spinach cooks down so much that you don’t really notice it in each bite, but it adds great texture and a little nutrition to the dish.

Can I make these ahead of time? Yes, these are a great make-ahead dish. Assemble them completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. When you’re ready, pull them out while the oven heats up and bake as directed, adding about 10 minutes since they’ll be going in cold.

What size tortillas should I use? I recommend the large burrito-size flour tortillas. They give you plenty of room to get a good amount of filling in each one and roll it up without tearing. The smaller fajita-size tortillas will work in a pinch but you’ll end up with a lot more enchiladas to fit in the dish.

Can I use corn tortillas instead of flour? You can, though corn tortillas are a bit more delicate and can tear more easily during rolling. If you go that route, warm them briefly in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel first — that makes them much more pliable and easier to work with.

How do I store leftovers? Cover the baking dish tightly with foil or transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven at 325°F until warmed through, or microwave individual portions. The sauce stays creamy and delicious even reheated.

My sauce seems too thick. What should I do? Just add a little more milk — a couple of tablespoons at a time — until it reaches a consistency you’re happy with. You want it to be smooth and spreadable, not stiff or clumpy. The sauce will loosen up a bit more as it bakes, so don’t thin it out too much.

Can I add other vegetables to the filling? Definitely. Bell peppers, corn, or black beans are all wonderful additions. Just sauté any raw vegetables along with the spinach and onions so they’re cooked through before you mix them into the filling.

What do you serve with sour cream chicken enchiladas? These are hearty enough to be a complete meal on their own, but they’re wonderful alongside Mexican rice, refried beans, a fresh green salad, or just chips and salsa. For drinks, I love them with a big glass of iced sweet tea!

Thank you so much for being here at Mary Katherine’s Table. I hope this recipe becomes as much of a family favorite for you as it has been for mine. And remember — go out today and find somebody who needs a little bit of kindness, and give them some of yours.