Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe (15 Minute Prep Time)

This easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe has all the flavors of chicken enchiladas, in an incredibly easy to put together casserole.  This casserole features layers of shredded chicken, black beans, corn and bell pepper in an enchilada sauce, and is layered with corn tortillas and cheese.  This casserole is sure to become a family favorite. 

This casserole is one of our favorites along with reader favorite Beef Enchilada Casserole, Cowboy Cornbread Casserole and my Chicken Noodle Casserole.

this recipe!

This is my kind of dinner! Big on flavor and minimal prep needed. This is an ideal dinner recipe when you have everyone coming in and out the door on busy days – sports practice, dance practice….I hear you.

We love Mexican-inspired food and this one is a crowd-pleaser. When you have a hungry family to feed, being able to layer the tortillas instead of rolling them saves on time.

The casserole is layered like a lasagna with delicious layers of corn tortillas, chicken enchilada mixture and ooey gooey cheese.

If you love a delicious casserole recipe, you’ll want to check out these next:

King Ranch Chicken Casserole

Walking Taco Casserole with Fritos

Million Dollar Chicken Casserole

Pizza Pasta Casserole

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Chicken Tetrazzini

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Flavourful – This chicken enchilada casserole offers a burst of bold flavors that will satisfy your taste buds.

Easy Prep – This recipe is simple with straightfoward instructions and even a novice cook can whip up this delicious chicken casserole recipe.

Family-Friendly – Perfect for a family meal, especially on busy weeknights and the whole family will be coming back for seconds!

Versatile and Customizable – You can easily tailer this recipe to suit your preferences by adding unique ingredients.

Ingredients

We love how this easy recipe uses simple ingredients that we can always find in our nearby grocery store. You can find a full ingredients list by scrolling to the bottom of this post where I have a printable recipe card.

• Olive oil – Use a good quality olive oil, or substitute with your preferred frying oil.

• Onion – Use a white onion, yellow onion or red onion.

• Red bell pepper – The red bell pepper could be substituted with a green bell pepper.

• Garlic – Fresh garlic tastes best in this casserole, but can be substituted with 3 heaped teaspoons of minced jar garlic.

• Shredded chicken – Use chicken that you have cooked and shredded yourself, or shred chicken from a store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken breasts.

• Black beans – The black beans can be omitted if preferred, but add great flavor and bulk to the casserole.

• Can corn kernels – The canned corn can be substituted with frozen corn kernels.

• Enchilada sauce – Use store-bought enchilada sauce, or substitute with homemade enchilada sauce.

• Corn tortillas – The corn tortillas can be substituted with flour tortillas.

• Shredded cheese – Use shredded cheddar cheese, or a Mexican cheese blend. Other good choices are Monterey Jack cheese, or Colby Jack. Any of the best cheeses for melting will work.

• Fresh cilantro – The fresh cilantro is used for garnishing the casserole, and can be omitted if preferred.

How to make a Yummy Enchilda Casserole – Step by Step Instructions

You will need a 9×13-inch casserole dish for this recipe.

STEP 1 – Preheat the oven to 350°F.

STEP 2 – In a large saucepan, or large skillet, over medium heat add the onions and bell pepper. Cook until softened, then add in the garlic and cook for one more minute.

STEP 3 – Add the shredded chicken, black beans, corn kernels and enchilada sauce to the onion mixture.  Simmer until heated through.  Remove from the heat.

Can I add more veggies to this casserole?

You sure can! Sauté zucchini or spinach or mushrooms to add some additional veggies.

STEP 4 – Spread 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture over the base of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

STEP 5 – Top with 1/3 of the tortilla halves.  Spread over 1/3 of the remaining chicken mixture, followed by 1/3 of the cheese.  Repeat these layers twice more, and finish with a sprinkle of shredded cheese.

STEP 6 – Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil, then bake for a further 10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden.  Slice and serve.

Favorite Toppings & Sides Suggestions for this Delicious Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Serve with green chiles, sour cream, tortilla chips on the side are a great addition, as well as refried beans, chopped red onions, pinto beans on the side, chopped green onions, additional red sauce, chopped avocado, pico de gallo, or sliced black olives. So many options!

Storage & Freezing Instructions

Storage: Store this casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.  Reheat until piping hot using the oven or microwave.

Freezing: This casserole is suitable for freezing.  Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the fridge overnight, before reheating according to the above directions.