Tomatillo Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Overhead of chicken enchilada casserole with a wood server under a serving

5 from 5 votes

This easy recipe for Tomatillo Chicken Enchilada Casserole contains layers of cheesy, melted Monterey Jack, shredded chicken and flavorful tomatillo enchilada sauce.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Chicken, Gluten Free, Mexican

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 549kcal

Author: Lauren Harris

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (cut into bite size pieces)
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups tomatillo enchilada sauce (divided, freshly made or store bought salsa verde will work)
18 corn tortillas
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese (shredded, divided)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and cumin and add to the pan.
Cook until the chicken is done through and no longer pink in the center, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the chicken stock and 1/2 cup of the tomatillo sauce. Cook over medium for just a minute or two to blend and warm everything through.
Place a layer of corn tortillas into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Top with half of the chicken mixture, drizzle 1/4 cup of the tomatillo sauce over the chicken, and top with 1/2 cup of the cheese.
Add a second layer and top with the remaining chicken and another 1/4 cup of tomatillo sauce and 1/2 cup of cheese.
Add a final layer of tortillas to the top of the casserole. Top with the remaining tomatillo sauce and cheese.
Cover with foil and transfer the baking dish bake to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until everything is heated through and the cheese on top is hot and melted.
Serve topped with fresh cilantro, sour cream, jalapeño pepper slices, and/or avocado, if desired.

Notes

Tips and Techniques

You can use any cut of chicken that you like for this recipe, just be aware that the cook time may vary. You can also leftover or rotisserie chicken to make this recipe even quicker.
Shred the cheese from a block for the best results. Pre-shredded bags of cheese have added starch which doesn't melt as smoothly and may give your dish a bit of a grainy texture.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume within 3-4 days.

** Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary. Calculations were made using my recipe for Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce with no salt added. Store bought sauces have a much higher sodium content. The sodium content will also be higher depending on how much salt you add to your chicken prior to baking it.

Nutrition