My chicken poblano enchilada casserole takes flavors of zest, spicy chicken enchiladas, and turns them into a casserole with the sensibilities of a lasagna. Layers of tender, seasoned grilled chicken, spinach, cheese, poblano cream sauce, and corn tortillas are baked until bubbly, golden, and oh, so delicious.
I lived in California for years, and I now call Texas home. So, I know my Mexican food. I love eating it, and I love making it. One of my favorite Mexican dishes is enchiladas. I love the traditional variety, but I also like getting creative with the flavors and textures of this classic dish. I enjoy variations like beef and rice enchilada casserole, green chile pork enchiladas, and hatch green chile chicken enchiladas. They’re absolutely loaded with flavor and breathe new life into an old classic.
My newest addition, this chicken poblano enchilada casserole, takes all the flavors of regular enchiladas and gives them a little bit of a lasagna-inspired makeover, with layers of corn tortillas in place of noodles and an enchilada cream sauce in place of traditional sauce. It’s a delicious take on the classic that everyone will love.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses simple ingredients found in any grocery store to create its deep, complex flavor.
- Easy: Every part of this recipe is easy and beginner-friendly. Anyone can make it!
- Tons of Flavor: Every bite of this casserole overflows with tender chicken, zesty seasonings, melty cheese, and a bold, spicy, and creamy enchilada sauce.
- Perfect for a Crowd: This is the perfect dish for feeding a hungry family or bringing to potlucks.
Ingredients
Chicken and Layering
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Chicken breasts are meaty and have a mild flavor, making them perfect for the other ingredients in this casserole.
- Seasoning: A blend of Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and paprika gives the chicken a bold flavor that melds well with the flavors of the poblano sauce.
- Spinach: Spinach adds flavor, texture, and color to the casserole.
- Cheese: A blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese gives the casserole an ooey-gooey, cheesy texture and more flavor.
- Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas are the classic choice for enchiladas and take the place of noodles in this lasagna-inspired casserole.
Poblano Cream Sauce
- Roasted Poblanos: Roasted poblanos add delicious flavor and very mild heat.
- Roasted Jalapenos: Roasted jalapenos add classic flavor and heat to the casserole.
- Medium Onion – Sliced: Sliced grilled onions add a caramelized, aromatic flavor to the sauce.
- Green Enchilada Sauce, Heavy Cream, and Chicken Broth: A blend of green enchilada sauce, heavy cream, and chicken broth creates a rich, creamy enchilada sauce full of flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes: Red pepper flakes add heat to the sauce.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements.
Flavor Variations
- Mild: Leave out the jalapenos and red pepper flakes for a mild version.
- Extra Spicy: Use red enchilada sauce in place of green for an extra spicy dish.
- Cheese: Cheeses like cheddar, Colby Jack, pepper Jack, taco, and Mexican blend all work well in this recipe.
- Meats: This recipe can be made with grilled chicken breasts or thighs, grilled steak, or grilled pork. You could even use grilled shrimp.
Instructions
Grilled Chicken
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise and pat them dry with paper towels. Then, rub them with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with the seasonings.
- Grill the chicken at 350 until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Set the chicken aside.
Roasted Poblanos and Grilled Onions
- Rub the peppers and onions with olive oil.
- Grill the vegetables until the poblanos are blistered and charred on each side, and the onions and jalapenos are softened and bit.
- Steam the poblanos in a sealed plastic baggie or in a bowl covered with plastic wrap for 10 minutes.
- Peel the skin off the poblano peppers. Then, cut the stems off the poblano and jalapeno peppers and remove their seeds.
Poblano Cream Sauce
- Add the peppers, onions, and the rest of the sauce ingredients to a Vitamix or blender and blend until creamy.
- Shred the cooled grilled chicken and add it to a bowl. Then, add a cup of the sauce and the spinach and stir to combine.
Layering
- Heat the tortillas in a pan over medium heat and spray a 9×13 deep baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add a cup of sauce to the bottom of the dish and top it with a layer of corn tortillas.
- Top the tortillas with a thin layer of sour cream, shredded chicken mixture, cheese, and more sauce.
- Repeat the layers, ending with the sauce and shredded cheese.
- Cover and bake at 375 until heated through. Then, remove the foil and bake until the cheese is melted. Enjoy!
Hint
Spray your baking dish just before layering the casserole to ensure the nonstick spray doesn’t pool at the bottom of the dish.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze for up to a month in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
To reheat, defrost the casserole if frozen. Then, bake the entire thing at 350 until heated through or microwave individual portions at 1-minute intervals.
