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Layered chicken enchilada casserole in a baking dish topped with tomato, avocado and cilantro

Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Flour tortillas layered with seasoned chicken, black beans, red enchilada sauce and melted cheese. No rolling needed.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Rest Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Spice mix
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
Chicken and bean filling
  • 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
  • ½ yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 cups cooked chicken shredded or chopped
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles with liquid
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro finely chopped
Layers
  • 20 oz red enchilada sauce divided
  • 8 flour tortillas (6-inch) cut in half
  • 3½ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend divided
To serve
  • diced tomato, diced avocado, minced red onion, chopped cilantro
  • sour cream and tortilla chips

Method
 

Make the filling
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the six spices together in a small bowl.
  2. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and stir 1 minute.
  3. Turn the heat to medium-low. Add the chicken and the spice mix, season with salt and pepper, and toss until coated.
  4. Stir in the black beans, green chiles, lime juice, hot sauce, honey and cilantro. Heat 1 to 2 minutes, then take the pan off the heat.
Build the layers
  1. Spread ¼ cup of enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  2. Arrange 8 tortilla halves over the sauce: 6 around the edges with the straight sides against the dish, 2 in the middle.
  3. Spread half of the filling on top. Spoon over 1 cup of enchilada sauce and sprinkle with 1½ cups of cheese.
  4. Cover with the remaining 8 tortilla halves, then the rest of the filling, 1 more cup of sauce and the remaining 2 cups of cheese.
Bake
  1. Cover the dish with foil and bake 15 minutes.
  2. Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and the sauce bubbles at the edges. The center should reach 165°F.
  3. Rest 10 to 15 minutes. Add the fresh toppings and serve with sour cream and tortilla chips.

Notes

Tent the foil or spray its underside with oil so the cheese does not stick to it.
Corn tortillas can replace flour tortillas.
Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Recipe adapted from The Cozy Cook.