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My aunt from Texas said sour cream chicken enchiladas were only as good as the sauce, and a sauce out of a can was not a sauce at all. So she made hers from scratch every single time, and it took her less time than most people spend looking for the can opener. Soft tortillas rolled around shredded chicken and cheese, lined up in the pan, smothered in a creamy white sauce full of green chiles, and baked until the cheese on top bubbled and went golden at the edges. My uncle always took three before anybody else got one.
The sauce is a simple white sauce: butter, a little flour, chicken broth, then sour cream and green chiles stirred in off the heat. The two problems with enchiladas are the tortillas. Cold tortillas crack and split when you roll them, and tortillas drowned in sauce turn into mush in the oven. The answer is to warm them so they bend without breaking, to put sauce under and over the enchiladas but not inside them, and to bake hot and uncovered.
Here is my aunt’s whole method, including how to keep the tortillas from cracking and going soggy, and why the sour cream goes in last.
Why this sour cream chicken enchilada works
- A from-scratch sauce. Butter, flour and broth make a smooth base in five minutes, with a fresh, clean taste no can can match.
- Sour cream off the heat. Stirring it in after the pan comes off the stove keeps the sauce creamy instead of curdled.
- Warm tortillas. Warmed tortillas are soft and bendable, so they roll tight and never split.
- Sauce under and over. A thin layer underneath keeps them from sticking, and the rest goes on top, so the tortillas stay tender, not soggy.
- A hot oven, uncovered. High heat bubbles the sauce and browns the cheese quickly before the tortillas have time to go soft.
Ingredients
Makes 10 enchiladas in a 9x13 inch baking dish, 5 to 6 servings. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the filling
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (420g), from a roasted chicken or poached breasts
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided (200g)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion (75g)
- 10 flour tortillas, 8 inch
For the sour cream sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (45g)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (25g)
- 2 cups chicken broth (480ml)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature (240g)
- 1 can (4 ounces, 113g) diced green chiles, with their juice
To finish
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or more Monterey Jack (100g)
- Sliced green onions or chopped cilantro
Corn tortillas work too. Warm them a little longer and handle them gently; they are more likely to crack than flour tortillas.
How to make sour cream chicken enchilada
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees (200°C). Lightly butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Make the sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking, until bubbling.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking all the time so no lumps form. Add the cumin, garlic powder and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.
- Take the pan off the heat and let it stand for 2 minutes. Whisk in the sour cream and the green chiles until smooth. Taste for salt.
- In a bowl, toss the chicken with 1 1/2 cups of the Monterey Jack, the chopped onion and 1/2 cup of the sauce, just enough to moisten it.
- Warm the tortillas: wrap the stack in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, or warm them one at a time in a dry skillet for a few seconds a side. Keep them covered with a towel.
- Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.
- Lay a tortilla flat, spoon a line of the chicken filling down the middle, roll it up snugly and set it seam side down in the dish. Repeat with the rest, packing them close together.
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- Pour the rest of the sauce evenly over the enchiladas, covering the ends of the tortillas so they do not dry out.
- Scatter the remaining Monterey Jack and the cheddar over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the cheese is melted with golden spots.
- Let them rest for 5 minutes, then scatter green onions or cilantro over the top and serve with a spatula.
Tips that make the difference
- Bring the sour cream to room temperature before it goes in. Cold sour cream hitting a hot sauce is the main reason it splits.
- Never let the sauce boil once the sour cream is in.
- Do not dip the tortillas in the sauce before rolling. That is the quickest way to soggy enchiladas.
- Cover the very ends of the tortillas with sauce, or they bake hard and crisp.
- A rotisserie-style roasted chicken gives you all the meat you need, about 3 cups, and the most flavor.
Variations
- Spicier. Use a can of hot green chiles, or add a diced jalapeño to the filling.
- With spinach. Stir 2 cups of chopped fresh spinach into the filling.
- With beans. Add a can of drained and rinsed black beans to the chicken for a bigger pan.
- Turkey. Use leftover roast turkey in place of the chicken.
Storage and make-ahead
Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or by the plate in the microwave.
To make ahead, assemble without the sauce on top, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Pour on the sauce and cheese just before baking and add 5 to 10 minutes to the time.
Baked enchiladas freeze for up to 2 months, though the sauce is a little less smooth after thawing.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my sour cream sauce curdle?
The sauce was boiling or the sour cream was very cold. Take the pan off the heat, let it stand for a couple of minutes, and stir in room-temperature full-fat sour cream.
Flour or corn tortillas for sour cream enchiladas?
Both are traditional. Flour tortillas are softer and easier to roll; corn tortillas have more flavor but must be warmed well so they do not crack.
How do I keep enchiladas from getting soggy?
Do not dip the tortillas in sauce, keep the sauce on the outside, bake hot and uncovered, and serve within a few minutes of taking them out of the oven.
Can I use light sour cream?
Full-fat sour cream gives the creamiest, most stable sauce. Light sour cream is more likely to split and makes a thinner sauce.
Set the pan in the middle of the table with a pile of green onions and a stack of plates, and count to three before the first enchilada disappears.
Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas (Homemade Green Chile Sauce, No Can of Soup)
Creamy sour cream chicken enchiladas with a from-scratch sauce: soft flour tortillas rolled around shredded chicken and cheese, covered in a butter, broth, sour cream and green chile sauce, and baked until bubbling and golden.
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (420g), from a roasted chicken or poached breasts
- 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 10 flour tortillas, 8 inch
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 can (4 ounces, 113g) diced green chiles, with their juice
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or more Monterey Jack
- Sliced green onions or chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees (200°C). Lightly butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Make the sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking, until bubbling.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking all the time so no lumps form. Add the cumin, garlic powder and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until it thickens enough to coat a spoon.
- Take the pan off the heat and let it stand for 2 minutes. Whisk in the sour cream and the green chiles until smooth. Taste for salt.
- In a bowl, toss the chicken with 1 1/2 cups of the Monterey Jack, the chopped onion and 1/2 cup of the sauce, just enough to moisten it.
- Warm the tortillas: wrap the stack in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 to 45 seconds, or warm them one at a time in a dry skillet for a few seconds a side. Keep them covered with a towel.
- Spread about 1/2 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.
- Lay a tortilla flat, spoon a line of the chicken filling down the middle, roll it up snugly and set it seam side down in the dish. Repeat with the rest, packing them close together.
- Pour the rest of the sauce evenly over the enchiladas, covering the ends of the tortillas so they do not dry out.
- Scatter the remaining Monterey Jack and the cheddar over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling at the edges and the cheese is melted with golden spots.
- Let them rest for 5 minutes, then scatter green onions or cilantro over the top and serve with a spatula.
