Easy Dinner: Layered Chicken Enchilada Lasagna Recipe

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

I love cooking but even I end up needing new recipes for a truly quick and easy, yet tasty and satisfying, weeknight dinner. This Easy Dinner: Layered Chicken Enchilada Lasagna Recipe is the perfect “toss everything into a pan” meal. With rotisserie chicken, and cans of black beans, corn, and mild red enchilada sauce, you can have a hearty, delicious meal in under an hour. And if you, like me, love Mexican food, this recipe checks that box as well. Hearty, tasty, quick, Easy Dinner: Layered Chicken Enchilada Lasagna Recipe is sure to become a family favorite! Include it in your rotation of easy recipes!

Some of the best features of this recipe:

As Mexican recipes go, this is one of the easiest to prepare. Rotisserie chicken, canned veggies and mild red enchilada sauce mean more reheating than cooking. No need to take the time for roasting a chicken? Sign me up!

Layers of corn tortilla act like the sheets of pasta in a lasagna recipe, eliminating the time and messiness of rolling up chicken enchiladas.

This is a super flavorful meal as is, but feel free to adding some or all of the optional toppings like sour cream and avocado for a Mexican restaurant feel.

You can use a variety of different cheeses. While I used a mix cheddar and nacho taco cheese because that is what I had on hand, you can also use monterey jack or even pepper jack cheese. 

As always, this is a great recipe that requires no particular cooking experience, does not use any special techniques, and contains simple ingredients that are easily found at the supermarket.

Recipe Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken

1/2 medium yellow onion

1 bell pepper (any color)

1 tbsp olive oil (vegetable oil works as well)

1 15.5 oz can of black beans

1 15.25 oz can of whole kernel corn

1 can 4.5 oz chopped green chiles 

2 10 oz cans of red enchilada sauce

12 corn tortillas  (6-inch)

1 cup cheddar cheese

1 cup nacho taco cheese

Optional toppings: 

avocados

green onions

sour cream

​fresh cilantro

Helpful Tools

​Non-stick cooking spray

Large bowl 

Large skillet (10-inch skillet) 

Casserole dish or 9×13-inch baking dish 

Ingredient Notes

You can control the heat of your dish. My husband prefers mild spice, so I made this with mild red enchilada sauce and mild green chiles. I thought it was still fairly spicy, but adjust as desired.

I like to use ingredients I already have on hand, so I chose cheddar cheese and nacho taco cheese. You can also use some Monterey jack or pepper jack cheese. Feel free to mix and match to create about two cups of cheese. 

I used Old El Paso, but homemade enchilada sauce is an option when you are feeling ambitious. Maybe next time!

You can use any color bell pepper. I chose orange because I loved the pop of color. The taste is all the same.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Drain and rinse the black beans. Set aside.

3. Drain the corn and green chiles. You can add them to the cleaned black beans.

4. Remove the meat from a rotisserie chicken shredding it into pieces. I did that with my fingers but you can also use two forks. Put the chicken into a large bowl and set aside.

5. Chop 1/2 a medium onion and 1 bell pepper.

5. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. 

7. Add the onion and pepper and cook until soft and the onions begin to become translucent. Do not let the onions brown.

8. Pour in the black beans, corn, chiles, and chicken and stir to combine.

9. Pour the red sauce over everything and stir. Cook on medium heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

10. While the chicken mixture is heating, spray the casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

11. Begin to layer the tortillas in the dish. Put down the first tortilla and then place the second tortilla down with it slightly overlapping the first.

12. Continue layering until six tortillas are on the bottom of the casserole dish.

13. Pour half of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas.

14. Layer the remaining tortillas over the chicken mixture.

15. Pour the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas.

16. Mix the two cheeses together and sprinkle them easily over the chicken and enchilada sauce mixture. 

17. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.

18. Let the dish cool slightly before cutting to give the ingredients time to set.

19. If desired, top with green onions, cubed avocado, a handful of chopped fresh cilantro and/or sour cream before serving.

Check out the complete printable recipe card for Easy Dinner: Layered Chicken Enchilada Lasagna below.

Storage

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Tips & Tricks

Don’t limit yourself to chicken breast. Get in there and dig out all of the meat from the rotisserie chicken to avoid waste. Use the carcass to make some chicken broth!

Heating your leftovers in the microwave will result in soggy tortillas, so be sure to reheat in the oven. Place the leftovers in an oven safe dish, cover with aluminum foil, and reheat for about 20 minutes.

FAQs

Can you freeze this dish?

Yes! Double wrap your chicken enchilada lasagna in aluminum foil and place it into a plastic freezer bag. It should keep for up to two months.

Can I use flour tortillas?

You can use flour tortillas but it will change the taste. Make sure you are using the small size.

Check out some of my other easy recipes like this Easy 30 Minute One Pan Caprese Chicken.