Pairing Suggestions
Pair this hearty casserole with something simple like green chile cheese bread or roasted garlic bread. Guacamole or spicy salsa with corn chips is also a great option.
For dessert, try cinnamon twists, cowboy cookies, or chocolate zucchini cake.
Tips
- Pat the chicken breasts as dry as possible to ensure the seasonings adhere readily to the meat.
- Rub your grates with oil before preheating the grill to prevent sticking.
- Refrigerate your onions for about 30 minutes before slicing them to avoid stinging eyes.
- Wash your hands and NEVER touch your face when handling hot peppers.
- Be sure your baggie is completely closed or your bowl is tightly covered with plastic wrap to ensure the poblano peppers are steamed well before peeling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Roasting peppers enhances their flavor, making them sweeter and giving them a smoky note. In addition, it loosens the skin, making it easier to peel.
Roasting peppers mellows their heat somewhat. Although hot peppers will still be hot, they won’t be quite as hot.
A Vitamix makes things easier, but it’s not required. If you don’t have a Vitamix, simply blend your sauce in a few rounds, scraping down the blender between each blend.
Try This Chicken Poblano Enchilada Casserole
This chicken poblano enchilada casserole is loaded with bold flavor and amazing texture in every bite. Although it involves making the sauce from scratch and roasting the peppers, it’s a very easy recipe, as well. This is the kind of recipe that makes you look like a super star without all the work that usually comes with the title! Give it a try, and I know you’ll fall in love with it.
More Delicious Enchilada Recipes You’ll Enjoy
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Chicken Poblano Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 8 ounce frozen spinach, thawed
- 30 corn tortillas
- 8 ounce sour cream
- 3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese or spicy cheese, shredded
Poblano Cream Sauce
- 3 roasted poblanos, seeds removed, peeled
- 2 roasted jalapenos, seeds removed
- 1 medium onion, sliced into rings
- 15 ounce green enchilada sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Grilled Chicken
- Heat the grill to 350 degrees.
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise, pat dry with paper towels, and rub olive oil on both sides of the chicken and sprinkle both sides with seasoning.
- Grill chicken approximately 3-5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees,
- Remove chicken from the grill and set aside.
Creamy Poblano Sauce
- Wash and dry the peppers.
- Rub the peppers and onions with olive oil and place on the hot grill.
- Let poblano peppers cook until blistered and charred on each side, and grill the jalapeños and onions for a few minutes until the jalapeños and onions have softened a bit.
- Remove from the grill and place the poblanos in a gallon size baggie, or a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the baggie/bowl and peel the skin off each pepper.
- Cut stems off of the poblano and jalapeno peppers, remove seeds, and place into a vitamix or a blender.
- Add grilled onions, enchilada sauce, heavy cream, chicken broth, chicken bouillon, and red pepper flakes into the vitamix and blend until creamy.
Putting the Enchiladas Together
- Shred grilled chicken and add to a bowl.
- Pour 1 cup of sauce into the bowl with the shredded chicken, add the spinach, and stir to combine.
- Heat tortillas in a pan over medium heat.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Spray a 9×13 deep baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Pour 1 cup of creamy poblano sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and top with a layer of corn tortillas.
- Spread a thin layer of sour cream over tortillas.
- Next, add shredded chicken in an even layer on top of sour cream and then top with cheese and more sauce.
- Repeat the layers, ending with sauce and shredded cheese.
- Cover with aluminum oil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted throughout.
Notes
- Pat the chicken breasts as dry as possible to ensure the seasonings adhere readily to the meat.
- Rub your grates with oil before preheating the grill to prevent sticking.
- Refrigerate your onions for about 30 minutes before slicing them to avoid stinging eyes.
- Wash your hands and NEVER touch your face when handling hot peppers.
- Be sure your baggie is completely closed or your bowl is tightly covered with plastic wrap to ensure the poblano peppers are steamed well before peeling.
Nutrition
We enjoyed this recipe but there are some errors.
The ingredients list does not call for sour cream yet the assembly instructions do.
The ingredients list calls for spinach and the assembly instructions do not.
Hi there, Thank you for your comment. I did forget to add the sour cream into the ingredient list. Thanks so much for letting me know. Under “Putting the Enchiladas Together” the 2nd instruction says to pour a cup of sauce into the bowl with the shredded chicken, add the spinach, and stir to combine. I can see how it is easy to miss. :) I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for sharing. :)
Just the kind of cozy, flavor-packed dish I’ve been craving—definitely adding this to my weekend menu!