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Bubbling, cheesy, and creamy, these white chicken enchiladas are layered with smoky poblanos, shredded chicken, and a blend of Mexican cheeses. A creamy white salsa verde sauce seeps into the warm flour tortillas, keeping them soft and tender inside while the edges crisp and brown in the oven. Finished with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a pinch of flaky sea salt. Easy enchiladas that work any night of the week.

White Chicken Poblano Enchiladas | halfbakedharvest.com

We eat a lot of tacos in this family. Tacos, chili, and lately, I’ve been on a serious enchilada kick. We didn’t grow up eating enchiladas, so they’re easy for me to forget about—but once I start making them, I’m always reminded just how good they are.

Over the years, I’ve shared skillet enchiladas and even an enchilada casserole, but somehow my go-to white chicken enchiladas never made it onto the site. These are what I make when I have leftover shredded chicken and a pack of flour tortillas hanging around. I’ve made them more times than I can count over the past few months. Once I realized I didn’t have anything quite like them here on the site, I knew it was time to finally share.

I also love where this recipe comes from. My mom has this old cookbook with a shiny yellow cover, a cracked plastic spine, and pages barely hanging on. It’s one of those garden club–style family cookbooks—a collection of recipes from my Nonnie, friends, family, and even a few from my mom herself.

It’s very old, very worn, and I absolutely love it. There are some real gems tucked inside, including these enchiladas. Every recipe in the book feels easier than the last, and this might be one of the simplest of all. Store-bought shredded chicken, salsa, cheese, and tortillas—nothing fancy, just the perfect easy, family-style dinner.

White Chicken Poblano Enchiladas | halfbakedharvest.com

These are the details

Ingredients 

  • shredded chicken
  • shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • poblano peppers
  • chili powder
  • smoked paprika
  • ground cumin
  • chipotle chile powder
  • flour tortillas – (taco size)
  • salsa verde
  • cream cheese
  • whole milk
  • shredded white cheddar or pepper jack cheese

For Serving

  • fresh chopped cilantro
  • limes or lime juice
  • avocado

What you’ll need from the kitchen

You’ll need a 9×13-inch baking dish, a large mixing bowl, a small bowl for the sauce, a whisk or spoon, and a skillet or open flame to char the poblanos. A sharp knife and a cutting board for prep, and foil for easy baking and cleanup.

The Steps

Step 1: Mix the chicken

Start by preheating the oven and preparing your baking dish. I like to use a rectangular casserole dish.

In a bowl, mix together the shredded chicken, chopped poblanos, spices, salt, pepper, and a portion of the cheese until everything is well combined.

Step 2: Assemble the enchiladas

Spread the salsa verde evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture, roll it up, and tuck it seam-side down into the dish so it’s snug and ready to bake.

Step 3: Make the verde sauce

In a separate bowl, stir together the cream cheese, remaining salsa verde, and milk until smooth and creamy. Pour the sauce evenly over the enchiladas, then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top

Step 4: Bake and finish

Bake until the enchiladas are bubbling, the cheese is melted, and the tortilla edges are lightly crisp. Remove from the oven and finish with fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and avocado if you like.

I love serving these with extra toppings—sliced avocado, more cilantro, a squeeze of lime juice, and a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt.

White Chicken Poblano Enchiladas | halfbakedharvest.com

Looking for other dinners with a little kick? Here are a few ideas: 

Creamy White Chicken Chili

Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey and White Bean Chili

One Skillet Saucy Chicken Tortilla Enchilada Rice Bake

Healthy Chipotle Chicken Sweet Potato Skins

Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips

Crockpot Chipotle Queso Chicken Chili

Lastly, if you make these Creamy White Chicken Poblano Enchiladas, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Creamy White Chicken Poblano Enchiladas

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 622 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
    2. In a bowl, mix the chicken, peppers, 1 cup Monterey Jack, chili powder, paprika, cumin, chipotle, and season with salt and pepper.
    3. Spread 1/2 cup salsa verde in a 9×13-inch baking dish. Fill each tortilla with the chicken mixture, roll up, and place seam-side down in the dish.
    4. Soften the cream cheese, stir with the remaining salsa verde and milk, then pour over the enchiladas. Top with the remaining cheeses.
    5. Bake 15–20 minutes, until melted and bubbly. Finish with cilantro, lime, and flaky sea salt.
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This post was originally published on February 4, 2026
3.80 from 24 votes

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    We thought this was great! I used corn tortillas .I followed the recipe but added one chipotle pepper in adobo sauce from a can I had leftover from something else.I will be making this again!Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Thanks so much, Sharon! So glad you enjoyed this dish and thanks for sharing what worked well for you!

      Have a great Friday!

  2. 5 stars
    Loved this recipe ! The flaky salt, avocado and cilantro really finished it off! Very good! Will definitely make again.

  3. 5 stars
    So I love this recipe but I did change up just a little bit but basically stuck to her recipe. I did use double the amount of poblanos because we love them! I also used heavy cream instead of milk. Since I didn’t make Tieghan’s exact recipe I will say that mine is pretty close and I thought this variation on enchiladas was a brilliant idea. I also used half Monterey Jack & half white cheddar which was to her suggestion for either cheese. Yes it is heavy on dairy, but you can adjust that. Personally I love the addition of Cream cheese and all the dairy! Love this recipe and so did everyone else.

    1. Thanks so much, Kathy! Glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, but were also able to adjust to your liking! Have a great Friday!

  4. 1 star
    Followed the recipe exactly and… wow. The sauce was weirdly watery, the chicken was bland, and the poblanos didn’t do anything.

  5. 1 star
    this recipe was a big miss for me. The sauce ended up really bland and the chicken was dry, even after following everything to a T. The poblanos didn’t add much flavor and the whole dish just felt kind of soggy and boring. Definitely not something I’d make again.

    1. Thanks so much, Alese! Honestly, whatever I can find at Whole Foods, I love their 365 brand.

      Please let me know if you give this dish a try, I hope you love it!

    1. Hi Diane,
      Yes, that is correct:) I used mini tortillas so 20 was perfect. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

  6. 1 star
    This dish leaned really heavy on dairy and cheese, but the actual flavor felt mild and a little one-dimensional. The sauce never fully thickened for me and overall just not a very good dish.

  7. 1 star
    I wanted to love this, but it felt really heavy and one-note. The filling seemed under-seasoned (no onion or garlic base), and the cream cheese + milk sauce turned out pretty thin and made the flour tortillas soggy instead of holding structure. It ended up more like a rich casserole than enchiladas, and the flavors didn’t feel very balanced or developed.

  8. I am confused about what white salsa verde is since salsa verde literally means green sauce. Can you clarify? Am I missing something?

  9. This looks so yummy, but it seems the step for preparing the poblanos is missing. You did mention a skillet for charring the peppers, but you include the peppers in Step 1 only stating that they should be chopped.

    1. Hey Mary,
      You can chop the peppers after charring them. I quickly do that over my stove top flame. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

  10. I’m a little confused at the “white salsa Verde”… Salsa Verde is a specific green salsa. Are you just calling it white because you added the cream cheese to it?

  11. 4 stars
    This is a great meal for the fall and winter and is so yummy…YOU have your own Mexican restaurant right in your home when you make these Enchiladas!

        1. At what stage would you freeze the dish?
          And would you thaw and bake the same way!
          I loved this dish!
          Would like to make 1/2 and freeze 1/2 for later

          1. Hi Shanna,
            You can go ahead and freeze after step 4 and then bake from frozen or thaw and bake. I hope you love this recipe!