What could be better than coming home after a busy day and throwing a one-dish meal into the oven and having it ready in 30 minutes and under?! This Chicken Enchilada Casserole is perfect for an easy weeknight meal with the family!
Ingredients
The ingredients needed to make this flavorful chicken enchilada casserole are easy to find at your local grocery store.
- Cornbread mix – Instead of using flour tortillas or corn tortillas like traditional enchiladas, I like to use a base of cornbread! You can buy mix from the store or use my homemade cornbread mix.
- Ingredients needed to make cornbread – These consist of melted butter, milk and an egg.
- Enchilada sauce – Of course you can easily buy a jar at the local grocery store. But I like to make my own homemade red enchilada sauce. Either will work!
- Rotisserie chicken – Rotisserie chicken is my favorite kitchen hack for quick and easy chicken. But you can also use leftover shredded chicken from another recipe.
- Seasonings – I used a blend of onion powder, garlic powder, chile powder, dried oregano, paprika, sea salt and black pepper to season this dish.
- Black beans – I just like to use a can for ease. You will want to make sure they are drained and rinsed before using.
- Chipotle peppers in adobe sauce – You can usually find these down the international food aisle at your local grocery store. Mine is near the Mexican food.
- Cilantro – You can have Mexican food without cilantro! For those that think it tastes like soap, you can omit it without a problem.
- Scallions – Also known as green onions, I like the color and flavor these add to the dish when used as a garnish.
- Cheddar cheese – Personally I like to shred my own cheese. Instead of cheddar, you can use monterey jack cheese, a mexican cheese blend or pepper jack cheese too.
- Limes – I like to serve nearly all Mexican food with lime wedges. It adds a layer of freshness and tons of flavor.
Variations
There are plenty of ways for you to make this Chicken Enchilada Casserole your own. Here are a few suggestions.
- Sauce – I like a red sauce with my enchiladas, but you can also use green enchilada sauce to make a green chicken enchilada casserole.
- Meat – Instead of using rotisserie chicken, you can also cook and shred your own chicken breasts. Take things a step further and use ground beef as the meat instead.
- Toppings – Feel free to add your favorite toppings! Sour cream, green chiles, chopped red onion, salsa verde, red bell peppers or greek yogurt are all good ideas.
- Beans – If you aren’t a fan of black beans, feel free to swap them out for pinto beans or refried beans.
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Making this easy casserole recipe couldn’t be easier!
- Make cornbread layer. In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk cornbread mix, melted butter, milk and egg. Do not not mix; the batter will have lumps, this is normal. Pour batter into your cast iron skillet. Bake until the top is lightly brown.
- Toss chicken and beans with seasonings. Combine garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, dried oregano, paprika, fine sea salt and black pepper. Toss minced chipotle peppers with spice mixture, shredded chicken and black beans.
- Poke holes in cornbread. Poke many holes in the cornbread base using a fork, the more holes, the more places for delicious enchilada sauce to hide!
- Layer ingredients. Pour one cup of enchilada sauce over cornbread base. Top with chicken mixture. Finally, top with shredded cheese.
- Bake. Bake for an additional until cheese melts. Remove and allow to sit for a few minutes.
- Add toppings. Top with fresh cilantro and scallions, serve with fresh lime wedges, spritz and enjoy.
What to Serve with Chicken Enchilada Casserole
This casserole is a great way to make an entire dinner in one pan on a busy night. However, you can always serve something alongside it to take it up a notch!
You can serve other Mexican favorites like tortilla chips and salsa, refried beans and mexican rice. Some guacamole and cheese dip would also be delicious
Storage and Freezing
How to Store
You can store any leftovers of this delicious chicken enchilada casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last for up to three days.
Can I Freeze Chicken Enchilada Casserole?
Yes you sure can! In fact, this makes a great option if you’re prepping freezer meals. Check out my guide for how to freeze casseroles.
More Easy One-Dish Recipes
On a busy weeknight, there is nothing I love more than a quick and easy dinner with minimal dishes. Here are some of our favorites.
Before you get started, make sure you know how to properly season your cast iron and how to clean your cast iron!
Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe
This Chicken Enchilada Casserole Recipe is a delicious casserole recipe loaded with a cornbread crust, chicken, beans, and cheese, all made in a cast iron skillet!
Servings:
Equipment
Ingredients
Cornbread crust:
- 8.5 ounces cornbread mix
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 egg
Pie:
- 1 cup Enchilada Sauce
- 1 rotisserie chicken , meat pulled and shredded
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup black beans , canned and rinsed
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce , finely minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro , packed
- 1/4 cup scallions , chopped
- 1 1/2 cup cheddar chees , shredded
- 2 limes quartered
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 12-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray or a small amount of vegetable oil.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk the cornbread mix, melted butter, milk and egg. Do not not mix; the batter will have lumps, this is normal. Pour the batter into your cast iron skillet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the top is lightly brown.
- Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, dried oregano, paprika, fine sea salt and black pepper. Toss the chipotle peppers with the spice mixture, shredded chicken and black beans.
- Poke many holes in the cornbread base using a fork, the more holes, the more places for delicious enchilada sauce to hide!
- Pour 1 cup of the enchilada sauce over the cornbread base. Top with the chicken mixture. Finally, top with the shredded cheese.
- Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese melts. Remove and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Top with fresh cilantro and scallions, serve with fresh lime wedges, spritz and enjoy your Chicken Enchilada Pie!
- Have you tried this recipe? We'd love to hear what you think. Leave us a comment!
Nutrition
Calories: 755 kcal, Carbohydrates: 42 g, Protein: 53 g, Fat: 40 g, Saturated Fat: 16 g, Cholesterol: 190 mg, Sodium: 1409 mg, Potassium: 581 mg, Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 12 g, Vitamin A: 1180 IU, Vitamin C: 8.4 mg, Calcium: 283 mg, Iron: 4.4 mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
This looks amazing! Do you have a tip on what kind of dish to use if I don’t have a cast iron? Thanks!
You can use anything that is oven-safe or make it in a casserole dish. Enjoy!
I would have added a picture but it’s gone, gone,gone. This was so good and easy to make. Made half with cooked sweet potatoes for the non meat eater. It too was good, but I prefer it with chicken.
Sweet potatoes are an AWESOME idea! Thank you for sharing. It goes fast in my house as well.
G’day! What a warm and welcoming dish! This is now on my list!
Cheers! Joanne
Chicken Enchilada Pie sounds fantastic and so easy! I can not wait to make this!!
Mexican food is my all time favorite!! I love the ease of making these chicken enchiladas in a skillet! Muy Bueno!! 🙂
Great! Thank you!