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This chicken enchilada pie bake takes everything you love about chicken enchiladas – tender shredded chicken, green chile sauce, melty cheese – and stacks it into easy layers instead of rolling individual tortillas. It’s a cheesy, bubbly casserole that comes together in about 40 minutes, feeds a crowd, and reheats beautifully for lunches all week.
One of my favorite easy weeknight meals has always been enchiladas – and cheesy baked chicken enchilada pie. This casserole dinner is absolutely packed with rolled enchilada flavor – but a million times easier to throw together, and a perfect way to use up leftover rice and shredded chicken – or a rotisserie chicken!
I’ve been making this casserole a few times a month since I was in college – its one of my kids very favorite meals, they are always excited to dig in!
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No rolling required. Get all the flavor of chicken enchiladas with a fraction of the prep — just layer and bake.
- Great for leftovers. Rotisserie chicken or leftover shredded chicken works perfectly.
- Feeds a crowd. One pan serves 12, and it reheats just as well as it tastes fresh.
- Make-ahead friendly. Assemble the night before and bake when you’re ready.
Quick Recipe Snapshot
Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 35 minutes | Total: ~40 minutes Servings: 12 | Calories: ~219 per serving Best for: Weeknight dinners, potlucks, meal prep, freezer meals
Why This Recipe Works
This casserole follows the same layering logic as classic enchiladas, just stacked instead of rolled: a base of sauce and tortillas to anchor the layer, a hearty filling of chicken, beans, and rice that soaks up flavor as it bakes, and a generous top layer of cheese and sauce that gets bubbly and golden in the oven. Building it in repeated layers means every bite gets a little of everything — no dry corners, no bland bites.
Ingredients You’ll Need For Enchilada Pie
- Corn tortillas – the layers that hold everything together; corn keeps that classic enchilada flavor and texture.
- Green chile enchilada sauce – the backbone of flavor; divided between the layers and the top so every bite is saucy.
- Shredded chicken – rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken both work great here.
- Pinto beans – add heartiness, fiber, and a creamy texture once baked.
- Mexican rice – bulks up the filling and helps soak up extra sauce.
- Sour cream – stirred into the filling for a creamy, tangy layer.
- Shredded cheddar and jack cheese – melts into that signature gooey, golden top.
- Sliced olives – a classic enchilada casserole topping for briny flavor and texture.
- Green onion – fresh, sharp finish sprinkled on at the end.
Full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Pie Bake
Prep
Preheat your oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
Start the base. Spread a thin layer of green chile enchilada sauce over the bottom of the dish.
Layer
Add a layer of corn tortillas, much like you would lay noodles in lasagna.
Rice
Add a layer of rice or beans towards the bottom of the casserole. I like to leave rice at the bottom, so it soaks up some of the extra liquid.
Tortilla & Sauce Layers
Between each filling, I add a layer of sauce and tortillas.
Beans
Add a layer of beans – be sure to drain well.
Shredded Chicken
I like to use shredded chicken, but chicken tinga, boiled chicken, mexican pot roast, crispy pulled pork, or carnitas all work – you can also use ground beef!
Tortillas to Top
I always add a layer of tortillas at the top.
Sauce and Cheese
Finish off the casserole with sauce and shredded cheese.
Bake
Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the edges are golden.
Rest. Let the pie sit for 10 minutes before slicing — this helps the layers set so it doesn’t fall apart when served.
Garnish. Sprinkle with sliced green onion just before serving.
Serve warm, sliced into squares like a casserole.
Tips & Tricks For A Perfect Cheesy Casserole
Preventing a soggy bottom:
- Drain canned beans well and pat shredded chicken dry before mixing – extra liquid pools at the bottom as it bakes.
- Go light on the sauce in the very bottom layer; save the bulk of it for the filling and top.
- Don’t worry too much about a soggy bottom – the tortilla layers will scoop nicely if there is a good amount of sauce at the bottom of the pan.
How to Prevent a Dry Enchilada Casserole:
- Don’t skimp on the sauce in the middle layers – it keeps the chicken and rice moist as everything bakes.
- Cover with foil for the first 15–20 minutes if your oven runs hot, then uncover to let the cheese brown.
- Leftovers reheat best with a splash of extra enchilada sauce or a damp paper towel over the dish in the microwave.
Enchilada Casserole Recipe Variations
- Tinga & veggies: Swap the shredded chicken for chicken tinga and add sautéed bell peppers and onions to the filling.
