Gluten-free Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a cheesy and satisfying dinner that delivers all the flavor of classic chicken enchiladas with none of the hard work. Easy, make-ahead, and perfect for busy weeknights!
“This is my husband’s favorite meal! I’ve made it countless times, and it’s delicious every time.”
Raise your hand if you don’t feel like cooking dinner tonight?
That makes two of us!
If you can spare a little energy and a few minutes of active cooking time, my lazy girl’s Chicken Enchilada Casserole is going to make your night.
Forget the tedious rolling required for classic chicken enchiladas. Instead, mix all the ingredients together, then bake in the oven. The result is a cheesy, satisfying casserole that your entire family will devour!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Quick. We’re talking 20 minutes of prep time before sending the casserole into the oven to bake hands-off.
- Easy. Get all the craveable flavor of homemade chicken enchiladas with none of the hard work required.
- Reheats well. Microwave leftovers for hot and satisfying lunches.
- Make-ahead. Assemble the casserole a few hours ahead of time, then bake when you’re ready to eat.
Main Ingredients Needed
- Chicken breasts: chopped into bite-sized pieces.
- Corn tortillas: chopped into squares.
- Red Enchilada Sauce: you simply must use my homemade enchilada sauce recipe for this dish. Nothing from the store compares!
- Jarred salsa: I like Clint’s or Tostitos Restaurant-Style Salsa.
- Canned black beans: or pinto beans.
- Frozen corn: no need to thaw first.
- Sour cream
- Chopped green chiles: mild or hot, it’s up to you.
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend: for ooey-gooey cheesy goodness.
- Toppings: minced onions, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, avocado, sliced olives, pickled jalapenos, shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole make excellent chicken enchilada casserole toppers.
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This easy casserole recipe is blissfully simple. Stir > pour > bake. That said, here are a few things to keep in mind before cooking:
- Prepare enchilada sauce. Prepare the homemade red enchilada sauce up to 5 days ahead of time so the casserole comes together quickly.
- Corn tortilla count. Depending on the brand, corn tortillas are typically sold in packs of 10 or 12 (or more). As written, this recipe can be made with 10 or up to 12 tortillas, so you don’t have a couple random leftover corn tortillas to deal with.
- Thick-cut cheese. I like using a thick-cut Mexican cheese blend for this recipe so each bite of casserole tastes extra-cheesy. It really makes a difference!
Serve with Restaurant-Style Salsa
How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Saute the chicken.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat then spritz with extra virgin olive oil or nonstick spray. Add chicken breasts that have been cut into bite-sized pieces then season with salt and pepper and saute until the chicken is cooked through.
Turn the heat off then set the chicken aside to cool slightly.
Step 2: Stir the remaining ingredients together.
While the chicken is cooling, add canned black or pinto beans that have been drained and rinsed, frozen corn, sour cream, red enchilada sauce, jarred salsa, and chopped green chiles to a very large mixing bowl then stir to combine.
Like I said, there is nothing better than my homemade enchilada sauce. Every so often I’ll try a new small-batch option from the grocery store, and I’m always disappointed!
Gluten Free Enchilada Sauce
Next add the cooked chicken, white corn tortillas that have been chopped into bite-sized squares, plus shredded Mexican cheese blend, then stir to combine.
Step 3: Bake the casserole.
Scoop the mixture into a nonstick-sprayed 9×13″ baking pan then sprinkle the top with more shredded cheese.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees or until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbly.
Scoop onto plates then serve with the toppings of your choice. This part is fun and lets everyone customize their own dinner to their liking.
How to Store and Reheat
Store Chicken Enchilada Casserole leftovers in the refrigerator for 4-5 days then reheat individual scoops in the microwave until hot.
How to Make Ahead of Time
Assemble the casserole up to a few hours ahead of time then cover with foil and store in the refrigerator. Bake covered for the first 15 minutes then remove the foil and continue to bake until the casserole is hot and bubbly.
I hope you love every bite of this simple and satisfying Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipe. Enjoy!
