Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe

The only thing that might be better than taco night is enchilada night, and the only thing better than enchiladas might be an enchilada casserole. Layered like lasagna and stacked with chicken, beans, tortillas, cheese, and enchilada sauce, a chicken enchilada casserole is an easy way to enjoy a Mexican cuisine-inspired feast with only a few minutes of prep. Enchiladas have roots dating all the way back to the Mayans, who prepared tortillas with fillings and coated them in tomato-based sauce. Centuries later, tortillas are still rolled with filling and covered in sauce, but have since been given creative upgrades – usually involving plenty of gooey, melty cheese.

This chicken enchilada casserole recipe, written with Michelle McGlinn, takes all of the rolling and filling out of the prep and instead layers the tortillas, chicken, and sauce like a pasta bake. Served as slices coated with melted cheese, the resulting casserole replicates the flavor of Tex-Mex chicken enchiladas in an entirely new way. Easy to make ahead and perfect to serve a crowd, this casserole makes it easy to have a filling Mexican-inspired meal even on the busiest days of the week.

For the filling, you'll need to begin with shredded chicken, which can be homemade in advance or bought from the store as a rotisserie chicken and pulled. You'll need cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and lime to season the chicken, and enchilada sauce to coat each layer. You'll also need tortillas, which can be either corn or flour, and tortilla chips, which add a little crunch to the middle of the casserole. From there, you'll just need black beans and a bag of shredded Mexican-blend cheese, which is usually a mixture of cheddar, Monterey Jack, and queso cheeses.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and lime juice until the chicken is well coated.

Spread ½ cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish.

Layer 10 tortilla pieces across the bottom.

Layer half of the seasoned chicken on top of the tortillas, then half of the beans.

Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese, then add a layer of tortilla chips.

Layer with 1 cup of enchilada sauce, then add the remaining chicken and beans and 1 cup of cheese.

Add one more layer of tortillas, then top with the remaining 1 cup of enchilada sauce and 1 cup of cheese.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until melted. Remove the cover and bake for another 10 minutes to brown.

To serve, cut into slices.

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Just like enchiladas, this enchilada casserole can be made with many different proteins. If you prefer beef enchiladas, swap the chicken for ground beef. Simply brown and crumble the beef before seasoning as written. You can do the same with steak or leftover shredded beef, or you can swap the ground beef with turkey for a lighter meat option (or to use up leftovers). You can also omit the meat and use pinto beans — or double the black beans — for a vegetarian version. For a more creamy texture, use refried beans, which can be store-bought or made from scratch.

There are also other unique options you can try with this recipe, such as chorizo, soyrizo, or tofu crumbles. If using tofu, we recommend crumbling and sauteing the tofu over medium heat first, and seasoning it with the cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt, and lime before adding it to the casserole. This recipe will work with some types of fish, though we'd recommend avoiding salmon. Try instead tilapia, cod, or diced shrimp, which can be cooked and seasoned before being layered into the casserole.

The tortilla chip layer is a crunchy, corn-forward layer that is especially good if you opt to use flour tortillas. You can use any corn tortilla chip, or even swap them for Fritos. The tortilla chips recreate the taste and texture of authentic Mexican enchiladas, which are made with lightly fried corn tortillas that have an earthy corn flavor and denser texture than the wheat variety. The tortilla chips don't stay completely crunchy after baking, but are less soggy than the plain wheat tortillas. For more crunch, add a second (or third) layer of tortilla chips.

You can also do the opposite: Replace the tortilla chip layer with plain tortillas. This is a helpful option if you don't have tortilla chips on hand or want a slightly lighter casserole. If you're missing the crunch, you can recreate the tortilla chip layer by frying the tortillas in a thin layer of oil in a cast iron skillet until just crispy.

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