- Barbacoa: Use shredded barbacoa beef in place of chicken for a smoky, richer pie.
- Extra creamy: Stir an extra dollop of sour cream or a layer of cream cheese into the filling for an ultra-creamy texture.
- Christmas tree style: Use both red and green enchilada sauce in alternating layers for a festive, colorful presentation.
- Vegetarian: Skip the chicken and double the beans, or add black beans and corn for extra texture.
- Divorced enchiladas style: Use half red and half green sauce, dividing the dish down the middle for two flavor profiles in one pan.
Enchilada Pie Frequently Asked Questions
Yes – “enchilada pie” and “enchilada casserole” describe the same idea: enchilada ingredients layered and baked instead of rolled into individual tortillas.
Yes – assemble the whole pie, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time if it goes in cold.
Corn tortillas give the most authentic enchilada flavor and texture, but flour tortillas can be substituted if that’s what you have on hand.
Rotisserie chicken is the easiest option, but any cooked, shredded chicken – from a crockpot, Instant Pot, or leftovers – works perfectly.
The cheese on top should be fully melted and bubbly, with lightly golden edges, after 25–30 minutes at 375°F.
Yes – corn, diced bell peppers, or sautéed onions all mix in well with the chicken and bean filling.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
- Refrigerator: Store covered for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze baked or unbaked, tightly covered, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before baking or reheating.
- Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave with a splash of enchilada sauce, or reheat the whole dish covered in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Baked Enchilada Pie FAQs
Yes, you can assemble the Chicken Enchilada Pie Bake ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. Just cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time if baking from refrigerated.
For a more authentic flavor, corn tortillas are recommended. However, you can use flour tortillas if you prefer a softer texture.
You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Cook and shred the chicken before layering it in the casserole. Rotisserie chicken is also a great, time-saving option.
The casserole is done when it’s heated through, the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the edges are beginning to brown. This usually takes about 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C).
Yes, feel free to add vegetables like bell peppers, onions, corn, or zucchini to add more flavor and nutrition to the dish.
What to Serve With Enchilada Pie
Round out the meal with:
Mexican Rice
Cilantro Lime Rice
Refried Beans
Guacamole / Green Chile Guacamole
Pico de Gallo / Corn Pico de Gallo
Top each serving with fresh cilantro, diced tomato, avocado, or a dollop of sour cream for a fresh finishing touch.
Also try Whole Roasted Montreal Chicken , Cheesy Taco Skillet, Green Chile Whiskey Onion Burgers, Nacho Fries, Crispy Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks, and Oven Smoked Ribs.
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Easy Chicken Enchilada Pie Bake
Equipment
- DOWAN Casserole Dish, 9×13 Ceramic Baking Dish, Large Lasagna Pan Deep, Casserole Dishes for Oven, 135 oz Deep Baking Pan with Handles, Oven Safe and Durable Bakeware for Lasagna, Roasts, Home Decor Gifts, White
Ingredients
- 16 corn tortillas
- 2 cans pinto beans
- ½ cup sour cream
- 60 oz green chile enchilada sauce, divided
- 2 cups shredded chicken, shredded
- 2 cups mexican rice
- 2 cups shredded cheddar or jack cheese, extra sharp
- ½ cup olives, sliced into rings, to garnish
- 1 green onions, diced, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a casserole dish with parchment paper.
- Lay half the tortillas down as the bottom layer, spaced out in two rows, to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Add beans, sour cream, chicken, mexican rice, and green chile enchilada sauce, in layers.
- Place rest of tortillas on the top, spaced out in two rows.
- Smother with additional green chile enchilada sauce.
- Top with cheese and olives.
- Bake 30-40 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.
- Top with green onions.
- Let cool 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amazing. This dish was so good that I dreamed of it for two nights in a row and then dedicated Wednesday to enchilada pie Wednesday
Glad you loved it Finn!
Peppers and onions not listed as ingredients but in recipe? Rice listed but not mentioned in recipe?
Woops, while you can add sauteed green pepper and onions to the bottom but the recipe doesn’t use them. I have updated it.
Delicious!
Tried this tonight. I was looking for an easy recipe for my opened jar of 505 sauce. This was perfect. Very yummy and flavorful. The green peppers didn’t cook all the way and were a little crunchy. I didn’t use parchment paper on the bottom of the pan but sprayed with cooking oil and clean up was easy. The bottom layer of tortillas was a little soggy. Maybe the parchment paper would help with that. I will be making this again. Thanks for sharing!
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