More Easy Tex-Mex Recipes
- Beef and Veggie Enchilada Skillet
- Chicken Burrito Skillet
- Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper
- Restaurant-Style Ground Beef
- Cheese Enchiladas
- Large Batch Taco Seasoning
- Best Ever Chicken Fajitas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- salt and pepper
- 15 oz can black beans or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup (8oz) sour cream
- 1 cup gluten-free red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup jarred salsa
- 4 oz can chopped green chiles
- 10-12 gluten-free white corn tortillas, cut into squares, see notes
- 8 oz shredded Mexican Cheese Blend, divided
- Toppings: minced onions, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, avocado, sliced olives, pickled jalapenos, shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, guacamole
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees then spray a 9×13” casserole dish with nonstick spray and set it aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat then spray with nonstick spray or mist with extra virgin olive oil. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, then saute until the chicken is cooked through. Turn off the heat then set the chicken aside to cool slightly.
- To a very large mixing bowl add the beans, corn, sour cream, enchilada sauce, salsa, and green chiles then stir to combine. Add the slightly cooled chicken, tortillas, and half the cheese then stir to combine.
- Scoop the mixture into the prepared baking dish then top with the remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbly. Scoop onto plates then serve with optional toppings.
Notes
- White corn tortillas are typically sold in packages of 10-12. This recipe works with 10 or up to 12 tortillas.
- To make ahead: Assemble the casserole up to a few hours ahead of time then cover with foil and store in the refrigerator. Bake covered for the first 15 minutes then remove the foil and continue to bake until the casserole is hot and bubbly.
- This recipe has been modified from the original in the following ways: 1 cup salsa instead of 3/4 cup. 8oz cheese instead of 4oz. Added a can of beans.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin
I have a similar version, but i use the tortillas as lasagna noodles and layer them with a similar version of the sauce. Mine uses canned cream of chicken soup, for the creaminess so maybe less healthy, but delicious.
As my Dad would say: ‘Well young lady, I hope you are happy! ‘
This recipe nearly did not make it to the pan since I was eating it out of the bowl! It is sooooo good and sooooo easy!
Word to the wise, definitely use the largest bowl you can get your hands on.
Thanks for the great recipe!
You can find the enchilada sauce in the ethnic foods aisle, and you can use flour tortillas, too! :)
This looks really good, but I have two questions. Can you buy Enchilada sauce in the grocery store? Also, can you substitute flour tortillas for the corn? Thank you.
I could not find the recipe for Lazy Girls Enchilada Casserole just the ingredients. Can you tell me where to find it….thanks
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! it will be going on our regular schedule.
I cook for 50 homeless every Sunday afternoon. About how many servings does this make. It is something they would like and I can add black beans for more nutrition.
I think as written it would feed 6 hungry adults.
After 17 years of marriage I have to say that I hate cooking. HATE IT! However, I don’t like to eat out every night and this looks so yummy.
Thanks so much for sharing. I made it today and it turned out so delicious! I am definitely keeping this recipe! =]
Curious how this would do as a freezer meal… Like, cook the chicken and do everything but the tortillas, freeze in portioned out bags? Thaw the day of cooking and add in the tortillas then. Hmmmm…. my wheels are turning!
I just found this recipe, thanks to the top recipes of 2013, and I’m making this tonight!! All I have in the fridge is plain greek yogurt, so I’m going to use that instead of sour cream. On that note: I had to do that with a Christmas cookie recipe last week–it called for sour cream but all I had was yogurt. The cookies were even better with the yogurt!
Hope all is well! I wanted to know if you ever got around to typing up the list of helpful baby registry tips and products? :) I am 19 weeks pregnant and starting to research the items we need and what brands are best and it is getting overwhelming! Any advice would be oh so helpful!
PS Thanks for all the mac and cheese (and just anything that has cheese) recipes you have been posting during your pregnancy :)
Just shot ya’ an email. :)
I live in northern Europe and cannot get most of the ingredients one would have on hand in the US, so when I find a recipe like this, I have to make most of the ingredients from scratch. No problem, though! I made this yesterday and my family loved it. It was put together very quickly with the help of my 18 year old son. Of course I had already made the enchilada sauce, and some homemade salsa was also in the fridge, so it went really fast. Thanks for the recipe! This is a keeper!