Gluten-Free Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas (Video Recipe)

I wanted to share a gluten-free enchilada recipe influenced by the chicken enchiladas my mom used to make. Her version relied on canned cream of chicken soup, which isn’t gluten-free and contains many processed ingredients. After switching to homemade sauces, I realized how much better and cleaner homemade versions taste.

Cream cheese gluten-free chicken enchiladas in a white pan with cilantro on top on a rattan mat with a white and orange linen napkin. — Green chili chicken enchiladas

Canned chicken soup is not gluten-free and is full of additives. I enjoyed it growing up, but once I started making sauces from scratch I couldn’t bring myself to use canned soup anymore.

Rather than make a traditional white sauce, I wanted an easier, creamier filling that skips complicated steps but still delivers richness and flavor.

These enchiladas include white beans in the filling so there’s more texture and substance than just chicken and sauce. The beans add volume and a healthy, low-fat protein that complements the chicken and makes the filling more substantial.

I don’t know why my mom’s recipe didn’t include beans—they make sense to me and really improve the dish. They’re perfect for a simple weeknight dinner and store well for leftovers.

I’m not usually a big fan of leftovers, but these taste even better the next day as the creamy sauce soaks into the tortillas and the green chile flavor spreads throughout.

This is a great recipe to make with kids—an assembly-line approach where everyone helps roll and fill tortillas makes dinner more fun, and kids are often more excited to eat what they helped prepare.

If you try this recipe, please let me know how it turns out!

Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas

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4.9 from 34 reviews

Author: Rebecca Baron
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 70 minutes
Yield: 8
Category: Main Course
Cuisine: Gluten-Free

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Description

Hearty, flavorful enchiladas topped with an easy, homemade green chili sauce and a creamy filling.

Ingredients

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8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz canned green chiles, chopped
15 oz can white beans (drained; Northern beans work well)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
½ tbsp olive oil
2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
14 oz gluten-free green enchilada sauce or homemade salsa verde
¼ tsp garlic powder
⅔ cup sour cream
¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
8–10 gluten-free tortillas (corn or gluten-free flour tortillas)
12 oz Monterey Jack or Colby Jack cheese, shredded

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Instructions

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4–5 minutes.
While the onion cooks, beat the cream cheese in a mixer until smooth. Add the chopped green chiles and drained white beans, mixing until the beans are lightly mashed into the cream cheese.
Stir two-thirds of the cooked onion into the cream cheese mixture; reserve the remaining onion in the saucepan.
Add the shredded chicken to the cream cheese mixture and combine thoroughly.
Return the saucepan with the reserved onion to medium-high heat. Stir in the green enchilada sauce, garlic powder, sour cream, and salt. Whisk and bring to a simmer until the sauce is smooth, then remove from heat.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Spoon one-third of the enchilada sauce into a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread it evenly.
Warm the tortillas briefly in a skillet or oven to make them pliable and prevent cracking when rolling.
Divide the cream cheese and chicken filling among the tortillas (8–10). Add a little shredded cheese on top of the filling in each tortilla.
Roll each tortilla tightly and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
Pour the remaining sauce over the rolled enchiladas, spreading it to cover. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the top.
Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. Let rest a few minutes before serving.